I'm doing some basic research on 2 things:
Visual effects and animation students or graduates who feel they were misled by the school they went to regarding vfx and animation jobs, their ability, learning, etc. This is global so whether you're in US or India or other location if you think the school took advantage of you please let me know.
I'd also like to hear about vfx and animation exploitation in the work place. Once again this is global. US, Canada, UK, India, China, etc. are all welcome to be heard. If you're being mistreated or working in harsh conditions let me know.
I did the survey months awhile ago but I think there were many who didn't respond, especially in places where vfx/animation are now being developed. There was a Facebook page just for Indian Animation workers that is now down. If there are still issues let me know.
Email me at squiresstudios at gmail and spread the word. If you have something to say regarding these issues and wish it to get attention, then please let me know. Thanks.
You can leave comments below instead if you wish (even anonymously) but emailing me gives me a contact to follow up with, especially if this gets traction.
[Update 11/23/2013
I'm getting a number of depressing stories about poor vfx management around the world. Please go ahead and send me your story. All writers will be anonymous unless they wish otherwise. Like let me know which details I can make public or not.
Remember this is world wide.
I'd also suggest that anyone emailing me should consider rating these companies at http://thevfxwatchers.com anonymously. That way you can alert others to what you have found and maybe these things will help the better companies and to cause the problematic companies to improve.
VFX and animation schools - I still haven't received much about vfx or animation schools. If you feel you've been misled about the cost, quality or value of this type of education or about the job opportunities then please write in.
[Update 12/21/2013
Indian vfx and Animation students being exploited
Showing posts with label schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label schools. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
Sad state of the Visual Effects Industry
Sad state of the Visual Effects Industry
For anyone considering visual effects as a career and for those already working in the industry- please check out this great article by Jeff Heusser at fxGuide:
VFX in Los Angeles – 100 hour weeks & homeless
Puts things in perspective.
Updated 6-11-2013
I'll repeat some of the links here from the schools post since not everyone follows the links and I've added many more since there seems to be some confusion regarding this issue.
Harkin, Colleagues Say For-Profit Colleges Squander Billions and Destroy Dreams
Art Institute graduate spent 70K on degree, can't find video game job, takes up stripping instead.
New links:
Yes another video and article about another visual effects student being lied to at Art Institute in Tampa.
110 for-profit colleges accused of lying, defrauding taxpayers - video and article
Read more:
For-profit colleges investigation - Great video
For-Profit Colleges Are A Spectacularly Bad Investment
What I Just Told the Obama Administration About For-Profit Colleges
NY Times list of articles on for-profit schools
Some of those NY Times articles:
Student Debt and the Crushing of the American Dream
Misleading Advice for Student Borrowers
Closer Scrutiny of For-Profit Schools
For-profit colleges wrong solution to higher education problem
See vfxsoldier for more student stories.
Update 6-14-2013
Even if you work in a subsidized area you might not be paid
For anyone considering visual effects as a career and for those already working in the industry- please check out this great article by Jeff Heusser at fxGuide:
VFX in Los Angeles – 100 hour weeks & homeless
Puts things in perspective.
This is what our industry has come to. We who make the magic from nothing and we who generate the major profits for the studios. The studios have commoditized us and shipped jobs around the world to save pennies. Those who are experienced, talented and skilled are putting in long hours and are being forced to move to other locations around the world, away from their family and homes.
Those just starting out are being fleeced by anyone and everyone selling them on this fictional dream of fame, fortune and creative riches.
For profit schools are multiplying at an incredible rate and being funded by money machines such as Goldman Sachs to sell dreams to people, young and old. The problem is those dreams don't exist. These schools are churning out thousands of graduates to an industry without jobs. The only selection process at these types of schools is can you pay or can you sign this student loan from the government. Your aptitude and your potential talent is never evaluated. Guidance counselors never reveal the reality of the industry you're getting into or your odds. In most cases these diploma mill types of schools teach very little of value and even those that do now have cranked out so many others it doesn't matter. It's hard to stand out and even when you do it's hard to get a job. When you do get a job you will likely be working long hours and then have to move to find your next project.
All of these students are eager to go into tens of thousands of debt. They are eager to work for free or close to free. They are eager to be exploited, to lower their value and the value of everyone else in the future, to the detriment of their real future.
The student loan bubble is the next big bubble to burst with over $1 trillion in student loans here in the US.
Many coming to this website are searching for the salary of visual effects supervisors and other positions, eager to learn about making a fortune without pausing on some of the more sobering information.
Those just considering visual effects industry as a career, save yourself. Go into something with a future. Visual effects are being used more than they ever have (every film from hollywood uses vfx and most independents) and the technical and creative challenges are increasing but the business aspects and control of the industry have turned the love of what we do into a mess. It certainly pains me to write this as someone who has been doing this a long time. Visual effects companies are collapsing while others fiddle.
Many in the industry, even those with experience, are bailing as quickly as they can. And with a visual effects only skill set, there's very few places you can work. There are few other industries that can take people who do animation, lighting, rendering, modeling, compositing, etc. Make sure if you do go to school you gain a broader base of knowledge than just visual effects.
There are plenty of visual effects companies around the world that have no problems exploiting recent graduates who have already been exploited and fleeced from the schools they attended. Overtime is the norm. Companies encourage it, especially since it hides the sins of poor management, and it is now such a mantra for workers that they accept it as the norm themselves.
The visual effects companies who take on many of these new graduates do so at the expense of other, more experienced workers. And why do they do it? False economics. They think that hiring people at a lower wage is how they can save money. The truth is the experienced worker is more productive, the more likely to solve the problems, and the one who can make sure the project gets done in the compressed time schedule. New people should be brought in as needed and mentored so they have a future. In an industry where experienced people are being dumped for the cheaper, inexperienced people - what do people starting a career in this industry think will be happening to them once they become experienced? It's an endless cycle.
With so many visual effects graduates eager to be exploited and companies willing to exploit them, the visual effects industry is dissolving from the bottom while pressure and other problems are dissolving the top. The end result will be an empty hull.
Now there are thousands and thousands of film school graduates every year as well. Likely many times the number of visual effects graduates. Why isn't the rest of the film industry having these same problems? Well the studios are smart enough not to hire too many inexperienced people. They know the value of experience. And everyone else working in live action filmmaking is covered by a union. This provides the studios with the experienced people they need and also protect the crews from being exploited. Visual effects is the only group not covered by a union and thus is able to be easily exploited.
Related posts
Price of a VFX education
Update 6-14-2013
Even if you work in a subsidized area you might not be paid
Update 6-14-2013
Even if you work in a subsidized area you might not be paid
See any article on the right column under the State of the Industry
Updated 6-11-2013
I'll repeat some of the links here from the schools post since not everyone follows the links and I've added many more since there seems to be some confusion regarding this issue.
Harkin, Colleagues Say For-Profit Colleges Squander Billions and Destroy Dreams
Art Institute graduate spent 70K on degree, can't find video game job, takes up stripping instead.
New links:
Yes another video and article about another visual effects student being lied to at Art Institute in Tampa.
110 for-profit colleges accused of lying, defrauding taxpayers - video and article
Read more:
For-profit colleges investigation - Great video
For-Profit Colleges Are A Spectacularly Bad Investment
What I Just Told the Obama Administration About For-Profit Colleges
NY Times list of articles on for-profit schools
Some of those NY Times articles:
Student Debt and the Crushing of the American Dream
Misleading Advice for Student Borrowers
Closer Scrutiny of For-Profit Schools
For-profit colleges wrong solution to higher education problem
See vfxsoldier for more student stories.
Update 6-14-2013
Even if you work in a subsidized area you might not be paid
-----------------------
Today is also another Townhall Meeting that applies to all involved in visual effects around the world.
This is a streaming event that is being held in New York today but is being streamed globally with speakers from around the world.
Starts at 6pm New York time. 3pm Los Angeles time.
More info:
VFXTownHall Streaming location.
More info
Thursday, April 05, 2012
Digital Domain plans to have paying students make up 30% of workforce
[Update: 9/15/2012 DD has now closed their Florida facility. Some of the classes have been put on hold and certainly students won't be working at the DD facility as planned. But the post is still useful read since it clarifies some of the attempts to take advantage of workers, students and the visual effects industry]
In case you haven’t already been made aware of this Digital Domain (DD) is starting up a school in Florida which is funded by the Florida State government. I won't do a detailed recap here since that's already more than well covered on other sites. And thanks to VXFSoldier from bringing this up.
For more info and to see an extraordinary video: (I urge you to read the comments as well since most commentors make valid points. Check out Dave Rand’s comments as well.)
DD "Free labor is much better than cheap labor" - VFXSoldier
"Paying to work for free" business model - VFXSoldier
Questions and Reactions - VFXSoldier
LA Times on DD Institute - VFXSoldier
Paying to work for free - Motionographer
CEO brags about exploiting animation students - CartoonBrew
Free labor! - TAG, Animation Guild
Working = money, right? - Canadian Animation Resources
DD will be making money off of the students ($105k tuition) in a for profit school (as other most for profits- turning out more visual effects graduates than there are openings). But the additional kicker is they setup a studio in Florida where 30% of the workforce will be made up of students.
For those who might think that would be good for the students and don’t see the harm:
1. it is against Federal law to have interns and others working for free doing work that is productive (i.e actually paying positions).
2. The reason this is a law because any business could simply staff up with non-paying positions (interns, students, experienced… doesn’t matter). There are enough people hungry for certain types of jobs that would be happy doing them for nothing. Businesses would be more than happy having free labor, even if it meant more poverty. That’s why there are also minimum wage laws. (unfortunately they’re still below the poverty line). In a perfect world businesses would be a balance of making great products or services, making money and treating people fairly. In the real world today the name is greed. In days past a mom and pop store tried to be responsible and to consider the consequences. Today most companies are owned by stock holders and investors who’s one and only focus is squeezing more of a return out of company. The CEOs and others in management fall in line so they can get their slice of the pie too. They take no responsibility for these types of actions and simply blame it on the shareholders.
3. These students are paying a lot of money to work there. So they’re not just working for free, they’re paying to work. Double bonus for Digital Domain to get paid by clients and workers.
4. Once it becomes possible for a visual effects company to staff up to 30% of their labor with students paying to do so, it’s possible for not only other visual effects companies to do so, but any other company to do so.
5. If 30% of the work force are students paying to work, why would companies hire people? Why should they hire you, an experienced visual effects worker, when they can get someone better than free?
6. This leads to the question of where all these graduates will be working. They’ve paid$105,000 to do this and likely taken out loans to do so. They expect to be hired since they’ve be taught specifically in visual effects. DD in Florida will already be staffed up. They have a steady stream of students paying every year so there will be little need for them to hire these graduates.
7. DD can now offer a 30% discount on any work done in Florida. Actually more than a 30% discount since they’re getting money from the students. How will other visual effects companies compete? Why starting their own students paying workforce of course!
In the end this means more imbalanced competion for both companies and workers.
This means lower of rates for all companies and all visual effects workers and actually creates less opportunities for new graduates. The only one to profit from this is DD and only in the short term. Florida will gain little and spent a great deal of tax money that could have been used productively.
To potential students:
There are much cheaper ways to become educated in visual effects if that’s what you want. There are online classes, books, DVD’s, etc. There’s no need to go 10’s of thousands of dollars in debt if all you want is visual effects education. If you want to get a college diploma that’s fine and serves it’s purpose but beware of those offering it.
Getting into visual effects is hard. The visual effects industry is going through some rough transitions currently. Be ready to move elsewhere. No school can guarantee employment.
All that stuff about getting credit on films, etc. - Forget it. These days politicians, CEOs and Hollywood produce far more BS than the world needs. Those of us who have been working for a while have seen far too many examples of unkept promises and sugar coating. Don’t be suckered for these.
The CEO is surprised that more visual effects workers aren’t jumping at the chance to pickup and move to Florida. They’re not jumping because most of us know the drill. The lure of working in another place with an unknown future. Sure, we’ll be more than happy to sell our homes, uproot our family, say goodbye to friends and move. And at the end of that project when they don’t have much work you’re laid off. And without many other visual effects companies in the area you’re forced to return to where you moved from. No thanks.
[Update: 9/10/2012 Unfortunately this came true. The DD studio in Florida has closed down and the workers there were laid off without warning and without severance pay. From what I gather most had moved there from other locations, many selling their homes. These unfortunate workers are now in a location without other similar jobs so they will likely have to move back to where they were or to another location. Moving is not cheap, especially if you have a house of furniture and possessions. And trying to find a new job in this industry is not easy. ]
The CEO actually talks about VFX being a dying industry and is expecting you to work on military or medical projects after graduating. This comes after they’ve sold you on the dream of working on Hollywood movies. Most of us got into visual effects because we wanted to create content and work on films and tv projects. While I applaud the use of visual effects technology to help with medical causes, you should be aware of the distinction. For an animator who wants to bring characters to life it’s a much different job if you’re animating a heart or military aircraft. The CEO makes the mistake that labor is simply a commodity. If you went to school to be a painter of fine art, would you be happy when the school says at the end: “Sorry, there’s not much call for fine artists but there is a large need for house painters. Enjoy it.”
Those who live in other countries may think this has nothing to do with them. As I’ve said before, we’re all connected at this stage. If there’s a major change in pay or working conditions somewhere in the world regarding visual effects, then it will likely affect you sooner than you think. That 30% discount that DD can now offer is on par with many tax incentives. That alone could shift the balance. 30% of labor that pays to work will cause a downward spiral in pay. And the company you work for and the studios will point that out and say that you will have to follow suit. “After all, we have to remain competitive”. And around it goes.
I urge all visual effects workers to step away from their workstations for a moment and check in with the rest of the world. There’s a lot going on. I know it’s great focusing on what you’re doing but there are large changes in progress throughout the world that will affect you and your future. You can’t simply ignore it all and hope it never affects you.
You should also educate yourself on unions and trade associations. Please don’t fall prey to the stereotypes or the paid for misinformation. There are pros and cons of each of these and you should be aware each has different goals.
Some of the things that are happening to the industry you work in, hopefully doing what you love, should make you angry. It should make you sit up and take notice. If that’s the case, make yourself heard. If you have thoughts, opinions, solutions, make yourself heard. If you know of problems let yourself be heard. The internet and social media has opened up and connected us in ways not possible before.
For those you would like to speak out about what DD is doing in Florida, contact and tell them what you think.
Bonus: Should I work for free chart
Other sites of interest:
ImageWorks artists in support of a better VFX Industry - SPiUnion - info about unions and other things
Game of Aeron Chairs: A song of beer and pixels - tk1099 on vfx unions and movement
Supermodel sets up an Alliance with Bill of Rights and push for health care and better working conditions.
Initial story
Alliance site
In the last few months car washes, sandwich places and now supermodels are either unionizing or creating a group to at least represent them and help improve their situation.
What about us?
In case you haven’t already been made aware of this Digital Domain (DD) is starting up a school in Florida which is funded by the Florida State government. I won't do a detailed recap here since that's already more than well covered on other sites. And thanks to VXFSoldier from bringing this up.
For more info and to see an extraordinary video: (I urge you to read the comments as well since most commentors make valid points. Check out Dave Rand’s comments as well.)
DD "Free labor is much better than cheap labor" - VFXSoldier
"Paying to work for free" business model - VFXSoldier
Questions and Reactions - VFXSoldier
LA Times on DD Institute - VFXSoldier
Paying to work for free - Motionographer
CEO brags about exploiting animation students - CartoonBrew
Free labor! - TAG, Animation Guild
Working = money, right? - Canadian Animation Resources
DD will be making money off of the students ($105k tuition) in a for profit school (as other most for profits- turning out more visual effects graduates than there are openings). But the additional kicker is they setup a studio in Florida where 30% of the workforce will be made up of students.
For those who might think that would be good for the students and don’t see the harm:
1. it is against Federal law to have interns and others working for free doing work that is productive (i.e actually paying positions).
2. The reason this is a law because any business could simply staff up with non-paying positions (interns, students, experienced… doesn’t matter). There are enough people hungry for certain types of jobs that would be happy doing them for nothing. Businesses would be more than happy having free labor, even if it meant more poverty. That’s why there are also minimum wage laws. (unfortunately they’re still below the poverty line). In a perfect world businesses would be a balance of making great products or services, making money and treating people fairly. In the real world today the name is greed. In days past a mom and pop store tried to be responsible and to consider the consequences. Today most companies are owned by stock holders and investors who’s one and only focus is squeezing more of a return out of company. The CEOs and others in management fall in line so they can get their slice of the pie too. They take no responsibility for these types of actions and simply blame it on the shareholders.
3. These students are paying a lot of money to work there. So they’re not just working for free, they’re paying to work. Double bonus for Digital Domain to get paid by clients and workers.
4. Once it becomes possible for a visual effects company to staff up to 30% of their labor with students paying to do so, it’s possible for not only other visual effects companies to do so, but any other company to do so.
5. If 30% of the work force are students paying to work, why would companies hire people? Why should they hire you, an experienced visual effects worker, when they can get someone better than free?
6. This leads to the question of where all these graduates will be working. They’ve paid$105,000 to do this and likely taken out loans to do so. They expect to be hired since they’ve be taught specifically in visual effects. DD in Florida will already be staffed up. They have a steady stream of students paying every year so there will be little need for them to hire these graduates.
7. DD can now offer a 30% discount on any work done in Florida. Actually more than a 30% discount since they’re getting money from the students. How will other visual effects companies compete? Why starting their own students paying workforce of course!
In the end this means more imbalanced competion for both companies and workers.
This means lower of rates for all companies and all visual effects workers and actually creates less opportunities for new graduates. The only one to profit from this is DD and only in the short term. Florida will gain little and spent a great deal of tax money that could have been used productively.
To potential students:
There are much cheaper ways to become educated in visual effects if that’s what you want. There are online classes, books, DVD’s, etc. There’s no need to go 10’s of thousands of dollars in debt if all you want is visual effects education. If you want to get a college diploma that’s fine and serves it’s purpose but beware of those offering it.
Getting into visual effects is hard. The visual effects industry is going through some rough transitions currently. Be ready to move elsewhere. No school can guarantee employment.
All that stuff about getting credit on films, etc. - Forget it. These days politicians, CEOs and Hollywood produce far more BS than the world needs. Those of us who have been working for a while have seen far too many examples of unkept promises and sugar coating. Don’t be suckered for these.
The CEO is surprised that more visual effects workers aren’t jumping at the chance to pickup and move to Florida. They’re not jumping because most of us know the drill. The lure of working in another place with an unknown future. Sure, we’ll be more than happy to sell our homes, uproot our family, say goodbye to friends and move. And at the end of that project when they don’t have much work you’re laid off. And without many other visual effects companies in the area you’re forced to return to where you moved from. No thanks.
[Update: 9/10/2012 Unfortunately this came true. The DD studio in Florida has closed down and the workers there were laid off without warning and without severance pay. From what I gather most had moved there from other locations, many selling their homes. These unfortunate workers are now in a location without other similar jobs so they will likely have to move back to where they were or to another location. Moving is not cheap, especially if you have a house of furniture and possessions. And trying to find a new job in this industry is not easy. ]
The CEO actually talks about VFX being a dying industry and is expecting you to work on military or medical projects after graduating. This comes after they’ve sold you on the dream of working on Hollywood movies. Most of us got into visual effects because we wanted to create content and work on films and tv projects. While I applaud the use of visual effects technology to help with medical causes, you should be aware of the distinction. For an animator who wants to bring characters to life it’s a much different job if you’re animating a heart or military aircraft. The CEO makes the mistake that labor is simply a commodity. If you went to school to be a painter of fine art, would you be happy when the school says at the end: “Sorry, there’s not much call for fine artists but there is a large need for house painters. Enjoy it.”
Those who live in other countries may think this has nothing to do with them. As I’ve said before, we’re all connected at this stage. If there’s a major change in pay or working conditions somewhere in the world regarding visual effects, then it will likely affect you sooner than you think. That 30% discount that DD can now offer is on par with many tax incentives. That alone could shift the balance. 30% of labor that pays to work will cause a downward spiral in pay. And the company you work for and the studios will point that out and say that you will have to follow suit. “After all, we have to remain competitive”. And around it goes.
I urge all visual effects workers to step away from their workstations for a moment and check in with the rest of the world. There’s a lot going on. I know it’s great focusing on what you’re doing but there are large changes in progress throughout the world that will affect you and your future. You can’t simply ignore it all and hope it never affects you.
You should also educate yourself on unions and trade associations. Please don’t fall prey to the stereotypes or the paid for misinformation. There are pros and cons of each of these and you should be aware each has different goals.
Some of the things that are happening to the industry you work in, hopefully doing what you love, should make you angry. It should make you sit up and take notice. If that’s the case, make yourself heard. If you have thoughts, opinions, solutions, make yourself heard. If you know of problems let yourself be heard. The internet and social media has opened up and connected us in ways not possible before.
For those you would like to speak out about what DD is doing in Florida, contact and tell them what you think.
Commissioner of the Florida Department of Education: Commissioner@fldoe.org
Wage & Hour division of the Department Of Labor: http://www.dol.gov/whd/america...
Bonus: Should I work for free chart
Other sites of interest:
ImageWorks artists in support of a better VFX Industry - SPiUnion - info about unions and other things
Game of Aeron Chairs: A song of beer and pixels - tk1099 on vfx unions and movement
Supermodel sets up an Alliance with Bill of Rights and push for health care and better working conditions.
Initial story
Alliance site
In the last few months car washes, sandwich places and now supermodels are either unionizing or creating a group to at least represent them and help improve their situation.
What about us?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Tom Cruise and VFX
For those who haven't seen it there's posting on TomCruise.com regarding vfx information.
My Effects Corner blog is listed along with a lot of various blogs, companies, schools, etc.
Worth checking out here.
My Effects Corner blog is listed along with a lot of various blogs, companies, schools, etc.
Worth checking out here.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Price of VFX Education
VFXSoldier has a good posting about VFX education.
As VFXSoldier points out all of these VFX schools are in it for profit, which is fine, but be aware of what the true costs are, especially to what they're selling and that you actually end up with at the end of the day. This is like all the books, DVDs, classes and other items related to screenwriting where there are a very limited number of actual script sold. There's a whole business of selling to those with dreams in a limited market.
It's good to have dreams but don't go into early and costly debt, especially if you don't have to.
I recently replied to a comment in another posting and through email to someone asking about education:
As VFXSoldier points out all of these VFX schools are in it for profit, which is fine, but be aware of what the true costs are, especially to what they're selling and that you actually end up with at the end of the day. This is like all the books, DVDs, classes and other items related to screenwriting where there are a very limited number of actual script sold. There's a whole business of selling to those with dreams in a limited market.
It's good to have dreams but don't go into early and costly debt, especially if you don't have to.
I recently replied to a comment in another posting and through email to someone asking about education:
Degree course - I don't know of any vfx company that requires a degree in vfx or a specific software package. I suppose some type of 'degree' shows you've taken a class but the thing that will get you hired is your reel, list of credits and your list of software you know and the level you know it. (be honest on your resume)
If you want to get a university/college degree then best to check out the colleges near you or well know ones. However very few colleges offer real vfx classes.
You can learn quite a bit of the basics of any software with books, DVDs or online. Good books and the better online classes cover the material at a professional level. obviously you have to push yourself because it's self-education but this allows you to learn at your own pace and location without a lot of expense. I'm self taught in electronics, computer programming, photography, vfx and many other things.
Many in person classes only run through the process of learning the software unless the teacher actually has hands on experience in production and the class is structured to cover those issues as well.
Many of the vendors of software have learning additions and tutorials. As with most software read the manual first.
Check out the School Post if you haven't already.
Lynda.com has classes on Maya, Nuke and others. Steve Write does the Nuke tutorial. Relatively cheap.
fxphd.com and escapestudios.co.uk are some of the ones that offer more in-depth online tutorials. Please see the school links for the others.
The only classes I've actually seen have seen the ones at Lynda.com so I can't provide any pros/cons.
The downside to all/most of the online classes is they are English only.
Obviously the online classes require a reasonable computer and internet access.
The advantages of an actual course is it's likely to be in your language, hopefully the teacher will offer critiques and have you do various exercises.
If you do need to take a clas I would recommend trying to find websites/forums that cover those schools to see what other opinions are. You can contact many companies and see if they have recommended schools. (i.e. these would be high on their list of likely candidates)
Nuke and Maya - Those tend to be the most popular for high end work. After Effects is also used extensively.
However you might want to check the local vfx companies to see what their job listings include. It may be that Max or Lightwave are more popular where you are and that After Effects is the most popular compositing software. So keep in mind what your marketable skills are. If you know a software product that's not in use at most of the places that would hire you then it may not be much value so be sure to consider that first.
The other key thing as mentioned in my blog is to make sure you understand the actual process of what's happening. If you understand the basics concepts of compositing, pulling keys, dealing with color then it's much easier to switch to another software package and learn the specific functions. It also much easier to problem solve and adapt. If you only know which button to push then it's going to be difficult to deal with anything out of the ordinary.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Sad but true..
A cautionary tale:
From @VFXSoldier twitter
Art Institute graduate spent 70K on degree, can't find video game job, takes up stripping instead.Believe me, you don't want to see most vfx artists stripping.
---
Unfortunately most VFX companies end up going through the following. These would be funny if
they weren't so realistic. I've seen the same things almost verbatim so they're not exaggerated.
Note that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing since there are times when the client feels they need to define how the vfx need to be done to the experienced vfx people they hired.
Unfortunately most VFX companies end up going through the following. These would be funny if
they weren't so realistic. I've seen the same things almost verbatim so they're not exaggerated.
Note that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing since there are times when the client feels they need to define how the vfx need to be done to the experienced vfx people they hired.
Caution: Explicit Language
The unrealistic portion here is the client reminding you it's a fixed bid. They don't even bother saying that.
Here's another example how clients work with VFX companies and vfx artists
VIDEO: The Vendor Client relationship - in real world situations
Overtime? What's that?
VIDEO: Do you like fighting robots? The interview.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Visual Effects Schools
[For anyone considering visual effects school please check out this article:
VFX in Los Angeles – 100 hour weeks & homeless Puts things in perspective. ]
For those with questions about possible schools for visual effects I've had no direct experience with visual effects classes but thought I'd list a few here.
I know there are quite a few others world-wide so don't look at this list as the only available source of training.
(Note that I'm not making any endorsements - good or bad)
As I note in my VFX Career posting/podcast you don't necessarily have to go to an official school to work in visual effects.
[Update: I urge you to first check out the VFX Career posting if you haven't already. Is Visual Effects truly what you want to do and are you willing to do the work and accept the risk? Getting a job and keeping employed in VFX is not easy. Many schools (including for profit vfx schools) continue to pump out many more graduates than the vfx industry can hire. And a lot depends on timing and where you are located.
Important: Do not go into massive debt to get schooling for visual effects. School itself is a good thing but these days many people are racking up huge debts of $60,000 or more and not finding a job afterward. There are no guarantees of jobs from any school. The competition is stiff. If you just wish to be educated regarding just visual effects there are alternatives. Books, DVDs, online, etc.]
Update 6/26/2013 Don't go to art school
[Update: 7-21-12 NBC recently did an investigation into For Profit Schools, among those was Art Institute. Here's the video. Many For Profit Schools focus on signing up as many students as possible without regard to how suitable those students are. They're push the students to get government loans to pay for the schools at at very high cost. End result is the students go greatly into debt and may not be able to get the jobs as expected. The interest rates can be very high so they end yup paying the rest of their lie and ruining their lives. And NBC has an article how student loans mimic the housing collapse in this article here. The key issue here is to know what you're getting into. Visual Effects companies do not require degrees for most positions. They require people who know what they are doing and can do it well. As mentioned consider lower cost alternatives if you don't plan to go to a full college (or have finished college) and certainly if you can't afford to pay $100,000 or more for school. There are qualified online classes much cheaper.
Here's photo of a poster at a high school:
]
It's important to check the range and detail of classes they offer.
How much hands on experience do the teachers have?
How much hands on experience do the student get?
Do you want a full college experience (along with a degree) or do you want more of a technical school?
Do they have internships at companies or any placement services?
Make sure to do a search for reviews and opinions of others.
Of course there are universities and colleges expanding their film classes
to include some visual effects and animation classes.
The range and depth of classes at these film schools may not be as great as some of the others.
USC
UCLA
Chapman University
Sheridan Institue
CalArts
I do know people who teach or run some of the programs at the following schools:
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of Visual Arts
Academy of Art
Gnomon 3D
Expression College
Others I've seen advertised:
Vancouver Film School
Ringling
[Update 8/24/2012 based on info from some recruiters regarding current full schools.
These are some of the key physical schools they find good potential employees.
Please note that these aren't the only schools with good programs but tend to produce more students suitable to different areas.
In no particular order:
Technical Directors, R&D and pipeline development:
University of PA, Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Univ of Toronto
Character animation, visual development, story, modeling:
San Jose State (very good), Ringling, Cal Arts, Art Center Pasadena, Goeblins (for non-US companies )
Schools that aren't as specialized
SVA, SCAD, Art Academy SF, Sheridan, Filmakademie (for non-US companies )
Companies also tend to cover local colleges if they provide reasonable education.
]
For online classes:
Lynda.com - Inexpensive. Good for started class on a wide range of things -Photoshop, Nuke, Photography, Editing, etc. (Lynda worked for me at Dream Quest heading up the animation department. For $25 a month you get a lot of value for your money.)
Gnomon - They have both a physical school and online school
fxphd - Nuke, Mari, Fusion, Silhouette, Maya, DSLR storytelling, Supervising, etc. Very in-depth classes specializing in visual effects. I recently was involved in a class they did on practical effects and visual effects.
Digital Tutors is a another site that does online Vfx training. Here's their post about demo reels.
New one: www.td-u.com Technical Director U. Lighting, compositing, rigging. Future matte ptg, storyboards, cloth, etc.
Stan Winston School - Focuses on character and creature design. Includes CG and practical markup class.
Video Copilot - After Effects online tutorials
From Readers:
Another school to add to your list is AnimationMentor.com, an online character animation school where all the teachers a working studio animators. Check it out on the web. The school has had great success placing students--more then 50% graduate to studio animation jobs.
For online VFX learning (or in site if you are in San Francisco) i´d also add Pixelcorps.com , run by ex-ILM-er Alex Lindsay.
Another great site for online VFX learning is PixelboxAcademy.Net. I am enrolled on their 'VFX Compositing' online course and it's being really cool.
An excellent online VFX training school/community i highly recommend is fxphd.
They offer excellent courses and acces to high quality footage for a low price.
And there are a wealth of DVDs and Books available. Do an internet search or check the Effects Corner Store.
Another view on VFX schools from vfxhack VFX School Confidential.
Update 8/3/2010
Some other schools have been added to comments since this was first posted so I'm adding those along with a few other notes.
Just a reminder that these days VFX can be a difficult area to find work, especially consistent work. Much also depends where you live. Do a reality check by checking the various vfx company websites and vfx recruiting sites to see what types of jobs are available, where they are and what the requirements are.
The National Film & Television School in the UK (www.nfts.co.uk) runs an MA programme for both SFX/VFX and Digital Post Production, both of which are tutored by current industry practitioners and have an excellent employment record for graduates.
From 10-14-2011
Believe me, you don't want to see most vfx artists stripping.
Related post: Price of a VFX Education
Update 3/22/2011
VFX School on Facebook (I know nothing about it but thought I'd add the link here)
[Update: 5/3/2012 Be aware of schools that charge you to learn and require you to work for free such as Digital Domain Media is proposing. Also be aware some internships are simply non-paid jobs whcih are illegal. More on internships. ]
And please read VFX Career posting if you haven't already. It will prepare you for the real world of visual effects.
Also please check the comments below for more feedback and responses.
Also related: Getting A Visual Effects Job
Visual Effects Positions
What makes a good visual effects artist?
Update 6-11-2013 new post
Sad State of Visual Effects Industry
VFX in Los Angeles – 100 hour weeks & homeless Puts things in perspective. ]
For those with questions about possible schools for visual effects I've had no direct experience with visual effects classes but thought I'd list a few here.
I know there are quite a few others world-wide so don't look at this list as the only available source of training.
(Note that I'm not making any endorsements - good or bad)
As I note in my VFX Career posting/podcast you don't necessarily have to go to an official school to work in visual effects.
[Update: I urge you to first check out the VFX Career posting if you haven't already. Is Visual Effects truly what you want to do and are you willing to do the work and accept the risk? Getting a job and keeping employed in VFX is not easy. Many schools (including for profit vfx schools) continue to pump out many more graduates than the vfx industry can hire. And a lot depends on timing and where you are located.
Important: Do not go into massive debt to get schooling for visual effects. School itself is a good thing but these days many people are racking up huge debts of $60,000 or more and not finding a job afterward. There are no guarantees of jobs from any school. The competition is stiff. If you just wish to be educated regarding just visual effects there are alternatives. Books, DVDs, online, etc.]
Update 6/26/2013 Don't go to art school
[Update: 7-21-12 NBC recently did an investigation into For Profit Schools, among those was Art Institute. Here's the video. Many For Profit Schools focus on signing up as many students as possible without regard to how suitable those students are. They're push the students to get government loans to pay for the schools at at very high cost. End result is the students go greatly into debt and may not be able to get the jobs as expected. The interest rates can be very high so they end yup paying the rest of their lie and ruining their lives. And NBC has an article how student loans mimic the housing collapse in this article here. The key issue here is to know what you're getting into. Visual Effects companies do not require degrees for most positions. They require people who know what they are doing and can do it well. As mentioned consider lower cost alternatives if you don't plan to go to a full college (or have finished college) and certainly if you can't afford to pay $100,000 or more for school. There are qualified online classes much cheaper.
Here's photo of a poster at a high school:
Another article on for profit schools
[Update: 12-21-13
It's important to check the range and detail of classes they offer.
How much hands on experience do the teachers have?
How much hands on experience do the student get?
Do you want a full college experience (along with a degree) or do you want more of a technical school?
Do they have internships at companies or any placement services?
Make sure to do a search for reviews and opinions of others.
Of course there are universities and colleges expanding their film classes
to include some visual effects and animation classes.
The range and depth of classes at these film schools may not be as great as some of the others.
USC
UCLA
Chapman University
Sheridan Institue
CalArts
I do know people who teach or run some of the programs at the following schools:
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of Visual Arts
Academy of Art
Gnomon 3D
Expression College
Others I've seen advertised:
Vancouver Film School
Ringling
[Update 8/24/2012 based on info from some recruiters regarding current full schools.
These are some of the key physical schools they find good potential employees.
Please note that these aren't the only schools with good programs but tend to produce more students suitable to different areas.
In no particular order:
Technical Directors, R&D and pipeline development:
University of PA, Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Univ of Toronto
Character animation, visual development, story, modeling:
San Jose State (very good), Ringling, Cal Arts, Art Center Pasadena, Goeblins (for non-US companies )
Schools that aren't as specialized
SVA, SCAD, Art Academy SF, Sheridan, Filmakademie (for non-US companies )
Companies also tend to cover local colleges if they provide reasonable education.
]
For online classes:
Lynda.com - Inexpensive. Good for started class on a wide range of things -Photoshop, Nuke, Photography, Editing, etc. (Lynda worked for me at Dream Quest heading up the animation department. For $25 a month you get a lot of value for your money.)
Gnomon - They have both a physical school and online school
fxphd - Nuke, Mari, Fusion, Silhouette, Maya, DSLR storytelling, Supervising, etc. Very in-depth classes specializing in visual effects. I recently was involved in a class they did on practical effects and visual effects.
Digital Tutors is a another site that does online Vfx training. Here's their post about demo reels.
New one: www.td-u.com Technical Director U. Lighting, compositing, rigging. Future matte ptg, storyboards, cloth, etc.
Stan Winston School - Focuses on character and creature design. Includes CG and practical markup class.
Video Copilot - After Effects online tutorials
From Readers:
Another school to add to your list is AnimationMentor.com, an online character animation school where all the teachers a working studio animators. Check it out on the web. The school has had great success placing students--more then 50% graduate to studio animation jobs.
For online VFX learning (or in site if you are in San Francisco) i´d also add Pixelcorps.com , run by ex-ILM-er Alex Lindsay.
Another great site for online VFX learning is PixelboxAcademy.Net. I am enrolled on their 'VFX Compositing' online course and it's being really cool.
An excellent online VFX training school/community i highly recommend is fxphd.
They offer excellent courses and acces to high quality footage for a low price.
And there are a wealth of DVDs and Books available. Do an internet search or check the Effects Corner Store.
Another view on VFX schools from vfxhack VFX School Confidential.
Update 8/3/2010
Some other schools have been added to comments since this was first posted so I'm adding those along with a few other notes.
Just a reminder that these days VFX can be a difficult area to find work, especially consistent work. Much also depends where you live. Do a reality check by checking the various vfx company websites and vfx recruiting sites to see what types of jobs are available, where they are and what the requirements are.
The National Film & Television School in the UK (www.nfts.co.uk) runs an MA programme for both SFX/VFX and Digital Post Production, both of which are tutored by current industry practitioners and have an excellent employment record for graduates.
There’s a new VFX school in UK set up by a leading VFX company. They have produced visual effects for films like Da Vinci Code and Batman and they are currently working on Shahrukh Khan’s Ra. One, so you can’t get more qualified then that. Best of all, they are based in Pinewood Studios, home of James Bond and so many other big screen movies. Check out the website, http://www.thevfxacademy.com.
There's also Escape Studios in the UK that offers VFX classes (including online).
From 10-14-2011
I was wanting to know if you could add Lost Boys Learning. They are a superior VFX School in Vancouver Canada.
Also look at some of the Almuni reels at http://lostboys-vfx.com/alumni
From 3-12-2012 - General film production
Raindance http://www.raindance.co.uk/ http://www.raindance.co.uk/
From 11-07-12
CG Masters Vancouver Canada visual effects school
From 3-12-2012 - General film production
Raindance http://www.raindance.co.uk/ http://www.raindance.co.uk/
From 11-07-12
CG Masters Vancouver Canada visual effects school
-----
If you're a member of VES they have an arrangement with Lynda.com so check the VES website.
Please note I haven't dealt with any of these directly as a student so PLEASE do a full search yourself on the internet for reviews and be sure to do a full check of any company offering training. I know that someone posted a complaint on one of my YouTube videos about a school or two that specifically focuses on VFX saying they were now greatly in debt. Some of these places are very expensive, especially if you're focusing on one aspect and not a full college degree.
Is it worth it? Can you learn more on your own with books and other training materials? Is online training as good? All of this depends on your current level and how you personally learn the best.
Sometimes it's best to have someone leading you by the hand at least to start so you can interact and ask questions as you proceed. Other times if you're already know the basics you may find it just easy to follow another source of information.
My first suggestion would be to pickup a basic book on the subject you're interested in. Assuming it's a reasonable book it should be useful as a reference even if you decide to take classes. Most software companies offer free trail versions or possibly a personal version. There are also a great number of online tutorials, including at the software company site and other places to get you started. That should allow you to get at least a handle of what you're dealing with. If it's way too over your head then you may need to back up to more fundamental things or you should probably consider some type of class - in person or online. One of the other problems with learning on your own is you may develop gaps in your knowledge and you don't get the feedback. It's also not a structured learning process so some students may have issues if they're not in a traditional class format.
Some people learn best by actually seeing the steps being taken as opposed to just reading about them. This probably applies to most visual artists.
In person classes have the advantage that you have an instructor who you can ask questions and critique your work. Classes also have other students who you can work and network. Possibly handy in the future. These classes can be expensive, especially if you have to travel.
Online classes - If it's an online interactive class then you can ask questions and get feedback.
If the online class is prerecorded then it's similar to a DVD class. The advantage is you can do it on your own schedule - home from work, compressing the time, expanding the time, etc. The disadvantage is no interaction with the instructor.
Other things to look for in schools-
What type of real world experience do the instructors have? The flip side is that not all professionals are not good teachers.
Is there a forum you can interact with other students, even if it's for a prerecorded online class or DVD.
Does the instructor visit these forums.
Does the school offer a real placement program?
Do vfx companies actively recruit from the school?
It can be difficult to get honest answers at times to even these basic questions.
Be realistic about what you plan to get out of any education.
A 3 day bootcamp is unlikely to provide as much information and feedback as a 12 week seminar.
As noted earlier in this posting be sure to check out another view on VFX schools from vfxhack VFX School Confidential.
Tom Cruise list of schools, companies and other info
A 3 day bootcamp is unlikely to provide as much information and feedback as a 12 week seminar.
As noted earlier in this posting be sure to check out another view on VFX schools from vfxhack VFX School Confidential.
Tom Cruise list of schools, companies and other info
Update 8/5/2010
A cautionary tale:
From VFXSoldier twitter
Art Institute graduate spent 70K on degree, can't find video game job, takes up stripping instead.
A cautionary tale:
From VFXSoldier twitter
Believe me, you don't want to see most vfx artists stripping.
Related post: Price of a VFX Education
Update 3/22/2011
VFX School on Facebook (I know nothing about it but thought I'd add the link here)
[Update: 5/3/2012 Be aware of schools that charge you to learn and require you to work for free such as Digital Domain Media is proposing. Also be aware some internships are simply non-paid jobs whcih are illegal. More on internships. ]
And please read VFX Career posting if you haven't already. It will prepare you for the real world of visual effects.
Also please check the comments below for more feedback and responses.
Also related: Getting A Visual Effects Job
Visual Effects Positions
What makes a good visual effects artist?
Update 6-11-2013 new post
Sad State of Visual Effects Industry
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)