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@ia_stories

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TV/Film workers share stories about our work environments to build solidarity across crews/crafts
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Animation crew kept the studios afloat during the pandemic by working from home. This new way of working proved successful, yet several studios are insisting on reverting to their old, in-studio work models for crew even if that means putting their health at risk.
#NewDeal4Animation #IAstories

Image description: screenshots of white writing on a black background with text of a crew member sharing their personal story - full text available in alt text. When Covid started, the animation industry pivoted on a dime to a work from home model. It was a rapid shift but it worked. We continued working hard even in the face of the pandemic. I even found the added space and quiet of home to help me stay focused.
Over the past few weeks especially, studios are pushing us hard to return to the office. Multiple times this week I have been asked to come to the office for one reason or another. by @ia_stories

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Schedules for animation crew are unsustainable and leading to burnout.
#NewDeal4Animation #IAstories

Image description: screenshots of white writing on a black background with text of a crew member sharing their personal story - full text available in alt text. I work as an animator for a major feature film studio. Over the years I’ve seen a trend of studios working us harder and harder with no end in sight. Each year we have a guaranteed crunch period where we work 55-75 hour weeks for several months. To be fair, the overtime is paid but the long hours are exhausting, mentally draining, and burn everyone out. The turnover is so high - artists are being recycled every week. by @ia_stories

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Crew working in female dominated crafts continue to be underpaid not only in live action, but animation as well. Learn more about Color Designers’ fight for pay equity at: @colordesign839
#NewDeal4Animation #EqualPay4EqualPaint #IAstories

Image description: screenshots of white writing on a black background with text of a crew member sharing their personal story - full text available in alt text. Here is my IA Story. I've worked as a Color Designer since 2014, exclusively for major signatory studios as an 839 Animation Guild member.

I want to share my experience working as a Color Design Lead for a major animation studio. I was given that title while I had 8 years of professional industry experience under my belt. My responsibilities included color designing every animated asset for the production (4 seasons), as well as overseeing all of the work of our two color design freelancers. At that time, while I was overseeing the work of a color design team, I was being paid less than the background painters, character designers, by @ia_stories

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Schedules in animation are causing burnout and leading to shrinking opportunities for new and diverse talent to enter the industry.
#NewDeal4Animation #IAstories

Image description: screenshots of white writing on a black background with text of a crew member sharing their personal story - full text available in alt text. TAG839 member here. I am in a Supervisor position and from the top down view of things... the situation is dire. Artists are working in a breakneck pace all while knowing the will once again need to be job hunting within a few months. The stress never lets up.
Despite doing everything in my power to alleviate crunch and get extra helping hands, I discovered that burned out artists cannot "recover" while working if they are already burned out. It is a katamari ball of stress, anxiety, and over work that takes more than a short break to shake off. by @ia_stories

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Career instability and overwork that leads to injury, has been a common theme in these stories from animation crew.
#NewDeal4Animation #IAstories

Image description: screenshots of white writing on a black background with text of a crew member sharing their personal story - full text available in alt text. I’ve been in animation for over ten years now and I would say I feel less secure in the industry than I did when I joined. I barely make more than what I did when I joined and was less experienced, and anytime I ask for more I am told it isn’t in the budget, or recently I was ghosted for the first time. When I asked around some of my younger colleagues said that happens to them on a regular basis. Animation is severely underpaid and undervalued compared to the rest of Hollywood, and that’s saying a lot since the rest of Hollywood is also underpaid and undervalued. by @ia_stories

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Putting in unpaid overtime creates an unrealistic precedent that studios will come to expect of all crew.
#NewDeal4Animation #IAstories

Image description: screenshots of white writing on a black background with text of a crew member sharing their personal story - full text available in alt text. My first time storyboarding I was green, excited, and had ENERGY. In an attempt to prove myself worthy, I told my director I was planning to polish up my work over the weekend. He immediately said “Don’t.”
He told me stories of artists putting in secret overtime to prove adequate, to meet insane deadlines, or just being passionate. Producers KNOW artists do this and take advantage. If you put in 60 hours of work and charge 40, they will expect that standard from EVERYONE and shorten the schedule b/c if you can do the work in “less time”, everyone should. It’s not sustainable. That advice has proven true repeatedly. by @ia_stories

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The pay disparities between animation and live action not only exist for writers, but editors as well.
#NewDeal4Animation #IAstories

Image description: screenshot of white writing on a black background with text of a crew member sharing their personal story - full text available in alt text. Picture editors that work on animated projects are still part of MPEG, not TAG. However, did you know there is an “animation editor” rate on these shows that is lower than the live action rate? That’s right, if you’re a union picture editor working on an animated series at a major studio, the rate will likely be lower than if you were working on a live action series at the same studio (unless you are able to negotiate for your live action rate). I’ve cut both live action and animation. It’s the same job using the same skill set, but a different workflow to get to the finish line. Union editing should be Union editing. I don’t know why animation pays less for the crafts it shares with live action (writing, editing, etc) but it’s time for that to change. by @ia_stories

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This crew member shares their experience of working from home (wfh) combined with the unstable conditions of work for new media.
#NewDeal4Animation #IAstories

Image description: screenshots of white writing on a black background with text of a crew member sharing their personal story - full text available in alt text. Local 839 member here 👋 Streaming has made season orders these days so short, most of us are hustling for our next job as soon as we start a new one lest we end up unemployed for months on end and lose our insurance. Due to short orders, we barely get enough time to adapt to each show’s voice and art style which can take a while for the whole crew to break in. We don’t get to know our crew mates these days either, not really. Most of us are still wfh and aren’t introduced to one another; you’ll usually have a single individual to communicate with for work submissions. And with such a short work contract, it’s difficult to reach out and make those connections. by @ia_stories

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New media refers to production work on shows for streaming platforms. This crew member shares their experience while working on such a production.
#NewDeal4Animation #IAstories

Image description: screenshots of white writing on a black background with text of a crew member sharing their personal story - full text available in alt text. When I got my first boarding job, I was offered $400 below union weekly minimums (at a union studio on a new media show). I took it because I was so excited about the promotion and really wanted to get the experience.
The workload was absolutely insane. I worked 15+ hour days and weekends - the rest of the story crew did, too, and since this was my first boarding job I thought I shouldn't complain because the senior board artists didn't. I was afraid to submit OT because I didn't want to be viewed as the problem. I wouldn't be able to support myself if I lost my job. by @ia_stories

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There seems to be an Insta bug where people are getting this message when trying to DM us. Our DM settings haven’t changed and should be allowing anyone to message us. We are working to try and resolve the issue.

Image description - screenshot of an error message saying that a message can’t be sent without the account following them. by @ia_stories

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A crew member shares their experience working as a Production Assistant who is hard of hearing (h.o.h.) at an animation studio, along with a supportive message to those currently working as a PA’s.
#NewDeal4Animation #IAstories

Image description: screenshots of white writing on a black background with text of a crew member sharing their personal story - full text available in alt text. I'm finally okay with telling some of my animation stories from my time in a bigger studio in the south.
This studio has changed my view of bigger animation studios to this day. I have trauma that I'm still working through and it's been almost a year since I was laid off. As a PA I was doing the work of 5 different positions constantly at once. I was sent to the ER for severe chest pains due to the daily stress i went through there, that's ridiculous. by @ia_stories

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An Editor shares their experience in animation along with a supportive message for animation crew.
#NewDeal4Animation #IAstories

Image description: screenshot of white writing on a black background with text of a crew member sharing their personal story - full text available in alt text. Ouch, these animation stories have been rough. I used to edit animation, but I got out of it after probably the 3rd time a studio just stopped paying people and told lies to string us along (non-union). I was able to switch to a different genre, but I felt terrible for all those animators. They are SO talented, and they are so invested in what they do. I can't draw at all, but they can all work magic with a pencil, and they're rewarded with a career full of minimum wage gigs and brutal working conditions. To make all of the shows/movies that every kid loves. by @ia_stories

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