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| sent from: Esher, Surrey, UK. destination: San Rafael, California, USA |
If you are in VFX, or trying to get into VFX, you’ve probably been doing some soul-searching recently. Until a new business model emerges we are all more or less lashed to the deck, battering storm after storm.
I’ve had to face that I need to come up with a 5-10 year plan – cold turkey quitting the business probably isn’t going to work. So what’s the best plan for my wife and I? Our vision board last week had a number of things on there that would be tough to accomplish: “see friends and family regularly” was one. Do we try to find local jobs and hunker down, hope the industry does ok in London for a while as the wave of nomads head to Montreal, China, New Zealand, Singapore? Or, do we pare right down, become a mobile unit and chase the fun/decent work around the world where it may be, try to capitalise on it for as long as we can?
I’ve been telling people the latter is what you need to do to guarantee a VFX career in the near future; be ready and willing to move. We want to travel, we like to travel, but would prefer it on our own terms. It’s too tough to do the cost/benefit analysis in any meaningful way.
One thing for certain – we want to stay together.
I quit VFX after 15 years, and transitioned to games. It was something I planned to do for at least ten years prior, and so I was able to get my familiarity and skills up to par, and know where I wanted to be.
Now, I work 40-50 hour weeks, get paid and treated well, and see my kids.
I figure it's good for ten years or so. I have a plan for after that as well.
You have to be forceful in establishing your personal priorities, and in not backing away from them, that's for sure. I got fired more than once.
Good luck! Be Well.
-caleb