Phil Tippett Closes Berkeley Studio, Shifts VFX Operations to Toronto

Phil Tippett has shuttered his Berkeley production facility after four decades, liquidating decades of practical effects assets and physical equipment, according to a report by TheWrap.

The closure concluded with a three-day auction running from August 28 to August 30. Collectors and industry professionals purchased production gear, cameras, prototypes and classic stop-motion artifacts, including pieces from the original "Star Wars" Holochess sequence and an AT-AT Imperial Walker model from "The Empire Strikes Back" created during Tippett's tenure at Industrial Light and Magic.

Despite winding down the Northern California footprint, Tippett Studio confirmed that the business is not shutting down entirely. The company stated on social media that its Toronto satellite location remains operational and is currently servicing a major feature film.

In a public statement cited by TheWrap, the studio framed the facility closure as an operational realignment away from heavy real estate overhead. "We have recently decided to evolve our physical footprint and production approach, and to exit our longtime Berkeley facility," the company said, noting that "maintaining a large permanent physical footprint is no longer necessary for our current requirements."

The company emphasized that tactile animation will remain part of its toolkit on a project-by-project basis, even as the central studio structure is dismantled.

The transition highlights the ongoing economic pressures facing legacy practical effects outfits in an ecosystem dominated by digital pipelines and international tax credits. By consolidating work in Toronto, the outfit aligns with production incentive hubs while shedding the high fixed costs associated with running dedicated fabrication shops in the Bay Area.