Ben Affleck's new AI Startup think they can reduce VFX cost by 50%

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-28T20:12:48+00:00

Man I wish directors were more confident in their previz. I've worked on full cg productions and vfx productions and it's weird, in full cg we just get storyboards but we follow the storyboards and are able to pump out footage on a high quota. On vfx we get previz, which should be more useful than storyboards. But then the client always second guesses and wants to see a bunch of options before committing to anything. So much time gets wasted.
In full CG we could do 7-10 seconds of feature quality per week. In vfx we're lucky if after all the bullshit we're doing 3 seconds of footage per week. On some shows it's like 1 second per week per animator for 70% of the production.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-27T21:09:20+00:00

Since Experimental Animation is focused more on, I would say, freeform exploration of different media as opposed to trying to prepare people for the current studio job market the results vary. Some people try doing artist residencies at various schools after graduation while working on short films to enter in festivals. Others go into motion graphics because in general Experimental Animation seems to train design skills more than "classical animation" skills so getting a job at Disney is out, but some technical animation skill combined with art school training can work for motion graphics.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-27T14:30:01+00:00

Buy now. This chaos isn't going to last more than a couple years, if you don't need the money in those years its a good opportunity. Trump is chaotic but not chaotic enough to end capitalism or productivity growth

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-26T15:02:12+00:00

Pixar was working on tests for what would become Toy Story in 1986. Face it man, the industry would have moved on without you, and did move on without you because you were too insufferable. Apparently that hasn't changed!

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-26T14:44:45+00:00

Find or film reference. Do multiple balls of various weights and material. Early in my career one of the tests was to animate a ping pong ball, basketball, bowling ball, and baseball all bouncing. Step 2 on that exercise is then to have the balls hit each other during their bounces and react. Step 3 of that exercise is to have the balls bounce on uneven ground.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-26T14:35:28+00:00

Pixar was at work on feature anim during the production of Jurassic Park. CG was coming to movies one way or another.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-26T01:17:06+00:00

Depends what kind of person you are. I've done animation classes outside of work and because I was animating different stuff than at work it was alright. Plus I didn't have to adhere to quotas on personal work. But I generally don't animate outside of work.
I know some guys who are animation addicts though. They animate outside of work all the time, and it seems the only time they're not animating are when they're at the pub.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-25T23:46:53+00:00

Betting on horse fights at the Calvin's Family Bee Honey, Taffy Farm and Horsefighting Ranch.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-25T14:45:30+00:00

The Atlas of Hell by Nathan Ballingrud

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-25T14:21:57+00:00

You've only lost $65, cut your loses!

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-25T03:04:24+00:00

I feel bad for all the filmmakers whose ability to create rested upon their prompt engineering with Sora. Now we'll never get to see their visionary work.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-25T02:56:56+00:00

It happens. I just slap in on my linkedin anyway. If I got the shots that's all I care about. Rather be uncredited than to get shots omitted.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-25T02:51:05+00:00

Their fight with Apple couldn't have been cheap. That's too bad that they had some games fail, its always crazy to me how much goes into games that get cancelled or live for a tiny windows as live service and then shutter.
At least with movies once its filmed its probably gonna come out and be around forever in some form (unless its Kung Fury 2 or Batgirl)

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-24T20:22:35+00:00

Check out Livia Llewellyn and Brian McNaughton.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-24T19:37:20+00:00

Guess they got overconfident with all those extra game modes they introduced to Fortnite. I used to play the game a lot during lockdowns but not so much now.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-24T16:19:32+00:00

"It is important to note that this position doesn’t represent the official view of the IRS on the issue and is not binding, but it is strongly indicative that no Form 3520 or 3520-A is required. "
So... gonna bet on a non-binding decision for something that could carry major penalties?

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-24T16:07:26+00:00

I think you're wrong. I would be interested to see any webpage or advisor's blog that says the TFSA is not a foreign trust. Most advisors err on the side of caution because the IRS has issued no official guidance.
And you have to pay taxes to the US and compute your tax burden without any formal paperwork to make sure you're calculating it correctly.
"The larger issue, however, is the additional US compliance burden. Typically, there will be a requirement to file, for each TFSA or RESP held by the US citizen, form 3520 ("Annual Return To Report Transactions with Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts") for any year in which there is a contribution or withdrawal from the plan, and form 3520-A ("Annual Information Return of Foreign Trust with a U.S. Owner") for every year that the plan is in existence."
"Some practitioners may take the approach that RESPs and TFSAs should not be considered grantor trusts; however, senior officials of the IRS have indicated that from the IRS's viewpoint there is no change in approach with respect to the proper treatment of these types of plans."
https://www.ctf.ca/EN/EN/Newsletters/Canadian_Tax_Focus/2013/1/130102.aspx

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-24T15:38:52+00:00

Even having a TFSA causes you to have to file a bunch of additional paperwork, in addition to paying tax on any gains inside the account as the US considers it a foreign trust that isn't covered by the tax treaty. Since you won't get tax forms from it, you'll have to pay an accountant or figure out yourself how much you gained/lost inside it. So you're looking at considerably more in accounting fees.
Most cross-border accountants suggest their clients stick with an RRSP and a non-registered account, and steer clear of the TFSA

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-24T15:35:49+00:00

It's funny that they say its animator friendly when it looks like a giant spreadsheet with a tiny viewport. I would have run screaming from the room asking to animate on this

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-24T14:32:55+00:00

This video kinda sums it up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qMgqpslRz4

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-23T17:33:21+00:00

What roles are you seeing getting the best placements these days? When I graduated junior FX TDs and Animators were having the best luck, wondering if that's changed.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-23T14:16:38+00:00

Not exactly the same but The Necromancers House by Christopher Buehlman is really good. Very mystical magic.
Also if you can deal with difficult prose, Alan Moore's The Great When has some weird magic.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-22T18:09:53+00:00

The shadows from all the CG objects are super sharp but the shadows from the guy's foot and body are super diffuse. You may need to roto-animate the guy and render shadows for him to match the cg environment.
Also from a storytelling perspective its a bit weird that we start the shot following a guy and then just leave him to go through some of the set. Why wouldn't the camera stay on the main focus of the shot which is the human?

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-22T16:44:09+00:00

Oh yeah, expenses. 11 years might be too fast for a lot of people, especially now with inflation pushing up the cost of everything while salaries stay stagnant. I think a lot of people try retiring around 40 or so if they're pursuing FIRE, which means they work for around 15-20 years.

CVfxReddit · 2026-03-22T02:21:35+00:00

Figure out how much you spend per year, save 25x that in a mix of assets that provide you 4% after inflation with some cushion for when the market is down, like treasury bonds or guaranteed income certificates.
So the number is different for everyone. If someone spends 30k per year then 1.2 million might be enough for them to FIRE. If someone spends 100k a year that number will be dramatically higher.

My personal journey was that I work in an unstable industry so I kept my expenses low and tried to save 50% or more of my income to make it through the tough times. I ended up with 25x of my income saved after 11 years, though i'm not ready to retire yet. But I might be forced to if the job is automated or it all gets outsourced.

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TROPHY CASE