The Visual Effects Crisis

The Royal Ocean Film Society
30 Sept 202220:17

Summary

TLDRThe visual effects industry faces a crisis with artists enduring brutal working conditions, including excessive hours and burnout, often due to last-minute studio demands leading to project delays and financial strain. The case of Rhythm and Hues, which filed for bankruptcy after the Oscar-winning 'Life of Pi', exemplifies the industry's challenges. Calls for change include better production practices, residuals for VFX companies, and the push for unionization to address the mistreatment of artists who are central to blockbuster success but often overlooked.

Takeaways

  • 🌐 The visual effects industry is facing a crisis with stories of overwork, unreasonable deadlines, and burnout being common among artists.
  • πŸ•ŠοΈ Artists working on blockbuster movies like Marvel films often experience hundred-hour work weeks, leading up to a movie's release date.
  • 🀯 The pressure of studio demands for major reshoots and revisions can lead to significant additional work, causing financial strain on VFX companies.
  • πŸ† Winning an Oscar for VFX work can paradoxically lead to being seen as too expensive, creating a mixed blessing for artists and companies.
  • πŸ“‰ Rhythm and Hues, a leading VFX company, filed for bankruptcy shortly after the successful release of 'Life of Pi', highlighting the financial instability of the industry.
  • 🎭 The disconnect between directors and VFX artists can lead to unrealistic demands and a lack of understanding of the VFX process and timeline.
  • πŸ”„ The trend of studios and filmmakers frequently changing their vision mid-production can result in extensive rework and crunch times for VFX artists.
  • πŸ’₯ Major companies like Marvel and Netflix have been criticized for their treatment of VFX artists, contributing to the industry's crisis.
  • πŸ“ˆ The business model of the VFX industry has evolved, with multiple companies working on different elements of a film, complicating the workflow and increasing the number of employees involved.
  • 🧩 The film 'Cats' exemplified the problems in the VFX industry, with a director lacking understanding of VFX creation and unrealistic demands leading to a disastrous outcome.
  • πŸ’Ό Economic challenges in the VFX industry, including the pursuit of tax subsidies by studios and the constant need for VFX companies to relocate or underbid each other, contribute to instability.

Q & A

  • What is the current crisis in the visual effects industry?

    -The visual effects industry is facing a crisis characterized by brutal working hours, unreasonable deadlines, rampant burnout, and a punishing cycle for the artists, leading to numerous hundred-hour work weeks and a high rate of burnout and dissatisfaction among artists.

  • What impact does overwork have on visual effects artists?

    -Overwork can lead to nervous breakdowns and allegations of bullying, as well as a general sense of dissatisfaction and exhaustion among artists, which can contribute to a high turnover rate and a negative reputation for the industry.

  • Why do visual effects artists often work long hours leading up to a movie's release date?

    -Long hours are often required to meet the movie's release date, especially when there are last-minute changes or revisions demanded by the studio, which can result in a significant amount of additional work and pressure on the artists.

  • What was the situation with Rhythm and Hues during the production of 'Life of Pi'?

    -Rhythm and Hues faced serious financial difficulties during the production of 'Life of Pi' due to a major change in the project that required substantial revisions, which they had to shoulder the cost for, leading to cash flow problems and eventually bankruptcy.

  • How did the success of 'Life of Pi' contrast with the fate of Rhythm and Hues?

    -While 'Life of Pi' was a commercial success, grossing over 600 million dollars, Rhythm and Hues filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and laid off more than 250 employees, highlighting the irony and disconnect between the film's success and the struggles of the visual effects company.

  • What is the role of residuals or profit participation in the film industry?

    -Residuals or profit participation are additional payments made to actors, directors, producers, and writers based on the ongoing revenue generated by a movie. However, visual effects companies are typically not entitled to this kind of profit participation, despite their significant contribution to the film's success.

  • Why are visual effects companies often not entitled to residuals or profit participation?

    -The business model of the film industry typically does not include profit participation for visual effects companies. Instead, these companies are usually paid a fixed fee for their work, regardless of the film's success, which can be a point of contention given the importance of visual effects in driving box office revenue.

  • What is the significance of the protest by visual effects artists during the 2013 Academy Awards?

    -The protest was a call to raise awareness about the mistreatment and undermining of the visual effects industry, highlighting the need for better working conditions, recognition, and fair compensation for the artists who contribute significantly to the success of films.

  • What are some of the challenges faced by visual effects houses in securing contracts?

    -Visual effects houses face challenges such as constantly moving to territories that offer the best tax rebates, underbidding one another to secure contracts, and dealing with the complexities of the economics of the VFX industry, which can lead to financial instability and closures.

  • What is the role of unionization in addressing the issues within the visual effects industry?

    -Unionization is seen as a crucial step towards improving working conditions, securing fair compensation, and providing a collective voice for visual effects artists. It is an overdue measure that could help address the systemic issues within the industry and ensure better treatment of artists.

  • How has the increase in the number of visual effects shots in movies impacted the industry?

    -The increase in the number of visual effects shots has led to a greater demand for artists and VFX houses, often resulting in more companies working on individual sequences or elements. This acceleration has put pressure on the industry to keep up with the pace, leading to issues such as long working hours and a lack of respect for the artists' work.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ˜” Crisis in the Visual Effects Industry

The visual effects industry is facing a crisis characterized by brutal working conditions, including unreasonable deadlines and excessive work hours leading to burnout. Artists often work hundred-hour weeks, especially during the pre-release period of movies. The industry's invisibility despite its significant contribution to ticket sales and viewing hours is highlighted. The narrative discusses the challenges faced by VFX houses and the irony of winning an Oscar, which sometimes leads to being avoided due to perceived high costs. The case of Rhythm and Hues, a leading VFX company that filed for bankruptcy shortly after the successful release of 'Life of Pi', exemplifies the industry's struggles.

05:01

😑 The Irony of Oscars and VFX Protests

This paragraph discusses the irony of the visual effects industry's situation, juxtaposing the success of 'Life of Pi' at the Oscars with the bankruptcy of Rhythm and Hues. It describes a protest by nearly 500 visual effects artists to raise awareness of their mistreatment and the lack of respect for their work. The industry's inherent problems, such as last-minute changes and reshoots that lead to crunch times, are highlighted. The narrative also points out the disconnect between studios and filmmakers and the VFX artists who suffer from the lack of understanding of the VFX process and its time requirements.

10:04

😀 Disconnect and Mismanagement in VFX Production

The disconnect between directors and the VFX craftspeople is emphasized, with large-scale productions like Marvel movies complicating the situation due to their size and the number of employees involved. The industry's evolution from a few VFX houses to many, each specializing in different aspects, is outlined. The narrative criticizes directors with no VFX experience, using 'Cats' and its director Tom Hooper as a case study for the industry's issues. The economic challenges faced by VFX companies, including the pursuit of tax subsidies and the constant need to relocate or underbid each other, are also discussed.

15:06

πŸ€” Possible Solutions for the VFX Industry

The paragraph suggests potential solutions for the VFX industry's ongoing crisis, such as residuals or profit participation for VFX companies, which are not traditionally part of their contracts. It questions why VFX companies, which contribute significantly to box office success, do not receive a share of the profits like other branches of the film industry. The narrative also advocates for unionization as a long-overdue step to improve working conditions and ensure artists are treated fairly and recognized for their contributions to the industry's success.

20:06

🎬 The Impact of Streaming Services on Cinema

The final paragraph shifts focus to the impact of streaming services on the film industry, promoting Mubi as a curated platform that offers a new film every day. It discusses the overwhelming number of entertainment options available and positions Mubi as a reliable source for discovering new and classic films. The paragraph serves as an endorsement of Mubi, highlighting its value proposition in an era of numerous streaming services.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Visual Effects Industry

The visual effects industry is the sector of the entertainment industry that creates visual imagery using computer-generated imagery (CGI) and other techniques for use in film, television, and other media. In the video, it is depicted as being in crisis, with artists facing brutal working conditions, such as long hours and unreasonable deadlines, contributing to a vicious cycle of burnout.

πŸ’‘Crunch Time

Crunch time refers to a period of intense work characterized by long hours and high stress, often seen in industries like video game development and visual effects. In the script, it is mentioned as a common experience for visual effects artists, who may work hundred-hour weeks leading up to a movie's release date.

πŸ’‘Burnout

Burnout is a state of chronic stress that leads to emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. The script describes it as rampant within the visual effects industry, resulting from overwork and unreasonable studio demands, which can lead to artists experiencing nervous breakdowns.

πŸ’‘Blacklisting

Blacklisting is the practice of denying access to employment or opportunities based on past actions or opinions. The video mentions that artists often request anonymity due to fear of blacklisting, especially when they speak out against non-disclosure agreements and poor working conditions.

πŸ’‘Oscar

The Oscar is an award presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, representing a high honor in the film industry. The script discusses the irony of winning an Oscar in the visual effects category, as it does not necessarily guarantee financial stability or success for the artists involved.

πŸ’‘Rhythm and Hues

Rhythm and Hues was a visual effects company known for creating photorealistic creatures and animals in films. The script uses the company's bankruptcy as a case study to highlight the systemic issues within the visual effects industry, such as financial instability and the impact of studio demands on the companies' bottom line.

πŸ’‘Residuals

Residuals are additional payments made to actors, directors, and other film industry professionals based on the ongoing revenue generated by a film or project. The script suggests that visual effects companies and artists are not typically entitled to residuals, which could be a potential solution to the industry's financial struggles.

πŸ’‘Unionization

Unionization refers to the process of forming or joining a labor union to protect workers' rights and negotiate better working conditions. The video advocates for unionization as a way to address the long-standing issues faced by visual effects artists, such as fair pay and recognition for their contributions to the industry.

πŸ’‘Disconnect

Disconnect, in the context of the video, refers to the gap in understanding and communication between directors and the visual effects artists responsible for executing their vision. The script cites examples such as directors not fully grasping the complexities of the visual effects process, leading to unrealistic demands and additional stress on the artists.

πŸ’‘Tax Subsidies

Tax subsidies are financial incentives provided by governments to encourage certain types of economic activity, such as film production. The script discusses how the pursuit of tax subsidies by studios can force visual effects companies to relocate, impacting the stability and working conditions for their employees.

πŸ’‘Blockbusters

Blockbusters are major commercial films that are expected to be highly successful at the box office. The script points out that while visual effects are a significant driver of ticket sales for blockbusters, the artists behind these effects often face intense pressure and poor working conditions to meet the high expectations of these productions.

Highlights

The visual effects industry is facing a crisis with stories of overworked artists and unreasonable deadlines.

VFX artists often work hundreds of hours in the weeks leading up to a movie's release.

Artists have reported nervous breakdowns and allegations of bullying due to studio demands.

Many artists requested anonymity in interviews due to non-disclosure agreements and fear of blacklisting.

Digital effects are prominent drivers of ticket sales but remain largely invisible to audiences.

The system is described as broken, with a history of issues that have persisted for over a decade.

Winning an Oscar can be a mixed blessing for VFX artists, potentially labeling them as too expensive.

Rhythm and Hues, a leading VFX company, faced bankruptcy after the success of 'Life of Pi'.

The bankruptcy of Rhythm and Hues highlighted the financial struggles within the VFX industry.

Oscars 2013 saw protests by VFX artists to raise awareness about industry mistreatment.

There is a disconnect between studios, filmmakers, and VFX houses leading to tension and misunderstanding.

Seismic reshoots and redesigns are common, leading to extensive additional work for VFX artists.

The term 'crunch' describes the intense overwork periods in VFX, often with 14-hour days and office sleeping.

Marvel and Netflix are criticized for their treatment of VFX artists and contribution to the crisis.

The disconnect between directors and VFX artists can be exacerbated by the size of productions.

The film 'Cats' exemplified many of the VFX industry's problems, including unrealistic expectations and tight deadlines.

Economic pressures in the VFX industry lead to companies moving or closing, affecting employees.

Residuals or profit participation for VFX companies is a suggested solution to improve industry conditions.

Unionization is advocated as a long-overdue step to improve working conditions for VFX artists.

VFX artists feel undervalued and unrecognized for their significant contributions to box office success.

Transcripts

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foreign

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[Music]

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visual effects industry is in a crisis

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this summer a wave of stories emerged

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that paint a picture of a looming

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disaster for visual effects houses

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across the world and a punishing vicious

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cycle for the artists within one marked

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by brutal working hours unreasonable

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deadlines and rampant burnout it's not

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at all uncommon for visual effects

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artists to pull numerous hundred hour

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work weeks in the months leading up to a

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movie's release date one artist

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interviewed by vulture said that a light

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week on a recent Marvel movie still

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totaled some 64 hours and that's to say

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nothing of the nervous breakdowns that

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have come from overwork or the

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allegations of bullying were the insane

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Studio demands on Blockbusters that

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undergo massive reshoots and retooling

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or the fact that many of the artists

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interviewed for these recent pieces

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requested anonymity due to both

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non-disclosure agreements and the fear

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of blacklisting

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as the history of the art form has

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progressed digital effects have become

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simultaneously more prominent than ever

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but also more invisible they're in

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arguably one of the main drivers behind

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ticket sales and viewing hours and yet

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they also fill out the majority of the

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films and television that we watch in

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ways that we hardly notice all of it

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accomplished on the back of a Workforce

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that's being driven into the ground the

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system as many people have said is

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broken but if you've been around and are

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familiar with this world you'll know

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that this is a story that's not exactly

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new

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you know when you when you win an Oscar

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which is of course a fantastic honor

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this is from an interview that Kim

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Masters recorded with veteran VFX

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supervisors Craig Baron and Jeff Oaken

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in February of 2013. people who were

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uninformed sort of say well you must be

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set for life now you know you've made it

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and sometimes you know having the Oscar

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means that oh I I don't want to use that

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person they're too expensive now or

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something like that so it's a bit of a

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mixed blessing from that standpoint

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we're below the line meaning you know in

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the craft area it's not quite like when

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an actor receives an Oscar or or the

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film wins best picture and then that

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helps the box office of that particular

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movie or raise the bar for that

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particular star but um yeah there's a

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certain irony to that but clearly

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there's a certain irony in our industry

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which is what's happening right now it's

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filled with irony the irony that Baron

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is referring to here is in large part a

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response to the circumstances revolving

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around Rhythm and hues

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if that name doesn't ring a bell then

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their work certainly will Rhythm and

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Hughes was one of a number of visual

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effects companies that started up in the

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late 1980s in the era when computer

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generated effects were beginning to find

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their way into feature films think of

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some of those early CG characters and

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sequences in movies like Young Sherlock

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Holmes in the abyss

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[Music]

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of Rhythm and hughes's Specialties was

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photorealistic creatures and animals and

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by the turn of the century their ability

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in getting these characters to

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believably interact in a live-action

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environment had turned them into one of

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the industry's major players and it was

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that resume that led director Ang Lee to

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hire them to work on his CGI heavy

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spiritual epic Life of Pi rnh were one

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of more than half a dozen VFX houses

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that worked on the movie and among other

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things were responsible for Richard

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Parker the Bengal tiger pisman's much of

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the movie with

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[Music]

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now there are differing reports about

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what exactly went on behind the scenes

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but one recurring story that's popped up

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in multiple places is that roughly

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Midway through production Ang Lee in the

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studio called a major audible that

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required a substantial amount of the

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work done on Richard Parker to be

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entirely revised that's not exactly a

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simple task that you can solve with a

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little bit of overtime changes like

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these are seismic and can result in

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months of added work to a Project's

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timeline it's the exact kind of working

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situation that ends up requiring those

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hundred hour work weeks in order to meet

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a movie's release date again it's not

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confirmed but as the story goes this was

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what ultimately sounded the death knell

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for rhythm and Hughes because as

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counter-intuitive as it may sound they

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were the ones who had to shoulder the

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cost for these major changes not the

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studio despite the studio demanding

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those changes in the first place profit

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margins in the VFX industry are already

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Razer in and for r h this contributed to

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Serious cash flow problems and wound up

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pushing them to ruin

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Life of Pi was released in November of

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2012 and was a slam dunk success

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grossing over 600 million dollars but

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less than three months later

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Rhythm and Hughes filed for chapter 11

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bankruptcy and laid off more than 250 of

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its employees the movie may have been in

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profit mode but its unsung star was on

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its deathbed that's the irony in this

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story but it's not the only one

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the Oscars live Oscar Sunday February

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24th on ABC

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just days after rnh filed for bankruptcy

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Life of Pi picked up four Oscars at the

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2013 Academy Awards

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but the story outside the Dolby Theater

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where the show was held was much

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different

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nearly 500 visual effects artists

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including a number who worked on Life of

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Pi protested to raise awareness for the

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ways that their industry was being

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mistreated and undermined and back

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inside when pai's VFX team won this is

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how they retreated when they tried to

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shed a little light on the situation

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finally want to thank all the artists

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who worked in this film for over a year

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Rhythm and Hughes

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sadly Rhythm and Hughes is suffering

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severe financial difficulties right now

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it's I urge you all to remember

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[Music]

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if you're interested in more of Rhythm

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and hughes's story I'd highly recommend

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giving the documentary life after pie a

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watch what's important is that their

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rise and fall wasn't just a catalyst for

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conversation but that they exist as a

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definitive case study that highlights

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many of the problems inherent within the

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industry problems that have only

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persisted and seem to be as bad today as

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they were 10 years ago if the story

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about Pi CGI being significantly

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reworked is accurate then it slots in

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with one of the key problems affecting

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the industry which is that there is a

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tension between on one hand the studios

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and the filmmakers and the other the

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visual effects houses and when it often

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boils down to isn't just a lack of

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respect for the artists but a

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fundamental misunderstanding of what the

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visual effects process actually entails

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and the amount of time that it takes to

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do correctly

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there's a spectrum of experiences across

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the giant CGI heavy Blockbusters that

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I'm focusing on and it would be wrong to

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suggest that all Productions are this

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unhealthy but more and more the

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recurring experience that keeps popping

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up is one that's marked by a singular

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lack of precision by a lack of concrete

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final locked decisions and we understand

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that if you have a vision and you're

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you're moving toward that Vision but as

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long as you're moving in the same

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direction toward that Vision that's fine

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you know we're going to get there but

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what we see often is that you know

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they'll be heading towards a vision and

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you might be heading toward that vision

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for six months and then

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all of a sudden they turn around and

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they're heading off in an entirely

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different direction

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think of the seismic reshoots that took

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place for Justice League in Rogue one or

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the near page one redesign for Sonic the

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Hedgehog yes these are extreme examples

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and reshoots are nothing new nor

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necessarily a bad thing but this story

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of backtracking and reshooting scenes

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and reconceptualizing visual effects is

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at the heart of so many of these

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grievances because at the end of the day

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it's the below the line crafts people

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who have to execute a plan that God

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willing won't go through yet another

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iteration for VFX artists this is what

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leads to the crunch when 14-hour days

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and sleeping at the office becomes the

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norm for months on end often accompanied

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by a cycle of never-ending redelivery to

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clients who are never satisfied there's

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a term for this kind of thing an artist

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required to deliver numerous final

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versions of the same shot because the

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client keeps changing the parameters of

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what they want down to the most minute

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detail has been as they say pixel

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at the bullseye of all of this two of

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the biggest offenders as you might be

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able to guess are Marvel and Netflix

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this crisis stretches far beyond them

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but they're the two that have been the

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most criticized and painted as villains

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Marvel especially as one former artist

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said they're too big they're too

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powerful and working with them is the

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equivalent of stepping into a kind of

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toxic relationship case in point in one

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anecdote that's garnered a lot of press

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the company reportedly forgot to tell

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all of their VFX vendors that they were

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pulling Infinity war and endgame's

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release dates back by a month leaving

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them to instead find out from a press

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release

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it's from situations like these where

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you can start to see how burnout can run

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rampant it's not that artists are

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completely against ever working any

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overtime or against ever redesigning a

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shot there's an amount of both that's

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just inherent within not just visual

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effects but in all areas of

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post-production but a degree of overwork

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this intense is just not sustainable and

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is the exact thing that drives people

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out of the industry and one thing that

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doesn't help in the slightest is when

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things like this happen

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okay

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does that look real in that particular

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shot no actually

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it doesn't really right would you look

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close you need to be more blue well you

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know does he look real no no

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something looks very off about this but

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no no he changes Hues don't you think

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yeah

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apart from its relative tackiness take

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away TD's comments here suggests

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something deeper this is a point that

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Drew McGary made in his article for

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Defector suggesting that what it

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illustrates is a level of Disconnect

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between a director and a below the line

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Crafts People and that's an important

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idea I think in understanding this

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ongoing crisis

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foreign level this kind of Disconnect is

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just inexcusable but on another while

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certainly not ideal it's somewhat

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understandable given the sheer size of a

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production like one of Marvel's and the

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army of employees that it takes to

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create I think that that's worth keeping

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in mind when looking at all of this the

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kinds of massive Blockbusters that we're

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focusing on and the way that they're

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produced has naturally evolved

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we've gone rather quickly from movies

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that boast say a hundred individual VFX

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shots to where we are today with movies

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that feature thousands it takes more

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people than ever before to construct VFX

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for movies like these and in some cases

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more individual VFX houses for reference

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just over 20 years ago The Phantom

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Menace employed just one VFX company ilm

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to create all of its digital effects

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whereas the rise of Skywalker just a

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couple of years ago employed a dozen the

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2002 Spider-Man employed three VFX

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houses no way home 14. and this is a

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part of an overall change in the

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business model instead of a small number

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of houses tackling the effects for an

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entire film you'll now have numerous

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houses each taking on individual

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sequences or individual elements that

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each respective house specializes in you

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can see this kind of escalation across

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the history of the MCU especially it's

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now commonplace for some 25 over more

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houses to work on any one individual

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film this is how much the industry has

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accelerated over a very short amount of

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time and with this many separate

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companies and this number of employees

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it's not difficult to see how a director

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can become disconnected from a

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mammoth-sized production like this of

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course any sense of Disconnect

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regardless of the number of houses is

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likely only accentuated when a director

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who has virtually zero visual effects

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experience is hired to helm one of these

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movies nowhere has this been better

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demonstrated than in cats and its

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director Tom Hooper

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[Music]

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foreign

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if any one movie fits the bill as a

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touchstone of all of the problems

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infecting the VFX industry it's this one

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the concept was flawed to say the very

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least the working hours were insane the

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deadlines far too tight and at the

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center of it was a demeaning tyrannical

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director who quite literally had no

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grasp on how visual effects are created

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in a beautifully titled report by The

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Daily Beast an anonymous artist who

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worked on the film described the

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environment behind the scenes as a

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complete nightmare you don't just add a

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layer of fur to an actor in a motion

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capture suit in one step this is a game

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of stages in simplest terms a character

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isn't textured until their movement is

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finalized Hooper allegedly didn't

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understand this and instead demanded

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fully rendered shots any time he needed

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to look at what was being worked on

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which if true is nothing less than

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bizarre

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we all know what happened next we've all

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gawked at images from the movie and read

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about how it was literally released

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unfinished but for the artists within

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the Fallout continued after the movie's

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release

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members of the motion picture cats

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nobody more

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facts

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[Music]

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the visual effects house in question is

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MPC Motion Picture company

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who closed their Vancouver branch in

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late 2019 in order to pursue Better Tax

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subsidies in other territories they're

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one of a number of VFX houses that have

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made similar moves in recent years or

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who have just closed out right the

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economics of the VFX industry are

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complicated those tax subsidies don't

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actually go to the visual effects

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companies but to the studios and because

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Studios will understandably pursue the

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cheaper of Labor options that forces VFX

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companies to constantly move to

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territories that offer the best rebates

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or to underbid one another in order to

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secure contracts and if the companies

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are moving all the time what does that

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spell out for their employees

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solving these issues isn't easy and

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won't be done quickly obviously improved

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production methods and sharper

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pre-production on the Studio's part is

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ideal but I want to end by bringing up

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two things that I've seen people talk

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about that are worth considering as ways

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forward the first is residuals or any

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kind of profit participation we hear

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about this all the time actors directors

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producers writers earning residuals on

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the movies that they make for years on

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the highest end you've got someone like

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Tom Cruise for instance who's reportedly

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set to take home an eye-watering 100

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million dollars from Top Gun Maverick

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alone but this goes all the way down the

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line it's not a perfect business of

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course Hollywood accounting is Hollywood

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accounting after all and people are

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screwed over all the time but it's worth

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considering that VFX companies for

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whatever reason are not entitled to this

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same kind of profit participation deal

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which increasingly makes no sense when

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considering just how big a box office

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driver the visual effects are consider

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just some of the big CGI characters few

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people I imagine saw Godzilla vs Kong

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because of Rebecca Hall or Alexander

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Skarsgard few saw Sonic the Hedgehog

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because of James Marsden or Transformers

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because of Shia LaBeouf or Jurassic

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world because of Chris Pratt that's not

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to slag off those actors but it is to

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question why the VFX companies who

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create the characters that do Drive box

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office revenue are not entitled to

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anything on the back end in the same way

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that other branches of the film industry

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are

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here's VFX supervisor Jeff Oaken talking

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to Kim Masters in that 2013 interview

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again

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I've never gotten a residual for

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anything I ever did nobody up there did

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that did the work so what we got out of

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that movie is what we made from doing

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the work and the bragging rights whereas

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you know you always hear like you know

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Tom Cruise and all the big actors oh you

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know I'm working at scale and only

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taking you know X percent of the back

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end at least they have the back end if

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the movie succeeds they're rewarded well

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so so nobody's getting back in like life

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of pie did not get the back end to

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ribbon Hughes I've never know I've never

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heard of anybody on a visual effects

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movie getting back in except George

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Lucas and Francis Coppola at least in

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the early days spread out back into all

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they gave bonuses right it wasn't like

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necessarily a written thing Craig

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probably asked that but also on Matrix

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Keanu Reeves gave his visual effects

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crew a bonus a very Hefty bonus that

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they split that's the only time in all

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the years I've ever heard of visual

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effects people getting anything

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Far and Away however the most

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overwhelming step being advocated for is

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unionization to many a step that's long

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overdue if nothing else go back and look

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at the working conditions that led to

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the establishment of other labor unions

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in the film industry the Actors Guild

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The Writer's Guild iatse and so on

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you'll find a lot of grievances that

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sound awfully similar to those that are

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being shared by visual effects artists

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today

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little has seemingly changed since

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Rhythm and hughes's story and unless

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something does more and more stories

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like the ones that have emerged this

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summer will continue to spill out the

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work itself will no doubt suffer

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talented people will be driven out of

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the industry and worst of all artists

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will continue to be mistreated

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right now I would say that all the

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artists are angry and they're angry

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because we're doing fantastic work we're

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driving the box office we're not getting

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paid commiserate with what we're

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bringing to the table we're not getting

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recognized for what we bring to the

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table we're being minimized you know we

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feel we've been very loyal to our

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employers we've been loyal Warner

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Brothers and fox and Universal you know

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and we deserve like a little better than

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yeah whatever

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hey everybody thanks so much for

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watching this video is brought to you by

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the good Folks at mubi a curated

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streaming service that premieres a new

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[Music]

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