Visual Effects, Oscars and the Box Office in 2014

Vfx Rant:

The five nominees for this year's visual effects earned a total global box office gross of over $3.6B. All of this year's films were huge hits, unlike other years which usually include at least one monster hit, and a few sub-$200M earners. Unlike the three previous years, no single 2014 visual effects nominee grossed over $1B.

Visual effects is the biggest line item these days. But the visual effects heavy movies are also making the most money at the box office. So what gives. If we(Visual Effects Artists) continue to have to fix lighting, costumes and makeup and biuld whole worlds for every movie not just vfx heavy movies visual effects will continue to be the biggest line item. Studios just don't get it. If I have to sculpt light to make a greenscreen work because a gaffer couldn't light his way out of a paper bag shouldn't the money to pay for that shot(s) come out of the lighting budget?

Enjoy the Oscars tonight, remember that even thou there aren't huge shinny robots and huge space ships that doesn't mean visual effects artists didn't help make the shot work.

Good work this year everyone.