Thursday, April 4, 2013

April's VFX News

<~ Note: The VFXTippingPoint Twitter Feed will be more up to date with articles, bits of news, & discussions...
SpinVFX, CafeFX, MokkoStudio, Nvizible, ZoicStudios, Tippett Studio & PDI -vfxtownhall.org

The meeting will take place online TODAY at 1:00 PDT.

April 26th

April 25th

We are not alone...

April 24th

"Through our brainstorming we realized that if you do a hard comparison in terms of what actual money you get from the rebate, and the actual money you might spend for hard costs, such as per diems for housing, food and travel, sometimes it's a wash," Lin said.

April 23rd

"The company launched two key initiatives to scale VCL in the last two years, entering into a joint venture to develop and produce original content for children's entertainment, and setting up a VFX studio in Los Angeles. While these showed initial promise, they did not perform as expected and adversely impacted the company's results in FY13."
You can follow/catch up on the FMX Future of the VFX Industry Panel response and discussion via Twitter using #fmxpanel I will have a post for video of the panel as it becomes available. This event was streamed live here and has ignited another round of discussion on the twitter-sphere today.
FMX Conference (Stuttgart, Germany): Panel Discussion on the Future of the VFX Industry is TODAY! April 23rd. (16:30 CEST/7:30 am PDT) Panel to include: Eric Roth (VES), Pierre Buffin (BUF Compagnie), Mark Driscoll (LOOK Effects), Christian Vogt (PIXOMONDO), Jean-Noël Portugal (jnko)
We can change this ending ... right? by Jesse Toves

April 22nd

April 21rst

Trade Association Update: Exploratory trade association meeting is set for May 2.  So far, almost every company invited, EXCEPT the UK facilities will be attending. What up London? ~Scott Ross

April 20th

April 19th 

Encouraging all VFX Professionals to take this Visual Effects Working Conditions Survey Information is power so please share this with your friends and colleagues.

April 18th 

April 17th

“Just like our relatives worked in factories making cars and sweaters, we are going to be getting our VFX from the internet dealers from now on,” Capizzi said.

April 16th

Rhythm & Hues has no work...
by Floyd Norman

April 15th

April 14th

April 13th

April 12th

Unionizing Rumors w/ Mariana Acuña

April 11th

April 10th

The U.K. has bolstered its tax incentive to bring post-production work to its film industry. According to the report, "Hercules" would stand to receive $6 million back in credits. Thus, $18 million of visual effects work, alone, has been given to London-based VFX shop Double Negative. (L.A. BIZ)
CSI Anaheim. Or Burbank. by Jesse Toves

April 9th

Scott Squires & Scott Ross
talked today at the Las Vegas
Supermeet NAB
photo by @EPKproducer

April 8th

Execs re-screening JP1 by Jesse Toves

April 7th

April 6th

April 5th

PJ on VFX crisis
In this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly, The Hobbit director Peter Jackson, a digital effects pioneer who co-founded the F/X company Weta Digital, says studios are taking advantage of an oversupply of F/X houses to drive down prices. “Competition between VFX houses, which the studios obviously use to their advantage, has resulted in VFX houses operating on tiny profit margins,” Jackson says. “And when we talk ‘profit,’ it’s not about the owners buying a Porsche at the end of a big movie — it’s about having a nest egg to ride out the slow periods.”
Even after the collapse of Digital Domain and Rhythm & Hues, Jackson doesn’t believe that studios truly understand the need for F/X companies to charge sustainable prices. “Studios have to answer to their shareholders and will always try to get the cheapest possible work,” he says. “If anything, it’s a wake-up call to the F/X companies to address the weakness in our industry.” But with VFX layoffs announced regularly now — and more houses expected to shut down — one high-ranking studio exec acknowledges that the studios need to be a part of the solution: “We as a studio need these companies to be thriving and innovating — that’s our bread and butter. I guarantee you, there’s no one who defends the current visual-effects business model. It’s been brutal.” (insidemovies.ew.com)

April 4th

Trade Association Update: "A few of us attended a meeting at Manatt Phelps in LA yesterday. With multiple offices and great political connections as well as world class anti trust and trade association lawyers, we have chosen Manatt to host our International Trade Association exploratory get together. Date to be determined." ~Scott Ross

April 3rd

"Our sympathies go out to those who have lost their jobs today."

Event Reminder:

UK ArtistsAttend the VFX Forum in London
VFX Forum: What's wrong in VFX and how can we make the industry better?

See Also: Via Facebook:

With job insecurity high, pay unreliable and long hours common, VFX can be a tough industry to work in. BECTU, the union for VFX professionals, is here to help.

Come along to this forum to discuss how we can work together to build links between staff in different production houses and find a way to improve the industry for good.BECTU's General Secretary, Gerry Morrissey, will help explain what a union can do for staff working in VFX and detail the support the union can give for people at work.

There will then be a general discussion about howe we can ensure that staff in VFX can get a better deal and how the union can help.Refreshments will be provided.
UK VFX Professionals Join BECTU today

April 2nd

April 1rst

Regarding The Wrap's Pixomondo's article... there was some back and forth today regarding headline and it's contents.  Variety's David S. Cohen spoke with Thilo Kuther ( CEO and Executive Producer of Pixomondo) and Cohen tweeted that Thilo denied pretty much everything in that article, and that they are NOT getting out of features.

 Later Sharon Waxon of The Wrap tweeted back that "We stand by every word of our Pixomondo exclusive. indeed, i just spoke to ceo thilo kuther and he did not dispute any of his quotes or substance of article. he didn't like headline"
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