The migration of digital effects work to offhshore studios is a continuation of a movement of animation work that began over forty years ago.  This means of cutting labor cost is now a normal consideration and VSX is only the newest branch of our industry to be effected.

Often hated but always needed, the poor budget can and should be the best friend of anyone trying to produce a film.  But rather it is more often the target of everyone's discontent and blamed for a multitude of sins and offenses. The film's budget normally stands in the dock accused of any and all the ills plaguing the production.  "If only we could have another month we could redo that sequence."  Or, "They say there's nothing left in the budget to rerecord the orangatang!  Who in the hell said betty white could still play the ingenue?"  But....whose faults are these?  If the budget was correctly made, everyone going into the production knew exactly what they had and what they had to do.  Why blame the budget for other's failings?

If virture is its own reward, as the old homily goes, where's the fun?  Awards are recognition and we all need that from time to time, even if the work itself is its own reward in the long run. 

IF YOU CAN'T GET IN THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR GO AROUND THE BACK.  IF THAT DOOR'S CLOSED AND BOLTED THEN TRY A WINDOW.  IF THAT WINDOW'S LOCKED TIGHT THAN CLIMB UP ON THE ROOF AND TRY TO SLIDE DOWN THE CHIMNEY!  TO MUDDLE A QUOTE, "FORTUNE FAVORS THE PERSISTANT".  SOO MI KIM AND HER PRODUCING PARTNERS DECIDED TO NOT EVEN TRY TO BREAK INTO THE HOUSE - THEY JUST PICKED UP A MEDIA PHONE AND MADE A CALL...

It's clearly a love/hate thing for a lot of us.  It has become so much a part of our lives that we have a hard time looking away.  Television, we can't do without it but couldn't we expect more for this member of our family that is always there. always tempting us to sit down and let it entertyain us?

What considerations should you consider when casting and selecting voice talent for your project?

sort of like going back to Junior Highschool - It's not always about the film.

Everyone making a film now seems to be looking for ways to subsidize their production through government tax credits, grants or pure subsidies. Now, even if you are not a producer or investor, you might have wondered how all of these seemingly complex deals get put together where a company in Ireland does the post, a Canadian company does the pre-production and the animation goes to China. 

Some of you may have worked on a show where you only did the sheets or the storyboard and everything else was split up and done elsewhere.   What drives these deals and can cause a very awkward division of creative input and production services?  Why of course it’s money, and most often the access to soft money.

So what exactly is soft money?  Does it bend easier than hard money and by the way, what is hard money?  Does soft money fit better in your wallet or what?

Part 1 - How does this all work and who gets to participate?

UNIVERSAL/NBC UP FOR GRABS BY COMCAST IF VIVENDI WANTS OUT