Sony Pictures Image works is moving staff from its Los Angeles headquarters to its Vancouver studio, according to Variety.

The magazine reports that about three dozen employees, mostly from the software development department, will be relocating, although Sony has not officially stated how many people will be affected.

The company is offering relocation expenses to the staff, while those who do not choose to relocate will likely lose their jobs, according to Variety.

"As part of this process, we are transitioning a percentage of our technology teams to our Vancouver, B.C. studio in order to provide greater support to our artist community and remain cost competitive," Sony said in a statement issued exclusively to Variety. "Sony Pictures Imageworks is committed to our headquarters in Los Angeles and we have a healthy slate of projects through 2014 including Columbia Pictures' The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Warner Bros.' Edge of Tomorrow."

Variety also reported that staffers expect wider layoffs to come both in L.A. and in Vancouver, and that the company is seeking to trim costs by $250 million.

No one from the Vancouver studio was available to comment Wednesday.

However, Brent Greening, visual effects supervisor and a senior instructor at Vancouver Film School, said he is not concerned about layoffs at the Vancouver studio.

Greening said the local visual effects industry is about to explode, with more companies moving in and existing ones expanding. He didn't want to disclose any specifics before the companies made official announcements. "You are going to see a lot of companies cash in on the talent here in Vancouver. We have a big talent base and we are very international," he said.

"Vancouver is becoming one of the hubs for VFX. The tax incentives are good and the talent is awesome."

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said he was pleased to hear Imageworks will be increasing its presence in the city.

"Our digital media sector is booming, and the jobs and innovation taking root in our city are keeping Vancouver's economy strong," Robertson said, in an email.

Robertson said he had met with senior executives at Imageworks on a recent business mission to Los Angeles, adding that it was clear they were aware of the business advantages of operating in Vancouver.

Last February, Sony Pictures Imageworks announced it was doubling its Vancouver workspace for visual effects and digital animation.

Greening said Imageworks hired staff mainly from Vancouver when it expanded. "There's not enough people to fill the spots. If companies were to hire everyone who came in, they still wouldn't have a full workforce. It's just expanding that rapidly."

Visual effects are a boom industry in Vancouver, with nearly all of the world's major company's establishing studios here in recent years and creating more than 2,200 local jobs. Other significant effects companies to set up shop in Vancouver include Digital Domain and MPC. Another local firm, Gener8, a company that converts traditional film to 3D, recently hired seven students before they graduated, Greening said. The hires follow an announcement by that company that it would be expanding by 80 employees.

ticrawford@vancouversun.com with a file from Scott Simpson