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High Definition Video for Independent Filmmakers
A How To Guide for Digital Filmmakers
Welcome all! This is my blog to share my latest research,
thoughts, etc. on utilizing HD for independent filmmaking.
YES, I am available for consulting
Contact me at mike@hdforindies.com
All content copyright 2004-2007 Mike Curtis.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
...aaaaaaaaand this is why I got out of VFX work
Variety.com - Blockbusters take toll on f/x shops:
Fellow blogger Stu put it well:
"Stu Maschwitz, co-founder of the Orphanage, recalls a movie where the bond company insisted on auditing his shop's books, having been burned by another vfx shop that went bankrupt in midproduction.
'They were going over our financials with a fine-tooth comb while at the same time the production was beating us up on price and delaying payments. It never occurred to them that there was a connection between the two.'"
The time crunch, the sinking pay, the willfully uninformed client demands made me realize a few years ago this wasn't a business I wanted to stay in.
In 1996 I attended a conference where a business consultant talked about all the new 2-6 person post houses/edit shops (at the time, Media 100 was the big new tool for low cost/high quality) - "When you get underbid for a job - and don't worry, you will, and often - don't get upset that the other guys got the job. All that means is that they are going out of business faster than you are."
Giant Killer Robots shut their doors for six months to consider what to do next, and decided to make their own animation content rather than
There is lots of discussion about a "War of the Worlds" schedule - VFX was done in a few months immediately following principle photography, but part of why it could be done quickly was that Spielberg understood VFX technology, and was working with longtime collaborator Dennis Muren, a longtime VFX industry veteran - those two knew how to zip through it.
If editorial houses were the new thingy in the 90s, and VFX houses have been the thingy more of late, what's next? Small 1-4 person Colorist shops as a micro-trend?
Moving cross country for a project? Working 70-80 hour weeks, nights and weekends, for months? That's what my 20's were for - I'm DONE with that.
More of the same kind of stuff at ILM - Variety.com - ILM at center of visual effects storm: "ILM had to turn down some 'Pirates 3' shots, and warned all clients that the f/x house didn't have excess capacity for any large, late additions.Even so, John Knoll had a crew of 300 artists on 'Pirates 3' working six-day weeks starting at Christmas, with long hours each day, then went to seven-day weeks for the last six weeks before delivery."
Both of these stories were found from CinemaTech.
-mike
PS-my personal record was 105 BILLABLE hours in a one week on a frog project....hopefully never again...
Fellow blogger Stu put it well:
"Stu Maschwitz, co-founder of the Orphanage, recalls a movie where the bond company insisted on auditing his shop's books, having been burned by another vfx shop that went bankrupt in midproduction.
'They were going over our financials with a fine-tooth comb while at the same time the production was beating us up on price and delaying payments. It never occurred to them that there was a connection between the two.'"
The time crunch, the sinking pay, the willfully uninformed client demands made me realize a few years ago this wasn't a business I wanted to stay in.
In 1996 I attended a conference where a business consultant talked about all the new 2-6 person post houses/edit shops (at the time, Media 100 was the big new tool for low cost/high quality) - "When you get underbid for a job - and don't worry, you will, and often - don't get upset that the other guys got the job. All that means is that they are going out of business faster than you are."
Giant Killer Robots shut their doors for six months to consider what to do next, and decided to make their own animation content rather than
There is lots of discussion about a "War of the Worlds" schedule - VFX was done in a few months immediately following principle photography, but part of why it could be done quickly was that Spielberg understood VFX technology, and was working with longtime collaborator Dennis Muren, a longtime VFX industry veteran - those two knew how to zip through it.
If editorial houses were the new thingy in the 90s, and VFX houses have been the thingy more of late, what's next? Small 1-4 person Colorist shops as a micro-trend?
Moving cross country for a project? Working 70-80 hour weeks, nights and weekends, for months? That's what my 20's were for - I'm DONE with that.
More of the same kind of stuff at ILM - Variety.com - ILM at center of visual effects storm: "ILM had to turn down some 'Pirates 3' shots, and warned all clients that the f/x house didn't have excess capacity for any large, late additions.Even so, John Knoll had a crew of 300 artists on 'Pirates 3' working six-day weeks starting at Christmas, with long hours each day, then went to seven-day weeks for the last six weeks before delivery."
Both of these stories were found from CinemaTech.
-mike
PS-my personal record was 105 BILLABLE hours in a one week on a frog project....hopefully never again...
Comments:
This is happening some for the little projects, tv ads, broadcast and such as well.
Expectations don't match up with budget and abilities a lot of the time. Sure, I can do whatever you want if you give me more time and budget.
I've felt that I often over-deliver on many of my projects no matter how small, but that has mostly been more from my own attempts to improve the work than outside pressure.
However I shoot myself in the foot as it usually ends up with other folks not familiar with the process having unrealistic expectations - an FX or animation that was cheap to do for one project isn't always for another due to all the factors. But it's all pitched and billed the same way to be competitive.
Expectations don't match up with budget and abilities a lot of the time. Sure, I can do whatever you want if you give me more time and budget.
I've felt that I often over-deliver on many of my projects no matter how small, but that has mostly been more from my own attempts to improve the work than outside pressure.
However I shoot myself in the foot as it usually ends up with other folks not familiar with the process having unrealistic expectations - an FX or animation that was cheap to do for one project isn't always for another due to all the factors. But it's all pitched and billed the same way to be competitive.
This issue parallels what happened in the software world and I saw this coming a long time ago.
The ingredients are cheaper and more powerful hardware and software every year. The lower barrier to entry. The amount of schools pumping out VFX artist. And last but not least hyper completive action from a global economy. You are left with a commodity.
This is why I've always told people you want to be on the production or distribution side of the equation.
In the end the big boys just have to stand up to producers and studios and say no to these deadlines and cost cutting pressures. Keep in mind VFX is lumped into POST PRODUCTION the end of the money funnel just like audio and everything else to finish the film. What you will find is that companies that stand up for themselves will get the work and I know they will be fixing what was originally sent out to cheaper shops that underbid. And the producer is left paying twice for the VFX work.
The ingredients are cheaper and more powerful hardware and software every year. The lower barrier to entry. The amount of schools pumping out VFX artist. And last but not least hyper completive action from a global economy. You are left with a commodity.
This is why I've always told people you want to be on the production or distribution side of the equation.
In the end the big boys just have to stand up to producers and studios and say no to these deadlines and cost cutting pressures. Keep in mind VFX is lumped into POST PRODUCTION the end of the money funnel just like audio and everything else to finish the film. What you will find is that companies that stand up for themselves will get the work and I know they will be fixing what was originally sent out to cheaper shops that underbid. And the producer is left paying twice for the VFX work.
# posted by 
: Thu May 31, 02:40:00 PM CST
: Thu May 31, 02:40:00 PM CST
... and if ILM is waving the flag then you need to be concerned. They have their shit down: client management, pipeline, cost recovery, bidding.
... but the UK facilities have a better attitude. "Just because the client asks for it, doesn't mean they'll get it".
However I shoot myself in the foot as it usually ends up with other folks not familiar with the process having unrealistic expectations - an FX or animation that was cheap to do for one project isn't always for another due to all the factors. But it's all pitched and billed the same way to be competitive.
And that's why good VFX Producers are hard to come by and highly sought after and highly paid.
... but the UK facilities have a better attitude. "Just because the client asks for it, doesn't mean they'll get it".
However I shoot myself in the foot as it usually ends up with other folks not familiar with the process having unrealistic expectations - an FX or animation that was cheap to do for one project isn't always for another due to all the factors. But it's all pitched and billed the same way to be competitive.
And that's why good VFX Producers are hard to come by and highly sought after and highly paid.
The issue will reach,a breaking point soon. I'm just waiting for a shop like the orphanage to stop being at the beck and call of others and start producing their own content. I've seen it down here in hollywood already. What a vfx artist can take to out on set in decisive manner and greater knowledge of troubleshooting. Can save millions on set. The knowledge of 3d space and camera positioning that comes from 3d animation alone is invaluable.
It's a different game, but how long is it going to take for vfx artists to get into producing not just vfx producing ?
It's a different game, but how long is it going to take for vfx artists to get into producing not just vfx producing ?
# posted by : Fri Jun 01, 05:18:00 AM CST
: Fri Jun 01, 05:18:00 AM CST
Just to keep things in perspective, to make ends meet right now I am working a job in the timber industry in the mountains of British Columbia.
The shortest week would be 66 hours and there aren't many of those. Most of the time it has been 80 to 100 hour weeks. I've actually only had three days off the job site so far this year and one was for hazardous spill response training for the job.
Going to work out on a lake, at 03:45, with the temperature hovering around minus 50, with 16 plus hours ahead of you... suddenly those 70 - 80 hour weeks in front of a nice warm computer sounds pretty sweet.
The shortest week would be 66 hours and there aren't many of those. Most of the time it has been 80 to 100 hour weeks. I've actually only had three days off the job site so far this year and one was for hazardous spill response training for the job.
Going to work out on a lake, at 03:45, with the temperature hovering around minus 50, with 16 plus hours ahead of you... suddenly those 70 - 80 hour weeks in front of a nice warm computer sounds pretty sweet.
Anonymous 2 above - and let's say that happens - OK, congrats, yet another overstuffed industry. Look at how many CG animated movies are coming out these days, primarily just from the big players. I used to always see all CGI features, just to keep on top of things (think back to Dinosaur). Now, I skip most of them, and not even on purpose - they just don't catch my interest.
Jumping out of one overfilled pool into another is not necessarily the fix.
VFX houses specialize in production, and the good ones have storytelling abilities. But how many of them are prepared to take on the rest of the enchilada, and write (or vet/screen scripts), produce, direct, etc. etc.?
Some will be able to pull it off, others will fail, as with any industry. But "we're going to make our own content instead of being subcontractors" has long been a well documented way to fail at another business instead of the one you were in.
This isn't a dig at the talent of the VFX folks - just because you have talent in one area doesn't mean you'll excel in another. I'm a pretty knowledgeable post person, but don't ask me to set your lights, or act, etc....I won't ask my tax lawyer to deliver a baby...
-mike
Jumping out of one overfilled pool into another is not necessarily the fix.
VFX houses specialize in production, and the good ones have storytelling abilities. But how many of them are prepared to take on the rest of the enchilada, and write (or vet/screen scripts), produce, direct, etc. etc.?
Some will be able to pull it off, others will fail, as with any industry. But "we're going to make our own content instead of being subcontractors" has long been a well documented way to fail at another business instead of the one you were in.
This isn't a dig at the talent of the VFX folks - just because you have talent in one area doesn't mean you'll excel in another. I'm a pretty knowledgeable post person, but don't ask me to set your lights, or act, etc....I won't ask my tax lawyer to deliver a baby...
-mike
Maybe its just the hollywood perspective. Mike I've met some of the uber producers, and yes you know more about producing a film than they do. Coming from a vfx and indie mind set I litterally just saved a production shooting right now out here close to 100k, by looking at what they really needed to edit a film instead of renting a terribly fancy hollywood edit bay. The same story goes for the vfx supervisor on set, do they really need to hire a helicopter crew for 10 days or can they use photogrammetry and a team of 6 guys, that happens to be the directors friends. Its just a matter of time Neil Blomkamp looks to be heading up Halo still and you don't get more one man vfxy than he does.
I think it all ties back to the digital cinema thing. I know a disturbing amount of vfx guys who have revs for the red, and have pulled off enough work for the majors to have a nice sum in the bank, to go after a movie of their own. It's just a matter of time. You want a war of the worlds schedule and a 300 budget? Take the control out of the bentley driving fool in hollywood and put it where it needs to be, to actually get it done.
(anonymous for a reason now)
I think it all ties back to the digital cinema thing. I know a disturbing amount of vfx guys who have revs for the red, and have pulled off enough work for the majors to have a nice sum in the bank, to go after a movie of their own. It's just a matter of time. You want a war of the worlds schedule and a 300 budget? Take the control out of the bentley driving fool in hollywood and put it where it needs to be, to actually get it done.
(anonymous for a reason now)
# posted by : Fri Jun 01, 01:08:00 PM CST
: Fri Jun 01, 01:08:00 PM CST
I´ve seen enough stuff vfx people have made and that sometimes sucks even more than regular hollywood crap. steve "spaz" williams, steffen fangmeier and only a few between others who failed miserably.
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# posted by : Sat Jun 02, 10:14:00 AM CST
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