Scott Squires:

Poor management Many running VFX companies have no business training or background so will make these types of decisions based on a feeling of desperation. They'd rather be bailing water rather than considering fixing the leak. Rather than try to make decisions based on long term issues they are making rash decisions.

Scott is right.

We cannot control the subsidies, what we can control is our poor management. If you continue to have poor management and turn a blind eye, your company will fail. This doesn't just apply to post production. This is true of huge companies that have business models that consist of taking a loss. Amazon is a good example they are making it work right now but one day it will stop working. Amazon will have to change the business model. The only thing different in the Amazon case is that Amazon likely has the publishers right were they want them. Never the less a change will have to happen.

Post companies do not have the studios were we want them. We used too. Much of what we do nobody understands. We need to change that.

The question is what do we do to make this happen. I think it will take the post houses running a good business. Have rock solid management and even better artists. Only take work you can make money on but most importantly take work you will hit out of the park. Make a name for your self. Make smart moves and keep your artists in the loop. Let them know weeks in advance that there isn't work coming in and that they will need to find other work. By doing that you'll find that the artists will be back to work for you when there is work because there was a plan. That way you can keep the artists in sync with your company. You will develop a loyalty with them.

Stop making terrible business decisions just to fix the now. Instant gratification is not a strategy. It doesn't make you a bad employer/business if you don't have work for a couple weeks. What makes you a bad employer Is pretending there is nothing wrong. Address the situation with what is best to keep the company going. Paying a bunch of artists to sit around and do nothing is a very bad idea. Don't do it.

Be honest go above and beyond as an employer you will see a change in the post industry.

Prove me wrong.