VES Visual Effects Handbook feedback
We are having meetings and starting to work on the revised VES handbook. Most of the feedback we have received has been very general. If you want to see additional information, improvements, changes, etc to the handbook please post here or email to the VES. Is it working for you? Is there anything lacking? How is the Kindle or other eBook version for you? Get in your feedback in NOW.
Townhall meetings
Today there was a VES townhall on the web where members and others were able to ask questions and hear Jeff Okun and Eric Roth discuss VES 2.0
There will be additional townhall meetings.
VES 2.0 feedback
As requested if anyone has something to say regarding VES 2.0, especially solutions and suggestions contact Jeff Okun at: jeffokun at aol.com
You can also contact: leadership at visualeffectssociety.com
VES Forums
The VES has expanded their online site with a beta version of VES Forums. Check your VES emails to get the info on it and some upcoming VES events.
Showing posts with label feedback. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feedback. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Monday, August 22, 2011
VES 2.0 feedback requested
The VES 2.0 group (Visual Effects Society) continues to meet and explore options for the vfx industry.
I'd like to once again ask all vfx artists and companies to submit their thoughts, ideas, solutions and concerns to the VES Leadership group. Email VES Leadership group You don't have to be a member to submit. You can also post in the comments here or email me directly. **
If you're in the vfx industry you do really owe it to yourself and your future to submit your thoughts. Now is the time, not 6 months from now.
Please consider reading the links on the right side under VFX INDUSTRY - STATE OF THE INDUSTRY heading if you haven't already. I posted these to try to provide information and different perspectives of some of the issues. Pass Me That Nail covers some of the key problems with the vfx industry. Using the Nail covers some of the VES 2.0 issues.
I also urge vfx artists to become informed and try to make open minded and balanced decisions and comments. It's easy to repeat the same phrases and become narrow minded, especially under the circumstances. Also keep in mind incentives will not last forever anywhere. Don't assume smooth sailing where you're currently working to last your lifetime. What you perceive as only a US problem could be your problem in the next year or two.
For more info: Visual Effects Society
VES 2.0 Letter to VFX Industry
From Shoot magazine report on VES 2.0
[**Update: Please check out the comments below (you may have to click on the comments link.
I'm listing a few of the types of things to consider in your note and included a few questions from the IA (snippets from the comments)
What are the problems people are facing? You may have some issues I haven't touched on or you may have a totally different priority.
How would you like to see the vfx industry structured?
What should the vfx companies be doing differently to make it better for the workers?
What should the studios be doing to make it better for the workers?
What about the studio and vfx company relationships?
People writing in should mention their views on the IA and why.
What's their views on a vfx trade organization?
From the IA:
"..we continue to seek out some direction as to the type of organization the rank and file really want?
One integrated visual effects organization?
An independent guild?
Affiliation with several different IATSE locals (matching job-skills) such as camera, editorial, animation, or art directors?
We could charter a guild and have it function as a separate entity, benefitting from the experience and strength of the International, and, where appropriate, adopting the Major Studios Basic Agreement. We just need some direction from the affected parties."]
There's also a relatively new take on this which is to focus on management.
While I agree that improving management would help I don't see it being the all in one solution.
Some vfx companies are managed better than others but I don't expect to cut the required time in half or another 20% in profits simply by improved management. Many vfx companies are already reasonably run and while there's room for improvement it's unlikely to be huge. The variables from directors and studios tend to be larger than these gains. Likewise don't assume just because a company is more efficient that it will make more money (it may just get more work) or that benefits, wages and working conditions will improve for employees. The trickle down theory doesn't work. Most general US companies are making 20% more in profits the last couple of years but continue to reduce their workforce and reduce employee benefits. Those added profits go to the executives and shareholders, not the people being more efficient.
What we'll need is improvements/changes to the 3 key parts of this issue (Studios, vfx companies and vfx workers) to get a balance that works and is sustainable.
[Please click on Comments link below if comments aren't automatically shown in your browser]
I'd like to once again ask all vfx artists and companies to submit their thoughts, ideas, solutions and concerns to the VES Leadership group. Email VES Leadership group You don't have to be a member to submit. You can also post in the comments here or email me directly. **
If you're in the vfx industry you do really owe it to yourself and your future to submit your thoughts. Now is the time, not 6 months from now.
Please consider reading the links on the right side under VFX INDUSTRY - STATE OF THE INDUSTRY heading if you haven't already. I posted these to try to provide information and different perspectives of some of the issues. Pass Me That Nail covers some of the key problems with the vfx industry. Using the Nail covers some of the VES 2.0 issues.
I also urge vfx artists to become informed and try to make open minded and balanced decisions and comments. It's easy to repeat the same phrases and become narrow minded, especially under the circumstances. Also keep in mind incentives will not last forever anywhere. Don't assume smooth sailing where you're currently working to last your lifetime. What you perceive as only a US problem could be your problem in the next year or two.
For more info: Visual Effects Society
VES 2.0 Letter to VFX Industry
From Shoot magazine report on VES 2.0
[**Update: Please check out the comments below (you may have to click on the comments link.
I'm listing a few of the types of things to consider in your note and included a few questions from the IA (snippets from the comments)
What are the problems people are facing? You may have some issues I haven't touched on or you may have a totally different priority.
How would you like to see the vfx industry structured?
What should the vfx companies be doing differently to make it better for the workers?
What should the studios be doing to make it better for the workers?
What about the studio and vfx company relationships?
People writing in should mention their views on the IA and why.
What's their views on a vfx trade organization?
From the IA:
"..we continue to seek out some direction as to the type of organization the rank and file really want?
One integrated visual effects organization?
An independent guild?
Affiliation with several different IATSE locals (matching job-skills) such as camera, editorial, animation, or art directors?
We could charter a guild and have it function as a separate entity, benefitting from the experience and strength of the International, and, where appropriate, adopting the Major Studios Basic Agreement. We just need some direction from the affected parties."]
There's also a relatively new take on this which is to focus on management.
While I agree that improving management would help I don't see it being the all in one solution.
Some vfx companies are managed better than others but I don't expect to cut the required time in half or another 20% in profits simply by improved management. Many vfx companies are already reasonably run and while there's room for improvement it's unlikely to be huge. The variables from directors and studios tend to be larger than these gains. Likewise don't assume just because a company is more efficient that it will make more money (it may just get more work) or that benefits, wages and working conditions will improve for employees. The trickle down theory doesn't work. Most general US companies are making 20% more in profits the last couple of years but continue to reduce their workforce and reduce employee benefits. Those added profits go to the executives and shareholders, not the people being more efficient.
What we'll need is improvements/changes to the 3 key parts of this issue (Studios, vfx companies and vfx workers) to get a balance that works and is sustainable.
[Please click on Comments link below if comments aren't automatically shown in your browser]
Thursday, March 24, 2011
VES handbook thoughts?
Now that the VES visual effects handbook has been out several months it would be great to get some specific feedback. Sometime in the next 2-3 years it will likely be updated slightly.
Keep in mind the idea of the handbook was to cover the full range of visual effects from pre-production to post-production. Most people working in vfx are primarily focused in post-production but we felt it was necessary to encompass the full range. If you're already an expert in any one area we still hope it provides some useful tips or info in that area. More importantly the hope is it allows vfx artists to see the entire process, grow into other areas if they wish and to understand others facets of the process.
The idea was to provide reasonably detailed information by experts but we had a limit of 700 pages (and ended up with almost 1000 as is was). So while many of these articles could have turned into full books we wanted to provide a good base for the specific topic. We also wanted to try to balance the tone of the writing so there was a constancy even though we had 89 writers.
We tried to minimize specific software and hardware details since this was to provide the fundamentals no matter what you were using (and would avoid being out of date the moment it was released.)
So this is an opportunity to provide some feedback on the handbook. What did you like abount the handbook? Not like about it? What areas didn't we cover or cover enough? Are there particular areas that could be expanded or you felt were too long? What would make it more useful to you? It would also be good to have an idea of your experience level and specific area of interest if you're so inclined.
If the VES were to do other books in the future what would you like to see?
Emailing me would be best but you can post here if you wish.
Thanks.
Keep in mind the idea of the handbook was to cover the full range of visual effects from pre-production to post-production. Most people working in vfx are primarily focused in post-production but we felt it was necessary to encompass the full range. If you're already an expert in any one area we still hope it provides some useful tips or info in that area. More importantly the hope is it allows vfx artists to see the entire process, grow into other areas if they wish and to understand others facets of the process.
The idea was to provide reasonably detailed information by experts but we had a limit of 700 pages (and ended up with almost 1000 as is was). So while many of these articles could have turned into full books we wanted to provide a good base for the specific topic. We also wanted to try to balance the tone of the writing so there was a constancy even though we had 89 writers.
We tried to minimize specific software and hardware details since this was to provide the fundamentals no matter what you were using (and would avoid being out of date the moment it was released.)
So this is an opportunity to provide some feedback on the handbook. What did you like abount the handbook? Not like about it? What areas didn't we cover or cover enough? Are there particular areas that could be expanded or you felt were too long? What would make it more useful to you? It would also be good to have an idea of your experience level and specific area of interest if you're so inclined.
If the VES were to do other books in the future what would you like to see?
Emailing me would be best but you can post here if you wish.
Thanks.
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