VFX Soldier:
I’m not endorsing the idea yet. I’m receptive to it. I’d like to hear people’s thoughts on this.
We might have a better chance with the VFX companies than the studios. Sounds like a terrible idea. We still have no idea what we want. First a plan and then action. Never fight angry, you will always lose.
Stu Maschwitz:
Congratulations to the visual effects crew of Life of Pi. I am simply blown away by your work. Your tigers and waves and artistry and technical mastery made me laugh and cry and revel in how wonderful movies can be. I know how hard it is to do what you did, and even though I know exactly how you did it, I have no idea how you pulled it off.
Stu, Awesome job.
Phillip Broste:
Incidentally, those were the same gorgeous sunsets and vistas that your DP Claudio Miranda took credit for without so much as a word of thanks to those artists. And the same animated performances that helped win you the best director statue. Nice of you to mentionthe pool crew, but maybe you could have thanked the guys and gals who turned that pool in to an ocean and put a tiger in to that boat?
Here we go again.
Martyn:
When French illusionist Georges Méliès discovered film visual effects by accident in the late 19th century, he became one the world’s first VFX pioneers. His work fascinated people – thrilled them with tales of visits to the moon and other impossible voyages. He was a genius.
fxguide:
The protest is not a strike, “it is an effort to raise awareness,” explained VFX supervisor Scott Squires speaking to fxguide as he marched moments ago.
FXRant:
The average Oscar nominee for visual effects earned $763M (up from $662M last year). By comparison, the average nominee for Best Picture this year earned $202M, which is a particularly strong box office year for Best Picture nominees. Leading the pack in the visual effects race was "The Avengers" (which earned $1.5B), "The Hobbit 1" ($956) and "Life of Pi" ($548M).
Just think most movies that came out last year nearly all of them were touched by a post artist. Clean up, Beauty work. You name it it is being done.
As much as I don't agree with the protest today. [I don't like protest of anything visual effects or not. I feel they do nothing and are a waste of time.]
May the Force be with you guys. It is the first time we have all come together at all. That is a start.
Jeff Heusser:
Business issues facing visual effect studios and artists have been a hot topic for years, the last few months have been downright depressing.
It's clear that something needs to be done. I fail to see how this helps. The problem I see is that nobody understands or gets what we do.
A Grip has a very explainable job. So does a Director,or DP. If you don't understand something treat that thing like shit. It's been going on forever.
If we want change we first need all of us to be on the same page. If we are fighting with each other we can't fight the problem. Make a list of the top 10 things you would like to see changed in Visual Effects. Then lets get the artists to say yeah that want we want and go from there. Its a bussiness plan isn't it. Treat it like one.
Right now we look like a bunch of monkeys fucking a football.
If you run a studio or head the post production for one all of this should be scaring the shit out of you. The studios can't make a movie without us, and you know it.
By David S. Cohen:
When I started covering the visual effects realm there was a "big four" of vfx companies: Industrial Light & Magic, Digital Domain, Rhythm & Hues Studios and Sony Pictures Imageworks. Two of those, DD and R&H, have gone bankrupt in the last six months and the other two are studio-owned, which doesn't assure their future but assures they won't miss payroll.
Have a exit plan, Always have a exit plan. For any job. Good things never last forever.
Esher Surrey[VIA: Juan Luis]:
If you are in VFX, or trying to get into VFX, you've probably been doing some soul-searching recently. Until a new business model emerges we are all more or less lashed to the deck, battering storm after storm.
I have been toying with this exact topic. What does the next 10 years look like?