In this lesson, we looked at the state of the industry and some of the things to be aware of. Since we hadn’t discussed disadvantages yet, this was a very useful lesson.

 

Black Listing

 

If a person commits a grave mistake on a project, it is possible that they are then removed from the industry entirely, and nobody hires them again, because they are considered untrustworthy. This applies to both individuals and companies, and if it happens to you, you have essentially lost your career within this industry. This has it’s pros and cons, as often, it helps the industry out as a whole, removing individuals who do not deserve to be hired, who steal or create with malicious intent, or just aren’t capable or suitable. However, sometimes, this occurs to people who have simply made a mistake, and talented individuals who don’t have any fault are then entirely removed from the VFX and animation sector.

 

Fixed Bids

 

Fixed bids are agreed on total costs to a client for VFX work. This means that they only earn what is arranged and planned out for the project. However, if changes are made to the film or the VFX gets delayed or extended, artists are not entitled to additional income or money for overtime. An example of when this happened was with the Sonic live-action movie, which was changed after the overwhelmingly negative feedback. The VFX artists did not receive any extra pay whilst working on redesigning Sonic entirely and essentially redoing the entire film.

 

Lack of Union

 

A union is when a group of employees join together to form an organisation within a certain work department or sector. They support each other, ensure worker rights are protected, campaign for better pay and safer or fairer conditions. The VFX industry has no formal union, therefore it is hard for individuals to raise and address issues within the industry, for fear of being blacklisted. Oftentimes, an artist finds themselves cornered, with too much work, not enough consideration for their lives or poor working environments, and have nobody to turn to. This often results in a spiral of self-deprecation and leads to a lot of mental health issues.

 

Covid-19

 

Covid-19 has not impacted the industry as severely. VFX is here to stay and production is still run. Companies rely on working from home, and freelancers did this most of the time as well. This has become the better-accepted method and supports those with difficulties in their personal life. The VFX post-production sector is highly competitive and drives innovation! There are greater expectations now that companies are actively safeguarding the health and well-being of their employees, and this will continue to improve in the future.