June VFX News

<~ Note: The VFXTippingPoint Twitter Feed will be more up to date with articles, bits of news, & discussions...

June 10th

VFX in Los Angeles – 100 hour weeks & homeless#vfxfxguide.com/quicktakes/vfx…
— Jeff Heusser (@neonmarg) June 10, 2013

• Where is the happy ending for VFX Artists? (iatse891vfx.wordpress.com) - June 10, 2013
• Sad state of the Visual Effects Industry (effectscorner.blogspot.com) - June 10, 2013
• Shotgun Promotes Matt Daw to CTO (awn.com) - June 10, 2013 @ 5:32 pm
• VFX in Los Angeles – 100 hour weeks & homeless (fxguide.com) - June 10, 2013
• Understanding Digital Domain and Digital Domes in Theme Parks (micechat.com) - June 10, 2013
  4K and vfx camera specialist The Lens Factory launches (televisual.com) - June 10, 2013
• Mumbai set to boast about Hollywood-style studio (dnaindia.com) - June 10, 2013 @ 10:49 IST

June 9th

“It’s a tough and changing business; We’re in the middle of a tumultuous time,” DeFaria said, adding that the industry is moving toward international workflows in tax-incentivized markets while tools continue to evolve. “Rhythm & Hues will survive, as Digital Domain did,” he explained. “I wish it were easier.”

On how the VFX business might reinvent itself, DeFaria responded, “I think in the future it will be even more decentralized and entrepreneurial.” He described a potential model where a Los Angeles office would handle R&D and production management, but can be nimble enough that much of the actual work is handled in other cities and countries or at “pop up” VFX companies, which DeFaria defined as three to ten artists doing work while relying on accessible tools. ~Chris DeFaria

• Produced By: Warners' Chris DeFaria Talks 'Hobbit' and VFX Biz Troubles (hollywoodreporter.com) - June 9, 2013 @ 3:54 pm
• Produced By Conference: Pros Forecast The Future Of VFX, Post-Rhythm & Hues (deadline.com) - June 9, 2013 @ 3:28 pm
• Stunning Behind-the-Scenes Photos Show Iconic Movies in a New Light (io9.com) - June 9, 2013 @ 1 pm

The Road Ahead for VFX: Industry conference. Lots of Prognostication. Chris DeFaria, executive vp, digital… goo.gl/fb/VmU8r #tag839
— The Animation Guild (@AnimGuild) June 10, 2013

June 8th

• Bradford MP's hopes to bring Hollywood moguls to city (thetelegraphandargus.co.uk) - June 8, 2013 @ 6 am

June 7th

Studios 1/2 off, shots on time, Montreal artists unpaid, happens at most shops there. Happening again now-No excuses. vfxunion.info
— Dave Rand (@daverandcom) June 7, 2013

• Investigation: A Video Game Studio From Hell (kotaku.com) Seven-day work weeks. Sexist decisions. An office environment so toxic, employees are terrified to speak up for fear of losing their jobs. - June 7, 2013
• Nobody Knows Anything, Except Google, Which Can Predict Box Office with 94% Accuracy (slashfilm.com) - June 7, 2013
• Deluxe Australia launches DDP Studios (filmbiz.com) Deluxe Australia separately controls Iloura and Method Studios (film & television VFX), Method Studios (commercials VFX and post-production) - June 7, 2013 @ 3:01 am
• DICE summit heads to London (polygon.com) - June 7, 2013 @ 3:01 am

Facebook page dedicated to exposing animation 'fraud' in India. on.fb.me/14lvRxA #vfx #animation
— VFXG (@V_F_X_G) June 7, 2013

June 6th

@griverthriller @dhruvgovil @jordiriera_cg @scottgeersen All #vfx workers should rate on thevfxwatchers.com regarding OT & other issues
— Scott Squires (@scott_squires) June 6, 2013

• Is Hollywood Moving To London?  (inquisitr.com) - June 6, 2013
• 'Star Wars' Producer Rick McCallum Boards Sci-Fi Project 'R'Ha' (Exclusive) (hollywoodreporter.com) “We want to make it as a European film, using VFX facilities from all over Central and Eastern Europe and Asia, and do it for a price that not only allows Kaleb total control of his unique vision, but is incomprehensible in the big-budget VFX world that we now live in!" - June 6, 2013 @ 5:40 pm
• Staying motivated when you work in Visual Effects.  (animationcommunications.com) - June 6, 2013 @ 4:25 pm
• The Subsidy Bubble: Texas Goes Large, Triples Film & TV Production Incentive (deadline.com) - June 6, 2013 @ 12:51 pm
• Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy has produced quite a career (usatoday.com) - June 6, 2013 @ 9:09 am
• Hyderabad: JN Architecture & Fine Arts University ties up w/ anim/film institutes (thehindubusinessline.com) - June 6, 2013
  DreamWorks Animation, China's Wanda Group Reveal Collaboration Plans (Report) (hollywoodreporter.com) - June 6, 2013 @ 4:16 am
• The Subsidy Bubble: Nevada: Lights! Camera! Tax breaks! (newsreview.com) - June 6, 2013

June 5th

Why Unions Still Matter - Great primer on unions for any interested #vfx artist.All are welcome! animationguild.org/document/Road_… #tag839 #vfxunion
— The Animation Guild (@AnimGuild) June 5, 2013

• California Film Commission rewards just 8% of applications, announces selected projects (filmindustrynetwork.biz) - June 5, 2013
• Why Hollywood's Biggest Films Are Leaving L.A. for London (thewrap.com) From "Guardians of the Galaxy" to the next "Star Wars" film, the hottest blockbusters are being lured abroad by London's lucrative tax credit - June 5, 2013 @ 7:49 pm 
• 12 of the Biggest Movies Shot in the U.K.: 'Star Wars,' 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' 'Muppets' (thewrap.com) TheWrap takes a look at some of the major films that have shot in the country or are planning to ship work to the birthplace of the Beatles. - June 5, 2013 @ 7:49 pm
• California Film Commission awards tax credits to 31 projects (latimes.com) - June 5, 2013
• Animation school takes shape in Gastown, VFS set to open new campus (vancouversun.com) - June 5, 2013
• Double Negative is Holding a VFX Careers Open Day (dneg.com) Applications Now Open For Dneg's First Graduate Open Day - June 5, 2013

@gatsbymovie has the biggest AU box office opening ever but we who worked nights and weekends don't get our time-in-lieu. @scott_squires
— Scott Geersen (@scottgeersen) June 5, 2013

June 4th

@vfxsolidarity @vfxunited i have good friends around the corner at Newbreed, they are not happy at all about the paycheck bouncing sago.
— Taran Matharu (@tmatharu1) June 4, 2013

• Montreal based Newbreed Visual Effects, VFX professionals have gone 4 weeks with no pay? (VFXSI via facebook.com) newbreedvfx.com - June 3, 2013
• VFX artists don't need to be taken advantage of (effectscorner.blogspot.com) In light of recent events, Scott Squires has sent this link out again. - August 19, 2010   
• VFS Unveils New Animation Campus (awn.com) - June 4, 2013 @ 3:30 pm
• Film Visual Effects: Hollywood Gets Billions, Professionals Get Pink Slips (geekspeak.com) - June 4, 2013 @ 3:21 pm
• Weta Digital offers scholarship (stuff.co.nz) - May 6, 2013
• VFS nears completion of new animation campus in Gastown (vancouversun.com) 106,000-sq-ft former Storyeum space in Gastown (Vancouver) will double the size of fast-growing department - June 4, 2013
• Collider Conference & NYU Launch VFX Survey (awn.com) - June 4, 2013 @ 4:20 pm
• Framestore Opens Doors in L.A. (animationmagazine.net) - June 4, 2013
• California Tax Credits: 14 Films, 17 TV Projects Get OKs (thewrap.com) - June 4, 2013 @ 1:18 pm
• Zynga Posts Record High Lay-Offs; More to Come (finance.yahoo.com) - June 4, 2013 @ 10:41 am
• Vancouver Film School Unveils New State-of-the-Art Campus (cgw.com) - June 4, 2013
• Framestore Moves Into New L.A. Market Studio, Sets Mgt./Creative Team (shootonline.com) - June 4, 2013
• The Pixar Perspective on Making Two Films a Year (pixartimes.com) - June 4, 2013

This is going to piss some people off but; you can't expect change to happen by simply signing a card. #vfx twitter.com/edcaspersen/st…
— Ed Caspersen (@edcaspersen) June 4, 2013

June 3rd

• Canadian economy nets $2.3 billion from games industry (joystiq.com) "There are 16,500 men and women working full time in Canada's video game industry, up 5 percent from where we were in 2011," - June 3, 2013 @ 6:23 pm
• California Tax Credit Applications Hit All-Time High (thewrap.com)
  Twenty-eight of 380 projects get initial OK; the qualifiers will be announced on Tuesday - June 3, 2013 @ 6:23 pm
• UPDATE: 28 Projects Make First Cut In State’s $100M Production Tax Credit Lottery (deadline.com) - June 3, 2013 @ 5:23 pm
  California Film Commission sees big jump in tax credit applications (latimes.com) - June 3, 2013 @ 5:14 pm
• Hollywood Lines Up for $100 Million in California Tax Credits (hollywoodreporter.com) - June 3, 2013 @ 3:27 pm
• Zynga to lay off 520 employees, close LA, Dallas and New York studios, says report (polygon.com) - June 3, 2013 @ 11:46 am
• Hollywood Enters Lottery To Receive State Tax Credits (myfoxla.com) - June 3, 2013 @ 8:19 am
• The Former Mill TV Team Launches VFX House Milk (hollywoodreporter.com) - June 3, 2013 @ 12 am
• The Cheapest Animation Studio in the World Will Make You an Animated Film for £25  (flipanimation.blogspot.com) - June 3, 2013
  

June 2nd

• ‘Captain America The Winter Soldier’ director notes ‘tax break’ to film in Cleveland, shows Hollywood’s hypocrisy? (theglobaldispatch.com) - June 2, 2013
• Business Brief: Do incentives spur economic growth? (whqr.org) - June 2, 2013
• O'Connell mulls a plan to build new movie studio in Ireland (independent.ie) - June 2, 2013

June 1rst

via Da_VFX_Chick "Wanted to share this with you.  Dr. Jay Van Bavel, a professor from NYU is doing a survey about VFX and how people feel about different aspects of it, including many issues discussed in the different town halls." ~> https://nyu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_dp33MJvl2MtGq0J

• Get Involved! VFX Town Hall NYC - Collider 2013  (davfxchick.blogspot.com) - June 1, 2013 @ 8:16 pm
• Halo 4 contractor calls for unionization of the games industry (libcom.org) - June 1, 2013 @ 3:32 pm
• The State of the VFX Industry with Scott Ross & Scott Squires (nofilmschool.com) - June 1, 2013 @ 3 pm