Prime Focus has completed the restructure of its commercials team, with half of the division’s 60 staff made redundant after the subsidiary was put into administration.

Prime Focus bought some of the assets of its commercials division for £385,000 in a pre-pack administration deal at the end of last week.

The 30 remaining staff have been split between the broadcast VFX and post-production teams.

Prime Focus Broadcast managing director Rowan Bray said the post firm would now operate a “boutique” commercials division.

“The old-fashioned commercials model just doesn’t work any more,” she told Broadcast. “What we had was geared up to do big-budget commercials at the drop of a hat. We’re now leaner and more targeted.”

Nine people from the commercials division, including producers and a small team of creative leads, will be managed by Parvinder Bhatia, managing director, UK broadcast VFX.

The remainder will be led by Bray, who said the new structure would help to smooth out the “seasonal bumps” experienced by the division.

The commercials team is typically quieter at the end of the year, when broadcast is at its busiest. Bray said Prime Focus was still considering what to do with the commercials team’s Dean Street premises.

“Because of the size of the team we now have, there are a few choices: keep it, get rid of it or do something in between.”

The commercials division’s net liabilities grew from £300,000 in 2012 to £1.3m by the end of January.

Prime Focus said the administration would reduce the post firm’s annual costs by £1m, adding that its broadcast business “continues to perform well” and is expected to show year-on-year growth.

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