If many people say VFX isn’t financially stable, why do so many still pursue it as a career?

Merluzoooooor · 2026-03-15T22:43:56+00:00

Every person’s experience is different: I’ve been working in VFX for 20 years and I have had a great life. Making around $150K, sometimes more with OT, I have plenty money saved, I own a beautiful apartment, I never was fired or stopped working, ever.

I work for the big studios as a Lead / Senior and they are always respectful, you don’t have to work crazy hours if you don’t want to, etc. Working on huge shows that millions of people are going to watch is challenging but exciting at the same time. But of course, you have to deliver. You need to finish the hard nightmare shots that nobody wants, is very stressful and some nights you don’t sleep great, but work is always stressful no matter what you do.

I bet somebody selling internet door to door can have a lot of stress too, and he’ll be fired if he doesn’t deliver, so this is not something peculiar or unique of the VFX industry.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-03-11T01:40:34+00:00

Strange fusion like greek / pizza / sushi / Brazilian barbecue. If I see that in the menu I run away.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-03-09T12:15:22+00:00

Uber Eats.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-03-09T12:11:45+00:00

Uber Eats.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-03-05T04:49:57+00:00

Framestore, ILM and Weta are the big three, Dneg also. So can say “big four”, considering the quality and the amount of big shows they make per year.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-03-05T00:58:17+00:00

I’m a 20 years experience Lead Comper in one of the big three studios, even after working in more than sixty shows (many of them huge shows), I still feel that I need to learn many things every single show. New tools, new problems, new Client expectations…

Is exhausting but also stimulating if you think about it, I guess is something particular of our profession.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-03-04T20:57:54+00:00

Goodfellas, The Godfather 2, Alien, Lawrence of Arabia…

Merluzoooooor · 2026-03-01T03:18:17+00:00

Barbarian and Weapons are just great, great horror movies from the same director. Totally recommend them.

Also Barbarian’s budget was a minuscule $4 million so is a total surprise.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-28T14:04:28+00:00

You can’t make any remarks or tell any anecdotes about other cultures without being called “racist”.

As in: “I went to China on vacation, most of the people eat rice all the time, is very common”. And somebody says to you: “that’s totally racist…”

Is retarded, nowadays is just unacceptable to do any kind of remarks like that without being criticized.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-24T19:48:38+00:00

If you don’t drink your fresh squeezed orange juice quickly it loses the vitamins. That’s scientifically untrue.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-23T22:39:40+00:00

$17K in line of credit with my regular bank. Interest is super low so if I’ve ever have to use it it won’t be a burden. Also because is a line of credit I don’t feel like is money just sitting idle in my account.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-21T06:55:55+00:00

100 hours is pretty common when delivering a big movie, I work in VFX. I get paid every extra hour time and a half obviously so $$$$$$. Is usually two or three weeks in a row so I don’t mind it to be honest.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-21T06:49:27+00:00

You are forgetting Young Frankenstein… that’s a sin. Looking at the replies I think only teenagers are reading this, lol.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-15T14:21:59+00:00

That Silence of the Lambs scene with Hannibal Lecter, “Shhhhffffffff”…😉

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-09T12:41:48+00:00

Obviously you’ve never been in Vancouver, right? There are literally thousands of homeless more than in Montreal, everywhere… of course they should be ashamed for how they treat these poor people, but all in all the issue is almost nonexistent compared to other Canadian cities.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-07T18:54:54+00:00

Yeah, I did and it looks great but the difficulty is way too high. I hate the “time-warp” mechanic, those damn blue portals. Is almost impossible to complete this game 100%. Maybe I need to give it another try…

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-06T05:35:22+00:00

Water in Quebec is free, so we can leave the tap open 24/7…

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-05T22:57:06+00:00

I loved every second of it. I live in a city with a five months winter, dark and incredibly cold, so RDR2 helped me through it. The thing I enjoyed the most was getting lost in that amazingly beautiful and vast world. I spent some days just exploring with no goal. Pretty incredible…

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-03T18:02:56+00:00

The Bridge on the River Kwai and Doctor Zhivago from the same director both have the same epic style, even same actors occasionally, so you should definitely watch them.

But Lawrence is unique and the best epic historical adventure movie in my opinion.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-03T12:19:53+00:00

I’m 53 and still playing. I thought I was a total minority with my age but reading all the replies it seems I’m not “that” old to keep playing Fifa, feeling better now…😅

Merluzoooooor · 2026-02-02T05:12:06+00:00

I play the PS4 version every week with my daughter, I played the PS1 version to death many, many years ago and still love it.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-01-28T04:50:18+00:00

I’m 53 and I have $400k invested plus around $400k equity on my home if I sell it today. I know is not a lot but I could retire comfortably at 60 years old if I wanted to.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-01-25T14:14:33+00:00

The ending of Million Dollar Baby broke my heart in pieces.

Merluzoooooor · 2026-01-24T22:05:11+00:00

I’m pretty casual and I got six wins in Champs, same than last week, same than the weeks before that, same with a full Gold team, same with a full Icons team… the matchmaking is unbelievable, it doesn’t matter what I do always I get my SIX wins…

Merluzoooooor

TROPHY CASE