Sony unit takes 50.1% stake in Frameflow

US-based Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI) has picked up 50.1 per cent equity stake in Frameflow India Pvt Ltd for $5 million. Following this, Frameflow will be rechristened as Imageworks India. It will work with SPI's main production facility in California.

SPI is a division of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, which oversees the digital production and online entertainment assets of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

"We expect to generate $20 million in the next 3-5 years. With this partnership, we will transfer technology and software to Imageworks India and undertake training initiatives. We plan to bring professionals from the US to Chennai for training, and also, take a few of them working here to California for the same purpose," Jenny Fulle, executive vice-president of production, SPI, said.

FrameFlow India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Frameflow LLC, a computer graphics animation and visual effects production company based in Atlanta, USA.

"We are looking at setting up a facility of around 25,000 sft, which will be able to accommodate 300 people. The relationship with SPI has culminated in a strategic vision to create the 'wow' effect, which is the ever-increasing demand of film viewers. This will also provide larger employment opportunities in sync with the increasing business generated by Imageworks India," Abhaya Kumar, investor, co-founder and managing director of Frameflow's Indian operations, said.

Imageworks India has 67 artistes, of which 15 are animators. The company, under the Frameflow banner, worked on 12 movies and around 500 shots last year. SPI employs 1,000 people at its US production facility, of which 600 are artistes and 150 are animators. SPI is currently working on 'Spiderman 3' and 'I Am Legend'.