Getting To Know… Pineapple VFX
Pineapple VFX was founded in 2020 by visual effects supervisor and creative director, Kia Coates. The ambition; to create a fairer studio where artists are respected and valued for their input. The core team boasts over 50 years of post production experience spanning 2D composite and 3D. With a scalable model, the studio can expand its capabilities beyond traditional VFX workflows integrating AI, offline editing and colour.
In 2024, Pineapple VFX celebrated Gold at the prestigious Ciclope festival in Berlin, collecting four awards in total for music video RM ‘Lost’. Since then, this mind-bending film has won Gold at the 1.4 awards, Grand Prix at the 2025 Shark Awards for Best International Music Video, alongside wins at the British Arrows, three D&AD pencils, and shortlisted as one of only four post houses (globally) for Best Visual Effects at the 2025 Creative Circle awards.
Based in North London with cloud capabilities, the team have achieved groundbreaking work in both commercials and music videos.
LBB> Tell us a bit about Pineapple VFX – when did you form and why?
Kia> Pineapple VFX was a reaction to the covid-19 outbreak in 2020. We were early adopters of a remote, cloud based workflow and the barrier to entry had much fewer restrictions. After some early success working with Blinkink, Future Deluxe, Pulse and Untold, I recruited my ex colleague at DNEG, visual effects artist Paul Venn Stirling. Sebastien Gaucher then followed as my next compositor hire.
Knowing I had such a strong team behind me who collectively have worked on Hollywood blockbuster movies such as Bourne, Transformers, James Bond and The Hunger Games, gave me the confidence to grow the business. We established a reputation of having very high standards and a commitment to a creative challenge.
Our mission was to deliver the finesse, attention to detail, and cinematic polish typically reserved for the big screen, within the commercial space.
LBB> What’s the story behind your name?
Kia> The company name pays homage to our favourite lunchtime pub ‘The Pineapple’ in Kentish Town, where the idea for starting a VFX company was formed over many lunches, and refreshments.
Spending time there inspired us to think about what kind of environment we wanted to create for ourselves and others. We wanted Pineapple VFX to be democratic, and a comfortable space where staff can express themselves and their talents freely.
Although we don’t have spirits on tap (yet) we do have an open door policy where clients and staff can sense the warmth and friendliness that runs throughout the studio.
LBB> Give us a fun fact about your company.
Kia> A pineapple is not a pine or an apple. It’s actually a berry.
Another less interesting fact is that Josh and I run a group called the ‘Tottenham Moving Image Collective’ which aims to bring together likeminded creatives, artists, directors, set designers, gaffers and other professionals working in moving image who live or work in the Tottenham / Seven Sisters area.
We meet every month and the community has grown to over 100 members. The ultimate goal is for people to find meaningful partnerships, relationships or careers by getting out there and meeting new faces.
LBB> Tell us about three campaigns that epitomise what you do as a company?
Kia> Swatch – ‘Jelly Effect’ (three part commercial series)
‘Jelly Effect’’ is a campaign directed by Grajper and produced by MOX London and FRIEND. This project allowed us to flex our CG credentials and dive into a vivid underwater world inspired by the surreal beauty of jellyfish.
RM – ‘LOST!’ (Music Video)
This is a project we are really proud of, and it's gone on to win awards at the British Arrows, D&AD, Ciclope and 1.4 awards. It combines live-action green screen performances with intricate miniature set builds and complex digital set extensions, blending the tactile with the surreal to bring the artist’s emotional journey to life.
Costa “Crack A Costa” (Commercial)
Directed by the supremely talented duo Tom and Ethan at Partizan and written by VML, this playful film neatly combines 2D composite with motion design and was a joy to work on. Although we enjoy the challenges of 3D, working with live action plates and in-camera puppetry has become one of our calling cards.
LBB> What are your strongest opinions about your field?
Kia> Having started my career in VFX over 20 years ago at DNEG, I’ve worked across both high-end feature films and fast-paced commercial projects.
One thing I’ve always believed, and seen proven time and time again, is that commercial (TVC) artists don’t get the credit they deserve.
The pace of commercials demands a completely different skill set. While film VFX artists often work within large teams supported by multi-million pound pipelines and extensive infrastructure, commercial artists are expected to wear multiple hats. They solve complex creative and technical problems fast, deliver high-quality work under pressure, and often do it all with far fewer resources. True collaborators, not just visual engineers.
LBB> What are you proudest of as a company?
Kia> Our biggest standout moment so far has to be the music video RM ‘LOST!’ for director Aube Perrie at Pulse Films. It’s picked up a host of major awards this year and really put us on the map. We poured months of effort into that project, and the result speaks to everything we care about, quality, creativity, and deep collaboration.
What I’m most proud of isn’t one project, it’s the studio we’ve built. Pineapple VFX has grown completely organically. No investors, no bank loans, and no one dictating our direction but us. We’ve built this on our own terms, and that freedom means we get to choose how we treat people, how we operate, and what we value. It’s not all about profit, and it shouldn’t be.
We hear time and time again from directors, agencies, and brands that working with us is an enjoyable, supportive experience. That matters. When everyone feels like they’re on the same team, trying to make something great together, the process becomes as rewarding as the result. Our extended network of artists are also keen to return, which emphasises how much value we place on them as people, and their experience working with us.
LBB> What are some upcoming projects our readers need to keep an eye out for?
Kia> We have some exciting projects in the works at the moment. One is with Somesuch, collaborating with the brilliant and award-winning director Caleb Femi, a project that’s shaping up to be something really special. The rest are under NDA I’m afraid.
Looking ahead, we’re keen to do more direct-to-brand work and continue expanding our relationships with independent agencies. We’ve also got some grand plans for new hires this autumn, a move that will allow the studio to provide multi-discipline services beyond traditional VFX.
For all sales enquires please contact executive producer, Josh Sanders
josh@pineapplevfx.com
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