Although a handful of marketing, HR and dispatch staff have been let go in recent months, the reaction to reduced budgets in television and commercials will not be mass redundancies.
“We've been anticipating a downturn for a year and a quarter so are in slowdown mode,” he said. “If someone leaves, we don't replace them. I've also taken certain roles out and we will lose another one or two. We have less runners now for example. At one point we had 32 runners. I don't need 32 runners. But this [drive] will not affect operational revenue generators or trainees.”
Framestore currently employs 610 people, approximately 35 less than this time last year.
Last week Broadcast reported that one its major competitors The Mill was cutting 25 positions both in the UK and the US.
Sargent is also making prudent cut backs on spend and allowing staff to take extended unpaid holidays. “I've cut the 15,000 jars of peanut butter that we were buying each year. That keeps a young person's job,” he said.
Framestore has recently finished visual effects work on series 3 of the Impossible Pictures produced sci-fi drama series Primeval (pictured).
The show airs on ITV from 28 March.
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