Major Studios are raking in billions off the backs of great CGI, but are artists indeed getting paid their true worth.
We currently live in a world where movies aren’t raking in millions but billions. The fact of the matter is that about 48 movies in cinema history have gone on to cross the billion-dollar mark, and what’s even more interesting is that these movies relied heavily on CGI VFX and animation for their storytelling and success.
- So this must be a very lucrative profession, then?
If one equates this with the success we have seen in the tech industry and the pay employees get in Silicon Valley, one would not be wrong to assume that it must be similar to the graphics industry. This could not be further from the truth. Recent studies and polls have shown that graphic artists and professionals have often not been paid their true worth and value.
2. So do the animation studios make all of the money?
The more alarming fact is that animation studios actually do not stand to make as much profit either. Often, the profit margins are relatively small due to being constantly lowballed and outbid by other studios around the globe. It is a well-known and established fact that it is much more cost-effective for companies to engage countries, especially in Southeast Asia to be cost-effective.
As recent as last year, when the world was reeling with the second wave of the Covid pandemic, Tangent Animation Studio, based out of Toronto and Winnipeg, shut its doors for good despite actively working on multiple projects for big production houses like Netflix.
3. Same case for big studios as well?
Back in 2013, when Life of Pi won an Oscar for its visual effects, at the same time R&H, the studio primarily responsible for the VFX for a majority of the shots in the movie, was shutting its doors. R&H was known for its stellar work for Babe back in 1995 and was a well-known entity in the VFX space. So, when news broke of its closure, the world was surely taken by storm.
Let’s talk about even bigger studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, and Disney. They are and were far more prominent than R&H. We could assume they would be paying their employees fairly considering the amount of money they make?
But yet again, back in 2017, it was revealed that there was a class-action lawsuit against Disney, Dreamworks, and Sony for breaching antitrust laws. It came to light that the studios had conspired to suppress the wages of animation and VFX artists.
4. What's the solution?
The truth be told, there have been several approaches to this issue of pay parity in the industry, but it has often fallen on deaf ears. Back in 1941, Disney had faced a strike due to the inequity in pay for its employees.
Yes, sure, unionization is frowned upon by many private companies. Still, there seems to be no solution to this dilemma other than some checks in place. One expects companies to do the ethical thing, but artists often find themselves extremely let down.
The last few years have seen a rise in numerous amounts of animation studios having their employees unionize, especially in Canada. Very recently, the organizations IATSE and ABAS united to campaign for the Canadian Animation Industry unionization.
Hopefully, through this approach, the beloved industry stands a chance to grow and flourish alongside the people who make the magic happen.