The market for visual effects (VFX) has become one of the global growth drivers in the media and entertainment industry. The Asia-Pacific region in particular is recording high growth rates. However, even in this technologically and artistically highly demanding segment of the film and TV industry, Germany is at risk of being left behind internationally. This is the result of a survey of the German VFX community conducted by the Association of Technical Film and Television Companies (VTFF). VFX studios are suffering from high cost pressure and a lack of demand, among other things. Like many other technical and creative service providers, the economic situation of many companies is very difficult.

The international spread of digital cinema and the public's demand for high-quality productions have led to a VFX boom. Even in Germany, hardly any sophisticated cinema or TV films are shot without the use of visual effects in post-production. The Asia-Pacific region in particular, with its huge markets in China and India, is booming. The market research institute Vantage estimates the turnover of the global VFX market at around 29 billion dollars and expects growth of 10.8 per cent per year until 2030 (https://www.vantagemarketresearch.com/de/industry-report/vfx-market-1773).

A comparatively small scene of VFX companies has developed in Germany. Their work on major film and TV projects, which has often been recognised with awards, proves that they achieve a high level of creativity and technology. Nevertheless, the situation and mood in this future market, which is so important for the TV and film industry, is poor, as a recent VTFF survey of VFX service providers shows. For example, 72.8 per cent of the companies surveyed stated that the first half of 2024 was "somewhat worse" to "significantly worse" than expected. ("Rather worse" 45.5 % and "Significantly worse" 27.3 %; "Significantly better" 9.1 %; "In line with our expectations" 18.2 %). Consequently, 36.4 per cent of those surveyed rate their current return on sales as "in need of improvement" or even "precarious" ("Optimal": 0 %, "Good": 18.2 %, "Satisfactory": 9.1 %).

The outlook for the annual financial statements is characterised by pessimism; 36.4 percent of the VFX companies surveyed expect the return on sales to fall "slightly to moderately", 27.3 percent even expect the return on sales to fall by at least ten percent and thus "significantly" ("Will stagnate": 27.3 %, "Will rise slightly to moderately": 9.1 %, "Will rise significantly": 0 %).

VFX professionals see the biggest challenges in higher cost pressure from clients (100 %), declining orders for cinema productions (72.7 %) and the loss of attractiveness of Germany as a production location as a whole (63.6 %). The extent to which the VFX scene is dependent on the cinema industry, which is also in crisis, is demonstrated by the answer to the question of who the biggest growth drivers currently are: 72.7 per cent of respondents named film and television productions.

"The survey shows that the boom in the international film and television industry is also bypassing Germany in the VFX segment," says VTFF Managing Director Achim Rohnke, summarising the results of the survey. This is all the more fatal as it is a technology-driven market that will help decide the future of the entire industry. "The VFX companies show the whole dilemma of Germany as a film location. Creatively and technologically, the service providers are keeping pace internationally, but the economic and political framework conditions are lacking." Rohnke reiterated his call for the reform of film funding to be implemented more quickly and in full: "We need more speed."

The VTFF Managing Director announced that the association would be even more committed to VFX companies in the future. "The VTFF is the strong voice of technical-creative service providers in the film and television industry. This also and especially applies to all VFX companies."