By Robert Goldrich
This week’s Chat Room is with Scott Leberecht, a staffer at Rhythm & Hues, and director of the short documentary Life After Pi, which chronicles the massive layoffs at the company and its Chapter 11 bankruptcy declaration in January 2013, a mere 11 days before several artists there won the Visual Effects Oscar for Life of Pi. (The studio has since been bought and remains in business.)
Life After Pi is part of an industry movement to raise awareness of the plight of VFX houses, particularly in California. Amplifying a good deal of what is conveyed in Life After Pi is a recently released 2013 Feature Film Production Report from Film L.A., the regional film office serving the City and County of Los Angeles.
Film L.A. labeled as a misnomer the belief that while California may lose out on principal photography due to runaway production, the state is still the beneficiary of the bulk of postproduction and VFX work. The Film L.A. report found that the U.K. and Canada have both usurped California (and the U.S.) as global centers for VFX work. This is a concern for California because the biggest budget features spend much of their production budgets on post and VFX. An analysis of the top 25 live-action movies with budgets over $100 million reveals that almost half of the total jobs on these movies went to VFX artists.
Historically, the bulk of the VFX industry and the major VFX houses were concentrated in Southern California, but this is no longer the case, noted Film L.A. Most of the major VFX houses now operate with multiple satellite locations all over the world. The hot locations for VFX work are all outside of California (and the U.S.). Vancouver, Montreal, London, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand are just some of the locations booming with growth while California’s VFX sector withers away.
Leberecht agrees that the U.S will continue to lose VFX business and jobs unless the playing field can get at least a little closer to being level when it comes to incentives offered by other countries. Still, there’s something else to consider as he explains in more detail (see our Chat Room column). “A lot of people in Vancouver and the U.K. where incentives are strong now probably feel safe,” he said. “But if they watch our documentary, they should be more concerned about the [VFX] business models and what they will ultimately mean for them.”
The Many Hires Jeremiah Wassom As Group Creative Director
Independent agency The Many has added Jeremiah Wassom as group creative director.
Wassom most recently worked a decade at Deutsch LA where, as SVP/creative director, he led the Taco Bell account and won new business for the agency. His agency past also includes AKQA and TBWAChiatDay. His creative work has touched the QSR, video games, automotive, fashion, and culture brand sectors. He also served eight years with the United States Marine Corps.
“Throughout his career, Jeremiah has helmed work that has not only made me personally jealous but has consistently pushed brands to show up in memorable and innovative ways,” said Josh Paialii, head of creative at The Many. “One look at his body of work and you will see his passion for storytelling and craft has raised the bar for entire categories, driving participation with many brands’ most loyal fans. Beyond being a world-class creative director and maker, Wassom is a proven team player and strategic thought leader. He’ll be a great addition to the leadership team at The Many working across all accounts. His role will be immediately felt as he guides and supports each of the creative leads in the department.”
A 20-year creative with agency, brand, and freelance experience, Wassom has forged a creative approach which focuses on crafting engaging connections rather than simply make ads. He sees the need for advertising to mean more, not simply do more.
The Many believes that true business growth is made possible by harnessing the power of participation and partners with brands to forge deeper connections with consumers, cultivate trust and loyalty, and maximize marketing spend and execution. The agency is built around a flexible model that offers a suite of capabilities, including... Read More