In the past couple of years, numerous VFX studios shut down. This includes both independent studios and major, world-famous VFX houses. Between 2023 and 2025, the following studios closed their doors: Misc Studios, Tippett Studio, Scanline VFX (German office), ON Animation Studio, Jellyfish Pictures. However, the biggest shocker happened in February 2025: Technicolor began to shut down its operations. In the US, the company closed The Mill, Mikros Animation, and MPC. It shut down most of its operations in the UK as well. When a company this monumental lays off countless employees globally due to financial challenges, it becomes clear that the industry is in a really dark place.
在過去幾年間，許多視覺特效工作室紛紛關門大吉。這包括了獨立工作室和知名的國際視覺特效公司。在 2023 至 2025 年間，下列工作室已經關閉：Misc Studios、Tippett Studio、Scanline VFX（德國辦公室）、ON Animation Studio、Jellyfish Pictures。然而，最令人震驚的是發生在 2025 年 2 月的事：法國商技術公司（Technicolor）開始關閉其營運。在美國，該公司關閉了 The Mill、Mikros Animation 以及 MPC。同時在英國，公司也關閉了大部分的營運據點。當這麼龐大的公司因財務挑戰而在全球範圍內裁員時，很明顯地，這個產業正處於非常低迷的時期。
Many VFX artists and other industry professionals say the industry has been slowly eating itself from the start. The way VFX as a field functioned has been faulty for years on end, and a crisis was inevitable. It was only a matter of a major shakeup that would start this chain of tribulations within the industry. And it happened twice within the past five years.
許多視覺特效藝術家和業界專業人士表示，這個產業從一開始就在逐漸自我消耗。視覺特效領域的運作模式多年來一直存在問題，危機是不可避免的。只是等待一個重大的震盪會引發產業內部的連鎖困境。而這種情況已在過去五年內發生了兩次。
While many studios were not new to the WFH format, to some of them, the sudden transition from in-office work to remote work was stressful. Big production studios like Framestore that relied on constant in-person collaboration between hundreds of professionals had to change their pipeline dramatically in just two weeks. The massive office spaces these studios occupied turned into endless square feet of rental costs that remained empty for weeks or even months. Plus, due to lockdown restrictions, filming was put on hold as well. VFX studios that relied on the projects that froze at this step of production had their schedule and budget completely jumbled.
儘管許多工作室對遠距工作模式並不陌生，但對某些公司而言，從辦公室工作突然轉換到遠端工作是相當有壓力的。像 Framestore 這樣依賴數百位專業人士持續面對面協作的大型製作工作室，必須在短短兩週內徹底改變其作業流程。這些工作室原本佔用的龐大辦公空間，頓時變成數以千平方英呎的租賃成本，卻在數週甚至數月內一直空置。此外，由於封鎖限制，拍攝作業也被擱置。依賴在這個製作階段被凍結的專案的特效工作室，其排程和預算完全陷入混亂。
However, lots of small and big VFX studios quickly adapted to the new workflow. They eventually benefitted from switching to remote and hybrid work. Firstly, this significantly decreased office-related costs: rent, equipment maintenance, snacks, and everything in between. Secondly, this allowed production studios to expand the pool of talent and hire overseas professionals. Depending on where the studio was based and where the artists were from, VFX companies could also pay smaller salaries for the same quality of work.
然而，許多大大小小的視覺特效工作室迅速適應了新的工作流程。他們最終從轉向遠端和混合工作模式中獲益。首先，這大幅降低了辦公室相關成本：房租、設備維護、零食以及介於兩者之間的所有支出。其次，這讓製作工作室得以擴大人才庫，並聘用海外專業人士。根據工作室所在地和藝術家的來源，視覺特效公司還能以較低的薪資獲得同等品質的工作。
The 6-month-long strikes distressed the entire filmmaking industry, including VFX production. It started with the Writers Guild of America strike, when over 11,000 screenwriters joined a picket line demanding better working conditions. Writers who worked for streaming media were constantly overworked and underpaid, especially compared to those who wrote for broadcast media.
長達 6 個月的罷工令整個電影製作產業，包括特效製作，陷入了極大的困境。罷工源於美國編劇工會，超過 11,000 名編劇加入抗議行列，要求改善工作條件。為串流媒體工作的編劇常常過度勞累且薪資偏低，尤其是與為廣播媒體撰寫劇本的編劇相比。
Just 2 months into the strike, the SAG-AFTRA strike began. Just like screenwriters, their main concerns were working conditions and pay, specifically for those who were involved in production for streaming services. One more key topic of the SAG-AFTRA strikes was the use of AI technologies in the industry. Protection of their identity against the excessive use of AI that goes uncompensated is still a pain point for many actors and actresses.
距離罷工開始僅兩個月，演員工會（SAG-AFTRA）罷工隨即展開。與編劇們一樣，他們主要關切的是工作條件和薪酬，特別是針對那些參與串流服務製作的演員。演員工會罷工的另一個關鍵議題是關於產業中人工智慧技術的使用。保護自身身份不被過度且未經補償的人工智慧使用侵害，對許多演員來說仍是一個痛點。
As a result of these strikes, numerous large-scale TV and movie projects were suspended. Many of them relied on VFX heavily, which meant the entire production process, from filming to post-production was delayed significantly. While most of them resumed once the strikes ended (Deadpool & Wolverine, Venom: The Last Dance, Blade Runner 2099), some of them were cancelled or put on hold indefinitely (The Peripheral, Metropolis, Blade).
由於這些罷工，許多大型電視和電影專案被擱置。這些專案大多高度依賴視覺特效，意味著從拍攝到後期製作的整個製作過程都被大幅延遲。雖然大多數專案在罷工結束後恢復製作（如《死侍與金鋼狼》、《猛毒：最後之舞》、《銀翼殺手 2099》），但有些專案被取消或無限期擱置（如《未來邊緣》、《大都會》、《刀鋒》）。
While the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 Hollywood strikes were the catalysts of the VFX industry crisis, there are several significant issues artists have been mentioning for years. They kept growing and slowly leading the industry towards a state of crisis it ultimately faced.
儘管新冠疫情和 2023 年好萊塢罷工是視覺特效產業危機的觸媒，但藝術工作者多年來一直提及的若干重大問題，已逐漸累積並最終導致產業陷入危機。
In the field of VFX, big projects go to those who offer the best price. Each client wants high-quality VFX shots for a reasonable price, done within an acceptable timeframe. VFX studios interested in taking on a particular project make their bids based on the script. The bid depends on the estimated number and complexity of VFX shots, as well as project deadlines, and other factors. The studio that ends up offering the best price gets to work on a project. However, to stay afloat and secure fruitful projects, VFX studios often underbid. As a result, artists get underpaid, and studios frequently barely profit from completing an ambitious, demanding project.
在視覺特效領域，大型專案會青睞出價最佳的團隊。每位客戶都希望以合理的價格取得高品質的特效鏡頭，並在可接受的時程內完成。有意承攬特定專案的特效工作室，會根據劇本進行投標。投標金額取決於估計的特效鏡頭數量與複雜度、專案截止日期以及其他因素。最終提出最佳報價的工作室將獲得專案。然而，為了生存並爭取到有利潤的專案，特效工作室常常會低價投標。結果是，特效藝術家薪資被壓低，而工作室通常僅從完成這些雄心勃勃且高要求的專案中獲得微薄利潤。
Thanks to numerous enticing tax incentives around the globe, many studios have their offices scattered across various locations to maximize financial efficiency. It’s not uncommon for a large production studio to have a head office in the US and several branches overseas. The latter are frequently based in India, South Korea, Spain, and other locations. Despite setting up offices in more affordable locations, studios often eventually lose money as a result of this decentralization. Instead of assembling a big team of experienced artists under one roof where they can collaborate in real time, studios create countless smaller subsidiaries. This inevitably disrupts the workflow in the long run and creates hidden costs that outweigh the initial tax benefits.
由於全球各地提供了許多誘人的稅收優惠，許多製片廠將辦公室分散在不同地點，以最大化財務效益。一家大型製作工作室在美國設立總部，同時在印度、南韓、西班牙等地設立多個分部，這種情況並不罕見。儘管在成本較低的地區設立辦公室，但工作室最終往往因這種去中心化的策略而虧損。與其在同一屋簷下集結一群經驗豐富的藝術家即時協作，工作室反而創建了無數較小的子公司。從長遠來看，這無疑會破壞工作流程，並產生超過初始稅收優惠的隱性成本。
Even though there were attempts to unionize among VFX artists, they did not lead to the formation of a solid labor union. VFX Union, a.k.a. the IATSE VFX Union (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Visual Effects Union) was originally formed in 2012. Up until the early 2020s, it consisted of a few hundred artists who joined a Slack channel. However, after the 2023 Hollywood strikes, it encouraged North American VFX artists to unionize. So far, unionization in the industry is still in the making. In the past couple of years, most artists voted for unionization, but it still isn’t happening at a pace and scale the state of the industry calls for. Unionization would help artists protect their rights, ensure more appropriate working conditions, and more.
儘管視覺特效藝術家曾嘗試工會化，但並未導致成立一個穩固的勞工工會。視覺特效工會（又稱國際舞台、電影從業人員聯盟視覺特效工會）最初於 2012 年成立。直到 2020 年代初期，它僅由幾百名加入 Slack 頻道的藝術家組成。然而，在 2023 年好萊塢罷工後，該工會鼓勵北美視覺特效藝術家成立工會。到目前為止，業界的工會化仍在進行中。過去幾年，大多數藝術家都投票支持工會化，但進展速度和規模仍未達到業界所需的程度。工會化將有助於藝術家保護自身權益、確保更適當的工作條件等。
Aside from low salaries that come with underbidding, another harmful consequence it has is working overtime. The absolute majority of projects set unrealistic deadlines for VFX studios. Considering that VFX shots often need to be corrected or remade entirely, the schedule can become so tight that the artists are forced to work day and night. Average working hours have never been the norm in the industry, where many artists often hit 80 hours weekly. Needless to say, they are regularly pushed to do work during their lunch breaks and rest hours without getting compensated for doing the extra work. This is not as dreadful for solo artists who set their own deadlines and control the speed of their work. Though considering the unrealistically high expectations set for VFX artists, many clients expect shorter project completion times. As a result, artists who are willing to work longer hours to finalize the shots quicker are more likely to land a project.
除了低薪導致的承攬價格競爭外，另一個有害的後果是加班工作。絕大多數專案對視覺特效（VFX）工作室設定不切實際的截止日期。考慮到視覺特效鏡頭常常需要修正或完全重製，排程可能變得如此緊湊，以至於藝術家被迫日夜工作。在這個行業中，平均工作時數從未是常態，許多藝術家每週經常工作高達 80 小時。不用說，他們經常被要求在午休和休息時間工作，卻未獲得額外工作的補償。對於可以自行設定截止日期和工作進度的獨立藝術家來說，這情況並不可怕。不過，考慮到對視覺特效藝術家設定的不切實際高期望，許多客戶預期更短的專案完成時間。因此，願意延長工作時數以更快完成鏡頭的藝術家，更可能獲得專案。
Okay, none of that sounds inspiring, so what is there to do? We get it, aspiring VFX artists are questioning their career choice, while junior and senior VFX artists are contemplating switching career paths. Right now, it might feel like things are not likely to bounce back anytime soon. It seems like waiting for the industry to recover is risky and pointless. But the VFX industry is not going anywhere, simply because there is always a demand for high-quality VFX shots. Even movies and TV shows that are not packed with visual effects use a bit of CG here and there. Take one of the latest Netflix shows — Adolescence: in the chase scene, the window the camera went through was pure CGI. Overall, the 4-episode miniseries featured 80 VFX shots done by Absolute Post. However, despite VFX still being very much in vogue, there are points to consider before entering the industry.
好的，這些聽起來都不太令人振奮，那該怎麼辦？我們明白，有抱負的視覺特效藝術家正在質疑自己的職業選擇，而資淺和資深的視覺特效藝術家也在考慮轉換職業道路。現在，似乎情況短期內不太可能好轉。等待產業復甦看起來既風險又無意義。但視覺特效產業並不會消失，因為對高品質視覺特效鏡頭一直都有需求。即使不是以視覺特效為主的電影和電視節目也會使用一些電腦動畫。以 Netflix 最新的節目《青春》為例：追逐場景中，攝影機穿過的窗戶完全是電腦特效。整部 4 集的迷你影集由 Absolute Post 製作了 80 個視覺特效鏡頭。然而，儘管視覺特效仍然很流行，但進入這個產業前還是有一些值得考慮的地方。
Now is not the time to hyperfocus on the artistry. Make sure you expand your computer skills because these will always be a considerable advantage regardless of your future career choices. Whether it’s coding, programming, hardware maintenance, or any other non-VFX computer skills, they are worth perfecting. With a broad range of tech abilities, you get access to a wider selection of jobs that pay well. Plus, with tech skills under your belt, you can grow from being a VFX artist to a Tech Lead, CG Supervisor, etc. You can start with VFX-oriented courses on coding and ML to make the transition to the tech side easier. Check out Math for VFX Artists and Introduction to Machine Learning.
現在不是過度專注於藝術性的時候。務必擴展你的電腦技能，因為不論未來的職業選擇，這些技能都將是相當大的優勢。無論是編碼、程式設計、硬體維護，還是其他非視覺特效相關的電腦技能，都值得精進。掌握廣泛的科技能力，你就能獲得更多高薪工作的機會。此外，憑藉這些科技技能，你可以從視覺特效藝術家成長為技術主管、電腦圖形監督等職位。你可以從面向視覺特效的編碼和機器學習課程開始，讓轉向科技領域更加容易。可以查看《視覺特效藝術家數學》和《機器學習入門》課程。
It’s always been quite tough in the area of 3D art and VFX. When VFX was all the rage just 5 years ago, many people began learning it, whether at schools or on their own. Once the mass layoffs at VFX studios started in 2023, the job market became flooded with VFX artists of all backgrounds and levels of expertise. On top of the numerous freshly graduated junior artists, there are now experienced senior artists who are looking for a job. That said, landing a job is trickier than ever before. You have to be both immensely skilled and immensely passionate about VFX to push through this and secure a stable position at a studio.
在 3D 藝術和視覺特效領域一直都很艱難。就在 5 年前，視覺特效風靡一時，許多人開始學習，無論是在學校還是自學。自 2023 年視覺特效工作室開始大規模裁員以來，就業市場已經湧入各種背景和專業水平的視覺特效藝術家。除了眾多剛畢業的初級藝術家外，現在還有經驗豐富的資深藝術家也在尋找工作。因此，獲得工作比以往任何時候都更加困難。你必須同時擁有極高的技能和對視覺特效的極大熱情，才能突破重圍，在工作室穩住陣腳。
Because things at many VFX studios are a bit unpredictable now, it’s become harder to get a job as an in-house artist. Freelancing and project-based gigs have been common in the field of VFX for years. Being a full-time 9-to-5 office employee is more of an exception in VFX. However, freelancing and working contract jobs come with their own challenges. Your income, your working hours, the number of projects you take on, and everything else depend on you. Some artists would choose this over working full-time any day — it’s only a matter of your personal preferences and your ability to organize your own workflow efficiently.
由於目前許多視覺特效工作室的情況頗為不確定，要成為一名常駐藝術家已經變得更加困難。在視覺特效領域，自由接案和專案工作已經行之有年。在視覺特效行業中，全職的朝九晚五辦公室員工反而是例外。然而，自由接案和合約工作也有其本身的挑戰。你的收入、工作時數、承接的專案數量，以及其他一切都取決於你自己。某些藝術家會毫不猶豫地選擇這種工作方式，而不是全職工作 — 這只是個人偏好和高效管理自身工作流程的能力問題。
Do not rush into purchasing top-notch equipment and buying all the top-rated VFX courses. Start small, invest gradually, and spend money wisely, otherwise, you might end up nearly penniless with no job prospects in sight. The beauty of VFX is that you can learn a lot using free resources like YouTube tutorials. Plus, you won’t need Hollywood-grade hardware as a beginner — you can always upgrade your PC as you go. After all, with the current uncertainty in the industry, you might find yourself doing, say, coding instead of VFX. With that in mind, make sure your spending is proportional to your estimated profit.
不要急著購買頂級設備和所有高評價的特效課程。從小規模開始，逐步投資，並明智地花錢，否則你可能會幾乎身無分文，且看不到就業前景。特效的美妙之處在於，你可以透過 YouTube 教學等免費資源學到很多。而且，作為初學者，你不需要好萊塢級的硬體設備 — 你可以隨著進步逐步升級電腦。畢竟，面對目前產業的不確定性，你可能最終會從事像是程式設計而非特效的工作。考慮到這一點，請確保你的支出與預估收益成正比。
It feels nearly unethical to say it’s darkest before the dawn, but this is very true in this context. What the recent closure of several VFX studios and never-ending layoffs taught us is that the current business model isn’t sustainable long-term. It demonstrated that a union within the VFX community is a necessity to make sure the artists’ rights are protected. And finally, it showed that the bridge between VFX production and other steps of video production needs a thoughtful revision to make sure the budgets, deadlines, and expectations from the end result are realistic. For years on end, these major points have been shrugged off, and the consequences of this finally hit the whole industry like an avalanche.
說「黎明前最黑暗」彷彿近乎不道德，但在這個情境下卻非常真實。近期數家特效工作室的關閉和持續不斷的裁員教導了我們一件事：目前的商業模式長期來看是不可持續的。這證明了特效社群內部成立工會是必要的，以確保藝術工作者的權益得到保護。最後，它還顯示特效製作與影片製作其他階段之間的橋樑需要深思熟慮地修正，以確保預算、期限和最終成果的期望是現實的。多年來，這些重要議題一直被輕忽，而這些後果最終像雪崩般襲擊了整個產業。
Right now, things are already starting to stabilize little by little. Studios are implementing new business models, VFX artists are unionizing, freelance creatives are redefining their terms to back away from the damaging cycles of overworking and underbidding. Now might be the most exciting time to enter the industry because after the fall, it’s being born again.
目前情況已經開始逐步穩定下來。工作室正在實施新的商業模式，視覺特效藝術家正在組織工會，自由創意工作者正在重新定義他們的條件，以擺脫過度工作和低價競標的惡性循環。現在可能是進入這個行業最令人興奮的時候，因為在衰退之後，它正在重生。
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Spencer Lueders, the acclaimed FX Supervisor and newest instructor joining the Rebelway team!
In this interview, he shares his insights, experiences, and what motivated him to become an instructor.
Frédérik Barbeau on his experience as a 3D art student in college vs. at Rebelway and landing his first gig as a VFX artist.
Frédérik Barbeau on his experience as a 3D art student in college vs. at Rebelway and landing his first gig as a VFX artist.
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