DUBLIN POST-PRODUCTION studio Windmill Lane Pictures has announced its immediate closure.

In a statement, the directors said that despite their best efforts to sustain operations, the business has become insolvent and is no longer viable.

Windmill Lane was founded in 1978 as recording studio and TV commercial post-production facility and in the 80s, it worked with some of the biggest musicians, including U2, David Bowie, AC/DC, and Bruce Springsteen.

In the 90s, the recording studio arm of Windmill Lane split from the company to become Windmill Lane Recording Studios.

As a result, Windmill Lane said “it was back to basics” and recording TV commercials for the likes of Guinness, McDonalds, Playstation and Heineken.

In the 2000s, Windmill moved into film and TV and by the end of the decade, it had seen collaborations with directors such as Jim Sheridan and Neil Jordan.

In 2009, it relocated to a new headquarters on Herbert Street and a year later launched Windmill Lane VFX, becoming Ireland’s first Irelands first dedicated visual effects company.

All five seasons of Love/Hate were finished in Windmill Lane, and it also worked on shows like Vikings and Outlander.

In a statement announcing the closure, the board of Windmill Lane Pictures said: “The global film and post-production industry has faced significant headwinds in recent years, including increasing cost pressures, rapid technological changes, and the ongoing challenges of operating in a competitive international market.”

Windmill Lane Picture also pointed to the extended writers’ and actors’ strike in the United States during 2023, which it said caused a “severe disruption to production pipelines worldwide, creating a knock-on effect that has impacted businesses across the film ecosystem, including ours”.

Meanwhile, Windmill Lane Pictures states on its website that it has “expertise” in Section 481, which is a tax credit incentivising film and TV, animation and creative documentary production in Ireland.

“Ireland’s attractive tax break for international film and TV production has positioned us well as a partnering opportunity in terms of both creativity and production,” reads Windmill Lane Pictures website.

However, in its statement today, the board said that the “erosion of international competitiveness of the Section 481 VFX film tax credit has made Ireland a less attractive location for this type of work”.

Reacting to the closure, the distinct Windmill Lane Recording Studios said it is “deeply saddened to hear the news that Windmill Lane Pictures is closing”.

“We would like to take this opportunity to clarify that Windmill Lane Recording Studios is a completely separate company,” said its CEO Naomi Moore.

She added: “We continue to operate as a recording studio and visitor attraction, and remain fully committed to serving our clients.”