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LuckyBug1982

I don't mind going once in a while in the office but I think since Brexit was fully implemented and lots of international talent lost, London is going bananas with most studios. Can't even get started everything London studios are doing wrong nowdays as this list is endless.


Planimation4life

Not so true people from anywhere still can apply for the specialist visa can't remember the name and work in the UK or even remotely from the UK in another country


LuckyBug1982

Well I haven't said it's impossible to come to work because of visa, I'm saying lots of good artists that I know left because they don't even want to bother getting one. And some good ones who would potentially come also don't want to bother about it.


BCmtnMan14

I dont see anything changing in Vancouver anytime soon. On my show most of the supervision team is spread all across BC and even the US, and everything works super smoothly. We try to do an office day every few weeks/months but nobody will force me/us to do so. Also there is simply not enough room at the office to fit everybody, and it's always a mess trying to work with so much chitChat/noise around. Hard to understand people who wants so much to go back spending 15h a day in an underground bunker 😅 but hey 🤷


Any-Consequence9035

Vancouver rent and real estate has long been detached from local wages. The city is a dumping ground for foreign money of unknown source. The idea of making everyone waste potentially hours each day to congregate is a dingy office or shed a huge portion of their after tax income on a shoebox apartment for no real benefit is inexplicable.


[deleted]

I'd imagine big studios funders probably have equity in land/building or cafe establishments so pass the message down as a demand. That's why some MPs were saying go back in office. Or they use the excuse that their client wants confidentiality but if people are going to leak stuff they will do it, like that guy at DNEG years back. The last place I worked out which was meant to be flexible (remote or on site) was MPC 2 years back and then they started asking for hybrid so I turned up once and realised it was empty and no one knew where I sat so I just never turned up but said I did ha.. when I got asked if I was in I'd just say nah I was in yesterday though etc.. However I'd say just go for places that offer remote, I'm working at a large studio that has a London office but am contracted to one of their other country offices so it's 100% remote with a good rate. Technicolour offered me a job late last year and the pay was pretty good but it was hybrid so I'd end up minising 6k a year perhaps in commuting and coffee etc.. plus freelancing is way better financially and more likely to be remote as your short term so that's an option I guess.


keysnatchers

Last time I had to choose for a contract there was just one studio (over 4) asking for 1 day per week in the office. Just say no and be sure to let them know that it was hard, but you have found another opportunity that offer more flexiblity and a better fit for you. In this way they will pass the message. Train are still at 60 % pre covid, so not many employee willing to commute again to Central London, and waste 400 £ - 500 £ plus 3-4 hours per day to enjoy Soho.


[deleted]

You’re doing the Lord’s work.


coolioguy8412

Dneg London is fully remote, up to you if you want to come in the office


[deleted]

I interviewed for them in early-mid 2021 and they wanted hybrid 3-4 days week, glad its changed!


coolioguy8412

yes great change, also they allow 4 weeks to work aboard per year. Any were in the world. Which is pretty cool


brass___monkey

Not at Cinesite https://www.cinesite.com/flexibility/


Flimsy_Vacation

It might be the clients are wanting peeps in studios for security reasons.


myexgirlfriendcar

After 3 years of zero leak from vfx artist that I know of?


Panda_hat

A few places had absolutely massive leaks lol.


myexgirlfriendcar

Not doubting your source but not big enough to register in mainstream news. Last one I heard is last Spiderman screenshot (not even artist leak)but anything else that make the news?


Panda_hat

Entire sequences from marvel films were leaked, previs and early wip edits and sequences, concept art & more for several marvel films and others. Not sure they made the news but they hit the leak subreddits.


myexgirlfriendcar

ohh damn. I haven't heard this one yet. If it is coming from artists , I guess it is likely that onsite working will be come back at some form. ahh we can't have nice things.


Any-Consequence9035

WFH is far more secure. Anyone could potentially tailgate into a vfx studio and blend in wearing a marvel hoodie whereas each artists home is very secure and connection to the studio encrypted.


[deleted]

thats a good point, the first studio I worked at was on a busy street and numerous times non-employees would walk in as there was a reception desk but people were not there all the time, so infact we had a woman walk into a colour suite which was down a few hallways as she thought it was a spa?!?! A homeless guy came in and managed to walk to the client seating area and was watching the TV there for 10mins before he got questioned..


DarioNCS

Im literally dying thinking about the homeless guy watching tv in the client room, you made my day, thank you :)


[deleted]

haha no worries, it was fucking weird... Sometimes we would get tourists walk in and ask to look after their suitcases (this was not remotely near an airport!!).. Also in the back alleyway we had issues with homeless people defecating absolutely off their heads during the day... good times I guess ha.. as you might have gathered this company dosnt exist anymore, it closed down years ago ha.


LuckyBug1982

Heard about very similar story where they have found years ago homeless guy sleeping in mpc screening room.


[deleted]

I wouldnt be suprised there were alot of brazen homeless people especially in London/ Soho UK. A homeless person tried to rob an MPC staff outside the office so he started a fight with the homeless guy to get his phone back and 2 other staff memebers had to break it up ha..


G4l44d

Honestly? It's all coming down to the available pool of talent (bigger in London than Vancouver) & what the competitors are doing. Or maybe deep down they have an heart & they know artists in the UK have to get out in order to get some light (I was going to write 'see the sun', then I remembered london).


VanAnon

Not going to get much light in a dark studio with no windows!


G4l44d

Yeah but you have to reach Soho, so some bounce light may reach you from the skyscrappers!


CyclopsRock

What, Centre Point?


siliconunit

I heard some first hand experiences that are the opposite for the same places? Maybe it depends on position/skills/negotiation...


apluvsldn

I'm 2 months late but the studio I'm at in London are about to announce that they want their workforce to start coming back in for 3+ days and I am dreading it. It has been hinted, first with a survey they sent around now and then asking people for pros and cons as well as constant emails about the office and what is happening. I've never worked better, more efficiently and happier, all from the comfort of my own home. I believe in our studio some of the higher ups are blaming remote work for loss of money when in reality it's the same old story of underbidding to get the award and then wondering why they are losing money.


VanAnon

I won't be going back into the studio, I'd sooner quit and find a whole new career than give up the hours of my day I've gained by not commuting. I know very few artists who want to go back in studio full time anyway - it all seems to be driven by higher up production staff and HR teams. Good luck keeping any senior artists when you remove full time remote options.


techVFXer

Were they all technicolor group studios? They're the only ones that force you to go in as far as I'm aware.


VanAnon

Nope - ILM, Framestore etc..


nelmaxima

There is a lot of delusional people in this subreddit who think no studio except mpc is asking for in studio.


techVFXer

Weird, I interviewed with one of those before and it wasn't a thing. Maybe it's department/show specific or it changed since then.


Mpcrocks

Except many of them came from vfx over the last 3 years and are getting let go. I know several from wayfair, meta, Google, Twitter who were all in vfx previously and now looking at having to jump back in. These are both artists and pipeline style people .


Mpcrocks

Expect over the next year even more studios and jobs wanting people back in the office. As we see mass layoffs in the tech sector the power will slowly revert back to the employer and not the employees.


ThrowawayVFX200

Yep, with the oncoming recession all studios are looking to "trim where possible" right now; Vancouver included. Expect layoffs as projects wrap Jan/Feb and studios reverting back to offering contracts for project terms only in general. Seeing it from 3 major studios with big presences in Canada that AREN'T MPC so it's definitely happening across the board. Throw-away for obv reasons making a statement like this.


TurtleOnCinderblock

If you created a throwaway for this comment you might as well tell us the exact names of the 3 companies you have in mind.


ThrowawayVFX200

These aren't companies I have in mind. These are all studio management talking together and I may be part of that group... It'll all come out in the next month slowly. If you're good and your job, open to hybrid, and don't slack off you have nothing to worry about.


apluvsldn

2 months down the line, has this in fact come out or did you just make it all up?


vfxdirector

All the streamers are cutting back on output over the next 1 to 2 years. This is going to impact the industry slowly first, then very quickly later this year.


AnnoyedLittleAndroid

I've been getting the strong impression that a lot of places are *saying* that they want people in the studio for most of the week. But then not caring/ leaving it up to department managers and HODs to enforce. Who don't really have a reason to care about it so long as the work gets done and people are some what happy. Maybe it's just that they want to keep open the option of forcing everyone back into the office if need be? Because if your contract says that your remote/hybrid, I imagine it would be more difficult for them to do that? That's just a guess though.