This is about 2 months late.... but Wwith all the angry and frustrations over the Oscars snub for R&H guys who won best VFX, it confirmed my long held suspicion that they treat us as the smart class geek at the back of the class doing their home work for them, the cool guys... the jocks, the studs that they think they are. And we loved it. Trying so hard to be accepted, to be invited to the party.... I do not need to add more to the situation. there is a whole lot of info at the links below.
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/03/oscars-vfx-protest/
http://thinkinganimationbook.blogspot.sg/2013/02/a-piece-of-pi.html
http://www.fxguide.com/fxpodcasts/fxpodcast-245-vfx-roundtable/?fb_action_ids=10200237614316885&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582
http://vfxsoldier.wordpress.com/2013/02/27/ves-advocates-for-more-vfx-subsidies/#more-3400
Except there are a whole world for Nerds/geeks out there that want to bend over and be their whipping boys.
Here is my take of it. From the other side of the world, from the supposedly side that is taking work away from US.
A union isn't going to work. PERIOD. Not on a global scale. Someone posted on VFX Solitary Int.
"AGAIN...HOLD ON HERE! Let me jump in and ask one VERY SIMPLE question: What happens when another market in the world offers an even greater Tax Subsidy Incentive to the Studios that they can't afford not to Leave New Zealand? Then what happens to the New Zealand market?"
Here and here are the answers.
No Govt will come together for a agreement so that a bunch of (in their eyes) animators want fairer pay. That is like asking for World Peace.
I feel that it is a global issue. Artists from China, India, , South Korea, japan, South East Asia etc... are being subjected to same stress, job uncertainty as those in California because even here, there is even more crazy pressure to make things cheaper and faster. The race to the bottom will not help anyone except the studios and the money men....
And there are different viewpoints. Some rejoice that the jobs are coming to Asia. that finally they get a piece of the pie. but that is just stupid. Some over in Us are angry that the jobs are going to Asia.
But the problem is still, the people who wins are the money men.
The problem is compounded by unscrupulous individuals offering courses in vfx, animation etc.. flooding the market with utterly inadequate "artistes".
Ending with pissed off people spending so much money and govt on subsidies on animation courses supposedly to help get them non-existence jobs.
http://www.facebook.com/ajax/sharer/?s=99&appid=2309869772&p%5B0%5D=714432030&p%5B1%5D=105400906301584
Solution?
They view the subsidies and funding by the different governments world widde creating a unfair playing field as a problem.
How many companies here closed down despite of the govt funding and subsidies. How many of the local animators are working as permanent freelancers etc...
As you well know, we also have problems like this locally. Its a worldwide problem Animators in Batam are paid how much ? U compare them to local animators. for the quality vs the price which will you chose? And I am sorry to say this, the quality of work locally isn't near what is needed to compete with the big boys.
At the end of the day, its basic maths. There is too much supply, not enough demand.
my honest opinion is the the local big boys will move towards the cheaper countries when the quality vs wages level off and when the subsidy is over.
If you want to be pissed off, be pissed off at the companies and schools that offer govt subsidised short courses and letting hundreds of ill equpped "artists" with unrealistic expectations of industry while making themselves rich. Those are the assholes you should be pissed off by.
Be the Jock? No.... Be the smart Geek that the Jock cannot live without. Not the jerk in the corner trying to get you hook on smack.
How ? I do not know. Yet. But I am sure as hell trying to find out.
