Comments for Visual FX Digital Artists Guild http://www.fxdag.org/blog A Blog to Discuss the formation of a VFX Digital Artists Guild Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:16:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on The Mill uses Yurcor Employer of Record by Richard S http://www.fxdag.org/blog/2011/10/12/the-mill-uses-yurcor-to-make-artists-pay-their-own-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-1916 Richard S Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:16:54 +0000 http://www.fxdag.org/blog/?p=103#comment-1916 It's people like other Richard up there that make it their goal to allow artist abuse to flourish, by attempting to diminish the attempts at fair practices and call them a waste of time. I'm sure you work for Yurcor and you are not actually a freelancer or you wouldn't have made that comment. Please, either contribute some useful information or quit poisoning the well with your lies and propaganda! It’s people like other Richard up there that make it their goal to allow artist abuse to flourish, by attempting to diminish the attempts at fair practices and call them a waste of time. I’m sure you work for Yurcor and you are not actually a freelancer or you wouldn’t have made that comment. Please, either contribute some useful information or quit poisoning the well with your lies and propaganda!

]]> Comment on The Mill uses Yurcor Employer of Record by Steven Kaplan http://www.fxdag.org/blog/2011/10/12/the-mill-uses-yurcor-to-make-artists-pay-their-own-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-1880 Steven Kaplan Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:44:03 +0000 http://www.fxdag.org/blog/?p=103#comment-1880 I followed up my Yurcor post with one that talks about how to file with the California and New York state Departments of Labor to begin the process of recovering lost wages to companies like this. You can find the post at: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/wage-theft-what-can-you-do.html Steve Kaplan Labor Organizer The Animation Guild, Local 839 IATSE skaplan@animationguild.org I followed up my Yurcor post with one that talks about how to file with the California and New York state Departments of Labor to begin the process of recovering lost wages to companies like this.

You can find the post at: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/wage-theft-what-can-you-do.html

Steve Kaplan
Labor Organizer
The Animation Guild, Local 839 IATSE
skaplan@animationguild.org

]]> Comment on The Mill uses Yurcor Employer of Record by Nono Yabiznacz http://www.fxdag.org/blog/2011/10/12/the-mill-uses-yurcor-to-make-artists-pay-their-own-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-1872 Nono Yabiznacz Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:19:09 +0000 http://www.fxdag.org/blog/?p=103#comment-1872 Up Roar. Up Roar.

]]> Comment on The Mill uses Yurcor Employer of Record by Mike Vargas http://www.fxdag.org/blog/2011/10/12/the-mill-uses-yurcor-to-make-artists-pay-their-own-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-1818 Mike Vargas Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:29:50 +0000 http://www.fxdag.org/blog/?p=103#comment-1818 Richard, Which part of the Yurcor program do you think our readers don't understand? Is it the part about getting W2 employees to pay the both the employee and employer portions of FICA, FUTA and Unemployment Insurance? Is it the part about the additional vigorish the artist pays Yurcor for processing their paperwork? Administrative costs are usually born by the employer not the employee. Is it the part about employers engaging Yurcor and other EORs to reduce their administrative costs and pass those costs on to the freelancers? Richard,

Which part of the Yurcor program do you think our readers don’t understand?

Is it the part about getting W2 employees to pay the both the employee and employer portions of FICA, FUTA and Unemployment Insurance?

Is it the part about the additional vigorish the artist pays Yurcor for processing their paperwork? Administrative costs are usually born by the employer not the employee.

Is it the part about employers engaging Yurcor and other EORs to reduce their administrative costs and pass those costs on to the freelancers?

]]> Comment on The Mill uses Yurcor Employer of Record by Steven Kaplan http://www.fxdag.org/blog/2011/10/12/the-mill-uses-yurcor-to-make-artists-pay-their-own-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-1816 Steven Kaplan Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:15:32 +0000 http://www.fxdag.org/blog/?p=103#comment-1816 Richard, Something better with our time? I happen to believe recovering the illegally lost wages of visual effects artists who were ripped off under Yurcor's Employer of Record scheme quite an effective use of our time. I would suggest you heed your own suggestion and do some research on employee Loan-Out and Employer of Record companies. If you can find any example, or precedent, where an employee can legally be forced to pay the employer's share of federal and state taxes, I'll gladly recant my post. However, I think you'll find you're mistaken. If you've worked under Yurcor in the past and wish to have your rightful wages returned to you, don't hesitate to contact me at skaplan@animationguild.org or (818) 845-7500. Steve Kaplan Labor Organizer The Animation Guild, Local 839 IATSE skaplan@animationguild.org Richard,

Something better with our time? I happen to believe recovering the illegally lost wages of visual effects artists who were ripped off under Yurcor’s Employer of Record scheme quite an effective use of our time.

I would suggest you heed your own suggestion and do some research on employee Loan-Out and Employer of Record companies. If you can find any example, or precedent, where an employee can legally be forced to pay the employer’s share of federal and state taxes, I’ll gladly recant my post.

However, I think you’ll find you’re mistaken. If you’ve worked under Yurcor in the past and wish to have your rightful wages returned to you, don’t hesitate to contact me at skaplan@animationguild.org or (818) 845-7500.

Steve Kaplan
Labor Organizer
The Animation Guild, Local 839 IATSE
skaplan@animationguild.org

]]> Comment on The Mill uses Yurcor Employer of Record by Richard http://www.fxdag.org/blog/2011/10/12/the-mill-uses-yurcor-to-make-artists-pay-their-own-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-1811 Richard Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:47:33 +0000 http://www.fxdag.org/blog/?p=103#comment-1811 Do something better with your time, and learn about the program. While you are sitting here trying to get freelancers in an up raw, instead of truly helping them understanding the program is nonsense. I have freelanced for many years I read this publication because I had respect for its content. I know lately myself and many other freelancers are looking at this Guild with a lot less respect. Do something better with your time, and learn about the program. While you are sitting here trying to get freelancers in an up raw, instead of truly helping them understanding the program is nonsense. I have freelanced for many years I read this publication because I had respect for its content. I know lately myself and many other freelancers are looking at this Guild with a lot less respect.

]]> Comment on Confessions of a Union Buster via TAG Blog by Steve Kaplan http://www.fxdag.org/blog/2011/06/28/confessions-of-a-union-buster-via-tag-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-1579 Steve Kaplan Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:52:42 +0000 http://www.fxdag.org/blog/?p=97#comment-1579 Many thanks for re-posting this. I'd also submit a series of videos the AFL-CIO has released to help define and raise awareness toward collective bargaining. They went a bit far with the campy/kitschy humor for my tastes, but the message is important enough to bear through it. http://collectivebargainingfacts.com/ Many thanks for re-posting this. I’d also submit a series of videos the AFL-CIO has released to help define and raise awareness toward collective bargaining. They went a bit far with the campy/kitschy humor for my tastes, but the message is important enough to bear through it.

http://collectivebargainingfacts.com/

]]> Comment on Competing Against Studios on Crack by Once Again, Why VFX Isn’t ‘All Going To India’ « VFX Soldier http://www.fxdag.org/blog/2011/06/16/competing-against-studios-on-crack/comment-page-1/#comment-1571 Once Again, Why VFX Isn’t ‘All Going To India’ « VFX Soldier Mon, 27 Jun 2011 07:07:17 +0000 http://www.fxdag.org/blog/?p=91#comment-1571 [...] wrinkle for the Indian and Chinese VFX subcontractors that has been pointed out at the FXDag blog. Many of them are on crack: When I’ve asked Chinese and Indian counterparts about their software licensing, I’ve been [...] [...] wrinkle for the Indian and Chinese VFX subcontractors that has been pointed out at the FXDag blog. Many of them are on crack: When I’ve asked Chinese and Indian counterparts about their software licensing, I’ve been [...]

]]> Comment on Competing Against Studios on Crack by Mike Vargas http://www.fxdag.org/blog/2011/06/16/competing-against-studios-on-crack/comment-page-1/#comment-1552 Mike Vargas Fri, 17 Jun 2011 02:04:59 +0000 http://www.fxdag.org/blog/?p=91#comment-1552 I have only spoken with people at Indian and Chinese animation/fx houses. I don't have any well researched numbers but I seem to recall that one talented artist at a small studio in China said he was making around $1200/month and working about 60 hours a week. I've heard that artist salaries peak out around $2000/month in China. I have only spoken with people at Indian and Chinese animation/fx houses. I don’t have any well researched numbers but I seem to recall that one talented artist at a small studio in China said he was making around $1200/month and working about 60 hours a week. I’ve heard that artist salaries peak out around $2000/month in China.

]]> Comment on Competing Against Studios on Crack by John Montgomery http://www.fxdag.org/blog/2011/06/16/competing-against-studios-on-crack/comment-page-1/#comment-1550 John Montgomery Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:57:50 +0000 http://www.fxdag.org/blog/?p=91#comment-1550 Based upon the research you've done for this article, what kind of salaries are the artists making at the facilities you reference? In mature markets, as anyone who has been in management knows, artist salaries are a much larger part of the bottom line than software costs. And that's a good thing in my opinion -- pay the craftsman artist for their talent and reward with good working conditions. I think it would be great for VES to help improve the working conditions and salaries for artists in the emerging markets...that seems as though it would have way more impact in leveling the playing field. I prefer to use the term "emerging" and "mature" because I feel it's a misnomer to use the term "Asia". Markets such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and others shouldn't be lumped with the emerging post communities. Based upon the research you’ve done for this article, what kind of salaries are the artists making at the facilities you reference? In mature markets, as anyone who has been in management knows, artist salaries are a much larger part of the bottom line than software costs. And that’s a good thing in my opinion — pay the craftsman artist for their talent and reward with good working conditions. I think it would be great for VES to help improve the working conditions and salaries for artists in the emerging markets…that seems as though it would have way more impact in leveling the playing field.

I prefer to use the term “emerging” and “mature” because I feel it’s a misnomer to use the term “Asia”. Markets such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and others shouldn’t be lumped with the emerging post communities.

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