The Tipping Point for the VFX Community

Wait, so what happened at the Oscars 2013? <~ will hopefully catch you up.

This story definitely has legs... so I wanted to document the amount of coverage it has been recieving regarding the state of our visual effects industry. Twitter feeds have been blowing up since the red carpet of this years Oscars as 480+ visual effects artists and their families protested outside the event in Hollywood...

"While hundreds of VFX artists gathered outside the Dolby Theater, attempting to bring attention to their plight, the Academy broadcast a demeaning and disrespectful attitude toward VFX to the entire world. The fact that Ang Lee and Claudio Miranda failed to acknowledge the VFX work that was fundamental to their receiving awards is symptomatic of this attitude." ~ VFX Supervisor Kevin Mack

"Is Hollywood paying attention? Because real trouble is on the horizon." ~Editor & Film Critic Drew McWeeny

Note: This topic has been ongoing for years now, but my goal with this blog was to spotlight the most recent events leading up to the tipping point... I plan to update this post with additional coverage as they occur, if you'd like to contribute with updates, fixes, additions, etc, by all means, contact me.

Leading up to the Oscars...

• To our friends at Rhythm & Hues and DreamWorks (visualeffectssociety.com) - Feb 11, 2013 @ 2:32 pm
• The under-bidding process continues to create bankruptcies among the VFX vendors (talkmgt.com) - Feb 12, 2013
• At Rhythm & Hues All-Staff Meeting: Blunt Talk About Layoffs, Foreign Subsidies (movies.yahoo.com) - Feb 12, 2013 @ 8:45 pm
• R&H hoping for fast exit from bankruptcy (David S. Cohen, variety.com) - Feb 12, 2013 @ 3:55 pm
• Rhythm & Hues bankruptcy reveals vfx biz crisis (David S. Cohen, variety.com) - Feb 12, 2013 @ 9:08 am
• Studio ills give vfx biz chills (David S. Cohen, variety.com) - Feb 14, 2013 @ 4 am
• Rhythm & Hues gets $17 mil loan from Universal, Fox (David S. Cohen, variety.com) - Feb 15, 2013 @ 2:55 pm
• The Visual Effects (VFX) Paradox (huffingtonpost.com) - February 19, 2013 @ 7:02 pm
• The Global Forces Behind Rhythm & Hues' Bankruptcy (hollywoodreporter.com) - February 20, 2013 @ 11:0 am
• Visual Effects Industry Does a Disappearing Act (online.wsj.com) - February 22, 2013 @ 11:50 am
• Visual effects workers plan Oscar flyover protest (latimes.com) - February 22, 2013 @ 2:40 pm
• VFX Pros To Stage Oscar Protest (deadline.com) - February 22, 2013 @ 4:04 pm
• The Hollywood Tax Story They Won't Tell at the Oscars  (online.wsj.com) - February 23, 2013 @ 11:37 am

photo by Jeff Heusser 

Oscar Sunday

• Oscars protest by visual effects workers over Life of Pi (guardian.co.uk) - Feb 24, 2013 @ 4:18 pm
• VFX Oscar Protesters Grow To 400 As Pros Plead Their Case (deadline.com) - Feb 24, 2013 @ 4:26 pm
• VFX Oscar Demonstration Photos (vfxsuccsess.com) - Feb 24, 2013 @ 4:34 pm
• VFX Protest in Photos (flicker.com) - Feb 24, 2013
  
• VFX protest at Oscars: images from the picket line + audio interview (fxguide.com) - Feb 24, 2013 @ 5:07 pm
• Life Of Pi Visual Effects Artists Protest Oscar Red Carpet (cinemablend.com) - Feb 24, 2013 @ 7:29 pm
• Protests as Oscar-winning 'Life of Pi' VFX studio faces bankruptcy (theverge.com) - Feb 24, 2013 @ 7:44 pm
• Visual effects artists protest near Oscars (David S. Cohen, variety.com) - Feb 24th, 2013 @ 8:25 pm
• An Open Letter to Ang Lee (vfxsoldier.wordpress.com) - Feb 24th, 2013 @ 11:21 pm

Monday

My profile pic is a green screen because it's what special effects will look like in big budget Hollywood films w/o VFX artists. #RespectDue
— Giancarlo Volpe (@Giancarlo_Volpe) February 25, 2013

• The Oscar protest that you didn't know happened (thebigsocialpicture.blogspot.com) - Feb 25, 2013
• BBC News Reporter's log: Oscars 2013 *w/ pic of fly over banner (bbc.co.uk) - Feb 25, 2013 @ 3:30 am
• Oscars: Visual effects artists protest outside Dolby Theatre (insidemovies.ew.com) - Feb 25, 2013 @ 9:33 am
• VFX Company Rhythm & Hues Protested Last Night's Oscar Ceremony (firstshowing.net) - Feb 25, 2013 @ 11:56 am
• Protesters upstage Oscar host Seth MacFarlane (upstart.bizjournals.com) - Feb 25, 2013 @ 1:37 pm
• A message from VES Chair Jeffrey A. Okun (visualeffectssociety.com) - Feb 25, 2013 @ 2:51 pm
• As Life of Pi Wins Best Visual Effects Oscar, The Effects Community Rallies in Protest (geekosystem.com) - Feb 25, 2013 @ 4:15 pm
• Before VFX Tumblr ~ Blockbuster Movies Without Visual Effects (tumblr.com) - Feb 25, 2013 @ 5pm
• VFX Industry in Trouble Interview w/ Craig Barron & Jeff Okun (kcrw.com) - Feb 25, 2013
• The VFX Predictinator and The 85th Academy Awards (fxrant.blogspot.com) - Feb 25, 2013
  
• Life of Pi's 2013 VFX Oscar win hides an industry in crisis (digitalartsonline.co.uk) - Feb 25, 2013
• Getting Our Piece of the Pi…for Real (studiodaily.com) - Feb 25, 2013
• Fighting for a Piece of the 'Pi': The Full Story Behind Hollywood's Visual Effects Problem (indiewire.com) - Feb 25, 2013 @ 8:06 pm
• Popular Reddit.com Discussion Occurs w/ 454 Comments (reddit.com) - Feb 25, 2013 @ 8:24 pm
• The visual effects community sees red in the wake of Oscar protest and on-air snub (hitfix.com) - Feb 25, 2013 @10:00 pm
•  NBC4 TV News Coverage on the VFX Protest (youtube.com) - Feb 25, 2013 @10:00 pm

Tuesday

Before VFX Tumblr 

• Ang Lee under fire from visual effects artists over Life of Pi speech (guardian.co.uk) - Feb 26, 2013 @ 10:15 am
• Before VFX shows the stark reality of unfinished films (theverge.com) - Feb 26, 2013 @ 12:07 pm
• Amid Oscars Fanfare, Visual Effects Industry Faces Difficult Times (NPR.org) - Feb 26, 2013 @ 12:35 pm
• How the Oscars proved Hollywood is killing the VFX industry (io9.com) - Feb 26, 2013 @ 2:10 pm
• Visual effects workers miffed after Oscar speech cut-off (latimes.com) - Feb 26, 2013 @ 2:26 pm
• Life of Pi, Best Visual Effects: Backstage at The Oscars (movies.yahoo.com) - Feb 26, 2013 @ 3pm
• Thoughts on the VFXProtest… A MoGraph artist’s point of view (ezraistiroti.wordpress.com) - Feb 26, 2013 @ 3:26 pm
• Visual Effects Society Calls for New California Tax Incentives (hollywoodreporter.com) - Feb 26, 2013 @ 8:19 pm
• A Piece of the Pi (thinkinganimationbook.blogspot.fi) - Feb 26, 2013
• Silence imposé aux équipes VFX (isheep.fr) - Publié le 26/02/13 à 18:05
• When Winning An Oscar Means Bankruptcy: Vfx Artists Protest The Academy Awards (fastcocreate.com) - Feb 26, 2013
• Visual Effects: Drowning in Green (sketchbookjack.wordpress.com) - Feb 26, 2013
• Green Profile Pictures Show Support For Visual Effects Industry (gnnaz.com) - Feb 26, 2013
• VFX Artists Unite in Protest Against Industry Practices (whogottheroll.com) - Feb 26, 2013
• Why There Were 400 Visual Effects Artists Protesting at the Oscars (thebillfold.com) - Feb 26, 2013
• VFX Vet Bruce Branit's Explanation Of The Visual Effects Protests (leestranahan.com) - Feb 26, 2013

Wednesday

Phil Tippett
VFX Industry is Getting Decimated

• After Rhythm and Hues: Hollywood's visual effects studios struggle for new business model (scpr.org) - Feb 27, 2013 @ 6:35 am
• On the Visual Effects Artists Protest Outside the Oscars, and the Dire Financial State of the VFX Industry (Slashfilm.com) - Feb 27, 2013
• Visual-Effects Protest Spreads to Twitter, Facebook (thewrap.com) - Feb 27, 2013
• Rhythm & Blues: The Erosion of the Visual Effects Industry (authorityfx.com) - Feb 27, 2013
• Hollywood visual effects producers fight their industry's migration to China (foxnews.com) - Feb 27, 2013
• VFX protests mar the Oscars (redsharknews.com) - Feb 27, 2013
• VFX Artists Go Green In Protest | Newsbreaker | OraTV (ora.tv) - Feb 27, 2013 @ 11:34 am 
• The Economics of Visual Effects (nytimes.com) - Feb 27, 2013 @ 1:34 pm
• Life In The Movie Business: An Inside Look At The VFX Crisis (gizmodo.com) - Feb 27, 2013 @ 1:00 pm
• VFX Artists Need More Respect, Better Pay: Interview w/ Scott Ross (bloomberg.com) - Feb 27, 2013 
• Kevin Mack's Letter to the Academy (Facebook Post) - Feb 27, 2013 @ 3:00 pm
• Here's Why Everyone in Your Feed Is Turning Their Profile Picture Green (tribecafilm.com) - Feb 27, 2013 @ 3:00 pm
• Vfx biz rage raises cyber attack fears (David S. Cohen, variety.com) - Feb 27, 2013 @ 4:44 pm
• Even with Oscar win, VFX work doesn't pay the bills (broadcastengineering.com) - Feb 27, 2013
• VFX Artists Protest For Awareness to an Art Form in Crisis (news.doddleme.com) - Feb 27, 2013
• VFX Industry is Getting Decimated (Phil Tippett Tweet) - Feb 27, 2013 @ 6:21 pm

Thursday

VFX Roundtable w/ Scott Squires,
Dave Rand, & Scott Ross

• Oscars an ugly tipping point (David S. Cohen, variety.com) - Feb 28, 2013 @ 4:00 am
  
• Bankruptcy breaks spell of the cinema magicians (thetimes.co.uk) - Feb 28, 2013
• Opinion: Will VFX studio unionization inspire video game developers? (polygon.com) - Feb 28, 2013 @ 8:00 am
• Visual Effects Society calls for California tax incentives (bizjournals.com) - Feb 28, 2013 @ 11:44 am
• Visual Effects Artists Revolt, Threaten To "Shut Down" Hollywood (buzzfeed.com) - Feb 28, 2013 @ 1:36 pm
  
• Hollywood : les pros des effets spéciaux mobilisés sur internet (tempsreel.nouvelobs.com) - Feb 28, 2013
  
• Life In The Movie Business: An Inside Look At The VFX Crisis (kotaku.com.au) - Feb 28, 2013 @ 2:00 pm
• VES open letter - what is the VES's role here? (fxguide.com) - Feb 28, 2013 @ 3:00 pm
• Issues & What to do next? VFX roundtable - Scott Squires, Scott Ross, & David Rand  (fxguide.com) - Feb 28, 2013 @ 3:00 pm
• So what exactly is happening with VFX? (Andy Cochrane, facebook.com) - Feb 28, 2013 @ 5:20 pm
• B.C. Visual Effects Artists Say Work Being Sent Overseas (huffingtonpost.ca) - Feb 28, 2013 @ 8:23 pm
• Upset in the Visual Effects (VFX) Industry - Change is Coming (prweb.com) - Feb 28, 2013
• FOR THE LOVE OF FILM: VFX VS. HOLLYWOOD (underthegunreview.net) - Feb 28, 2013
• Life of Pi, Oscar wins, $1Billion+ in sales, yet Special Effects House Rhythm and Hues filing for Bankruptcy (blog.indiereign.com) - Feb 28, 2013
• Oscar-winning vfx house Pixomondo closes London office (televisual.com) - Feb 28, 2013

Friday

• Visual effects artists merit more respect in demanding film industry (dailynebraskan.com) - Mar 1, 2013 @ 12:00 am
• VFX PLURIBUS UNUM - Calling out the Big 8 (joepavlo.wordpress.com) - Mar 1, 2013 @ 1:40 am
• Green Scream: The Decay of the Hollywood Special Effects Industry (wired.com) - Mar 1, 2013 @ 6:30 am
• Going green: The plight of visual effects in today's Hollywood (allvoices.com) - Mar 1, 2013 @ 9:04 am
• Kevin Smith Talks About Oscars VFX Controversy (comicbook.com) - Mar 1, 2013
  
• Why Motion Designers need to have solidarity with the #VFXProtest (brandj.wordpress.com) - Mar 1, 2013
  
• YouTube Video: Kermode Uncut: Slices of Pi (www.bbc.co.uk/markkermode) - Mar 1, 2013 
• Hollywood's VFX Crisis - Update Exclusive: Scott Squires on the situation (empireonline.com) - Mar 1, 2013
• VFX : les artistes verts de rage sur les réseaux sociaux ! (legeekcestchic.eu) - Mar 1, 2013
• It Ain't Easy Being Green-Screened: One VFX Artist Speaks Out at Risk of Being Erased and Replaced (indiewire.com) - Mar 1, 2013
• Scott Ross Radio Interview Why did an Oscar winning visual effects company go bankrupt? (cbc.ca) - Mar 1, 2013
• Ruining It For Everyone Podcast: Episode 28: Above the Line w/ Mark Christiansen and Kanen Flowers (ruiningitforeveryone.tv) - Mar 1, 2013
• Russian Solidarity: Война за зелёным экраном: почему гибнут компании, которые создают спецэффекты, приносящие Голливуду миллионы долларов (computerra.ru) - Mar 1, 2013

Saturday

• VES Board member Van Ling's thoughts on the VES open letter (effectscorner.blogspot.com) - Mar 2, 2013 @ 12:00 am
• Michael Dambold: Oscars shine light on visual effects industry's troubles (tulsaworld.com) - Mar 2, 2013 @ 1:59 am
• @daverandcom, @AnimGuild, & @vfxunion delivers hundreds of pizzas to Rhythm & Hues workers on Saturday. #vfxprotest pic.twitter.com/94iYzncMmQ (‏@shidarin) - Mar 2, 2013 @ 1:10 pm

It's been a week since the protest and the Oscar mishaps. I wanted everyone to know that all that spirit is not going to dwindle, not one bit. The press may subside as it does, but we are all sharing ideas and moving forward on organizing leverage at both the vfx professional level and the vendor level (union and trade association) to match the leverage we are up against (studios and the AMPTP -their trade association) Soon we will be looking for help at the shop level to organize these events. Stay tuned. Much More To Come. ~Dave Rand

Sunday... one week later.

• Is the Visual Effects Industry Dying?  (policymic.com) - Mar 3, 2013 @ 12:21 pm
• Animation Guild Picks Up Lunch For Overtime Workers at Rhythm & Hues (hollywoodreporter.com) - Mar 3, 2013 @ 12:35 pm
• Even as visual effects proliferate, the industry finds itself in crisis  (theglobeandmail.com) - Mar 3, 2013 @ 1:00 pm
• They're the kings of movie magic. So why are visual effects studios struggling to survive?   (theglobeandmail.com) - Mar 3, 2013 @ 1:00 pm

Those who have been active over the years, recently leading the charge, and other people rising to the occasion... I have linked them on the right hand side.

My 2 Cents...