Today, I revisited a Cartoon Brew post that helped inspire me to write this blog. It's called Guest Commentary: The Life of an Indian Visual Effects Artist, It's a great look at the human impact of the studio cost-cutting that gives rise to offshore outsourcing.
The guest writer, a former Indian animator named Bhaumik Meta, describes a number of shady practices at Indian studios. There are incredibly expensive educations, studio-mandated deposits that are only returned if the employee works two years, long periods of no pay, and - across the board - six-month contracts after which studios can unceremoniously fire employees in the midst of production.
Meta ultimately concludes: "It would be nice to raise this issue and let everyone know the condition that Indian artists have to endure. They are sacrificing their lives for their passion, but they are exploited by people who have no interest in art and whose only motivation is earning as much as possible by spending as little as they can."
The guest writer, a former Indian animator named Bhaumik Meta, describes a number of shady practices at Indian studios. There are incredibly expensive educations, studio-mandated deposits that are only returned if the employee works two years, long periods of no pay, and - across the board - six-month contracts after which studios can unceremoniously fire employees in the midst of production.
Meta ultimately concludes: "It would be nice to raise this issue and let everyone know the condition that Indian artists have to endure. They are sacrificing their lives for their passion, but they are exploited by people who have no interest in art and whose only motivation is earning as much as possible by spending as little as they can."
It would be shortsighted to vilify the artists who are products of money-hungry institutions. US studios want to keep their budgets as low as possible, and Indian studios want to net profits while maintaining a steady stream of work. The artists are just executing low-cost labor. The work being produced isn't far removed from us - it's the fantastical imagery in the high-budget blockbusters we pay to see.
The comment section on Meta's piece is also pretty staggering.
"Two of my friends are artists in the philippines. And they died because of over work from all those 'bottomless' deadlines. They got sick from over fatigue which caused their immune systems to be non existent when pneumonia struck. I support you in your cause. I hope that someday things will change for everyone in the industry of vfx across the globe."
The conditions are aren't just unpleasant, they're killing workers. So why don't Indian animators speak out? And why doesn't the institution change?
"In my personal and professional experience, it is mainly, we, Indian artists (working level not managerial level) who don't take any action against these so called businessmen and employers. We just keep quite and let it all slide away. Not that I'm blaming, but, at our level, what else can we exactly do? It's just easier to forget the pain and move on. Fighting against it creates only problems, it doesn't bring food on the table."
The conditions are aren't just unpleasant, they're killing workers. So why don't Indian animators speak out? And why doesn't the institution change?
A self-described "Indian animator" writes:
You can see the conundrum that Indian artists are in. Studios in the US and overseas need to change their practices. If the production of visual effects can only be sustained by supplementing overseas work, then US companies must nurture the industries that they create, instead of looking for the cheapest option at the moment. If not, the Indian visual effects community could face the possibility of becoming a ghost town. Indian companies have a more difficult task. They must create work that is uniquely their own - that can reach an audience and sustain themselves. The road ahead isn't easy for either party, but for the sake of the artists, it's necessary.
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