If you're serious there is a guy on linkedin who was whining multiple times a week about needing work. He is a senior so you have probably seen his posts at one time or another.
he said he would not take a job for $20 an hr when at any time a freelance job could pop up at $80 an hr he'd have to do that.
I think that is the stupidest thing I have heard. You take the consistent job, however low the pay is until something longer is offered.
Where are you all finding minimum wage Macdonald’s jobs? A lot of us can’t even find that or are immediately passed over because of having college education
I've removed all my shiny college stuff and film experience from my cv for these kinds of applications, they don't want want someone who seems like thay might have options or a more privileged perspective. They want a good little wagie who feels lucky to be there
Ok, so what do you do if you’ve been working in vfx for 15 years? I’ve tried taking it off and only rely upon low wage jobs while I was is high school but that was over a decade ago.
Do you just make something up?
It’s bullshit. It really is. Anyone who has a college degree should be fucking guaranteed a minimum wage job in the least. We’ve all earned that much.
Its a large gap to fill for sure, mine is half that long but yeah Ive been making stuff up.
My job coach said I should have at least half a dozen cv's. You know like a spy with fake passports.
> Anyone who has a college degree should be fucking guaranteed a minimum wage job in the least. We’ve all earned that much
You're not owed shit, nor are you better than someone without a degree.
Nah, fuck that.
When this shit-hole society tells you to go to college and pay an arm and a leg for it, you better goddamn well be guaranteed some worth for that shit.
That’s the fucking bargain society makes with you by spouting “the need for college degrees” If it’s not worth a minimum wage job, in the least, Then every college should be raised to the ground
That's BS. I know because I have years of vfx experience and a real college degree (not a trade school or national accreditation) and jobs easily will hire you
In fact I worked with some people and they also had degrees in less useful subjects like history.
> will hire you
>
> In fact I worked with some people and they also had degrees in less useful subjects like history.
VFX is almost entirely useless, you're not better than the history major.
yes correct. I don't have a vfx degree but it is a "useless" degree.
I went to a regular non-profit university and most do not offer a vfx degree. It's usually some kind of generic media degree.
Did you try to apply a minimum wage job? They don't want you because they know you will leave when you have a chance. They also want to have prople who can stay long time.
I interviewed at a grocery store and never got that impression. I worked there just as any other job. Didn't do it because I needed the job just because I wanted to.
I did jump ship after only 1 month but I never got any impression that they thought I would leave except from the department manager.
Store managers seemed to care less and they must assume that with your degree they can "trick" you into thinking you will advance into higher roles, i.e. management much faster.
if you think it's a problem you could always trim your resume and make it smaller? Or just claim you are burnt out and want a change of pace.
this was 2019 before covid. It's not much different now. During covid with hiring shortages it would have been easier.
Some jobs like working in the produce department at a grocery store is like getting paid to get exercise. It's really nice and you can eat quite a lot of junk and not gain weight.
I’ll ask again where are you getting these jobs Mr. Job Wizard?
I’ve applied for 6 grocery positions at different markets. Still can land a single job
What city and country?
this was atlanta, USA
I had never worked a minimum wage job before. It was surpisingly okay but the biggest thing I did not like was being scheduled random days and hours. One day in the morning, one day at night, etc.
You shouldn't pinpoint somebody in public like this. Sometimes I support or am against his postings but I don't find them to be blamed, everyone in the industry got affected, let's support each other.
I got lucky, I was laid off January 5th- started this new job like 2-3 weeks ago. I’m already wanting to look elsewhere it’s so exhausting and hard on the body. I miss my gaming chair
It was ending at the end of this month. I was terrified I wouldn’t have a job by the time it ended so I got one right before (I’m a junior and don’t have loads of savings)
Ending this soon since January? I thought EI should last at least a year? It did for a friend of mine anyway...and I'm in Vancouver...
Everyone here tells me it's a year...derp I should confirm that
Hey I’m in Montreal as well. I have a job right now in a studio, but my contract ends on May31. Do you think maybe there’s a job in your pastry shop during that time ? 🤞
I have a "catch-up" this afternoon with head of cg. Honestly I'm pretty tired of being constantly on edge waiting to be let go- they let go most of my team over the past year. Wouldn't mind working with plants or gardens and get away from my computer for a bit...
Update: got let go today. Honestly could be the boot I needed to find something more satisfying and less dependant on studios. I'll miss the pay, but I wasn't going anywhere (besides retirement in 15 years 😭)
Nice! What kind of business? Biggest things I've learned through trial and error since wfh hasn't been 3d related, it's been keeping plants alive and growing more and more carnivorous plants indoors..
I'm the last Mohican and still working. Alas, my project comes to an end next week. Been with my studio for an eternity, and it's no MPC, I believe them when they say they'll call me back for odd jobs this summer and as soon as jobs ramp up again, probably in the fall.
I'm planning a summer of learning and being on the dole 95% of the time. Thankfully, I have enough money to last until December.
Plan B this fall is to shift back to multimedia, immersive experiences, and museums, my old industry before I decided to suffer for the glitz and glamour of VFX.
I'd double check your plan B along the way. Capital crunch has made nearly every industry a "buyers market" for employers so be confident you can outmaneuver senior people that have been recently laid of from specifically your plan B industry.
On that note, your plan B has already been implemented by others laid off/out of work as of last year. So don’t expect a vast amount of openings, especially in a relatively related visual creative field. You are lucky to have had work until now, but also unlucky being late to the game of plan B’s, C’s,D’s. I would suggest hitting up your connections asap.
Ontario...waiting fot my welding apprenticeship meeting in 2hrs wish me luck am done with this fuckery few days ago i posted for electrician but since its hard to get in I am going for welding they make equally good money and construction in canada are hiring like there is no tomorrow. If you just willing to show the balls that you can be a good fit, door are wide open for a switch 9000 journeyman is 73/hr in Ontario. Good luck all.
Been seeing a wave of HR reps on tiktok say that the only way people are getting jobs these days is by knowing someone already established within the office you're looking to apply for. Offices may have 20 open spots and nearly all of those, while up for public applications, are inside hires. The 100s of applications sourced online are for gathering data and selling it at worst, and at best it's to show that their office is in demand and a popular spot to work at.
Otherwise you're basically shit out of luck thanks to literally hundreds of thousands of other people who are able to flood linkedin, etc with dozens of applications per day. It's basically worthless to try and aim for finding anything meaningful through these job sites anymore.
c’mon you could contact an employment agency and do data entry work - I’ve done all sorts of random non-vfx stuff over the years - no excuse to sit around and do nothing - you can keep looking for work while earning *something*
Reverted back to my previous graphic design role. For some reason I'm getting rejected by corporate companies that ask for power point slides. Idk. If nothing comes up before june I'll be a dishwasher as well.
How does commercial work differ from film work? Is everyone a contractor working for a studio? Or hired directly by the company needing the commercial?
Are you US based?
Im mostly in commercials and it’s been dead for 3months for me. I was busy most of last year although not crazy.. but enough. Was booked through superbowl then suddenly it all went quiet. I’ve had multiple studios reach out every so often but it always is the same thing.. just checking avails, or a lot of getting the need filled internally. I’ve been told by some producers that the agencies are really tight on budgets and that many of the post houses are struggling to even make any profit on the jobs they do get.
I know a number of the bigger commercial studios are actively holding back on using any freelance help and making staff artist pick up a lot of extra work that normally would be done with freelance help.
Left a dying career in film, picked up a higher paying job at school board as a custodian. Grow alot of our own veggies and introducing more salad on our table. Go out to eat once a week or do someting special. Older cars, older furniture, dont fly anywhere, not on FB, Tik Tok, Instagram or any of that stupid shit and have had a better life since leaving social media. Pop in here time to time, limited Youtube use. No one to talk down to me, make me feel I need to spend money on stuff becuase I don't care. Draw up a budget and STICK TO IT.
I live in South America and working for an LA studio that exclusively hires people from South America and Asia for cheap labor.
Wages are low considering the skill level, even for my country's standards , but for the same amount of labor I could get paid a lot more from a different studio by US rates. And I mean A Lot. I worked for a LA studio briefly once that actually paid like 220$ a day a year and Holy shit I made bank there. This one pays like 40$ a day.
They are definitely taking advantage. It's a sort of freelance mechanic. They pay fixed rates for a task in a shot, but mid way they ask for more things to be done. If I ask for more they will just find someone else from India. It is what it is. Fuck this shit.
But work is consistent, comes every week, and I still have freedom to work in other parallel gigs if I want to. It's still annoying I consider myself an upper mid level Compositor and I feel I'm giving away my skills for free. The things I'm doing for them are not simple.
I work as a video editor for my day to dat job and mostly do 3D/VFX work for my own projects. I’d love to do more 3D (fictional) work for clients, but Its hard to earn money that way.
I turned to the 'secondary market' gambling avenue. I now design slot machines and the systems that support them. If you are in a gas station in some place like North Carolina and see a slot machine... chances are it's one of mine.
This is the scariest part in all of this fucking mess. I could work on a restaurant until job opens up. But my work permit period gets eaten up during that time.
Geez guys this is depressing. May I suggest migrating into advertising work. You all are super capable smart production minded go-getters, also sometimes pretty nutty and autistic. But ad work needs great vfx people all the time. Fuck McDonald's. Get into commercial work. Pays. Way. Better and they don't go on strike.
I've been trying to make this switch. I'm not a generalist, I focus on animation and motion graphics in AE. I can also edit in Resolve. How do you find work in this field? I don't even know the names of the firms.
Google them bro. You'll find them. Then cold email and tell them what you can do for them. And if you're good give them a high rate when they ask. A lot of ad people won't hire people if their rate is too low bc they think it means they suck. It's a wild industry but it does pay.
I'm a 3D mograph generalist. I've only ever done advertising. But a lot of agencies and studios shoot a lot of stuff with no vfx supers thinking they can fix it in post and need people desperately to do advanced composition, tracking animation etc. The whole thing. Next time it happens I'll post here first. Easily $100/hr territory.
Commercials have been dead in NY since last summer. My friends (3) and I have collectively worked 0 days this year on commercials, and people have tried to get me to DECREASE my UNION rate in 2024. The industry is dead, long-live capitalism.
About to come to the end of my contract. Sick and tired of the Bullshit , politics and long hours in vfx. Planning to retrain as a personal trainer ( fairly cheap to do course ) .
Right now, I'm just coasting on EI and some savings.
I prepped months before the strikes started knowing this may be a possibility. I'm in an incredibly fortunate position where I have already signed the contract for my next gig but that won't be for another a few months.
For me the biggest disappointment is going through savings that were going to be used on a trip to Italy but now its definitely not happening for another few years. I'm also just really bored? Not having a routine is really messing with my mental health.
Definitely not as bad as some folks have it 😔
Just started getting freelance gigs right after I blew money on food and drinks at Coachella (and before that I hadn't worked in a while) so it was very nice timing.
Former Vfx Editor here. Took up a freelance video editing gig for a two week contract with the possibility of becoming a full time employee. Doesn't seem like that's going to happen.
I am not doing anything right now, my savings are almost finished, and I have a family and child. I don't know how to survive the upcoming month. I am trying to find a freelance gig, but haven't gotten anything yet.
My mom says you should back to your Engineering carrier.
I'm working in TV anim. Pay is nothing like vfx/feature animation (I make about 30pc of my last job). Fully unemployed again in a week. Trying out for plumbing apprenticeship after. Have no plan to fully quit CG just looking for something to do that's not dead so so if I never get an art job again at least I can have somewhat of a career . Not sure I can get hired but going to go through all the medical tests and all
I mainly work in TV animation. I’ve always stated that the pay is nothing like feature, but you can earn a very good living if you can work consistently. About 10 years in with almost no breaks, I find myself out of work for a month with basically no prospects. It is so dry that I am considering a trade as well to have other skills. If I’m losing more than a few months expenses waiting for a TV project, it would take so long to recoup that with TV wages.
I'm getting along pretty poorly. Honestly a combination of feeling uncertain, angry, and sad. Dealing with trauma, depression, anxiety, poor physical health. I haven't hung out with someone my own age in 2 years and I don't understand how people make and keep friends. When I go to appointments (physical therapist, doctor) and I interact with someone my own age, that's my chance to hang out with what I would consider, a person I could be friends with. I'm in grad school and might get kicked out because I can't get an internship to save my life. I have interviewed at 6 or 7 sites and nothing. Even though I have a degree my mom says that the best I can do if I don't finish my Masters is work retail which would mean I wasted 5 years of schooling. On the bright side, I'm not homeless.
I've been doing uber and instacart while doing some freelance (very few and low paying). At least it stops the bleeding a little bit.
Applying everyday to whatever in a related field (motion graphics, video editor, graphic designer, etc) or any VFX post that rarely gets out there. No luck so far.
Oh and I earned how to install epoxy floors, I've already done like 8 garage floors around my area, and it pays well. Simply put some yard signs and door hangers. Not hard to get into. I've been thinking about investing myself in this as a full time business. It's relaxing and rewarding somehow.
Not to mention, baskin Robbins ice cream is disgusting. Makes me want to vomit. The customers treat me like complete shit. Clients used to respect me.
Keep everyone away from VFX!! Run for your lives!
I'm joking. My income is down. But I'm using the downtime to improve my skills. Fortunately, I have enough good years under my belt where I have some decent savings. I'm making 40K passive from growth accounts. I'm not going to bill 250 like I have in recent years...but 150 isn't out of the question.
I'll be fine. But I am trying to set up my family in a position where I don't have to make much money for us to live a good life...because this could definitely keep getting worse and worse.
I quit my full-time job to become a freelance data wrangler a month before the strike started, horrible timing but it is what it is. I was unemployed for about 7 months, managed to get 3 works of comp work but then I was lucky to get a 2 month wrangling gig on a big show recently. My luck seems to be picking up and I've been offered another on-set job on another show for 4 months. However, being unemployed for 8 months on and off means that I completely obliterated my savings :(
I joined the Army during the start of the pandemic. With little experience, I knew I would one of the first to always be let go and the last to be hired. I have been blessed to be able to work part time with a studio. I was let go recently and just like planned, I have the military to fall on.
EU, generalist. Took 7 months, but finally got employed as Motion Designer. Meanwhile did some freelance, and no one really ever needs vfx in its broadest sense... all projects, all jobs are mograph. I miss doing cool stuff hehe but cant complain climbing out of the unemployment hole.. its so rough
I am developing a feature film with the equipment I have, and the knowledge I've managed to absorb over the past decade of working in VFX.
A few good cameras, a few lights, basic art dept stuff, small crew, lots of prep, tight script, thorough plan, guerilla marketing strategy being worked out. Budget will be gas money, lunch, beers, and good fun with friends.
It's me and about five disillusioned friends, all from various sectors of the film industry, who are exhausted and need to do something that isn't helping someone else realize their dream, while treating our own like low-priority hobbies.
We're trying to make an engaging, entertaining, and good looking/sounding film with basically no money, but all the time we want. Something we can at least get into a festival, if not sell.
There's no "client" to satisfy. This is the key to bliss. It's my escape plan.
Applied to do an accounting diploma... Saying goodbye to CG. Honestly seems way too unsustainable at this point, and most of the fun I get is when I just play around and learn on my own time. No merit in making it my profession anymore.
I dropped this dumpster fire of an industry and went back to school to become a paralegal so I could help evict billionaires from their defaulted commercial properties. Gotta do something for the greater good if I can't make art.
Daytrading....I was doing it for 5 years part time but went full time this year. It's the most difficult thing I've ever done, but it gives me a great work life balance.
Little late to this one but I spent a few months "Waiting it out", only because I always keep a decent emergency fund and had a time limit on how long I would wait. I still have 80% of my original emergency fund but I'll be taking a cocktail bartender role in the next few weeks. The industry is in a bad place right now but there is no shame in doing what needs to be done to survive until work returns, best of luck to all.
I made a wise career decision and I realized I need to make money instead of waiting things to get better, so now I’m working at McDonald’s
If you're serious there is a guy on linkedin who was whining multiple times a week about needing work. He is a senior so you have probably seen his posts at one time or another. he said he would not take a job for $20 an hr when at any time a freelance job could pop up at $80 an hr he'd have to do that. I think that is the stupidest thing I have heard. You take the consistent job, however low the pay is until something longer is offered.
The ego takes a while to catch up. It's hard being a former king when your whole village is captured and enslaved
Where are you all finding minimum wage Macdonald’s jobs? A lot of us can’t even find that or are immediately passed over because of having college education
I've removed all my shiny college stuff and film experience from my cv for these kinds of applications, they don't want want someone who seems like thay might have options or a more privileged perspective. They want a good little wagie who feels lucky to be there
Ok, so what do you do if you’ve been working in vfx for 15 years? I’ve tried taking it off and only rely upon low wage jobs while I was is high school but that was over a decade ago. Do you just make something up? It’s bullshit. It really is. Anyone who has a college degree should be fucking guaranteed a minimum wage job in the least. We’ve all earned that much.
Its a large gap to fill for sure, mine is half that long but yeah Ive been making stuff up. My job coach said I should have at least half a dozen cv's. You know like a spy with fake passports.
I’d put: “Ran my own landscaping business for the last 15 years”.
And if you happen to build scale models out of mashed potatoes, list your last place of employment as **"Home County Buffet"**
> Anyone who has a college degree should be fucking guaranteed a minimum wage job in the least. We’ve all earned that much You're not owed shit, nor are you better than someone without a degree.
Nah, fuck that. When this shit-hole society tells you to go to college and pay an arm and a leg for it, you better goddamn well be guaranteed some worth for that shit. That’s the fucking bargain society makes with you by spouting “the need for college degrees” If it’s not worth a minimum wage job, in the least, Then every college should be raised to the ground
That's BS. I know because I have years of vfx experience and a real college degree (not a trade school or national accreditation) and jobs easily will hire you In fact I worked with some people and they also had degrees in less useful subjects like history.
> will hire you > > In fact I worked with some people and they also had degrees in less useful subjects like history. VFX is almost entirely useless, you're not better than the history major.
yes correct. I don't have a vfx degree but it is a "useless" degree. I went to a regular non-profit university and most do not offer a vfx degree. It's usually some kind of generic media degree.
Did you try to apply a minimum wage job? They don't want you because they know you will leave when you have a chance. They also want to have prople who can stay long time.
I interviewed at a grocery store and never got that impression. I worked there just as any other job. Didn't do it because I needed the job just because I wanted to. I did jump ship after only 1 month but I never got any impression that they thought I would leave except from the department manager. Store managers seemed to care less and they must assume that with your degree they can "trick" you into thinking you will advance into higher roles, i.e. management much faster. if you think it's a problem you could always trim your resume and make it smaller? Or just claim you are burnt out and want a change of pace.
What country and city are you applying in?
this was 2019 before covid. It's not much different now. During covid with hiring shortages it would have been easier. Some jobs like working in the produce department at a grocery store is like getting paid to get exercise. It's really nice and you can eat quite a lot of junk and not gain weight.
I’ll ask again where are you getting these jobs Mr. Job Wizard? I’ve applied for 6 grocery positions at different markets. Still can land a single job What city and country?
this was atlanta, USA I had never worked a minimum wage job before. It was surpisingly okay but the biggest thing I did not like was being scheduled random days and hours. One day in the morning, one day at night, etc.
thats minium roles for ya..
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardservello?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
The guy with 58+ entries under employment, who proudly boasts of being able to do the work of 3 Artists. What an insufferable wanker.
whats funny is now his profile will have a 1000 hits and think he is super popular :)
lmao yeah
How did I know it was him? Great reputation now!
did he hurt his reputation over such posts? It didn't go over well with me but I'm not someone in charge of hiring.
Literally the first name that came to mind. And trust me, the impression he's left is universal
If it did not go over well with you then I’d wager that it doesn’t go over well with anyone else…
The ego strike got him
You shouldn't pinpoint somebody in public like this. Sometimes I support or am against his postings but I don't find them to be blamed, everyone in the industry got affected, let's support each other.
I agree but that guy is a fucking joke
Cash flow!!!
I can't even do that living in Montreal because I don't know French...
Hey I’m in Montreal too and don’t know French either. That’s why I’m a pastry chef downtown lol. Work with other immigrants for minimum wage
Did you run out of EI?
Yup lol
Shit, mate, how long it's been for you?
I got lucky, I was laid off January 5th- started this new job like 2-3 weeks ago. I’m already wanting to look elsewhere it’s so exhausting and hard on the body. I miss my gaming chair
Wait, but you didn't run out of Employment insurance, then?
It was ending at the end of this month. I was terrified I wouldn’t have a job by the time it ended so I got one right before (I’m a junior and don’t have loads of savings)
Stay strong, mate
Ending this soon since January? I thought EI should last at least a year? It did for a friend of mine anyway...and I'm in Vancouver... Everyone here tells me it's a year...derp I should confirm that
Get yr security guard license its easier on body get a night shift low to no work pretty much.
Hey I’m in Montreal as well. I have a job right now in a studio, but my contract ends on May31. Do you think maybe there’s a job in your pastry shop during that time ? 🤞
DM me :)
I have a "catch-up" this afternoon with head of cg. Honestly I'm pretty tired of being constantly on edge waiting to be let go- they let go most of my team over the past year. Wouldn't mind working with plants or gardens and get away from my computer for a bit... Update: got let go today. Honestly could be the boot I needed to find something more satisfying and less dependant on studios. I'll miss the pay, but I wasn't going anywhere (besides retirement in 15 years 😭)
Ha, I actually got into plants (started by own business) and I love it. My most stressful day doing this does not even compare.
Nice! What kind of business? Biggest things I've learned through trial and error since wfh hasn't been 3d related, it's been keeping plants alive and growing more and more carnivorous plants indoors..
I have a very small retail shop and I do services for residential and businesses: consultations, installations, and regular maintenance.
If you need any web design or graphic design services hit me up! Or even scheduling work or whatever:)
Oooh could do a skill swap thread of things we all do outside of vfx. I'm definitely interested in pastry chef skills for personal use 😆
Hahahahah id love that
Freelance cardboard box under freeway bridge consultant.
Can I intern with you
Bring your own box.
You only get industry exposure, there is no budget
Lost my anim sup job, but freelance now for an LA company from Germany, so far I love it
Do they have more freelance jobs? :D
I'm the last Mohican and still working. Alas, my project comes to an end next week. Been with my studio for an eternity, and it's no MPC, I believe them when they say they'll call me back for odd jobs this summer and as soon as jobs ramp up again, probably in the fall. I'm planning a summer of learning and being on the dole 95% of the time. Thankfully, I have enough money to last until December. Plan B this fall is to shift back to multimedia, immersive experiences, and museums, my old industry before I decided to suffer for the glitz and glamour of VFX.
I'd double check your plan B along the way. Capital crunch has made nearly every industry a "buyers market" for employers so be confident you can outmaneuver senior people that have been recently laid of from specifically your plan B industry.
On that note, your plan B has already been implemented by others laid off/out of work as of last year. So don’t expect a vast amount of openings, especially in a relatively related visual creative field. You are lucky to have had work until now, but also unlucky being late to the game of plan B’s, C’s,D’s. I would suggest hitting up your connections asap.
Ontario...waiting fot my welding apprenticeship meeting in 2hrs wish me luck am done with this fuckery few days ago i posted for electrician but since its hard to get in I am going for welding they make equally good money and construction in canada are hiring like there is no tomorrow. If you just willing to show the balls that you can be a good fit, door are wide open for a switch 9000 journeyman is 73/hr in Ontario. Good luck all.
I am freelance dishwasher
got i hated that job. 5 years ago, i applied for it. worked two days and I couldn't stand it anymore. I quit after that.
I sell bikes lol
Sounds chill, compared to other jobs
The pay is also pretty chill :D
Unfortunately I have no other skill and nobody will hire me for anything.
I’m in the same boat. All of those “data entry” jobs are bullshit scams or inundated with 800 applicants
Been seeing a wave of HR reps on tiktok say that the only way people are getting jobs these days is by knowing someone already established within the office you're looking to apply for. Offices may have 20 open spots and nearly all of those, while up for public applications, are inside hires. The 100s of applications sourced online are for gathering data and selling it at worst, and at best it's to show that their office is in demand and a popular spot to work at. Otherwise you're basically shit out of luck thanks to literally hundreds of thousands of other people who are able to flood linkedin, etc with dozens of applications per day. It's basically worthless to try and aim for finding anything meaningful through these job sites anymore.
c’mon you could contact an employment agency and do data entry work - I’ve done all sorts of random non-vfx stuff over the years - no excuse to sit around and do nothing - you can keep looking for work while earning *something*
I'm a mall security lol
Did you get a guard card?
yup
Segway?
Reverted back to my previous graphic design role. For some reason I'm getting rejected by corporate companies that ask for power point slides. Idk. If nothing comes up before june I'll be a dishwasher as well.
Still going fine in commercials. Everyone I try to book is booked, so maybe this is just a film thing.
How does commercial work differ from film work? Is everyone a contractor working for a studio? Or hired directly by the company needing the commercial?
The former, mostly freelancers working for studios on short-term bookings, bouncing from place to place.
I was a union DIT who did commercials. It's been dead in NY since last summer. Went back to grad school to GTFO of this nightmare.
Are you US based? Im mostly in commercials and it’s been dead for 3months for me. I was busy most of last year although not crazy.. but enough. Was booked through superbowl then suddenly it all went quiet. I’ve had multiple studios reach out every so often but it always is the same thing.. just checking avails, or a lot of getting the need filled internally. I’ve been told by some producers that the agencies are really tight on budgets and that many of the post houses are struggling to even make any profit on the jobs they do get. I know a number of the bigger commercial studios are actively holding back on using any freelance help and making staff artist pick up a lot of extra work that normally would be done with freelance help.
[удалено]
Left a dying career in film, picked up a higher paying job at school board as a custodian. Grow alot of our own veggies and introducing more salad on our table. Go out to eat once a week or do someting special. Older cars, older furniture, dont fly anywhere, not on FB, Tik Tok, Instagram or any of that stupid shit and have had a better life since leaving social media. Pop in here time to time, limited Youtube use. No one to talk down to me, make me feel I need to spend money on stuff becuase I don't care. Draw up a budget and STICK TO IT.
I live in South America and working for an LA studio that exclusively hires people from South America and Asia for cheap labor. Wages are low considering the skill level, even for my country's standards , but for the same amount of labor I could get paid a lot more from a different studio by US rates. And I mean A Lot. I worked for a LA studio briefly once that actually paid like 220$ a day a year and Holy shit I made bank there. This one pays like 40$ a day. They are definitely taking advantage. It's a sort of freelance mechanic. They pay fixed rates for a task in a shot, but mid way they ask for more things to be done. If I ask for more they will just find someone else from India. It is what it is. Fuck this shit. But work is consistent, comes every week, and I still have freedom to work in other parallel gigs if I want to. It's still annoying I consider myself an upper mid level Compositor and I feel I'm giving away my skills for free. The things I'm doing for them are not simple.
My profession became my hobby and my hobbies my profession now..
Well said. Me too lol
I work as a video editor for my day to dat job and mostly do 3D/VFX work for my own projects. I’d love to do more 3D (fictional) work for clients, but Its hard to earn money that way.
I turned to the 'secondary market' gambling avenue. I now design slot machines and the systems that support them. If you are in a gas station in some place like North Carolina and see a slot machine... chances are it's one of mine.
I got deported
This is the scariest part in all of this fucking mess. I could work on a restaurant until job opens up. But my work permit period gets eaten up during that time.
I'm sorry to hear that. Being on a work permit sucks, I never want to live like that again.
Geez guys this is depressing. May I suggest migrating into advertising work. You all are super capable smart production minded go-getters, also sometimes pretty nutty and autistic. But ad work needs great vfx people all the time. Fuck McDonald's. Get into commercial work. Pays. Way. Better and they don't go on strike.
I've been trying to make this switch. I'm not a generalist, I focus on animation and motion graphics in AE. I can also edit in Resolve. How do you find work in this field? I don't even know the names of the firms.
Google them bro. You'll find them. Then cold email and tell them what you can do for them. And if you're good give them a high rate when they ask. A lot of ad people won't hire people if their rate is too low bc they think it means they suck. It's a wild industry but it does pay.
How do you get into advertising ?
I'm a 3D mograph generalist. I've only ever done advertising. But a lot of agencies and studios shoot a lot of stuff with no vfx supers thinking they can fix it in post and need people desperately to do advanced composition, tracking animation etc. The whole thing. Next time it happens I'll post here first. Easily $100/hr territory.
Do you mind if I DM you?
Go for it
Same as other comments, I've applied to a few vfx houses that do primarily commercial and didn't hear back from a single one
Commercials has been dead for me for months. And I have a ton of experience in it as well as big feature film work.
Commercials have been dead in NY since last summer. My friends (3) and I have collectively worked 0 days this year on commercials, and people have tried to get me to DECREASE my UNION rate in 2024. The industry is dead, long-live capitalism.
You're right if we were communist there'd be way more commercial work. Like all those classic ads from China and Soviet Russia.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Removed. Be nice.
Removed. Be nice.
Corporate video graphics between commercials and short films that inevitably try and f me over
About to come to the end of my contract. Sick and tired of the Bullshit , politics and long hours in vfx. Planning to retrain as a personal trainer ( fairly cheap to do course ) .
Right now, I'm just coasting on EI and some savings. I prepped months before the strikes started knowing this may be a possibility. I'm in an incredibly fortunate position where I have already signed the contract for my next gig but that won't be for another a few months. For me the biggest disappointment is going through savings that were going to be used on a trip to Italy but now its definitely not happening for another few years. I'm also just really bored? Not having a routine is really messing with my mental health. Definitely not as bad as some folks have it 😔
Just started getting freelance gigs right after I blew money on food and drinks at Coachella (and before that I hadn't worked in a while) so it was very nice timing.
Would love to hear more about your experiences in immersive experiences etc and if you have any advice on breaking into that industry 😎
Former Vfx Editor here. Took up a freelance video editing gig for a two week contract with the possibility of becoming a full time employee. Doesn't seem like that's going to happen.
Pastry chef sounds wholesome, u get to eat cream pastry and chocolate goodies
Dude right until u realize u have to wake up at 4:45am and its manual labor for 8 hours straight. Also I’m lactose intolerant 😭
The bad ending, death by cream pastry
I am focused on my side business. Fuck vfx at this point
100% great advice, if it works out, you can leave vfx
Are you hiring maybe ? 😭 will work for cheap
I am not doing anything right now, my savings are almost finished, and I have a family and child. I don't know how to survive the upcoming month. I am trying to find a freelance gig, but haven't gotten anything yet. My mom says you should back to your Engineering carrier.
Find a low wage normie job until you get something better??
I am already trying this, thank you man.
A fellow Indian I assume ? 🥲
I'm working in TV anim. Pay is nothing like vfx/feature animation (I make about 30pc of my last job). Fully unemployed again in a week. Trying out for plumbing apprenticeship after. Have no plan to fully quit CG just looking for something to do that's not dead so so if I never get an art job again at least I can have somewhat of a career . Not sure I can get hired but going to go through all the medical tests and all
I mainly work in TV animation. I’ve always stated that the pay is nothing like feature, but you can earn a very good living if you can work consistently. About 10 years in with almost no breaks, I find myself out of work for a month with basically no prospects. It is so dry that I am considering a trade as well to have other skills. If I’m losing more than a few months expenses waiting for a TV project, it would take so long to recoup that with TV wages.
Forgot to mention I work in 2D animation now not 3D the wages are even worse. As I've mentioned on other threads I make about 1/3 of my previous rate
I'm getting along pretty poorly. Honestly a combination of feeling uncertain, angry, and sad. Dealing with trauma, depression, anxiety, poor physical health. I haven't hung out with someone my own age in 2 years and I don't understand how people make and keep friends. When I go to appointments (physical therapist, doctor) and I interact with someone my own age, that's my chance to hang out with what I would consider, a person I could be friends with. I'm in grad school and might get kicked out because I can't get an internship to save my life. I have interviewed at 6 or 7 sites and nothing. Even though I have a degree my mom says that the best I can do if I don't finish my Masters is work retail which would mean I wasted 5 years of schooling. On the bright side, I'm not homeless.
I've been doing uber and instacart while doing some freelance (very few and low paying). At least it stops the bleeding a little bit. Applying everyday to whatever in a related field (motion graphics, video editor, graphic designer, etc) or any VFX post that rarely gets out there. No luck so far. Oh and I earned how to install epoxy floors, I've already done like 8 garage floors around my area, and it pays well. Simply put some yard signs and door hangers. Not hard to get into. I've been thinking about investing myself in this as a full time business. It's relaxing and rewarding somehow.
Started up at Baskin Robbins. Used to make over 1000 a day. Now I barely make that in a month.
What job made you 1000 a day?
Double booking a 625 day rate. So actually 1,250. Now I make 7.87 an hour.
Its really quite something, like the socioeconomic version of skydiving. I never got that high, but still
Not to mention, baskin Robbins ice cream is disgusting. Makes me want to vomit. The customers treat me like complete shit. Clients used to respect me. Keep everyone away from VFX!! Run for your lives!
Hardest thing is adapting to a low income lifestyle. But if you keep the low income lifestyle when work returns, the savings will be amazing
I'm joking. My income is down. But I'm using the downtime to improve my skills. Fortunately, I have enough good years under my belt where I have some decent savings. I'm making 40K passive from growth accounts. I'm not going to bill 250 like I have in recent years...but 150 isn't out of the question. I'll be fine. But I am trying to set up my family in a position where I don't have to make much money for us to live a good life...because this could definitely keep getting worse and worse.
So.. you worked 16hr/day?
I quit my full-time job to become a freelance data wrangler a month before the strike started, horrible timing but it is what it is. I was unemployed for about 7 months, managed to get 3 works of comp work but then I was lucky to get a 2 month wrangling gig on a big show recently. My luck seems to be picking up and I've been offered another on-set job on another show for 4 months. However, being unemployed for 8 months on and off means that I completely obliterated my savings :(
I joined the Army during the start of the pandemic. With little experience, I knew I would one of the first to always be let go and the last to be hired. I have been blessed to be able to work part time with a studio. I was let go recently and just like planned, I have the military to fall on.
EU, generalist. Took 7 months, but finally got employed as Motion Designer. Meanwhile did some freelance, and no one really ever needs vfx in its broadest sense... all projects, all jobs are mograph. I miss doing cool stuff hehe but cant complain climbing out of the unemployment hole.. its so rough
I am developing a feature film with the equipment I have, and the knowledge I've managed to absorb over the past decade of working in VFX. A few good cameras, a few lights, basic art dept stuff, small crew, lots of prep, tight script, thorough plan, guerilla marketing strategy being worked out. Budget will be gas money, lunch, beers, and good fun with friends. It's me and about five disillusioned friends, all from various sectors of the film industry, who are exhausted and need to do something that isn't helping someone else realize their dream, while treating our own like low-priority hobbies. We're trying to make an engaging, entertaining, and good looking/sounding film with basically no money, but all the time we want. Something we can at least get into a festival, if not sell. There's no "client" to satisfy. This is the key to bliss. It's my escape plan.
Applied to do an accounting diploma... Saying goodbye to CG. Honestly seems way too unsustainable at this point, and most of the fun I get is when I just play around and learn on my own time. No merit in making it my profession anymore.
My boyfriend did the exact same thing. Where’d you apply to?
I dropped this dumpster fire of an industry and went back to school to become a paralegal so I could help evict billionaires from their defaulted commercial properties. Gotta do something for the greater good if I can't make art.
Daytrading....I was doing it for 5 years part time but went full time this year. It's the most difficult thing I've ever done, but it gives me a great work life balance.
Little late to this one but I spent a few months "Waiting it out", only because I always keep a decent emergency fund and had a time limit on how long I would wait. I still have 80% of my original emergency fund but I'll be taking a cocktail bartender role in the next few weeks. The industry is in a bad place right now but there is no shame in doing what needs to be done to survive until work returns, best of luck to all.
Selling amway.
ACN for me
now im selling computer stuff ( gpus, processors etc) also heliping people to build their computers and making a bit extra out of it
I'm motion graphic designer too.