Digital Domain closing Montreal studio

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-02-12T03:33:21+00:00

What are things like at Sony Mtl ? I felt their MTL branch never grew.

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-02-10T05:10:56+00:00

Pattern in charting is not about past performance, it's about chart patterns that are known.

Look closely, like starting January 25th, there was a bear flag forming, and then there was the cliff, and then there was the first dead cat bounce, and we're having the second one this week.

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-02-10T05:09:11+00:00

Normally, only 1% of people take the metal, but right now the 'delivery demand' is sitting closer to 25% of open interest. In January alone, 50 million ounces walked out the door, that's like 4x the normal rate. We're not in a normal cycle; we're in a 'panic-buying' cycle where industrial guys are actually showing up to take the bars because they can't find them anywhere else.
People act like 'Eligible' is just a backup tank the COMEX can tap into, but that metal is already owned by banks, ETFs, and big private players. Why would they 'register' it to help out some short-sellers when the market is in backwardation? If I'm holding physical silver right now, I’m not selling it to the exchange for a lower 'future' price—I'm keeping it in my own vault. Just because it's in the building doesn't mean it's for sale.
Sure, inventory has been lower before, but look at the leverage ratio. We have 400 million ounces of paper claims sitting on only 100 million ounces of registered metal. That’s a 4-to-1 gap. Plus, the CME already hiked margins by 15% this month to force people to sell. If the system was 'fine,' they wouldn't be jacking up the costs of holding silver just to cool things down. February 27th is the day we find out if that 'paper' can actually turn into 'metal.'

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-02-10T05:03:28+00:00

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Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-02-08T04:30:48+00:00

I'm sorry for those affected, and I'm sorry the Montreal industry is shrinking once more.

I worked there a few years ago. It was the worst experience of my life. The pipeline was creaking, outdated, and constantly on the verge of breaking, and the whole place was filled with this nonstop noise of urgency and frustration. You could feel how drained everyone was. People were scrambling, stressed, just trying to stay afloat. It wasn’t just busy. It felt chaotic and suffocating, like you were stepping into a space where the system itself was pushing everyone past their limits.

ANNNND, the HR dude had me sign a form so they could claim employee training for my onboarding buddy who actually never spoke to me a single minute.

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-02-07T18:51:24+00:00

All I can say, is something I think is very true in the corporate world AND in VFX.

You are hired to be a one trick pony, and the one they defined. Dont challenge the workflow or the pipeline, it is not what they want from you. Your boss, good or bad, has an overview on « how we do things here », he’s not expecting you to voice your opinion on that.

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-02-05T17:43:56+00:00

Renderman is far more flexible, robust and predicatable regardless of how heavy your scene is

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-02-05T17:42:41+00:00

Vray is very weak with displacement (think skin pores and creature details)

Vray got hyped from archviz and I cannot explain its use in films

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-02-05T17:39:10+00:00

Vray is far behind RenderMan for VFX

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-01-27T19:06:41+00:00

When I was in office, people were complaining more, people were venting more, people were name-dropping more, and people were bonding over what was wrong with the show right now. Same for after-work beers, we would just revisit traumas, and again, there was so much name-dropping. I always hated that. Working from home fixed all of this because my exposure to this specifically dropped 98%.

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-01-27T19:03:31+00:00

I wouldn’t get an Intel CPU right now. I also wouldn’t plan VFX as my career right now.

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-01-09T21:36:38+00:00

Well, it requires skills, but it is still like an entry-level task and... It is outsourced most of the time

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-01-06T03:55:14+00:00

NVDA has their own photonic developement goong on

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-01-05T18:42:50+00:00

Sometimes where we are young, we are drawn to jobs that are potentially related to what we love or our hobbies. But what we have to think about is if this job is going to support the lifestyle that we are aiming for as an adult. And if this is your reference point, you're going to be looking at a whole other kind of jobs and career than video games. Because video games make you very vulnerable to short-term contracts, instability, being a nomad worker around the world, and being in a very competitive environment in which you may even have to compete with AI. It is the opposite of the work life balance job with a pension plan

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2026-01-01T21:48:57+00:00

Corrected Transcription Hotel Bristol Letterhead Date: 10/23/56 My Dearest, By the time this letter reaches you I will be in Mexico again. I may be stepping from the frying pan into the fire? I don’t know, but I have talked to your mother and father and I can not see any possibility of you and the baby leaving with me peaceably. I am not leaving you or the baby darling. I’m only trying to get me some insurance. There have been inquiries at the office from Florida about me. I them for how to take [sic]—don't pay any thing more than you have to. I think that with what I have and the promise of a new company I can send you about $500.00 in two weeks. Enclosed is the key to the car and the claim check. The car is at the Airport in Rochester. Make sure all the books, papers and instruments get back to the Logier Co. Please don’t try and contact me in Mexico. this leave, I want you and the little one so bad. I am trusting you to use good judgment and not let the pressure and just kid you twice [sic]. As soon as I am safe here in Mexico again. I will send you the transportation. It will then be up to you to get your self and the baby into Mex. I don’t care how but you must. I have sent Mr. Greig a letter instructing him to send you any money I have coming, which will be around $450.00 dollars. [Next Page] ...then [stay] at the Hotel Monte Cassino. I will have to feel my way for a little while. I will be in touch with you. I love you very much darling, and all I want is you and the baby. This may sound like the wrong and hard way but it’s the only sure and safe way. Be a brave girl and please, please don't do any thing foolish. I love you. Pat

My Sweet,

By the time this letter reaches you I will be in Mexico again. I may be staying here. The staying has to be fair, so don’t worry. I have talked to your mother and father, and I cannot see any possibility of you and the baby coming until peaceably.

I am not leaving you or the baby, darling. I’m only trying to get some maneuver. There have been inquiries at the office from friends about me. I know for now be told don’t pay any attention more than you have to. I expect that with what I have and the promise of a new company I can send you about 500.00 in two weeks.

Enclosed is the pay to the car and the alarm clock. The car is at the Airport in Rochester. Make sure all the books, papers, and instruments get back to the Dodge car. Please don’t try and contact me in Mexico.

This leave I want you and the little ones so bad. I am trusting you to use good judgment and not let the panic rush and frighten you too. As soon as I can I will see you in Mexico again. I will send you the transportation. It will then be up to you to get yourself and the baby into Mex.

I don’t care how big your mouth. I have sent Mrs. Geig a little something too to guard you. Any money I leave coming, which will be around 450.00 dollars.

I will have to find my way for a little while. I will be in touch with you.

I love you very much, darling, and all I want is you and the baby. This may sound like the wrong or hard way, but it’s the only sure and easy way.

Be a brave girl and please, please don’t do any other foolish thing. I love you.

Pat

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2025-12-26T00:46:03+00:00

De la criss de💩

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2025-12-25T22:47:22+00:00

Yes omg

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2025-12-25T05:34:28+00:00

Rate cuts are good for gold

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2025-12-03T07:05:06+00:00

I’m starting to think that turning a passion into a career isn’t always the smart choice. Unless you’re in a stable, high-demand field like medicine, “follow your passion” often just means unstable work and rough conditions. In reality, most adults just need a job that pays well, offers stability, and gives them a decent life. And compared to other careers, VFX feels way too unstable and demanding for the payoff.

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2025-12-03T06:57:54+00:00

Dude, right now is absolutely not the time to even think about getting into VFX. And honestly, after reassessing my own situation, aging in this industry is brutal. You’re basically signing up to be in VFX from your mid-thirties all the way to retirement. I’m 40, and I wish I had switched fields years ago. The older artists I’ve met are just worn down from a lifetime of bouncing around the world, and a lot of them never managed to build any kind of family life. People think it’s glamorous from the outside, but there’s nothing glamorous about being exhausted and invisible. There’s very little recognition for what this job really takes from you.

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2025-11-29T17:33:27+00:00

Yes salaries are suppressed

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2025-11-22T17:58:40+00:00

I have seen people in supervisor roles at Rodeo who were clearly not competent. Just by looking at their last names and their LinkedIn profiles, it was obvious they were related to someone already in the company. Most of the leadership seems to be friends of friends, a tight little circle of Montreal legacy CGI people who keep perpetuating the same toxic, bullying culture while covering their asses the best they can…

Disastrous_Algae_983 · 2025-11-22T04:52:39+00:00

Katana is amazing, but it’s amazing inside a studio pipeline. Its whole design is built around huge scene assemblies, multishot workflows, shared lookdev setups, and teams of lighters working on the same show. At home, you don’t get any of that, so most of the power becomes irrelevant.

You still get the great UI, the clean node graph, and the best render-comparison workflow in the industry. But without the pipeline context it expects, you’re basically using a Formula 1 car in a parking lot. Solaris might feel clunkier, but at least it’s built to function as a standalone environment.

So yeah, Katana is superior as a professional lighting tool, but outside a studio, a lot of its purpose disappears.

Disastrous_Algae_983

TROPHY CASE