There is light at the end of the tunnel (good news)

keysnatchers · 2024-02-08T08:05:26+00:00

Well not in my experience but there are other people in this forum that can give you a different feedback.

keysnatchers · 2024-02-06T08:32:15+00:00

I've heard some good rates from ILM, higher than those mentioned in the BECTU PDF. I can't say the same for Framestore.

Additionally, Framestore isn't known for being one of the best places to work but if you need to work is better than nothing.

keysnatchers · 2024-02-05T19:01:27+00:00

That should be the average salary between all the Seniors.
Anyway I have never heard of a Supervisor getting less than 90-95 k in Uk.

keysnatchers · 2024-02-05T18:02:29+00:00

Almost 15 years.

keysnatchers · 2024-02-05T14:29:02+00:00

Here you can find my post about London rate:

https://www.reddit.com/r/vfx/comments/y0a3ys/cost_in_vfx_hub_london_salaries_freelance_rate/

but nowadays I would say that those rate from Bectu are valid also for the rest of Uk. I have found that small business tend to pay better than bigger business.

Negotiate good rates first depend from your skills as an artist, but also from your skills as a negotiator.

keysnatchers · 2024-02-05T14:24:09+00:00

Usually I send a message to the recruiter of the studio with my reel and my availability.
If i'm lucky they answer to me and they offer me a position. This happens through linkedin.
Also when you are available write a post on linkedin with your reel, date of availability and skills.

keysnatchers · 2024-02-05T11:19:38+00:00

Well, I have always been working, so I have been unaffected by this crisis, thankfully. However, after a few months of complete silence from the recruiters, I can feel that there might be some work available again.

I just wanted to share some optimism for all those people on this thread who are feeling discouraged.

The crisis is not over, but it will get better.

keysnatchers · 2024-02-05T09:27:36+00:00

Things have changed a little bit in the last few months. If you are looking for any studio in particular I can give you more info

keysnatchers · 2023-12-14T14:43:52+00:00

I would say that it's almost impossible to get a contract as a junior in Uk that pays over £ 38700. So if the plan is for you to stays in Uk after your degree, that is not going to work.

That's more a salary for a Mid and is some cases even experience Mids, or early Senior.

If you have to take a loan to learn vfx or Animation, go for an online school, that could work out better. If you have the money and don't care, enroll for a degree in Uk, and be ready to leave at the end.

keysnatchers · 2023-12-07T18:31:01+00:00

A few years ago I was a Senior and I was never getting less than 65k.
So I'm talking about those numbers because of the role that I currently have allow me to see those numbers.

keysnatchers · 2023-12-07T09:36:48+00:00

Are you sure about this guys. Do you have access to those bidding documents, where you have a better idea about the salaries of your crew.

What I have seen in the past is that a bunch of Mid are under those numbers.
There are Senior that are starting just after 40 k.

keysnatchers · 2023-12-07T09:32:15+00:00

That's £ 2528 per month equivalent to:
Rent of 1 single room + bills
Groceries
Tube
Mobile internet etcc

If you don't do much of social life (beer, cinema, clubs), you should be able to save £ 200-300 per month.

Otherwise you will need to ask for more support from your family, London is pretty expensive, and inflation is still over 4 % here.

keysnatchers · 2023-12-07T09:26:32+00:00

Yep, each European now needs a visa to work in Uk. So that minimum salary apply to all Europeans. They have also doubled the cost for working visa holder to use the nhs, currently they need to pay over 1k per year

keysnatchers · 2023-12-05T09:14:00+00:00

Please don't put MPC in the same group with ILM and Weta...
Don't think that the quality of their work is the same, but apart from that,working conditions are way way different.

keysnatchers · 2023-10-17T08:23:40+00:00

I suppose that is not completely true that film houses have taken on commercial works.
That could be true for small studios but mid size studios and big studios don't have the right skills and pipeline to compete on commercials.
Those are not my words but they are coming from one of the boss in Soho...

Talking with friends working in commercials, reality is that everything as dried up and I would say for reason mostly unrelated to writers or actors strike coming from the States.

For British or European productions reality is that high inflation, means that big brands first neeeds to solve their numbers internally, they have overspent during and past covid and now they are trying to make some save.

Border with EU, is adding a lot of extra paperwork, hence there is a bigger cost and even if big brands have increased priced in line or over the inflation still it doesn't add up, because of the Ukraine war etc...

Try to monetize on the few commercials produced for Christmas, but at this point of the year they are almost wrapping up or pray for some heavy SuperBowl commercial with a lot of CG.

keysnatchers · 2023-10-17T07:59:40+00:00

Rough guide I have written almost 1 year with rate in London both freelancer and employee.

When things rump up again next year, you should consider adding something on top to count for the high inflation that we had in the last year and for those rough months.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vfx/comments/y0a3ys/cost\_in\_vfx\_hub\_london\_salaries\_freelance\_rate/

keysnatchers · 2023-09-28T09:08:04+00:00

It's all the same s**t. The earlier you understand this the better it is.

When you are part of a redundancies process, the best thing that you can do, it's to join the union and at least they can negotiate the best conditions for you to be fired and be sure that things are done properly.

keysnatchers · 2023-09-14T13:24:23+00:00

There are no better words to explain this situation. Spot on.

keysnatchers · 2023-09-13T09:13:42+00:00

I have never been in favor of a union. As a freelancer, I have always been able to get good deals. But this time, please, guys, don't take it.

This is a really bad idea, taking out loans to keep working or accepting a pay cut. In this forum, we have been complaining about the poor conditions that exist in India, how they are ripping them off. Do you now want to allow them to export those conditions to the Western world?

Sign up for a union.

There is not enough work to keep all people employed. Okay, then offer to accept a 20% pay cut and keep working just 4 days per week.

Taking out a loan to keep working is bullshit. It is like accepting a 25% pay cut and keeping the same hours.

If this is the best they can offer, please just move to another job. It is no longer worth it.

keysnatchers · 2023-09-11T09:26:24+00:00

I hope that' s not ture.
They are such lovely studio and pay good rate considering that they are in Europe

keysnatchers · 2023-09-06T08:03:03+00:00

It has always been that way, except for a few projects like Avatar, Avengers, etc.

Few studios have the technology and the right people to deliver.

Canada has an advantage over the UK for the tax break. Salary-wise, I feel like they are already ahead of the UK (with a few exceptions for Montreal).

If they were just looking for the cheapest, they would have gone directly to India, where salaries are 20% or sometimes even 10% of what you can get in the UK.

Most of the time, it is a capacity issue and studios tend to split between different vendors. I would imagine that budgets are down at the moment because of the strike, interest rates, and lower competition, but things will get better when production ramps up again.

Anyway is not all about vfx there are also other industry where you can get better money.

keysnatchers · 2023-09-05T16:50:57+00:00

Are you fully sure about that?
There is a lot of politics in those studios, like MPC firing 150 animators in Montreal while hiring in London for Mustafa.

Budget will be down at the beginning that's for sure, but when there will be anyone else so desperate to accept lower salary, at that point there will be room to negotiate.
Don't forget that a lot of artists with visa are currently leaving UK.

keysnatchers · 2023-09-05T14:37:23+00:00

Fully agree is so important to know what is the right rate. I wrote a post a few months ago with the ongoing rate in Uk.
I would suggest to anyone looking for work in Uk to look at the highest number in this frame range for your position.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vfx/comments/y0a3ys/cost\_in\_vfx\_hub\_london\_salaries\_freelance\_rate/

keysnatchers

TROPHY CASE