Vancouver is cementing its place as a leading visual effects hub with news that Sony Picture Imageworks is moving its headquarters from California to the city's downtown core.
The Oscar-winning division will be relocating 700 employees to a new 71,500 sq.-ft. studio in the Pacific Centre redevelopment, confirmed a news release on Friday.
Just two months ago, the visual effects company created by George Lucas for the original "Star Wars" opened a permanent Vancouver studio. Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic has a 30,000 sq.-ft. space in Gastown.
Vancouver "offers an attractive lifestyle for artists in a robust business climate. Expanding our headquarters in Vancouver will allow us to deliver visual effects of the highest calibre and value to our clients," said Randy Lake, executive vice-president and general manager at Sony Pictures Digital Productions, in a statement.
CBC News reported that Sony is taking advantage of a large tax credit in B.C., and could be easily wooed to another city with a sweeter deal.
Imageworks currently has a studio in Vancouver's Yaletown, where staff finished effects for "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," and are now working on the upcoming "Angry Birds" movie.
Representatives from Imageworks were recently recruiting for animators, FX and matte painters at a Vancouver career fair.
Imageworks will be joining several familiar brands in the former Sears building downtown. A new division of Microsoft will be located two floors above the Sony studio, as well as U.S. retailer Nordstrom flagship Canadian store, expected to open in fall 2015.
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