Comment by zgluck | Hacker News Reader

Comment by zgluck | Hacker News Reader

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There were other nuanced takes towards the bottom. For example, the one written by olivertaylor seemed insightful to me.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32461613 (excerpt)

I work in the VFX business, formerly managing a VFX house and now negotiating contracts with studios and production companies.

A few random thoughts…

There is a massive industry-wide labor shortage and a massive surplus of work to be done. Artist rates are way up, there are more junior artists than ever, there are more shows with more VFX than ever, VFX shops are turning away tons of work, new shops are springing up, investment groups are buying and consolidating VFX houses to try and become big players, etc. This is a boom time for VFX.

This is absolutely a (labor) seller’s market. Individuals and companies that are not taking advantage of this to create a better environment for themselves are missing a huge opportunity. There’s never been a better time to quit a job you don’t like and find a better one. Or to start a company!

…

> That said, there are a number of (very large) companies where it is absolutely normal to work 6 days a week 10 to 12 hours a day. This is not a secret, it’s been very common for a very long time. Personally, I wouldn’t work for a company like that.

Says the former manager of a VHX house who now negotiates with studios… he’d literally be one of the people responsible for this situation.

It’s a shortage of employers willing to pay workers. Thats why they cant get enough artists

Not really. I’ve never worked for a studio that treats people like that, and wouldn’t. And I’ve been in a unique position to see how these situations unfold. It is very complex, very fluid, and difficult to manage. I think the bottom line is just that it is too difficult to do correctly for most studios (people).

However, you are correct in that people in my position are often at fault - but executive leadership ALWAYS signs off.

The labor shortage situation has changed a lot since then but it was never a wages problem. I knew people at studios offering double their standard rate who still couldn’t find enough qualified people.

There are similar comments in OP about salaries and changing expectations/demands by labor discovering its negotiating power, but it's buried at the end so no one is reading that far.

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