Detailed case study on the serious topic of Real Life VFX vs Reel Life VFX: VFX Protest against unfair US policies at DreamWorks Animation, California.
Visual Effects artists, all wearing Green T-Shirts to symbolize VFX, protest against Barack Obama’s visit to DreamWorks Animation at South Californian Park on 26th Nov, Tuesday, 2013. The VFX protest is targeted against unfair US policies of Subsidy and Unreasonable Wages. The box office figures, shown on the above image, belongs to the date when this article was written.
The intention of the protest is not to disrespect the President Barack Obama and DreamWorks Animation (DWA). The only intention is to reveal the original insights of Visual Effects Industry by Visual Effects Artists only to the media. They want to convey the message that the US Artists are losing their jobs and several Studios are shut down only due to lack of Government support, undesirable US policies and high Tax Incentives.
A group of more than 40 VFX Artists did protest near DWA. The highlight of the protest was Daniel Lay, the artist and blogger behind the revolutionary blog : VFX Soldier. He is the real life Wolverine/Batman/Superman and all other remarkable heroes ever. Daniel Lay is hugely supported by like minded VFX artists and great friends such as Dave Rand, Tom Capizzi, Scott Ross and Scott Squires.
He revealed himself for two reasons :
- His years of efforts are finally taking a proper shape of formal organization – the Association of Digital Artists, Professionals and Technicians (ADAPT).
- The VFX Studios started playing pathetic game – Removing and black listing other artists, stating them as ‘VFX Soldier’. They were using this as their reason for threatening artists so they will work in low wages.
Check out his interview video:
GreenTuesday VFX Rally outside Dreamworks
US President Barack Obama shared his thoughts regarding the role of ‘VFX Industry’ for US economy at DreamWorks Animation (DWA) campus at Glendale, California He identified ‘Hollywood’ as ‘Engine of Economy’. He also appealed for not to removing artists from US studios.
All the biggies of VFX industries were gathered for this event. The list includes:
- DreamWorks Animation CEO – Jeffrey Katzenberg
- Warner Bros. CEO – Kevin Tsujihara
- Sony executives – Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal
- Universal Films Entertainment – Jeff Shell
- Paramount Pictures – vice chairman Rob Moore
- Lionsgate CEO – Jon Feltheimer
- CBS chief executive – Les Moonves
- NBC Universal – vice chairman Ron Meyer
I Respect and Support this ‘The League of Extraordinary VFX Gentlemen’ without whom all the movies will be simply dead and boring.
I am VFX Soldier.
Read in-depth details of the first incident:
The First ever ‘VFX Protest’ demonstrated on the Oscars Day – 24th Feb., 2013
Below is the accumulation of various pictures of VFX protest rally from various sites. All images belongs to their respective owners.
