Expanding the Scope of Work
Though high-end VFX in film continues to be their main business, the economic downturn, coupled with the emergence of outsourcing to India and China, encouraged Modus to develop new offerings. The expansion into documentaries, TV and full CGI features required an expansion of human resources at Modus. They decided to supplement the existing hardware, leverage it with a different team, while keeping the VFX division intact. This requires more supervision and coordination.

“When we expanded, we thought of adding a night shift and having them use the equipment we already had,” said Marc Bourbonnais, president and co-founder of Modus FX. “But that turned out to be more costly than simply adding workstations. It’s more cost-effective to make sure everyone’s working together during the same shift, and on the same page.”

Entrepreneur of the Year
Careful planning and thoughtful management have enabled Modus to succeed for five years in an industry that has proven challenging for many mid-size facilities. Modus FX continues to be in a stable financial position, and this month, Bourbonnais was named a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 Awards in the Emerging Entrepreneur category. The winner will be announced in October.

“When we first thought about starting Modus FX, we were just two artists who wanted to keep doing what we loved,” said Bourbonnais. “Since then we’ve established solid business practices and built a thriving facility. We’re really excited about what’s in store for the VFX industry, and for Modus, in the next five years.”

Source: Modus FX