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VFX Credits-Why so many??


Gareth Munden

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Hello all

 

In my Christmas Turkey filled stupor I watched a lot of big budget movies on TV (most of 'em pretty good I guess) One I watched was Tim Burton's Charlie and the chocolate factory. Back in my day as a stills photographer I worked on this film, enjoyed it very much, made some great friends. Some of which I work with now in my role as a DOP, Sparks and grips etc. Now there were many working on this film (including the ones I work with now) in all sorts of roles, big and small. All in their way important to the finished film. So why is it that so many of them are NOT included in the closing credits? And can someone tell me why so many people are mentioned from VFX? Every Mac monkey gets a nod. WHY? What about all the runners, the hair and make-up on dailies, Sparks and trainees. The guys down the lab, the prep guys at the rental house, they all make the film. Why do we need to know the name of every Data wrangler and not every spark? It's not just Charlie that's guilty of this, just that I was there and worked with so many that are not mentioned.

 

Am I the only one that wonder why VFX guys get so much exposure or have I just eaten to many mince pies?

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Hello all

 

In my Christmas Turkey filled stupor I watched a lot of big budget movies on TV (most of 'em pretty good I guess) One I watched was Tim Burton's Charlie and the chocolate factory. Back in my day as a stills photographer I worked on this film, enjoyed it very much, made some great friends. Some of which I work with now in my role as a DOP, Sparks and grips etc. Now there were many working on this film (including the ones I work with now) in all sorts of roles, big and small. All in their way important to the finished film. So why is it that so many of them are NOT included in the closing credits? And can someone tell me why so many people are mentioned from VFX? Every Mac monkey gets a nod. WHY? What about all the runners, the hair and make-up on dailies, Sparks and trainees. The guys down the lab, the prep guys at the rental house, they all make the film. Why do we need to know the name of every Data wrangler and not every spark? It's not just Charlie that's guilty of this, just that I was there and worked with so many that are not mentioned.

 

Am I the only one that wonder why VFX guys get so much exposure or have I just eaten to many mince pies?

 

I'm dead jealous that you worked on catcf! Someone was going to sneak me onto the Alice set at one point, just for fun but I didn't get about to it!

 

I think yr question is a good one tho. My suspicion is that it's because the VFX ppl are seperate from the main shoot and the company hands them a list of credits. They don't really understand who they are or what they did so they just decide to include the lot of them to be safe.

 

It's an arbitary thing who gets listed in credits generally I suspect tho, like many things in life!

 

love

 

Freya

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Hello all

 

In my Christmas Turkey filled stupor I watched a lot of big budget movies on TV (most of 'em pretty good I guess) One I watched was Tim Burton's Charlie and the chocolate factory. Back in my day as a stills photographer I worked on this film, enjoyed it very much, made some great friends. Some of which I work with now in my role as a DOP, Sparks and grips etc. Now there were many working on this film (including the ones I work with now) in all sorts of roles, big and small. All in their way important to the finished film. So why is it that so many of them are NOT included in the closing credits? And can someone tell me why so many people are mentioned from VFX? Every Mac monkey gets a nod. WHY? What about all the runners, the hair and make-up on dailies, Sparks and trainees. The guys down the lab, the prep guys at the rental house, they all make the film. Why do we need to know the name of every Data wrangler and not every spark? It's not just Charlie that's guilty of this, just that I was there and worked with so many that are not mentioned.

 

Am I the only one that wonder why VFX guys get so much exposure or have I just eaten to many mince pies?

 

 

Wow, you are arguing people that bust their asses working insane hours for months and months on a movie should not get credit. Nice.

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Wow, you are arguing people that bust their asses working insane hours for months and months on a movie should not get credit. Nice.

 

 

 

Never said that did I??? But SO many of the shooting crew never get a credit. Bust their arses, in a chair?

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You are comparing "mac monkeys" to runners, like there is any comparison whatsoever to the level of skill and talent it takes to do one job vs the other.

 

He does have a point, even though it was poorly worded. Everyone should be credited properly.

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You are comparing "mac monkeys" to runners, like there is any comparison whatsoever to the level of skill and talent it takes to do one job vs the other.

 

 

Mate. Every job is important. I did mention sparks as well. But if we are staying on the subject, why does all the orchestra from the score not get named? Are you going to compare a Violinist of 20 years to a Junior Data Wrangler? Freya was right I think, they have no idea what the VFX people all do, that's why they get away with murder on the fee!!!!

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Bust their arses, in a chair?

 

Yes, actually, working 18 hours a day for six months, with no breaks, sitting down, is pretty physically destructive. This is not a 9 to 5 job like working in a bank, where people just do the job and forget about it in evenings and weekends. Since there is no VFX union, getting a credit on screen is one of the few carrots they can dangle to talented artists, to make them work in what is pretty much a sweatshop.

 

 

Mate. Every job is important. I did mention sparks as well. But if we are staying on the subject, why does all the orchestra from the score not get named? Are you going to compare a Violinist of 20 years to a Junior Data Wrangler? Freya was right I think, they have no idea what the VFX people all do, that's why they get away with murder on the fee!!!!

 

You appear to have no idea what VFX people do, therefore, you are wrongly assuming they get away with... whatever it is you think they are getting away with.

 

CafeFX, one of the major vfx companies that worked on Alice, is closing its doors because effects companies don't make much money.

 

Sparks get credited. Musicians should be credited if they are not. By far the largest list of uncredited workers on the movie you mentioned is for people working on VFX. Go ahead, check on imdb.

 

R.

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