<p>There was a very scary article about what is happening in the VFX/3d area. You need to read this before you consider going into it. Forewarned is forearmed.</p>
<p>See: A</a> Piece of the Pi</p>
<p>Hi taxguy, Thanks for posting the article! I read something similar during the Oscars after receiving an e-mail from my illustration student. What a sad situation. The vfx studio that won the Oscar for “Hugo” has also shut doors in two locations. What would the world be like without art and design? I hope we never find out! We need to value artists and their gifts!</p>
<p>So I read the article and got all teary. Then saw that Rhythm and Hues filed bankruptcy.
Felt sad. Then saw they’re opening their new facility in Taiwan this March. And hiring and training foreign talent rather than using their current personnel. Just farm it all out. Don’t feel a bit bad for them at all.
It’s unfortunate that so many of these companies, Sony is one of the worst (anecdotal evidence only) , consider every movie as a contract position. After every major movie there is a surge of cheaper experienced talent because so many are looking for jobs all at once.</p>
<p>Hi gouf78! How are things?! I am so glad you are still posting! How is your daughter doing? Great, I bet!</p>
<p>I am so disgusted with companies who outsource jobs and treat their employees in such a disposable manner. I need to read up on what is going on in the industry. As a consumer I believe jobs should stay here, particularly when companies are getting government aka taxpayer subsidies! When no one is willing to pay $14 or more for a movie ticket, maybe the film industry will realize that keeping jobs here makes it possible for consumers to afford luxuries like a night at the movies! I am a big believer in the ripple effect. I’m with you; I don’t feel sorry for the studios that outsource for cheap labor or for perpetuating unfair treatment of hirees. I would have thought that the kids pursuing degrees in vfx or animation had it made! Maybe that is not the case?</p>
<p>Hi Back, Colcon! D’s doing great, enjoys her job greatly and working VERY much. Lots of overtime. I’d say too much but work flow is either relaxed or crunch time–doesn’t seem sometimes to be anything in between.
How’s your D doing?</p>
<p>Hi gouf! Great news that your daughter is working, even with the feast or famine schedule! It sounds like she hit the ground running after graduating from Ringling! Did she work during college? My daughter is so happy at Ringling! It couldn’t be a better fit for her. She is so inspired by her teachers and peers. What a nice group of kids; they really support one another. I can’t believe she graduates next year! It will be interesting to see what the future holds…looks like illustrating and writing. We shall see! A lot could change in the next year!</p>
<p>Already time to graduate? Wow, does time fly! She had no time for outside work while majoring in CA. It was a 24/7 proposition with deadlines especially by senior year that were make or break. She slept underneath computer lab desk at times–and she wasn’t the only one. (so no matter how much work she has now, she still thinks it’s not as bad as what she did at Ringling!)</p>
<p>Yes, I know the CA students still nap under the desks! I can see how a career would be easier and hope my daughter’s long hours pay off for her as well. She doesn’t have time for a job during the school year either. Her work is all consuming! I guess it builds a good work ethic. :-)</p>
<p>Good work ethic! Okay, this actually relates to the thread–LOL (glad to hear from you Colcon!)! One of the REASONS that companies go to Ringling for interviews is that they know how hard their students work. Hires don’t worry about hard work and deadlines and long hours (been there, done that in spades). The industry works on deadlines and needs people willing to do the work to make things happen. Hopefully employees get repaid for their dedication (careful who you work for).</p>
<p>I haven’t been on this forum for months, but maddenmd gave me a heads-up about this thread. As many of you know, my son works in the vfx field in LA. So far, none of this has affected him (yet?). He works long hours, has very little time between films (he has to turn down a lot of work), and gets paid very well. But he is young, not married, and is healthy and can afford health insurance. As he gets older and has a family, I’m not sure how these long hours will work out.</p>
<p>But it can be brutal out there. VFX artists are one of the few groups without a union. One of the major issues that brought the problems to the attention of the public was the fact that Rythm and Hues freelancers were not paid for their work on Life of Pi. But it can get even worse: a few days ago, many freelancers that worked for one company before it went bankrupt and who were paid within 90 days BEFORE the bankruptcy, were ordered by lawyers appointed by the court to return their pay so that it can be shared with ALL unsecured creditors!!! Suppose your company went bankrupt and you were ordered to give back your last three months of pay!!!</p>
<p>Not all films are big effects blockbusters. But almost all films have vfx work in them. The smaller, independent films will have a tiny - sometimes a single person - crew doing the vfx work. My son also works on these films and music videos and commercials between the biggies. The smaller project work probably will remain on-shore, but you need to be known by the producers making these. </p>
<p>If you have a thought about going into vfx, be aware that it might be harder to break into the field in the future.</p>
<p>Hopefully a vfx union similar to the animation union will finally take shape so that health benefits will carry from project to project and during dry spells of no work. The animation union also provides retirement benefits funded by residuals as well. </p>
<p>Things are definitely going to get worse before they get better.
The vfx studios aren’t as much to blame as it is the big 6 movie studios that are chasing tax subsidies around the globe and creating an environment in which vfx shops are forced to bid on work at a loss to secure the job (the other option is to secure no work and continue paying overhead or let go of all their artist). </p>
<p>Unfortunately the “good work ethic” of sleeping under the desks often leads to the case at lesser well run studios where artists may be pressured to clock in hours and hours of unpaid overtime. There are many stories of artists who end up doing months of 7 day weeks (14th day off) which can have a severely detrimental effect on ones health. </p>
<p>It’s sad that Rhythym & Hues is in this situation since they are one of the more respected studios that have treated their employees well. Outsourcing was the only thing that even kept them afloat and competitive in the environment of subsidies for this long. </p>
<p>As always, if one has the artistic and social skills, finding work is possible. Just a lot harder in the current environment. Luckily for new grads it is a lot easier because studios want cheap labor and what better strategy than to start them off underpaid</p>