Alistair McAlinden and Geoff Jacobs of Interpath Advisory have been appointed joint administrators to Axis Productions Limited and Axis VFX Limited, which trade as Axis Studios, on 15 July 2024.

Based in Glasgow and with a presence in Bristol, the studio has worked on large, well-known projects in the TV, film and videogame industries.

Following their appointment, the joint administrators have unfortunately had to cease production of all projects immediately and 162 employees have been made redundant. The joint administrators are seeking operators to continue with the live projects.

Mr McAlinden, head of Interpath Advisory in Scotland and joint administrator, said: “It is a great shame to see a creative business in Scotland close its doors.

“Axis has been a studio of choice for key production companies and has produced content for household names such as the BBC, Netflix and Blizzard Entertainment. The company experienced a high demand for its services during COVID as animation and visual effects for TV, film and videogames skyrocketed.

“Unfortunately, however, Axis has more recently been impacted by a decline in customer projects, as well as increases in labour costs which have resulted in severe cash flow problems. The directors worked tirelessly to explore alternative solutions, but ultimately had to take the difficult decision to seek the appointment of administrators.”

Axis had been developing animations in Scotland since 2000 and by 2008, had grown to become Scotland’s largest animation studio. Being a creative force in Scotland, it also employed diverse and imaginative artists globally to develop content that married art and technology. The company was a recipient of numerous awards for its work including a Royal Television Society award and an Emmy.

Axis employed 166 members of staff. A small number of employees will be retained by the joint administrators to assist with the orderly wind down and transfer of knowledge following the appointment.

Mr Jacobs, joint administrator, added: “Our priority is to give employees support in the first instance. We would encourage any party with an interest in Axis’ live projects to contact us immediately.”