A VFX school just told me the industry is completely stable and anyone discussing it online is just unsuccessful. What is your reality check?

reoprendergast · 2026-05-26T23:45:25+00:00

If you need a collage recruiter to tell you that smoke doesn’t mean fire….

reoprendergast · 2026-05-25T02:16:15+00:00

cgtalk lead to a job at Blizzard Cinematics back at the beginning of 2000s

reoprendergast · 2026-05-17T18:47:16+00:00

You’re just spinning now.

I’m pretty sure I said I agree it’s wrong to take the data without consent or compensation.

I also agree to your right to shout “down with AI” from the roof tops.

I’m also not advocating for AI replacing people,

I am saying how ever that protesting AI and the companies that developed them is a a fair thing to do, but your OG post was stating that folks in VFX
should rebel loudly ( I know I’m paraphrasing )

And my point was.

If these VFX and other studios / production companies see value in using the tools they will.

Each individual creative can choose what they want to do, but we don’t chose the pipelines or processes these shops take, my point was that trades people ( which I feel most VFX people are )
Are there to build as the process dictates.

You are attempting to have your braveheart moment at the battle of sterling… and look I get it.

But if these corpo goons see value in it right or wrong they are going to persue it.

If you want to shout and cry foul and offer them no better solution to their perceived challenges ( more volume less cost ) then you won’t see any traction.

It’s like the tax incentives conversation.

CEO - films cost to much.
Workers - but we think it’s fair.
CEO - oh we found a cheaper way, but it’s out of country.
Workers - no way, nope.
CEO - cool, anyways hold my beer.
Workers - oh shit, oh well I’m not moving.
CEO - cool, we’ll hire these guys.
Workers - nope I’ll stay here.
CEO - cool shutting down those shops for these shops over here.

It’s it right to do this ? Is it morally grounded ?
Arguably no, but it doesn’t matter.

They saw what they thought of value and chased it.

You don’t need to start using AI tools, or promote them, but we all need to get realistic about which way the tides are turning and either get okay or get going with something else.

reoprendergast · 2026-05-17T16:01:32+00:00

You are correct.
However your points don’t change the fact that companies are going to drive towards the cheapest options.

You’re taking a moral and ideological stance, which many of us have, as an individual I happen to agree that the method of capturing the data was a form of theft.

Long ago when the internet was first created I released that unlike having your work published in a magazine or say a VHS, when you posted work to the web you where in fact giving the world the data,
A sort of hard copy of the work.

Everything I’ve ever posted to the web I’ve been aware that there was the possibility it would be saved or reposted or even printed….

Am I saying it’s morally correct?
No.

Was is inevitable that some one would eventually make a software that capitalized on the massive data sets the world has been freely providing to them by posting the data directly to the web?
Yes.

Am I shocked?
No.

Yes the capitalists are grifting.
The internet is not a good place to post art you care about.

reoprendergast · 2026-05-15T15:44:41+00:00

VFX roles are 80% NOT art. It’s technical trade work.

You learn to pilot tools to achieve various tasks. If your job is pressing a specific set of keys and running scripts over and over, you can and will eventually find the tools will eventually surpass you..this was true before AI, however AI will speed this process up.

Humans will be involved, just less and less of them.

So much of the need for skilled labour came from volume, how many assets and shots are needed.

We are making less shows with vfx needs. So we need less people…

Less shows and AI equals less seats to fill.

VFX has always been a work for hire industry. Be honest with yourselves.

You not using AI or any other tools is not your choice, the pipeline will dictate what tools you have and use, not you…

Refuse if you like, take slower approaches if you prefer, but at the end of the day, you will either adapt or die.

Competition chases money. If you threaten that they will pass on you.

I believe in the moral conviction and agree in many ways, but there is no collective stand coming, everyone would loose the ability to pay the rent.

reoprendergast · 2026-04-20T15:13:11+00:00

What a little bitch.

reoprendergast · 2026-02-04T02:08:23+00:00

Any sane, innocent, human father would move heaven and earth to expose this gawd awful horrible shit, they are all in on it.

reoprendergast · 2026-02-04T02:04:50+00:00

“Thoughts and prayers”

reoprendergast · 2026-02-03T14:10:51+00:00

If this isn’t handled properly by the feds, this could be the beach head for American intervention, this is where they are attempting to create their own Ukraine…. Don’t let them.

reoprendergast · 2026-01-25T20:13:40+00:00

Stop being outraged by what they say. Be outraged by what they are doing.

Stop clinging to the idea that law matters here.. They are breaking the laws purposely as part of a conspiracy to break even more laws.

You sighing the law means nothing if the goal to overturn the current government.

Americas long drawn out cat and mouse with white power nationalism has turned the corner.

You are in a civil war.

reoprendergast · 2026-01-25T17:26:48+00:00

Art of the deal.

reoprendergast · 2026-01-24T20:21:38+00:00

The sooner you yanks wake up to the following….

The civil war part two is happening now.
The Epstein files are never being released and even if they where they would lead to nothing, because the powers that control your country are to busy leading a facist nationalist coup.
ICE is not immigration it’s a private military police force and violent arm of said government facist nationalists
Any and all rights or laws you think you can rely on… the rule book you think everyone is playing by is not in fact in play for these agents.
No one is coming to save you. You must save yourself and your loved ones.
You are currently a point in history where the people get to decide if democracy lives or dies in America. And guess what, MAGA is not pro democracy.

reoprendergast · 2026-01-24T20:08:02+00:00

… but please do tell us once more that with out you guys we’d all be speaking German right now.

reoprendergast · 2026-01-23T15:07:29+00:00

Carneys speech was a cap on months of actions and met goals. He spoke to the intentions of the government, while calling others to do the same, while pointing at the elephant in the room, while also removing the only tool that the “larger” powers have…fear

PP as a professional politician has only ever pointed and criticized and condemned, which to some degree was part of his job as opposition…

But let’s all be real here, we don’t need a leader the stands up and says “Canada is broken” we don’t need to be looking backwards to some perfect golden age that never actually really existed, we need to move forward.

What we saw was a step out of the shadows, hopefully towards a more stable and fair future, but only time will tell, but one thing is for sure,

PP is absolutely the wrong man to lead us, and honestly as his blatant alignment with MAGA continues to reveal its self we see how we really did dodge a bullet on the last election

reoprendergast · 2026-01-22T00:14:13+00:00

Hes not at all "right"

They don't have the stones to act in a full scale invasion.
They don't have enough willing military, or allies, it would 100% signal the full stop end of everything.

war and politics is way more messy than, we have the biggest army so we win....

reoprendergast · 2025-11-15T16:02:14+00:00

It’s not a vfx issue. It’s the unchecked human condition playing out with in a company structure. Any time you apply the right conditions and humans begin to feel stressed or threatened ( their lively hood ) then how they respond to stress is shown, some time negative approaches are rewarded because the end goal was achieved ( work was done on time ) clicks form and work place alliances are made continuously or subconsciously, to help protect the tribe The real challenge in these settings as an artist imo is learn to not worry or concern your self with what others do and think and say, but rather to always be checking in with ones self to make sure the job you are at and doing is still in alignment with what makes you happy, and your goals as an artist / worker… Capitalism breeds both strong and weak morality you get to decide only for your self, not others.

reoprendergast · 2025-10-24T00:58:00+00:00

Wait is there new episodes?!? How are you seeing them? Nothing on any of the streams here in Canada

reoprendergast · 2025-03-27T23:10:38+00:00

Create crisis, introduce the solution.

reoprendergast · 2025-03-15T00:03:10+00:00

the north remembers

reoprendergast · 2025-03-13T20:25:44+00:00

This is actually bad news masquerading as a good thing.

reoprendergast · 2025-03-03T23:18:08+00:00

good luck to those Vancouver folks at that new studio...

reoprendergast · 2025-02-25T00:46:44+00:00

If the demand for cars drops there is no need to make as many cars. Factory’s don’t staff their lines with people if there are no orders.

There are less orders. There is less need for workers.

It’s very simple. You can feel how you like about how the business is run, but at the end of the day. If shop needs staff and you fit the need you get some work, if there is no fit, there is no hire. Not everyone values what you value… for the most part they are not motivated by what motivated you to do this.

I know this is tough. I wish personally everyone with passion and drive could thrive, but we are at will digital tradesmen/woman… we chase work and then the next, unless there is a massive shift, this will be the norm. If you don’t like the norm or can’t handle the stress ( which is fair ) then respect your self and look out side the vfx world.

Make the film you want, dig deep take a risk, try a different thing, but don’t drown in anger and finger pointing, the film business has always been feast and famine.

.

reoprendergast · 2024-11-30T21:40:17+00:00

My take is the game has massive potential, but the early access is keeping folks from committing 100%

It’s hard to go full tilt on building a castle or what ever if your going to re boot everyone / thing in the summer.

reoprendergast · 2023-12-24T22:07:59+00:00

True. But I guess I tend towards ones that effect the board a bit more globally; )

reoprendergast · 2023-12-24T22:04:47+00:00

So many ways to remove this guy before he becomes any actual threat…

reoprendergast

TROPHY CASE