From the wacky adventures of the film “Second Tour” by Albert Dupontel to the fantastic bestiary of the series “The Rings of Power” produced by Amazon, the know-how of The Yard VFX (80 employees) is expressed both in cinema and for streaming platforms. The digital special effects production studio, founded in 2014 in Île-de-France, opened a branch in Montpellier in 2023 to strengthen its operational capacities. A year later, it inaugurated its new premises, mobilizing 1.4 million in the operation in order to “be sustainable”, according to founder Laurens Ehrmann.
Getting closer to talent pools
The investment, which involved the acquisition and renovation of a former coworking space located in the heart of Montpellier, allows The Yard VFX to triple its surface area, going from 200 to more than 600 m2. Similarly, the number of employees employed by the Montpellier branch will increase from 10 to 20 by the end of the year (with a final estimated capacity of 70 people). This approach allows the studio to have a greater impact on the strong growth of the creative industries within the Hérault metropolitan area (850 establishments, 2,500 jobs). “Since the health crisis, companies in the sector have maintained a hybrid operation between teleworking and face-to-face. But few of them do so from the Île-de-France region. They must now get closer to the artists. As soon as they detect a pocket of talent, they open a branch,” analyzes Laurens Ehrmann, who has also opened an office in Lille, following the same logic.
Great flexibility for employees
In fact, The Yard VFX designed this operation to enhance its attractiveness. On the one hand, the new premises are located near the Saint-Roch train station. On the other hand, the studio has also invested in an infrastructure ensuring the security of exchanges between the Montpellier and Paris offices. “There is no specific department in Montpellier or Paris. Our employees have complete freedom to move from one site to another while working on the same project, which is an originality in our approach”, underlines Laurens Ehrmann. After working in Canada, Tom Fonvillars, director of the 3D department, headed to Hérault for family reasons. “I did not want to return to Paris. The Yard VFX gave me an opportunity in Montpellier without giving up my expertise in visual effects. It is the only studio offering a return to French talent abroad”, he testifies.
Rising to global standards
The Yard VFX is 90% positioned abroad, even though it has scored some great successes in France, such as the 2023 César for best visual effects for “Notre-Dame brûle” by Jean-Jacques Annaud. Its reputation and attractiveness have allowed it to recruit world-class managers over the past three years in order to better stand out in the eyes of major clients. For example, it is among the 12 studios working worldwide on “The Rings of Power”, the biggest budget in the history of TV series with 600 million euros for season 1. “Streaming platforms have grown a lot in a few years. Today, they want to produce better, by targeting their service providers more. We have therefore set up a standardized structure in relation to their expectations, in terms of processes and production monitoring, unlike other French studios,” insists Laurens Ehrmann.
The new aura of Montpellier
Finally, The Yard VFX also benefits from local partnerships that contribute to its rise in the range. The studio has partnered with the mega filming complex Pics Studio (43,000 m2), currently under development near Montpellier. He also participates in the end-of-year jury of ArtFX, a multi-award-winning international special effects school, and organizes one of its masters. “It is a tripartite alliance, which allows us to provide a complete solution ranging from training to filming, including supervision consulting and post-production. It is also a human adventure, which will take on another dimension in the dynamics of Montpellier. With 8 of the 11 regional winners of the “La Grande Fabrique de l’Image” call for projects, the Metropolis has revealed its new dimension and things are accelerating,” enthuses the manager.
