Where visual storytelling is the ultimate hype today, the VFX industry is on the brink of cinematic innovation. It crafts realities that would be mundane if not for VFX. Despite the hype, there are multiple simmering issues in the VFX industry that point to the faults of the AVGC industry. The VFX industry, though it is an industry based on technology, relies heavily on its collaboration with human artistry.
VFX artists and staff are the lifeblood of the industry, without which the industry’s growth could be compromised. Production costs could escalate. Technological improvements will not slow down anytime soon, but we must confront the uncomfortable truth:
Technology is advancing, but are the artists evolving?
Are the hiring conditions evolving?
Is the industry comfortable enough to invite and accept a new paradigm?
According to a study by IATSE,
The IATSE international president, Matthew D. Loeb, mentioned, “These results are alarming but not surprising.” He continued to mention that despite record growth in VFX, this satiable industry is quite unsatiable for the artists, as they are struggling to make ends meet.
Let’s have a look at the current industry wage distribution that this study highlights, and it also highlights the harsh reasons behind it.
The key takeaway is that the artists don’t know how much to demand for their time due to the huge salary variations in the industry.
According to Fiona Walkinshaw, the CEO of film and episodic at FrameStore, she has highlighted some major changes taking place in the industry.
AI and ML are being integrated into VFX workflows to drive efficiency and make room for creativity. Tools like Midjourney help clients articulate their vision, while software like Cascadeur uses AI to add realistic secondary animations. This is where AI can help by taking on some of the tedious tasks and letting the artist focus on the more complex and creative tasks of a project.
AI-generated neural radiation fields are exploring new ways in which 3D scenes could be represented. Virtual production tools have advanced to such an extent that the visualization of on-set CG elements is now possible. This puts directors, cinematographers, and VFX supervisors in a better position to plan and execute their creative vision.
The integration of AI and ML might increase productivity levels and reduce production costs, but artists are still grappling with it. The integration of AI and ML requires specialized knowledge and skills, which are in short supply, leading to a shortage of ‘qualified’ artists. The industry has quickly adopted concepts like virtual production. Real-time technologies demand a workforce that is smart enough to work with new tools and workflows. This highlights the skills gap like nothing else. The demand for highly skilled professionals intensifies and leads to pressure on the existing staff.
According to Addy Ghani, the VP of Virtual Production at Disguise, there will be intense content flexibility due to easy workflows. The stages of content development themselves will be much more flexible. Each shot can be curated and dismantled quite easily in comparison to earlier processes that were tedious and time-consuming.
Some examples he gave were 2.5D video plates, AI-generated content like NERFs, and AI-generated plates that can be used frequently. Virtual production technology itself can be implemented on a much wider variety of projects, whether it's Hollywood's banger movie or a short documentary.
With this AI content, combined with real-time rendering, most of the need for extensive manual labor goes down. This allows less heavily populated teams to produce high-quality visuals, potentially making fewer job openings for traditional VFX artists in the process of automation replacing repetitive tasks.
The futuristic visuals that movies use are smart moves, and their nostalgic impact has been creeping into the CGI and animation industries for many years now. Eamonn Butler, Head of Animation from Cinesite, quotes, “Even though AI plays a big role, the high-end makers will continue to depend on vendors for the foreseeable future.” It is the best time for artists to push the boundaries in CGI and VFX, but with innovation, efficiency is key.
It is efficient customization—on-the-fly creation of 3D environments—that makes it possible to use resources far more freely and potentially lower the overall number of staff on a project. While this greatly improves productivity, fewer VFX artists are required, making the situation worse with respect to the perceived shortage of staff.
Advanced technologies raise the entry barrier. Now, as in the present scenario, new professionals must learn complex systems and tools, which will become a hurdle for new entrants and lead to a reduced number of new entrants entering the field.
The AVGC and VFX industry is stepping up each day and leaving unforgettable footprints in the minds of people as well as the commercial industry. This blog is a mere peek into what we believe is impacting the staff shortages. But according to the insights we get from the torchbearers of the AVGC industry, technological advancements aren’t going to stop, and neither should the artists. Continuously evolving, consistently innovating, and efficiently executing processes can get the artists on top of the AVGC chain.
