Tremors in the VFX industry

[microdot 0]

Just heard a rumor that Superfad is closing, guess they should've 'adapted' eh?

[AromaKat 1]

Just heard a rumor that Superfad is closing, guess they should've 'adapted' eh?

 

That is a pretty big rumor to drop. Is anything online about it? The only thing I can find are articles about (very) recent hires.

Edited March 22, 2013 by AromaKat

[microdot 0]

I have no evidence, other than the wires are buzzing, and by now I think it has been substantiated.

 

Also heard that they will not be paying freelancers working after DEC.

 

Again, rumor.

[vozzz 2]

lol microdot....

[microdot 0]

I'm assuming you're not laughing out loud for real, or are from the safety of your batcave, cause if a real artist that got toasted by this heard you,

you'd get throttled.

 

 

I know I'd be first in line son.

[edrhine 0]

Wow... throttled really. Over rumors? This thread has offically become a turd

[BoArlander 0]

Wow... throttled really. Over rumors? This thread has offically become a turd

Sorry my friend.

 

I don't like rumors either, but this is no way random gossip. The reason people aren't saying more is because the rumors are coming from inside the source itself. People on the inside are too afraid to say anything publicly. But believe me. It has been solidly confirmed. That's all I can say. I'm out.

Edited April 7, 2013 by BoArlander

[joedonaldson 0]

Superfad is done. Solidly confirmed on my end by those that work there.

 

Now this is rumor but I have heard that Brand New School, Psyop and Prologue have all made major cuts within the last few weeks as well as Pixomondo closing an office. Any word on that?

[BoArlander 0]

Superfad is done. Solidly confirmed on my end by those that work there.

 

Now this is rumor but I have heard that Brand New School, Psyop and Prologue have all made major cuts within the last few weeks as well as Pixomondo closing an office. Any word on that?

 

Pixomondo has been confirmed.

 

Regarding Brand New School, Psyop and Prologue...not sure what the sitch is. But where there is smoke (of this frequency) there's often fire.

[BoArlander 0]

I dont think the mograph industry has much to worry about. The problem with the VFX industry as i see it, is the huge amount of people who get into it after watching toy story and all they want is to work on the next big thing, and are generally quite well funded by their parents or other alternate sources of income. and combine this with the long deadlines of film. which means the employers can take more risks at the beginning of production in order to find the cheapest quality.

 

Whereas in our industry, we got tight deadlines, and employers generally can't afford to fuck around as much. Like if i need a freelancer for a job, i will take the guy that i know i can trust. Rather than experiment with a random outsourcing company. Even if the guy raises his rates. Because When there is a week or even month long turn around, its just not worth the risk in most cases. Same reason my clients come back to me, coz they know i will pull through and wont bail. I have some clients that wont learn, and keep coming back to me with half finished projects, because they keep trying to get it done cheaper and the guy fails. The wiser ones, don't experiment as much.

 

So i don't think there is much to worry about in the mograph sector.

 

woopie!

 

Ahem

Edited March 26, 2013 by BoArlander

[vozzz 2]

microdot, did you make another account, just to slam me from 2 anonymous accounts?

 

my lol was directed squarely and microdots fear-mongering. Go work for fox already.

 

all is see about superfad is this: http://creativity-online.com/news/tucker-joins-superfad-the-mill-moves-vfx-team-and-more/240304

 

and this happened 10 days ago.

 

 

---

re: throttling... yup.. first in line... wonderful...

 

as for Boarlander... sigh...

 

sometimes i feel like you guys are 12...

 

Edited March 23, 2013 by vozzz

[brake 0]

Superfad LA is officially closed. Not sure about NY or Seattle.

[BoArlander 0]

They are wrapping out every location.

 

It sucks cause they were a cream shop!

 

Sadly they just became super................. . . . . fad. Can't wait to see the next creative moves from the CDs there. They'll land on their feet easily.

 

 

The moral is... all things must come to pass. Never feel safe. It can be for any given number of reasons.

No industry is "safe" and that's the only real point I've ever wanted to drive home.

 

The sky isn't falling, but my guess is there will be alot of music chairs in the next few years. Big and small shops.

Situations like this where shops just can't take it anymore and decide to split up due to excessive stress, disagreements and financial pressure.

 

It's a stressful business, hence why they made that bitter client film about every client asking them to raise the bar higher than ever.

 

http://superfad.com/work/project/conference_calls

 

The bar is way too high for comfort on the high-end, it's hard to live up to even for the top studios.

Profits are getting squeezed.

 

Sorry for anyone out there affected at any of the offices.. I'm sure with your talent you'll land elsewhere in less than a week.

Edited April 7, 2013 by BoArlander

[liam 0]

 

The reason people aren't saying more is because the rumors are coming from inside the source itself. People on the inside are too afraid to say anything publicly. But believe me. It has been solidly confirmed. That's all I can say. I'm out.

 

Ditto.

[microdot 0]

Boom, hate to say I told you so, but I broke this bitch.

 

Vozz - I have better things to do than follow you.

I only harass you from this account, and I find that beyond adequate.

[edrhine 0]

Wow, that's really crappy news as those shops are all top notch. Something must be messed up though as to me at least it seems that things are getting busier and busier every year. I do think that large shops are going to have a hell of a problem in today's economy and vendor model. I am seeing that here in Denver and obviously its happening elsewhere too.

[vozzz 2]

I still don't see any confirmation of any of this. apart from 2 anonymous people claiming that they are closing. And now a 3rd one saying "dito"

 

nothing on their webpage, nothing on their blog or twitter. so far just rumours.

 

In any case, even if its try, as edrhine mentioned, its getting busier and busier. so these artists will have no problem finding a new place to work. right?

[BoArlander 0]

Wow, that's really crappy news as those shops are all top notch. Something must be messed up though as to me at least it seems that things are getting busier and busier every year. I do think that large shops are going to have a hell of a problem in today's economy and vendor model. I am seeing that here in Denver and obviously its happening elsewhere too.

Interesting. If anything I was thinking the work was getting disbursed to places like Denver. I'm jealous, wish I could live in Denver too. Lucky dog!

 

I think it's just getting cheaper but more ambitious. And no one is accounting for the future. They are just gambling that doing good work will save them.

 

And at the crux of all this is the fact that Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York are too expensive to operate big shops under the vendor model.

Like you said Ed, the large shops are going to have a hell of a problem.

 

For one, who the hell runs them? Creatives?

 

The typical mograph owners love what they do too much and cave to the clients with publicity projects. Which is highway robbery of talent.

In the normal business world you have smart business folks running businesses. Where are the Mark Cuban's in the mograph world? Zero.

Edited April 7, 2013 by BoArlander

[jblessing 0]

Wow, that's really crappy news as those shops are all top notch. Something must be messed up though as to me at least it seems that things are getting busier and busier every year. I do think that large shops are going to have a hell of a problem in today's economy and vendor model. I am seeing that here in Denver and obviously its happening elsewhere too.

I agree. This vendor model sucks. Not to hi-jack this thread, but what is a better model that would actually work in this field? I know there are a variety of opinions on this, but what do you guys think it would take to make this all sustainable?

 

As it is now, there is no way any of us can grow old in this field...we do it until we burn out and then move on to something with real profit margins. Sure, a lucky few may stay with it but they are not the rule.

[BoArlander 0]

The bidding model is a big part of where this vendor model sucks. The bigger mograph firms spend enormous money on many of those pitches. This is something that isn't said often enough. No one is telling them to spend the money. They are doing it on their own accord. But they don't have a choice either if they want to stay in the game. I think this seriously needs to be addressed.

Edited March 25, 2013 by BoArlander

[anothername 0]

As it is now, there is no way any of us can grow old in this field...we do it until we burn out and then move on to something with real profit margins.

That's the shitty thing, I started my own small shop looking at advertising agencies as a model where people start a small agency, as they get older and the agency grows they move from the day to day into a more managerial role and eventually sell it when retiring. Thought this was the way to go to have some kind of a sustainable career, somehow I don't think this is ever going to come about for anyone in mograph...maybe that way of doing things is dying for agencies too.

[edrhine 0]

That is so true. Here in Denver, things are booming because we are not NY or LA, but have a great talent pool and good solid small shops. The days of fancy digs and super expensive client wowing furniture are kind of out the door here. I think because clients realized that they were funding the pazaz. Spending a ton of money on pitches is great but not if you cant afford to do it. I run a shop with two partners and two employees and we staff up for bigger jobs or specific talents. There are many shops that do this and I think its really not the trend but what makes economic sense. Budgets are smaller than 2-3 years ago but the work is expanding exponentially. I think it really just lands on being able to hit the right section of quality/time/money triangle if you are a freelancer or a shop.

 

As far a long term, I think its progressing towards a branching career that keeps us employed. I went from first job to many jobs to freelance to fulltime to freelance to running a shop. When thats done I can see creative directing, freelancing, or full-time or even education. The world is only getting more screens out there and filling them with cool shit (without burning out) is really my goal.

Edited March 25, 2013 by edrhine

[BoArlander 0]

Not to hi-jack this thread, but what is a better model that would actually work in this field?

 

The answer begins with us. We are our own worse enemies at times.

 

The people I know that (reasonably, yet selfish) stand up for themselves without worrying about what people think...they seem to do the best long term.

Edited April 7, 2013 by BoArlander

[BoArlander 0]

 

Tight deadlines in conjunction with the fact, that creative tasks can not be as easily accelerated by adding manpower, makes it less easy to outsource creative jobs.

 

(Disclaimer: Neither does this make our jobs bulletproof till eternity nor do i want to imply that production jobs are worth less.)

This statement isn't true. I've seen it many times.

 

Sure it might take them half a day to a day. But by the end of that day they have you replaced if you don't want to start the job. It might set them back a day, but otherwise, they have the ability to hunt someone down. It might be a bit stressful for them, but not as big a deal as you make it out to be.

 

I've seen even the shittiest of clients with zero contacts can get good designers via the internet. As long as they have some cash, there are plenty of good designers in-between jobs. Good is subjective, but let's not kid ourselves with denial.

 

When I go on Vimeo and Behance and such, I see endless portfolios of great eyepopping work. Beautiful stuff.

 

The bar is getting higher and higher and will just continue to climb. 90% of designers I know, including myself aim to break some kind of Guinness Book of World Records for the best design. We want so badly to impress our peers. I know I didn't start out doing this for the money. I wanted respect.

Edited April 7, 2013 by BoArlander

[BoArlander 0]

That is so true. Here in Denver, things are booming because we are not NY or LA, but have a great talent pool and good solid small shops.

I remember not too long ago there was this attitude that if you were in Denver or any place not in LA/NY that you couldn't possibly be any good. I remember hearing jaded chuckles regarding the out of state mom-and-pops. Yet some of those mom and pops are blowing away or competing evenly with many of the once superior LA companies.

 

I'm actually excited for shops like yours. Basically blowing the lid off that bogus theory that only an LA based shop can make a film or video of creative value.

Edited March 25, 2013 by BoArlander