Film, television and video post-production, 2025

Released: 2026-10-09

Film, television and video post-production industry records declining operating revenues

Operating revenues in the film, television and video post-production industry fell to $2.4 billion in 2025, down 14.7% from 2023, as lower film production activity in Canada following the 2023 boom after the COVID-19 pandemic reduced demand for editing, visual effects, animation and other post-production services. Despite the drop from the record high in 2023, operating revenues in 2025 were 18.7% above pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019.

Declining revenues were concentrated in Quebec, where operating revenues fell 29.0% (-$401.1 million) from 2023 to 2025. As a result, Quebec's share of the national total decreased from 49.0% in 2023 to 40.7% in 2025, its lowest level since 2017. In contrast, British Columbia recorded the largest gain over the same period, up $76.7 million from 2023 to reach $884.4 million in 2025. This growth raised the province's share of the national total from 28.7% in 2023 to 36.8% in 2025.

Operating expenses declined 15.2% (-$403.5 million) compared with 2023 to reach $2.2 billion in 2025. With operating expenses falling at a faster rate than operating revenues, the operating profit margin increased from 6.0% in 2023 to 6.7% in 2025.

Salaries, wages and benefits decreased 14.4% compared with 2023 to reach $1.2 billion in 2025. Despite this decline, salaries, wages and benefits represented an increasing share of operating expenses, accounting for 55.5% of total operating expenses in 2025, up from 55.0% in 2023. Subcontracts were the second-largest category of operating expenses, comprising 11.2% of operating expenses in 2025.

Visual effects remain in focus

Industry sales fell 16.8% from 2023 to 2025, with decreases across most industry sales categories. Lower sales of visual effects and animation services for audiovisual works (-15.0%) and 3D visual effects and animation services for audiovisual works (-26.0%) were the primary contributors to the overall decline, accounting for 81.7% of the total decrease in industry sales. Despite this decline, visual effects and animation services remained the industry's largest sales category, with its share of industry sales rising from 75.9% in 2023 to 77.5% in 2025.

While Quebec accounted for the majority of national sales in visual effects and animation services from 2019 to 2023, the province's share of the national total declined from 51.0% in 2023 to 40.4% in 2025. Meanwhile, British Columbia recorded an 11.3% growth in visual effects and animation services over the same period, increasing its share of national sales in the category to 41.7% in 2025 and overtaking Quebec as the leading province in the category.

Looking ahead: The next cut for the post-production industry

The outlook for the post-production industry remains uncertain. Elevated operating costs, evolving client demand, and ongoing shifts in production and content investment continue to affect activity across the motion picture and video industries.

As post-production activity typically lags behind film and television production, changes in production levels are often reflected in industry performance months later. Results from the 2025 Survey of Service Industries: Film, Television and Video Production, to be released in early 2027, will provide additional information on production activity in 2025 and, consequently, on the volume of production that could generate post-production work in the subsequent years.

The next release of the biennial survey on film, television and video post-production, scheduled for fall 2028, will provide a more complete picture of these factors' impact on the industry.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).