Fortissimo/Psyop to Merge with Stink?

I’ll be honest, most of the details in this article about Fortissimo (the acquisition company that bought Psyop back in January) and Stink Productions in London are over my head. The gist of the deal, however, is that Psyop and Stink would be combining powers “to form a global production and digital content creation company with expertise in live action production, design, animation, visual effects and mixed media, initially focused on the advertising market.”

Some of Psyop’s biggest and best projects over the last year or so have come through Stink, so in terms of a creative partnernship, the deal definitely makes sense. Given the ever-expanding European market and Stink’s dominant position there, the merger seems like a solid business move, too.

It’s interesting to see this level of growth, especially when you consider that it’s backed by a publicly traded company.  Since the turn of the 21st century, the predominant form of motion studios has been the boutique—small privately owned shops working with cutting edge tech that enabled desktop production without massive investment.

Is this Psyop/Stink merger a harbinger of things to come for the industry at large? Are we leaving the boutique mentality behind? What new challenges do creative services companies face when shareholders are thrown into the mix?