Envy acquires VFX studio Absolute

Envy has acquired VFX studio Absolute and its sister company Blind Pig.

The deal will see Absolute leave its base of 20 years on Soho’s Poland Street, and move to a flagship six-storey facility at 19-21 Mortimer Street, Fitzrovia, with Envy Advertising operating under the Absolute banner. Animation sister company Blind Pig will also operate from the new address, which will open for business in mid-2023. 

Envy’s broadcast facility will support the new venture with core services, while continuing to operate its longform business under its existing identity. Envy’s founder and CEO, Dave Cadle, will work alongside Absolute CEO David Smith and the rest of the Absolute senior leadership team.

Absolute will offer editorial, colour, visual effects, audio and music composition under one roof, with 19-21 Mortimer Street to undergo a complete interior renovation and tech overhaul. The resulting facility will have three sound studios, two of which licenced by Dolby for Atmos, as well as three grading suites, multiple VFX suites, a cinema room and a rooftop terrace. 

The space will be designed to incorporate lots of natural light, and a commitment to the hybrid workflow.

Cadle said: “We are excited to welcome David and the Absolute team to the Envy Group. Absolute is a world-class creative visual effects company and Envy acquiring Absolute enables us to expand our scale and capabilities both creatively and commercially. Bringing Absolute’s award-winning expertise and reputation into one group with a shared vision, positions both companies well to help our clients bring their projects to life.”

Natascha Cadle, Envy co-founder and creative director, added: “We’re delighted to be welcoming the Absolute team to our Envy family. This is an exciting time for us all as we begin to work collectively to strengthen our devotion of nurturing talent and creativity and providing clients with a great partnership that is unparalleled in post-production.”

Absolute/’s Smith concluded: “We’ve rapidly expanded over the last few years – in fact, our headcount has more than doubled since the start of the pandemic. We’ve continued to acquire some of the industry’s most proficient talent at such a rate that we’ve outgrown our current home. As a company, we want to mirror this evolution on a broader scale, not only in terms of space, but also via an investment in tech, development, and the future.

“What better company to partner with than Envy, who share our morals and long-term goals. We’re excited to welcome Envy Advertising’s talented roster of sound engineers, artists and producers into our fold as we cement long-term strategic goals for the future development of Absolute.”