Granted, the clip that went viral was only 40 seconds of a larger conversation, much of which Adam Conover was complimentary toward VFX artists and wanted them to have better working conditions, too. But Stephane Ceretti noted how that one section did contain some misinformation, which he was quick to correct, “I watched the entire thing. But in this section he clearly says that everything now looks like s***, blames it on rotoscoping (huh???)…I guess I can see he’s saying it’s the fault of the people who want faster cheaper, but he’s a writer!! how can you explain yourself so poorly?”
Conover eventually commented on Ceretti’s post, apologizing for not clearly explaining the situation and reiterating his support for VFX workers. Ceretti accepted the apology but made clear he wants more to be done to show respect toward those who work in this industry: “We’re very twitchy right now about so much bashing happening with hate for CGI and articles that negate the work so many VFX artists do with passion and love. We should have a talk.” Ultimately, writers and VFX artists need to be on the same side. Any issues with either profession in Hollywood are the fault of studio heads who don’t provide their workers with the money, time, or resources to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
And fortunately, things might look up for VFX workers moving forward. In August 2023, it was reported that Marvel VFX artists had voted to unionize and join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Union protections mean better pay and better work conditions for those employees under the Marvel banner, at least. But if successful, it could reverberate throughout the industry, allowing VFX houses to have more control over the work they produce that generates billions for movie studios.
