Actors may be the stars of any film or television show, but everyone would agree that production staff, which includes writers and VFX artists, among others, are the backbone or foundation of any project. Marvel Studios has already made headlines in the past about how it treats its production staff, but a recent report emerged online and made fans think Marvel is digging its own grave with all these behind-the-scenes issues.
According to Vulture’s new report, Marvel’s lack of organization in collaborating with VFX houses and the poor rates it provides to their artists, despite being a money-making franchise, are just two reasons why they avoid working with the studios.
An anonymous animator who worked on past Marvel Cinematic Universe projects revealed that Marvel tends to alter endings rather than stick to what was initially agreed upon in pre-production, which makes things rather messy when they shouldn't have been. “They don’t figure stuff out early enough. So they rewrite, redo, and fumble in the dark for a long time while we are doing the VFX,” said the animator.
ALSO READ: Cate Blanchett Breaks Silence on Her MCU Future
Vulture’s report also revealed that Marvel pays its VFX artists 20% less than other companies, despite its movies doing well and the fact that the VFX industry is one of the most overworked in the production slate. One unnamed artist estimates they are completing four times the amount of work they are being compensated for. “The minute I deliver [movie name redacted],” said the artist, “I'm never coming back.”
Among the VFX workers who opened up about their unpleasant experiences was visual effects technician Mark Patch. According to him, Marvel wanted a 10-hour show to have over 3,000 feature-quality shots on a shorter timeline, meaning three straight months of 18-hour workdays without any days off. Patch said he left the contract after learning this. They said, “Okay, well, do you want a job on our next show?” And I said, “No.”
Patch also explained that given the studios’ unfavorable demands, they tend to target independent filmmakers to have the chance to be in full control of their projects. “They just get some guy who made a cheap movie or an indie thing with a positive buzz," he told Vulture. “And they say, ‘Okay, we can guide this person to do what we want.’”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Echo Producer Reveals Marvel Rushed Show's Production
Despite Marvel being one of the major franchises that’s hard to penetrate, MCU talent like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's Tatiana Maslany and showrunner Jessica Gao expressed support for the VFX community. "I think everyone on this panel stands in solidarity with workers and is pro-workers," Gao said. The studios are currently working with several different VFX companies, like Weta Digital and Framestore. Given the issues, Marvel is reportedly considering building an in-house VFX studio to combat complaints from third-party workers.
In case you missed it: Marvel Reveals Bill Murray Official Role In Ant-Man 3
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!