CafeFX Officially Closes
Venerable Santa Maria-based VFX house CafeFX has just made official what has been rumored for months. The official announcement is as follows:
CafeFX Official Closing Announcement:
After 17 years in business, CafeFX/ComputerCafe has decided to officially close its doors. The current economic climate and global marketplace have made it unrealistic for us to continue to deliver the highest quality visual effects work, which has been our hallmark, at a competitive price and a sustaining profit.
With a resume of over eighty award-winning feature films and hundreds of commercials, music videos, game trailers, ride projects and broadcast opens, we are very proud of what we have achieved over the years. We end our company's relationship with the industry we love with pride in our contributions and our heads held high.
We want to thank our many clients for their friendship, confidence, and support in the multitude of groundbreaking projects awarded us over the years. We would also like to thank our competitors, who always kept us on our toes by pushing the envelope. We have watched your work on the latest films with a mixture of awe and envy, as you continue to exceed industry expectations and thrill audiences around the world. You have our utmost respect.
We want to thank our families and advisors who have stood by us and have given their patience and understanding on how to stay sane and viable through these turbulent times in our industry, our state and our country.
But most importantly, we would like to thank our staff and all the incredibly talented people that have come through our doors. You are CafeFX. Your hard work, dedication and passion are what made us such a great studio. Because of you we were able to accomplish the impossible over and over again. Words cannot truly express how much we appreciate all that you have done to keep us successful for so many years. We will especially never forget our core staff, who helped to make CafeFX a unique and magical place, and who have now become life long friends and colleagues. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts, you are an exceptional group of people.
We will see you soon.
Jeff Barnes and David Ebner
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London is part of the problem. I hear overtime pay is non-existent, and pay in general is just OK, but given London's higher cost of living that means I'd make less than here in the states. Now let's factor in that I'd have to move my entire family over there and yeah, sounds like a great plan. Move to a foreign country, be away from everyone I know, and make less $$ (net) than here in the states. Where do I sign up?
If the U.S. subsidized the VFX industry the way England, Canada, and Australia do (through huge tax breaks), productions wouldn't be taking all of their work overseas and we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.
I'm not ranting about the 3rd world pal far from it. I am just stating the facts. If they get the work, that's the way it is. Nothing is going to change that, we're well past that ever changing.
And if you read what I said, you'd see the reasons why.
Realize one simple fact, 17 years ago and for a long time CafeFX was doing very well, thank you very much. QUOTE: "With a resume of over eighty award-winning feature films and hundreds of commercials, music videos, game trailers, ride projects and broadcast opens, we are very proud of what we have achieved over the years."
So while London is doing well now, you think ad agencies aren't already sending work out to those very countries, you think that tv shows are not doing the same??? Film productions too! Need coffee with that breakfast??
When anyone can ftp at gb of data in no time, video conference in hd to anywhere in the world from a laptop, people are delusional to think "there will always be a place for the current crop of studios". Least not forget the people in the 3rd world are hungry for work. No inflated prices and ego issues either.
As for London now, now is the operative word, it's pretty clear that the writing is on the wall buddy.
Question is can you read?
Instead of ranting and raving about so called "3rd world" VFX, come to London where the VFX biz is doing extremely well! All companies are expanding, the quality of the work is improving and wages are relatively high.
The work is only as good as it's artists so until the "3rd world", as you call it, catches up to the quality in the market there will always be a place for the current crop of studios. Saying that, I am in no doubt there is a lot of cost cutting and productivity improvements to be made in VFX studios and the ones that don't will perish.
The global marketplace eg some 3rd world country paying peanuts and delivering sub-par work.
But in some ways I wonder why people are surprised when a company like this closes.
It shouldn't be a surprise, because producers want more for less, because media lasts less time than it ever did, (E.T was in cinema's for a YEAR), rampant piracy, and an ever insatiable appetite for new fresh and vfx laden films. All tend towards the inescapable conclusion, meaning that anyone with the exception of large studios, is fighting against all the odds for a decent return, and so they want vfx cheap. Hello 3rd world.
If you look at the recent b.o. at rottentomatoes, for non summer blockbuster films, the returns have been poor. I'd also add very poor scripts too (skyline). But to skyline's defense, it made 6x its budget, so in this world of only eye-candy matters, all I can add is to expect a hell of a lot more dross like that.
Eventually it'll probably settle down to just this...
Summer blockbusters ie transformers V/VI/VII etc done by only ILM.
...vs...
Youtube quality film, probably pay-per-view on youtube itself, with the vfx done by 1 man and his dog from some piss poor 3d world country, that probably because of this cheap use of labor, will stay forever piss poor.
In someways it's all your own fault. (yes you)
But that's one thing you didn't want to hear, right?
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