MPC (Moving Picture Company) has shut down its studio in Vancouver, Canada as of today. Employees were told of the layoffs during a meeting this morning. An anonymous source has posted a screenshot of the letter that has allegedly explained the reason behind shutdown:

“Increasing external external market pressures in Vancouver and more attractive opportunities in other locations have created a challenging environment for us to sustain the studio.”

According to the unconfirmed information, MPC also plans a significant reduction in staff at its Montreal studio. This and other information was shared via a Reddit thread. An anonymous ex-employee from the Vancouver office posted his point of view on this matter:

“We’ve all put in extreme hours wrapping two infamous projects in the last couple of months. We’ve done multiple weeks without a day off, regular 17+ hour shifts to the point that most of us are seriously sleep deprived and are suffering still. We’ve worked really fucking hard to get this work out the door for MPC, and I’m genuinely ashamed that they are happier prioritising their profit margins and tax incentives over the insane talent and commitment of hundreds of dedicated VFX artists in Vancouver. I honestly feel insulted, like I’ve given MPC my all and in return they gave me the finger. Good luck to all other insanely talented artists that MPC currently employs in other locations, because the second another location becomes more ‘attractive’, you could be next on the chopping block.”

As news of the shutdown leaked, ILM promptly wrote a post that they are hiring talents in Vancouver. Besides it, job opportunities in this area are available from DNEG, FuseFX, LUX and Method.