Film and production pain points: work, pay, burnout, AI, layoffs, entry-level challenges

The Evolving Hiring Trend in the VFX Industry – 2025 In recent times, it has become evident that the majority of VFX companies are hiring primarily on contract-based roles. Permanent opportunities have become increasingly rare, creating a sense of uncertainty among skilled VFX artists. Short-term contracts of two or three months make it extremely challenging for artists to plan their professional growth, financial stability, or long-term career goals. This constant cycle of short engagements not only affects motivation but also impacts overall productivity and mental well-being. While the nature of project-based work in VFX is understandable, it is equally important for studios and production houses to recognize the value of offering more stable employment options. Providing long-term opportunities can foster greater loyalty, creativity, and sustained quality within teams. It’s time for the industry to reflect on this growing concern and work towards building a more secure and supportive ecosystem for VFX professionals. #VFX #VFXIndustry #VFXArtists #CGI #PostProduction #VisualEffects #AnimationIndustry #CreativeProfessionals

I know the VFX industry is in a pivotal and perhaps even precarious chapter right now. Heck, most of the creative industries are - especially the screen sector, which I’m most versed in. That said, what I’m continuing to discover every damn day, is how determined and committed producers and key creatives are to keeping their careers and dreams alive, and remain doing what they love. One of my greatest joys - cos I’ve ridden that rollercoaster - is seeing a producer close their finance… and being playing a part in that. At Watchpost. we’ve recently done just that on two features that are going into production over the next six months, which we’re servicing post on. As we’re ramping into these, and because we’re well overdue for it, I thought it was time to get my team to bash together a new VFX reel. I’m incredibly proud of how they levelled up on our recent projects - my feature, The Run and our web series, Bloom - and while we’re leaning into workflows that might not exist in the near future, I remain hopeful that boutique post houses will always play a pivotal role in crafting screen stories and helping producers and directors realise their dreams. If you’re busy packaging or financing a long-form project and want to know how your post house can play a part in your finance stack, or are just curious about what we do, I’d love to talk to you.

This next phase of entertainment is going to favor those who collaborate, adapt, and support. Because let’s be real—this year has been a wild ride. Streamers are cutting back on content spend, buyers are tougher to read than a studio NDA, and layoffs have hit every corner of the industry, from animation to production to post. Everyone’s trying to figure out how to stay creative, stay relevant, and, most days, just stay employed. Animation teams are balancing shrinking budgets with expectations that somehow keep growing. Writers and producers are pitching great stories into rooms that suddenly got a lot smaller. And freelancers, well, they’re piecing together reels, rates, and hope in a time when consistent work feels like a rare commodity. But in a marketplace this unpredictable, community isn’t a luxury—it’s strategy. Sometimes helping each other means flagging an open role before it hits the job boards, or sending that extra note of encouragement to a collaborator who just lost a project. It means sharing new distribution models, funding tips, or tech workflows that might give another creative a fighting chance. Lift others up. You’ll feel your own high!

I came across a LinkedIn post that stopped me in my tracks. Someone claimed it was a final message from a VFX artist lost to suicide. Whether social media is amplifying or reporting reality, the underlying struggles in this industry are painfully real.  The VFX industry has faced over 65,000 job losses globally from 2022 to October 2025, shocking the creative community from Hollywood to Mumbai.  The most severe came with the February 2025 shutdown of Technicolor Group, which displaced over 10,000 employees worldwide, including 2,000 to 3,000 in India, many unpaid as financial troubles overwhelmed operations.   DNEG followed with layoffs of around 500 employees in 2024, while the UK VFX sector lost about 40% of its workforce amid Hollywood strikes. Paramount cut 2,000 jobs in October 2025, continuing the industry’s turmoil.  The broader gaming and animation space lost 45,000 jobs since 2022, peaking in early 2024.  India's VFX sector, though hit hard, remains resilient with a market valued at ₹5,400 crore in 2023, expected to rebound to $3.8 billion by 2026. Key advantages include cost-effectiveness, skilled talent pools, government incentives, and rising streaming content demand.  The crisis stems from post-pandemic over-expansion, Hollywood strikes, mismanagement, fierce price wars, and an influx of cheaper labor depressing wages. Behind shattered studios and numbers lie real human costs—artists unpaid, jobless, and struggling with mental health, some tragically at risk of self-harm.  The path forward demands trusted, experienced partners, smart tech adoption, and sustainable business models. The industry is transforming—not dying—and those who adapt will lead the next chapter of visual storytelling. The Human Cost   Beyond numbers, the human stories are tragic. Artists left unpaid, facing homelessness and distress. Reports and direct community feedback mention self-harm risks and mental health emergencies, as the support structure for freelancers and creative professionals is fragile. The Path Forward   For established, resilient companies, the opportunity is to prove reliability, invest in tech and specialized service, recruit displaced talent, and build sustainable relationships—while never forgetting the real people behind every pixel. For anyone impacted or moved by these stories, please remember that you’re not alone. Sharing data and keeping conversations open is how the community moves forward. The industry is transforming—not dying—and those able to adapt will drive the next chapter of visual storytelling. #VFXCrisis #AnimationIndustry #JobLoss #IndianVFX #CreativeCommunity #VFXJobs #TechInVFX #StudioShutdown #MentalHealthMatters #VisualEffects https://lnkd.in/dQTVbxsU Sources include industry reports and news from VFX Express, Deccan Herald, Variety, Deadline, The VFX Empire, and more.

"Be easy to work with." I first heard this from Kazu Kibuishi at a book signing after I had the privilege of attending a talk he and Judd Winick gave at the Tucson Festival of Books. I've thought about that a lot since, and I heard it again recently on an Adam Savage Q and A session on his YouTube channel "Tested." Paraphrasing: essentially, people who are easy to work with can be more successful and stable in their career than a more capable peer that is difficult to work with. That sounds pretty obvious but it's important to remember that in a production environment, getting the job done is paramount. If a studio has to choose between: 1. amazing work that feels like pulling teeth or worse, is combative and destructive, late or over budget 2. perfectly adequate work that is cooperative, improves team dynamics and allows the studio as a whole to grow, on time and on budget... What do you think they'll go with? All this to say, while you're working hard to become the most competitive hire in whatever industry, don't forget about those soft skills; managing ambiguity, time management, teamwork, flexibility, communication, etiquette, ethics, etc. Do a quick search for soft skills and you'll discover most are geared towards being easier to work with. Community events or challenges like Game Jams, are a great place to iron these things out and practice them in a fast paced production like environment, especially if you don't have industry experience. It's a low risk chance to work with a team on a common goal with a finite timeline. That's the job. #3dsupervisor #careeradvice #gameart #animation #production

Studios don’t get hired for tools. They get hired for judgment. Reels are table stakes. Portfolios look alike. What stands out isn’t “we can do X.” It’s how you think. Your POV. Your process. Your ability to de-risk big bets. When you choose a partner, do you lean more on their work… or their way of working?

I know this idea is probably old but Imagine if every CEO or executive in charge of a major storytelling IP (Marvel, Dc, Netherealm studios etc) had to take an annual IP comprehension test, designed by an AI trained on the company’s own lore, characters, and worldbuilding, or an annual test variant of Ip releases they greenlit that year. Possibility to make sure the people steering billion-dollar creative worlds actually understand the product beyond market stats. It wouldn’t touch their salary, just their bonus. Fail the test, lose a bit of the bonus. Pass it, prove you’re connected to your own creation. Plus it gives shareholders/investors another metric to judge which CEO/exec type is best to handle their money. As we all know, for those in those positions (CEO/COO etc) one poorly informed decision at the top can cause layoffs, collapse creative teams, and rewrite entire legacies, all because someone didn’t understand their own story. 📝 Thoughts? #comics #IP #Storytelling #lore #fiction

Scaled Up & Ready to Collaborate 🔧✨ We’ve been busy behind the scenes upgrading our capabilities — and we’re now more equipped than ever to support studios with high-quality, scalable VFX solutions. Here’s what’s new at our end: ✅ Upgraded Infrastructure New high-performance workstations now power our pipeline, enabling us to handle complex, large-scale shots more efficiently. ✅ Expanded Team Capacity With increased skilled resources and man-days, we're ready to take on tight turnarounds without compromising quality. ✅ 24×7 Production Workflow Thanks to a rotational shift model, our team works around the clock — keeping projects moving and timelines on track. We're currently open to collaborations and outsourcing partnerships, and would love to support your next production with a reliable and flexible VFX pipeline. 📩 If your studio is exploring options, let’s connect! #VFX #StudioPartner #PostProduction #VisualEffects #CGPipeline #Outsourcing #Collaboration #AnimationStudio #FilmProduction #VFXStudio

💬 English shouldn’t be the reason you miss your next opportunity. Layoffs are brutal, especially when English isn’t your first language. Suddenly it’s not just “find a job,” it’s “sound confident enough to be hired again.” 💡 1️⃣ Rebuild visibility before you rebuild confidence. Comment on 3 posts this week — not with “Nice work!” but with useful insight from your experience. It reminds people you exist. 💡 2️⃣ Refresh your portfolio captions. Replace long, safe sentences with active ones: ❌ “I was responsible for lighting some of the scenes.” ✅ “Lit 12 hero shots for night sequences using Unreal Lumen.” 💡 3️⃣ Practise your self-intro out loud. One line: who you are, what you did, and what you want next. E.g. “I’m a Senior Animator who led creature motion on [Project]; now looking for stylised or hybrid features.” No perfect English needed — just precision and purpose. That’s what gets callbacks. #VFXJobs #GamesJobs #TalkStudio

Scaled Up & Ready to Collaborate 🔧✨ We’ve been busy behind the scenes upgrading our capabilities — and we’re now more equipped than ever to support studios with high-quality, scalable VFX solutions. Here’s what’s new at our end: ✅ Upgraded Infrastructure New high-performance workstations now power our pipeline, enabling us to handle complex, large-scale shots more efficiently. ✅ Expanded Team Capacity With increased skilled resources and man-days, we're ready to take on tight turnarounds without compromising quality. ✅ 24×7 Production Workflow Thanks to a rotational shift model, our team works around the clock — keeping projects moving and timelines on track. We're currently open to collaborations and outsourcing partnerships, and would love to support your next production with a reliable and flexible VFX pipeline. 📩 If your studio is exploring options, let’s connect! #VFX #StudioPartner #PostProduction #VisualEffects #CGPipeline #Outsourcing #Collaboration #AnimationStudio #FilmProduction #VFXStudio #GLOBLE