Zerply Is Shutting Down: What VFX Artists Need to Do Before September 28

After 16 years serving the visual-effects and animation community, Zerply is shutting down.

The specialist portfolio and recruitment platform has announced that the website will stop working on September 28, 2026. Artists who have used Zerply to showcase their work, find jobs or connect with studios now have a limited amount of time to secure their portfolio material and redirect their online presence.

For many VFX and animation professionals, the closure represents the end of a platform that was built specifically around the creative production industry.

Zerply Was Built for VFX and Animation Professionals

Zerply launched in 2010 and eventually became a specialist platform for high-end VFX and animation professionals.

Unlike general professional networks, Zerply focused heavily on the creative-production community.

Artists working in areas such as:

Visual effects
3D animation
Modelling
Rigging
Compositing
Lighting
Character FX
Environment art
Matte painting
Animation
Game development
Motion graphics

could use the platform to present their work and connect with potential employers and collaborators.

Zerply also provided recruitment tools for studios searching for production-ready talent.

When Will Zerply Shut Down?

According to Zerply’s own announcement, the website will stop working on Monday, September 28, 2026 at 16:00 UTC. After that, the platform will become a static page and users will no longer be able to log in.

For artists who have an existing Zerply profile, there are two important deadlines.

September 21: Request Your Data Export

Artists who want to save profile information and uploaded material should submit an export request by September 21, 2026.

Zerply says the export process is being handled manually.

Users can also request their uploaded media assets, including older demo reels and portfolio material.

September 28: Final Website Shutdown

The platform itself will stop working on September 28.

Zerply says individual assets can still be downloaded until the shutdown date.

Artists should therefore avoid waiting until the final day.

What VFX Artists Should Do Now

1. Export Your Portfolio

Request an export of your Zerply profile before September 21.

Make sure you preserve:

Portfolio images
Demo reels
Videos
Artwork
Project descriptions
Credits
Employment information
Contact information

Older portfolio material can be particularly important because artists may no longer have the original files.

2. Download Important Media

Check your Zerply profile for material that exists only on the platform.

Download important reels, images and other portfolio assets before September 28.

3. Redirect Your Zerply URL

Zerply is allowing users to redirect their existing Zerply URLs to another online profile.

Possible destinations include professional portfolio websites and platforms such as LinkedIn, IMDb, Vimeo and other artist-focused services.

Zerply says it intends to keep redirects operating for at least one year after the shutdown.

4. Update Your CV

If your résumé, website, email signature or social-media profiles contain a Zerply URL, replace it with your new portfolio address.

This is particularly important for artists who have been using Zerply for many years.

A broken portfolio link can mean a recruiter or VFX supervisor cannot see your work.

The Closure Shows How Important Portfolio Ownership Is

The Zerply shutdown is also a reminder that artists should not rely entirely on third-party platforms.

A social network or portfolio service can disappear, change its business model or remove features.

For professional artists, maintaining an independent portfolio can therefore be extremely valuable.

A personal website gives artists more control over:

Their domain name
Portfolio presentation
Contact information
Search-engine visibility
Branding
Archived work

Platforms can still be useful for discovery, but the artist’s own website should ideally remain the primary portfolio destination.

What Could Replace Zerply?

There is no single direct replacement for Zerply’s combination of VFX portfolios and specialist recruitment.

Artists can instead create a presence across several platforms.

A professional portfolio website can act as the central destination, while LinkedIn, IMDb, Vimeo and industry communities can provide additional visibility.

For VFX artists, a strong portfolio should normally include a concise showreel followed by clearly labelled individual projects.

Each project should explain the artist’s contribution.

For example:

Project: Feature Film
Role: 3D Generalist
Responsibilities: Modelling, texturing, lighting and compositing

This makes it easier for recruiters and supervisors to understand exactly what an artist can do.

What the VFX Community Is Losing

Zerply’s importance was not only its portfolio functionality.

The platform developed a reputation for being closely connected to the VFX and animation community.

Its users included artists across film, television, gaming and advertising, while studios used the platform to discover specialist talent.

Its closure therefore represents the loss of a dedicated industry resource at a time when VFX professionals are already adapting to major changes in recruitment, remote production and AI-assisted workflows.

The VFX Portfolio Is Still Essential

The industry may be changing rapidly, but the importance of a good portfolio has not disappeared.

For artists competing for VFX, animation, gaming and motion-graphics positions, the reel remains one of the fastest ways to demonstrate practical ability.

The Zerply shutdown simply changes where artists need to host and promote that work.

Final Advice for Zerply Users

If you have a Zerply profile, don’t wait until September 28.

Before September 21:

Request your profile export.
Identify important portfolio assets.
Download anything you need.
Prepare a replacement portfolio.

Before September 28:

Redirect your Zerply URL.
Update your CV.
Update your LinkedIn profile.
Replace old Zerply links.
Confirm that your new portfolio works.

Zerply’s closure marks the end of an important chapter for the VFX and animation community.

But for artists, the most important thing is to make sure their work continues to exist somewhere they control.

Conclusion

Zerply’s shutdown is a significant change for the VFX and animation community. Artists should use the remaining time to export their profiles, download important media, redirect their old URLs and make sure their portfolio is available through a destination they control.