Santa Monica Studio’s Post

***TOUGH TALK RATES - VFX CREW*** Yes VFX World it’s time for another weekly talking point and it’s going to be around VFX Crew when that first wave of jobs start to land next year as things smooth out. Just like VFX Houses underbidding there is a possibility some crew members will consider dropping their rate just to get work through the door. On one hand I totally understand people are struggling it’s been a pretty s**t six months with more tougher times short term ahead. On the other hand there’s something to really think about. The number of applicants for these early roles will be huge with only one position available. What does this mean? Well if you drop your rate and don’t get the job that facility now knows what rate you are asking for. So when you hike it up if they offer you further down the line it could cause issues. I also don’t think that slapping an extra 25-50% on top of your previous rate because those kind of increases are going to take time. So where should you sit yourself?….. To start with Look at your personal situation NOT the VFX Houses. Cost of living, taxes in the country you reside, are you commuting to work or are you remote? I personally don’t think it is underbidding/underselling yourself if your rate is cheaper but the % of take home is the same. So an example is if someone lives in Italy and someone lives in London and they both apply for a remote job for a VFX House in Germany. Both individuals might be the same level but put different rates across and as long as the % take home after tax/cost of living etc is in line I don’t see anything wrong with that BUT do not drop your rate below that percentage line it will be tough to get it back for a while. If someone has a penthouse in the centre of London you can’t count this haha. What are the averages? So with that said hold the line! Rates were under scrutiny before these strikes so don’t add to the situation. If VFX Houses do their part and hold their own lines you won’t need to drop your rate as a crew member. Myself and the motus VFX team are always happy to talk one on one around this so reach out if you ever think you need to.

Are visual effects jobs sustainable? "A more subjective question, we asked visual effects workers is whether or not they felt that VFX work was sustainable for them in the long-term. In this case, the distinction between vendor-side and client-side VFX workers was almost entirely negligible. 67% of client-side and 68% of vendor-side employees answered that they did not feel that VFX work, as it currently exists, was sustainable for them in the long term." https://lnkd.in/dGwuSdPf

I am seeing this weird trend. Some people are confused. ↳ What positions should I apply for? ↳ How will my dad and mum call me? ↳ What do I tell my friends about my job? Wondering if one of these may give some power than others. VFX Compositing Artist Digital Compositor Digital Comper Nuke Compositor Nuke Artist  Compositor Comp Guy VFX Compositor Vfx Compositing Compositing Artist Visual Effects Compositor And there are way more. Thoughts? Miodrag P.s; I love them all.😉 1. Looking to improve your VFX and Production skills? Follow me, Miodrag 2. Want to support this type of content? Click on "Repost" next to "Comment". You don't even have to type any text. ♻️ A simple repost will make my day :)

Good opportunity

Want to know what gets you hired as a VFX Artist? It's not just about knowing the software like the back of your hand. It's not just about creating stunning visuals. It's about understanding the art of storytelling. VFX Artists bring the vision of a Director to life. They create the atmosphere, the mood, and the tone of a film. They turn the impossible into reality. That's why storytelling skills are just as important as technical skills. The best VFX Artists understand how to create moments that move the audience. That's why they're in such high demand. So, if you're a VFX Artist, don't just focus on the technical stuff. Focus on your ability to tell a story. The rest will follow.

Question for Professional Storyboard Artists in the Video game industry: (please feel free to respond to this in your own time) If you don't mind sharing your expertise on portfolio, discipline, and advice for new artists who are trying to break in as storyboard artists for Entry level positions. (like myself) what should we focus on and how can we improve our work, so we are helpful to the pipeline. I know it's tough in the animation industry as well. But I would love to know from any Professional Storyboard Artist or someone who just got an Entry-level position who has professional storyboarding experience in the Video Game Industry or Film Industry or Animation Industry or commercials. - What Industry are you from ? - What advice would you give new storyboard artists who want to break-in? - How should we improve our work so we are helpful to the Directors vision, helpful for the company / brand, and for fellow storyboard artists within our team and other departments within the pipeline? - What is a healthy mindset when working in a team environment to finish a project efficiently? I appreciate your time. Please help out the art community by responding to this post, by sharing your knowledge, expertise, experience and wisdom, so some of us can find it insightful and can prepare mentally and prepare our portfolio ahead of time in December or next year. Thank you! - Sylvester Massey (By the way, i shared my Fanart storyboard Animatic (below) from the film "Uncharted" just to show - what I can do, but I can also change styles. Currently im working on my own short films and personal projects so I can update my portfolio for next year. I'm staying patient and asking questions from professionals. This way I can better prepare myself ahead of time and help fellow artists in the community as well. Thank you once again.) #storyboardartist #artcommunity #videogames #animation #videogamestoryboardaritst #animationstoryboardartist #videogameindustry #filmindustry #animationindustry #commercials #storyartist #artist #art #believeinyourself #lookingforwork

lots of positions here

Check out this weeks Jobs of the Week! Including hot CEO and CFO roles 🚀

Someone asked me recently if I only give advice to new voice actors or if I have any tidbits of knowledge for vets of the industry or people mid-career. Here's something someone said to me early on in my own career that hopefully resonates with some of you forever: You will never be bigger than the project you're working on. Now, I know that sounds threatening and ugly, but hear me out. As we get more credits under our belts, some of us tend to forget that we're a part of something bigger- the project we're serving. Let's look at a video game, for example. You're voicing a character in a game that someone conceptualized, artists took months to illustrate, animators took months to animate, and programmers took months to implement into a world that the same processes have been done for. Outside of the game, a team of people figured out how to brand and market that game, and another team of people figured out how to pay for that game to be made. We haven't even scratched the surface either. Let's not forget the writers who created the story constructs for your character to exist in, and the lore that's built around this world you live in. There's also the people who spend hours testing the game to make sure everything is working. But back to voice. On the ground level, a casting director selected you and others to voice these characters, a voice director ensured that they got the best performance out of you possible, and a team of audio engineers made sure your character sounded authentic and believable in this world. This probably isn't even half of what actually goes on behind the scenes of game design, but do you see the picture I'm trying to paint here? So I say it again. You will NEVER be bigger than the project you're working on. Think about that when a director tells you to take a 10 minute break and you decide that you're taking 20 because, well, you're "you" and everyone else will wait. Think about that when you neglect to learn the studio engineer's name because "he's just an engineer and it doesn't really matter." Think about that when you don't address the script coordinator in the session because "you don't talk to script coordinators." Think about that when a small casting company unknowingly emails you directly instead of your agent, and you send them a terse email back. Think about that when a studio asks you to run a backup and you say no because "you don't run backups." Rule of thumb- if this is your 50th gig then be forever grateful that you made it this far in voice, and treat people the way you would've wanted to be treated as if it was your first gig. #themoreyouknow #veteranadvice #noegos #voiceacting

Can I let you know what I've been up to? For the last year and a half, every weekday at 5:00 PM Pacific I open my browser, hit Ctrl N for a new tab, and bring up the following pages: Animation/VFX/Game Industry Job Postings -> Disney Jobs -> Careers at Paramount -> NBCUnicareers -> Careers at Warner Bros. Discovery -> Skydance Careers -> Titmouse Careers -> Bento Box Entertainment Careers -> Careers at Atomic Cartoons -> Working at Sony Pictures Entertainment -> Job Postings at Sony Pictures Animation -> Netflix Jobs -> Netflix Animation Jobs -> Lionsgate/Starz Careers -> Moonbug Entertainment Jobs -> Job Listings at The Jim Henson Company -> Careers at Illumination Entertainment -> FOX Careers -> Apple Studios Jobs -> Amazon Studios Jobs I've typed these frequently enough that the results auto-fill. It's become a ritual. I filter each site by California, manually scrub through the postings, and immediately apply for roles that I feel qualified for. I have a Dropbox full of resumes and cover letters ready to be slightly altered based on the recipient (with special exceptions!). I really want to work in Animation production. But I know that role is coveted, so I also apply to general Entertainment roles I feel equipped for and hope that the winding path gets me to a point where my passion and income align. My primary work for the past five...plus...ish years has been finding greater responsibility in Higher Education administration. I like it. I'm good at it. It has all the transferable skills required, and it may even pay better than the lowliest PA role. (And if you're a potential University employer reading this - stop!) Yet I know in my little dumb creative heart that even if I'm not the author, the director, the showrunner, then at least I'd like a life where I get to contribute to a vision. So I'm sticking to this ritual if it rarely shows results. People are going to write a million posts about "the state of the industry" and, while true, I'll keep doing what I've done for the last twenty years or so - driving past the studio and thinking, "Well I have no business there, so how in the world do I get in?"