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🌎 TOP 6 COUNTRIES FOR VFX ARTISTS 🎨 The best country for a #VFX artist ultimately depends on their personal preferences, career goals, and individual circumstances. Factors such as job opportunities, industry growth, salary potential, quality of life, and personal preferences tend to influence this decision. So here are 6 countries with thriving VFX industries: 1. USA: Entertainment hubs with numerous job opportunities and peerless salaries, but high living costs. 2. Canada: Growing VFX industry driven by tax incentives for film/TV. Affordably priced living. 3. UK: Buzzing VFX industry with a high demand for talent and quality life conditions. 4. New Zealand: Booming film industry offering work on major projects in a beautiful setting. 5. Australia: Growing VFX opportunities in film, TV, and ads paired with a pleasant lifestyle. 6. India: Rapidly growing VFX industry where outsourcing from international studios is common, offering cost-effective, skilled talent. Feel free to share which country you'd like to work in, and why! Read the full article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gEDwrznm #vfxindustry #careeropportunities #workabroad #vfxartist

You will make a little over minimum wage. You will make sure there are no glasses and plates around the work area. You won’t have any VFX-related tasks assigned and you’ll need to put extra hours on your own to try to get “exposure” to what artists are working on. If you are lucky, you might get a position on a single project, and then it’s back to cleaning dishes and getting sandwiches for clients. If you are even more lucky, you might be able to escape that gravitational well that is staring your career as runner. I was exposed to the figure of the “runner” while working at The Mill in London, and I was surprised how popular it was, and how competitive it seemed: a group of new VFX graduates doing server jobs at a studio, trying to fish for opportunities to show their skills. If I remember correctly, it was up to the project leads to give them a one, and there was a big chance that you would come back to the trenches again as runner. Rinse and repeat. I’ve met a few folks that “made it” after starting as runners, but I’ve always had mixed feelings about this position. What do you think? Is it a valid path towards becoming a VFX artist? Or is it just bait to keep young and aspiring artists pursuing an opportunity that might never come? Have you been or met a runner? Would you recommend this position as a possible path towards a career in VFX?

***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.

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People. Pay. Projects. Pipeline. The four “P”s. These are the four levers that drive the #decisionmaking process for an artist on where to work, whether to stay at a company, or seek out new opportunities. Current day, obviously, most laid off #vfx artists are prioritizing simply finding an opportunity. But when things rebalance, these are the factors that artists are weighing. In the past, especially in the height of the CoVid supply-and-demand days, artists had options. Recruiters constantly reaching out. Folks would look around their current company and do a napkin math assessment. “Love the people. Projects are okay. Pay is okay. Pipeline? Meh.” “Pay is fantastic. The projects are the sh*ts. Pipeline is fantastic. People… overworked and poorly managed.” The easiest decision was no decision. Opting to stay put out of job security or comfort. Fear of the unknown. Many a middling studio survived and thrived. In this next wave, things will be different. For the average experienced artist, there will be plenty of opportunities. The people you used to work with aren’t there anymore. That culture piece, especially with WFH, will be a non-factor. How good is their pipeline? Is the pipeline team even still around? What kind of projects do they get? You always wanted to work on something A-list. Something memorable, as opposed to season 5 of “insert show name here”. Maybe it is time to test your mettle on something more challenging. The flipside challenge for studios will be how best to ramp up. It was hard enough building a team in the CoVid days. Now they have to rebuild (and deliver). Assembling teams that have never worked together, in pipelines that have stalled. It takes time for a team to find a rhythm. You can pair the best VFX Producer with a seasoned VFX Supervisor - but there is no guarantee that there will be creative chemistry. Actually, there is a fifth “P” to consider. Quite possibly more powerful than the other four combined. It is something that can’t be measured. There is no dollar value. It is more of a feeling. A sense you get in an interview. The way that management communicates their vision. Potential. The “why”. That sense you get when interviewing that this company has a long-term plan to grow a team, build a brand, and create an environment where artists and leadership can grow their careers. As you embark on this next phase of your career, remember the five “P”s. People. Pay. Projects. Pipeline. And most importantly…. Potential.