Double Negative plans to buck trend with TV VFX arm

The film VFX specialist hopes that Dneg TV will benefit from the incoming TV tax breaks by creating photo-real environments for drama productions.

Earlier this week, it began work on its first show, picking up shots for Ridley Scott’s first-ever TV project, a pilot called The Vatican.

The move into TV follows rival facility The Mill’s decision to exit the sector, blaming a “volatile” market.

However, Double Negative managing director Alex Hope said the unpredictable nature of the field was “one of the constant challenges of working in VFX”.

“Our ambition to open a TV division wasn’t predicated on landing one programme, but it is a testament to the fact that we believe there is work out there and there is an opportunity,” he said, adding that the facility had beenkeen to launch a TV-focused division since the idea of tax breaks was first raised.

“We were part of the conversations with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Treasury because we always felt there was real potential.

“Now the tax breaks have come to pass, we want to offer our skills and experience to the TV marketplace,” he said.

“We have dealt very effectively with the ever-changing schedules of different productions over the years and it is something we will continue to do in future.

“We recognise that TV requires a different mind-set to film because there are different scheduling and budgetary challenges.”

Double Negative has recruited an initial team of seven people, led by a trio of former Rushes staffers: VFX supervisors Jonathan Privett and Hayden Jones, and VFX pro- ducer Louise Hussey.