How much do you think the new virus will impact the CGI industry?

#1

You can work from home. But who will need you ?

#2

Many larger studios are taking action to setup for pcoip solutions to work from home and talking with clients. Netflix sent studios an in depth 8 page document more oriented at onset but still very informative, document about dealing with corona as they wanted to try and prevent productions from being effected. The lucky thing is they’ve had some time to try and react compared to others but we have a very international workforce and studios of 50 to 1000.

How big the impact is impossible to predict. Look how many films and TV shows have gone on hiatus for onset. That affects the work coming in. Shows can and are postponing. If the UK and north American provinces and states start doing large scale quarantined like Italy then of course every industry stops dead there. They may not get that bad and it might be that studios get setup in time to allow the workers to work from home during a quarantine, but they may not.

I’ll tell you one thing. Some of the higher quality pcoip like teradici are seeing the same problem as the costs is are with toilet paper. How does a studio switch to providing hundreds of thin clients in days…

#3

My apologies was thinking more in a large studio sense, forgetting a lot of people here are freelance and boutique. I think studios and clients will see more and more the benefit of external freelancers not needing to be on site.

#4

Not pertinent to the industry as such, but here at Maxon we encouraged everyone who was already prepared to work from home to do so since the beginning of the week. We are now preparing everyone else, worldwide, to do so as well starting today. Chances are i will be one of the very few left in the HQ since i live here :slight_smile:
In general i think that one of the outcomes of Corona will be that work from home will be more common in the future.

#5

I don’t think that the “on site” factor was ever the big problem but the kind of services this industry provides. This industry is focused in products and services promotion.
For example if most factories close 'cause their demand is non-existent anymore (like furniture and non-essential consumables for nation-wide lockdowns) then their will not be the necessity for advertisement.

Flyers, invitations, TV ads, brochures, books, movies, labels, signs, architectural and any kind of visualisations will all be just unnecessary.

Only the most optimistic or most desperate will want to hire a graphics designer in the following months
(if the situation worsens).

#6

It won’t be if unfortunately.

It won’t be over in a couple of months and could easily last multiple years depending on how the virus mutates as it is not known yet if once infected and recovered you are immune to reinfection. It’s a new virus and there’s already at least two strains going round.

People are not going to want pretty pictures when they’re fearing for their lives, their families lives and burying their dead. Economies will be massively impacted even from now.

In the UK we have a government that appears to be being steered by sociopath who have begun to talk of taking it on the chin and herd immunity. Taking it on the chin at the current predicted death rate of over 2 million dead who would otherwise have lived many more years perhaps decades. ‘Many loved ones will die…’ Boris tells us.

But after the virus is defeated watch out for governments bringing in a whole new raft of austerity so they can pump the banks full of QE. I fear another tens years of slow growth and austerity.

#7

Gaming and animation will likely see an increase in demand if it is an extended period. Most film and TV onset productions are postponing now and yet we have seen a notable increase in console and streaming service demand already as people plan for even a simple two weeks quarantine mentality.

While Netflix is basically putting a stop to all love action production the due dates for episodes of two children’s cartoons I am working on for them are still aimed to be on schedule. As we saw in the great wars. People still need escapism and entertainment.

I do agree on the advertising and architectural fronts though, things will likely, greatly slow down for the next while.

#8

Probably virtual competition sports will increase their exposure also animation due to not necessary human interaction. I can see some advantages in medical and education areas or at least less hit.
it is possible that animation for teaching will get a big boost.

Of course the degree depends on intensity and time span of the virus.

#9

Historically not accurate. Pin up girls thrived during World War.

#10

I am in lockdown, whole country quarantined. .I’ll let you guys know if im able to work.