Specter of a Spector Departure? [May 28, 2004, 2:35 pm ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
Shacknews is reporting
that "multiple sources" inform them that Warren Spector "is said to be leaving"
ION Storm, reporting the Austin Texas-based developer has also laid off 20-25
employees. Ion
Storm Implodes is the headline on a similar story on IGN, which reports on
the layoffs, as well as Eidos' explanation that this was a normal staff
reduction associated with the completion of the pair of game projects that were
underway at ION, quoting the publisher as dismissing the idea that Warren was
laid off as well, though they don't actually come out and say he did not quit.
They have yet to receive a reply from ION Storm, but this was Eidos' response to
questions about Warren's departure:
"Ah rumors... well that sounds like a good one... but it is just a rumor," said the representative. "He certainly has not been laid off."
Which is why I said they need to unionize, like Hollywood.
Notice, though, good teams in Hollywood stay together, they keep the brain trust intact. The other people, those that do what anyone can, have steady work because the union finds it. They don't go terribly long unemployed because someone is always looking for work, and contract issues are standard via the union, so it's all easy.
While this is quite true of the traditional arenas of film production (grips, gaffers, etc.), the increasingly large visual FX industry is not unionized, and several efforts to do so have failed utterly. It seems to be very difficult to unionize the 'newer' industries.
At this point in VFX, most of the larger studios only hire on short term contracts, and typically once the film is done, out the door they go. Smaller studios do hang on to the good talent they get, but since places such as ILM, PDI, Pixar, etc. have such a high profile 'glitz' factor associated with them, keeping good talent can be tough. When ILM calls and asks if you want to work on Episode 3, it's hard to resist (no matter what you think of the films, for vfx, having that on your resume gives you a free ticket to go nearly anywhere you want.) I have quite a few friends who have sort of evolved a lifestyle around this way of doing things. Since vfx often involves insane crunch periods, people work a job til it delivers, take a month (or 3) off, then decide what film they want to work on next.
In some ways it's affords a fair amount of freedom, but the crunch periods do wear on you after a while. After 7 years in that business I finally burned out and moved on to other things.
This comment was edited on May 28, 17:26.
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