#VFX workers are not unionized

[assiraphales]

so something I’ve realized is I don’t like film/television to look too realistic, bc then it doesn’t feel as real. HD, where every pore and wrinkle is not only captured but lit by overhead stage lights, will never give the same effect as the hazy softness that film (or a good grain) will give you. I’d rather a puppet that’s clearly a puppet ambling across the set than a cgi counterpart. I’d rather watch a stuntman operate within human limitations or see handmade costumes that wrinkle. I don’t think it’s merely a preference of aesthetic, and while I’m not saying modern tech and computer adjustments do not have their merits, the root of the problem is that something grounded in such stubborn “realism” will never suspend my disbelief the way film did pre mid 2000s

[destielmemenews]

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[silveragelovechild]

In January 2023 Marvel guru Kevin Keige pronounced that there was no such thing as Superhero Fatigue. Less than a year later Marvel Studios is going through its worst crisis in it short history.

In February 2023 “Ant-man Quantumania” opened well below expectations earning $125 million less than its break even point. And its 46% Rotten Tomatoes score is one of the MCU’s worst.

Sam Jackson’s “Secret Invasion” was poorly received by fans.

“The Marvels“ cost $250 million and its tracking to open with less than 1/2 box office than “Multiverse of Madness”

“The Marvels” requires four weeks of reshoots to “bring coherence to a tangled storyline”

Marvel VFX workers voted unanimously to unionize

Iger publicly acknowledging the Marvel TV glut

[karlmarxmaybe]

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[ID: the Destiel "I love you" meme, with Dean subtitled as saying "MARVEL VFX ARTISTS ARE UNIONIZING" in bold capital letters. /End ID]

[scyphan790]

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Love this momentum

[grungepoetica]

fuck your company and the exploitation it rode in on

[imthebentley]

Union Victory!

Horray we did it!

What a faff!

Cheers to successful negotiation and really really good chants!

[itsbansheebitch]

Was browsing YouTube.

Hey Disney, what THE FUCK is this?

[og-ciel]

Imma end that bear's whole carrier

[dashiellqvverty]

i really don’t love takes that are like “how can you be anti copyright but also against ai” because it’s like. well first of all i don’t think ai itself, or specifically generative ai (because “ai” alone is imo a pretty meaningless term that refers to so many things at this point), is like. inherently evil. it’s a tool and in fact it is a tool that you can do some pretty cool or even useful things with! and like my issue honestly is not even really with people using ai to generate art, but rather with the gen ai software itself because that’s the actual product.

i often think of a post i saw comparing generative ai that pulls from various artists to like. heavily referencing or emulating specific artists in art. and i don’t think that’s necessarily a bad comparison when it comes to the people entering the prompts and generating the images. HOWEVER i just feel like. if someone downloaded a bunch of pictures from the internet and compiled them into a book or a document and then SOLD it as a book of art references without any credit much less compensation to the artists behind those pictures, whether you consider that theft or not i think it definitely constitutes a Dick Move.

there was another post that was like “oh everyone made fun of nft bros about right clicking their bored ape pics but those same people see it as theft when those images on the internet that anyone can see are used for generative ai” or whatever and it’s like. idk, for ME my line is that when SOMEONE is making money (in this case tech ceos) off of a piece of art, but not the person who made it, that is a problem. and maybe this is just a Strong Autism Conviction thing for me bc i’ve felt this way for a long time but like downloading something for free is one thing but downloading something for free AND THEN SELLING it is another. in my opinion

BUT ALSO there is a difference between what i personally think is right/wrong and what i think should be the law. and personally i think that any legislation about ai meant to target stuff like this is almost certain to do a lot more harm than good. like we don’t need copyright laws getting any stronger 😐

[pawsdraws]

“This marks the first time a unit of solely VFX workers have unionized with the group[IASTE].”

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IASTE source

[clustxr]

VFX Workers Vote to Unionize at Marvel

HEY!!! have you seen that one post begging for CGI/VFX animators to unionize??? well, excellent news for those that agreed - their efforts to do so are paying off!!!

the VFX industry has been largely nonunion for all of its existence. it's not a secret that this has led to mistreatment and improper compensation for those that work in it - deadlines set too soon, no pay equity, exploitation by production companies due to lack of union protections.

VFX workers have been wanting to unionize for decades, but there hasn't been many major developments despite their protests and several surveys, formal and informal, detailing the horrific treatment of VFX workers (especially on, but not limited to, marvel films).

with the recent strikes of SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, VFX workers have taken action to improve their own working conditions as well. and a few days ago, on august 7th, it was announced that a supermajority of VFX crew members at marvel have filed for a unionization election with the NLRB. when this election happens, if majority of these workers vote to be represented by a union, it will be officially recognized and the workers' employer must bargain with a union representative for union benefits for the workers.

this marks the first time there has been a formal organization of VFX workers demanding proper respect and compensation for their work. although there is still more progress to be made, it is a monumental step in the right direction.

in this day and age, with the frequency that VFX appears in modern media, it is vital that this union secures rights for the hardworking crew members behind it all. and beginning with marvel, a studio that is so heavily reliant on VFX in its movies, during a time where two other entertainment-related unions are on strike, puts the pressure on productions to recognize and work with a VFX union.

congratulations to VFX workers everywhere for this victory. for more information, check out the VFX union website, where you can find many informative articles about the VFX union and the treatment it will protect VFX workers from.

[geofffromaccounting]

So remember when someone said it'd be funny if VFX workers started unionising during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes?

Turns out, VFX workers at Marvel Studios would agree with you, as they file for a unionisation election with the National Labor Relations Board.

I think it's probably safe to say that this is a Pretty Big Deal, considering the VFX industry has formally existed since at least the 70s (and I'd be willing to bet on it going back further depending on how you define it) and hasn't had a recognised union at all during that time.

And now, in a time where everyone in the film industry is demanding better working conditions (and rightfully so!) the VFX-IATSE union is becoming a thing. I genuinely love to see it, and I wish all VFX workers a happy unionisation, and all studio execs a very "get fucked and treat your workers fairly"

[skyler10fic]

YESSSS Hot Labor Summer!

[fonteyn]

Imagine thinking that the recent "failure" (by Disney standards) of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is because of the addition of "diversity wokeism" (their words, not mine) and a lack of focus from the architects of the MCU (mostly Kevin Feige) on the overarching storyline that binds all movies & shows and not due to the fundamentally unsustainable structure currently in place that attempts to make several gigantic billion dollar movies every year for the last 12 years whilst obviously relying on the exploitation of workers, particularly vfx artists, so much that it's driving people out of the industry, and milking as much money as possible through it all...

Like, sorry to say but: they aren't making movies...they're just rolling another product off the assembly line at this point.