US visualisation studio Halon Entertainment is set to expand operations to Glasgow as part of a £28m investment. Contributing factors behind the decision include the city’s world-renowned academic institutions and facilities, as well as the skilled workforce in computer graphics, animation and digital technology.
In recent years, Halon has contributed to blockbuster films that include The Batman, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and the Planet of the Apes trilogy. The company has also worked on streaming shows such as The Mandalorian, and Fortnight – Epic Games’ online gaming juggernaut.
“With production happening across the globe, expanding our full-service studios on both sides of the Atlantic allows us to better support our clients with world-class services and top-tier talent, no matter where projects take them,” Chris Ferriter, president of Halon Entertainment. “Our new Scotland studio strengthens our ability to collaborate seamlessly across time zones and deliver exceptional work to even more productions worldwide.”
Investment confidence in Glasgow
The announcement was welcomed by Scotland Culture Secretary Angus Robertson MSP during a meeting with Chris Ferriter, also attended by Halon’s chief financial officer Francesca Segarra and the company’s creative director Grant Olin.
“I greatly welcome this major investment from Halon Entertainment, which is a huge endorsement of the skills, talent and experience that Glasgow offers and the strength of Scotland’s screen sector overall,” says Robertson. “It marks a major boost for the digital tech, film, TV, and games industries, reinforcing Scotland’s position as a global hub for creative technology.
“Together with Scottish Enterprise and Screen Scotland, the Scottish Government is committed to accelerating the growth of our screen sector. Inward investment like this is a key driver of that growth and the cultural and economic opportunities that come with that, including hundreds of good, well-paying jobs.”
Scotland’s national economic development agency, Scottish Enterprise, is providing Halon with advisory services and £3.9m of funding towards the project cost.
Scotland’s expanding creative economy
Across Scotland, an estimated £617.4m was spent on the production of film, TV and other visual content in 2021, according to the most recent figures published by Screen Scotland.
“We warmly welcome Halon to Glasgow. We are delighted it has chosen Scotland as its UK base, thanks to the depth of our animation and visual effects talent across film, TV and video games,” says Isabel Davis, executive director of Screen Scotland. “Scotland’s globally competitive offer is backed up by the UK’s recently enhanced visual effects tax credit alongside a range of support from Screen Scotland.”
Additionally, the city is home to a third of the UK’s regional tech firms that operate in the creative economy, according to Invest Glasgow. Key areas of expertise include digital design and marketing, media production, immersive technologies, animation and visualisation.
“It’s a huge win that an ambitious US studio has chosen Scotland as its location to expand and scale up. Its presence will enhance the reputation of the country’s digital tech industry, and of Glasgow as a hub of artistic and technical talent,” says Adrian Gillespie, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise. “It’s also a brilliant opportunity for animators and visual artists to help develop innovative creative content for movies, series and video games right here in Scotland.”
Established in 2003, Halon is a major supplier of final animation for the video games industry and a innovator in virtual production and visualisation for feature films. The company’s headquarters will continue to be in Los Angeles. The Glasgow studio is intended to enhance the company’s operations and expand services to international clients. Crosshaven Partners were location advisors to Halon on the project.
