LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. March 3rd, 2025 - Leading visual effects industry (VFX) artist Dave Rand is heading up a campaign which aims to recapture VFX jobs which have been lost to overseas countries.
A feasibility study carried out by Picard Kentz & Rowe LLP estimates that the 30,000-plus jobs in the visual effects industry (VFX) that have left America, along with additional job losses in other parts of the film industry, is a clear violation of the World Trade Agreement.
It is estimated that over 90% of the industry is now gone compared to its peak, which has risen from 40% estimated by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) in 2015.
These figures have caught the attention of Senator Adam Schiff, who has expressed his intention to bring these jobs back to the United States. Senator Schiff is calling for the use of federal tax dollars to buy back these lost jobs and bring them back to American soil.
Dave Rand has worked as a VFX artist for over 30 years and is best known for his roles in Moana, Frozen, Life of Pi and Matrix Reloaded. He is part of a group which formed the Association of Digital Artists Professionals and Technicians (ADAPT) to support those working in the industry.
He claims that the VFX has no leverage to push back against what he calls unfair trading practices because it is the only subsidiary of the film industry that does not have a trade association.
Dave said: “The majority of blockbuster VFX films are made by the Big Five studios in Hollywood California which are all situated close to each other, yet the VFX work is rarely done in America anymore.
“Films like Moana 2 and the New Superman, for example, were mostly done in Canada with layoffs occurring in America to facilitate the move.
“Rhythm & Hues, the award-winning visual effects company was on stage getting the Oscar for Best Visual Effects while they were in bankruptcy and all their future work had been shuffled off to Vancouver, causing the layoff of over 700 artists and support staff in Los Angeles.
“The recent announcement of Technicolor’s VFX subsidiaries closing is a direct result of shifting subsidies and the enforcement by Hollywood of a broken fix bidding business model where the VFX vendors are often left bankrupt or unprofitable due to the constant change orders. It’s like building a skyscraper without a blueprint.”
Dave claims that while the idea of bringing back lost jobs is welcomed, there would be no need to use federal money to do it as the World Trade Agreement already has provisions in place to address unfair trade practices such as using government subsidies and taking another member nation’s industry from them.
Dave added: “The export of these VFX jobs have been going on for over ten years now. In the past, we have helped people take their case to trade court. However, they failed to raise the legal fees, which are quite substantial, as their industry and jobs were mostly gone already.
“The ‘actionable subsidies’ part of the World Trade Agreement can be easily accessed and leveraged to protect American jobs and industries.
“Our new administration seems open to fixing trade issues so I’m calling on them to consider what steps can be taken to safeguard VFX jobs and keep them in America.”
ENDS
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