our philosophy:
proprietary tools at the service of one’s imagination

Founded in 1984 by Pierre Buffin, BUF has established itself as an industry leader in visual effects in Europe. As one of the few pioneers of computer generated images, BUF has been blazing new trails for over 30 years providing stunning visual effects for more than 75 films and 800 commercials.

Over the years, BUF has distinguished itself through its unwavering commitment to building superlative pictures and crafting atmospheres that not only support and enhance the narrative but above all, bring to life the directorial vision. By bringing its expert craftsmanship to each project, BUF embraces new artistic challenges that allow for equitable and incomparable results.

Born and raised in France, CEO Pierre Buffin studied art and architecture before devoting himself to CG animation and visual effects. His vision of pairing cutting edge motion graphic skills with true artistic management on high profile projects has been relied upon by such acclaimed Directors as the Wachowski siblings, Christopher Nolan, Marc Foster, Michel Gondry, Oliver Stone, JeanPierre Jeunet, Marc Caro and Wong Kar Wai amongst others.

BUF’s ongoing commitment to advanced technologies and artistic craftsmanship is widely known for the “bullet time effect” seen in “The Matrix”, originally developed for Michel Gondry’s video clips; and the “camera mapping” techniques which allowed David Fincher to introduce a new visual language in “Fight Club.” BUF’s work force amounts to over 300 employees, CG artists and engineers working from two Parisian facilities, a Belgian studio, a liaison office in Los Angeles and shortly, a new facility in Montreal (Winter 2012). BUF also has an independent digital and photochemical lab, B-Mac, as well an internal development and production entity, AngeleFine Productions.

Since its inception, BUF’s primary focus has been devoted to its in-house research and development team which creates the software and pipeline(s) needed to fully realize any Director's vision. As of today, it is one of the few companies in this domain which exclusively uses its own proprietary software from pre- isualization to final render.

Building on 26 years of experience, BUF’s goal remains to provide the best quality pictures with no other limit than one's imagination.

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