The Jungle Group has announced that its VFX and production arm will no longer operate under the Jungle umbrella and will operate in its own right under the leadership of Vaughn Mullady.
The decision to part ways with the 10-strong VFX team comes following the news that Jungle’s Dean Street facility would not be granted a new lease when it expires in August, due to the landlord’s decision to redevelop the building as a residential property.
The loss of the Dean Street office sees the Soho-based facility restructure to bring its audio facilities under one roof with a £500,000 refurbishment of its Wardour Street base. The space issue presented by the forced closure has caused the business to return to its core audio offering. Jungle will continue to provide audio for the VFX and production business and vice versa despite parting ways.
Graham Ebbs, managing director of Jungle described the Dean Street closure as a “huge shock” but added the change offered “a great opportunity to reassess Jungle’s business model and the services we offer” sparking the group’s decision to “go back to our roots and focus on audio and music design as our core offering”.
Ebbs added: “Although VFX and production will no longer be part of Jungle’s portfolio we continue to work closely with the teams to provide these services when required by our clients.”
The £500,000 refurbishment sees Jungle knock through its existing offices at 143 and 145 Wardour Street to create one building with a shared entrance. Office facilities will include a new reception, Dolby cinema studio, three new audio studios taking its total number to 10, and a café and bar.