Three years ago, VFX Soldier Daniel Lay noticed that his friends and colleagues constantly had to uproot their lives in Los Angeles to move to New Zealand or Vancouver, sometimes both in the same year, as they followed production lured away from Hollywood by tax credits in far away locations. ...
Daniel believes that government subsidies for visual effects studios have been bad for the industry, and I agree. Because when studios open or close based on government largesse, the probability is good that jobs in one locality or another won't be around a long time. (This has happened in New Mexico; I've also seen it happen in different provinces in Canada.)
What we've got now are entertainment conglomerates (and their subsidiaries) that chase the best government deals out there. Too bad that deals come and go, depending on the mood of the electorate. This means that, depending on the month and the location, jobs come and go. Which makes it tough for CG artists to carve out a career, marry and start a family, and actually have a semi-stable life without dragging spouse and children halfway around the world.
Daniel makes the case that eliminating tax credits and subsidies for visual effects would level the playing field and allow the industry a measure of stability. It's tough to argue with his logic.
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