2024 IATSE VFX Return to Work Survey

After a historic year featuring client and vendor-side workers internationally putting aside their fears and demanding a voice on the job and a home in IATSE with our entertainment coworkers, we are again asking for your work history from the past year.

Our goal is to create a more sustainable VFX industry for all, and for workers to have a seat at the table to exercise consent over their own life. And of course, we hope to use this information to understand where folks are working and how to connect you to your coworkers to find collective solutions to our problems.

We are asking that you complete the poll below for your most recent show worked on in 2023 or early 2024, whichever is most current. In order to ensure the authenticity of this survey, we need to collect contact information for all respondents. We will not be publishing any personal information. VFX Union volunteers plan to follow up with survey responders, which is the cornerstone of our campaign. Click here to view last year’s results: https://vfxunion.org/2022-survey-results/.

Please note, this survey is intended for workers based in the United States and its territories. If you are a VFX Worker in Canada, we have a survey specifically for you here: https://canada.iatse.net/vfx-survey/

In the last 18 months, what was the best rate and title you worked? (e.g. 2000/wk Senior Coordinator) *Please note if you work 1099

What is your current employment status? *

Currently or most recently are/were you working on the vendor side or client side? *

Vendor Client

Client-side workers: Are you on a show right now? Current project title/code name (Completely confidential, never being shared)

What is your current or most recent job title? *

Where are you currently working from or where did you most recently finish working?*

What rate (in USD) are you currently or most recently paid for this job title? Do not include kit or box rental. *

Was this rate paid as a weekly guarantee or hourly rate? *

Weekly Hourly

On your last project, were you paid as a W-2 employee, or as a contractor through a 1099? *

W-2 1099

Does your employer pay you overtime if you work past a certain number of hours per day? *

Yes No

Who is your current or most recent employer? (If vendor side put the name of the vendor, not the studio that hired the vendor)

Enter other employer here if not on above list

Does your employer provide all the equipment needed to complete your job? Are you expected to provide your own equipment to complete your work? *

Standard $500 computer rental/per show Full kit rental for show duration/capped Full kit rental for show duration/no cap No kit rental No equipment needed

In the last year, much of the industry was under layoff status - if you were laid off this year, do you feel your employer handled the layoff fairly? (continued providing healthcare, severance, etc.)*

Yes No Not Laid Off

Do you receive healthcare through your employer? *

Yes, for the length of my job only. Yes, I have employer-provided healthcare that travels from job-to-job with me No, my employer does not offer me healthcare No, I receive healthcare through other means

Does your employer contribute to any retirement fund (401K, pension fund, etc)? *

Yes No

Do you receive any payment for being forced to work through legally-mandated break times and rest periods (meal penalties)?

Yes No

Do you get a guaranteed rest period (turnaround) between when you leave work and when you have to return?

Yes No

Does your employer provide any training or educational resources to you and fellow VFX coworkers to ensure you can succeed in your role?

Yes No

Do you feel that there are safety, training, and hiring practices in place in your work that help ensure employees are qualified for their jobs and can work safely? Please rate this on a scale of 1-5, (1 = workers lives in jeopardy 5 = workers are completely secure and protected.)

Does the use of outsourcing by studios and VFX vendors threaten your work here in the United States?*

What is your biggest fear or challenge to career stability in VFX? *

Do you think VFX work is sustainable long-term for you? Why or why not? *

What is your top priority for what you would want to see improved or changed at your employer to make work in VFX more sustainable for you and your co-workers?

Do you feel that you as an individual worker have the ability to negotiate viable solutions to these priorities?

Yes No It depends

If you had a chance to vote today to have your employer join the VFX Union, would you vote YES?*

Yes No Maybe

Are you willing to help organize your studio or workplace? *

Yes, I'd love to help! I support you, but I'm too busy right now No

Are you willing to share this survey with your coworkers? Information is power so help us build ours!*

Yes No

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Thank you for participating in the survey!

Great work completing the survey. The more responses we get, the the more accurate the results will be. Can you commit to sharing this with 3-5 of your contacts? Survey link is https://vfxunion.org/survey

Once this poll closes the results will be tallied, anonymized, and distributed in summer 2024 by email. Be sure to follow IATSE and the VFX Production Group on Instagram, as results will be published there as well!