Double Negative gets positive about quality TV

Britain's biggest movie visual-effects (VFX) company made a significant move into quality television yesterday as a direct result of George Osborne's decision to give the sector tax breaks.

Double Negative, which was behind the effects on Batman: The Dark Knight Rises and the Harry Potter films, has recruited a trio of senior industry figures who have worked at rival firm Rushes to launch the television arm.

Mr Osborne introduced the tax breaks for television drama at the start of this month in response to lobbying from creative industries, which claimed they were losing out on work as other countries had better concessions. Double Negative's managing director Alex Hope said: "The TV tax credit that is coming into force, we believe, is going to be a driver to bring new TV production activity to the UK — notwithstanding the work that is already here."

He said television producers were investing more in VFX as viewers lapped up big-budget dramas such as the HBO series Game Of Thrones.

At the same time, the film market looks tougher as DVD sales, a huge money-spinner, are under pressure.

Double Negative, which has an annual turnover of £75m, is based in London's West End.