Exploitation of VFX Artists - With Senior CG Generalist Mark Woodcock | TVAP EP58 In this episode, I chat to senior CG Generalist Mark Woodcock about the exploitation of Artists in the VFX industry, following his recent and ongoing dispute with IXOR Visual FX. Mark joins the podcast to enlighten us, for the purpose of informing and educating other artists in order to be aware and avoid similar situations. We hope you find this episode useful, and would encourage artists to fight and speak out about injustices, to protect other artists from falling into similar issues. Follow Mark's LinkedIn post Disclaimer: The information shared by Mark comes from his recent experience with a Visual Effects studio and includes knowledge gained from former employees of that studio. Whilst he endeavours to provide factual information, he has asked me to specify that some incites such as ex-employees thoughts and a few instances of speculation cannot be 100% verified. His contract payment dispute is still on-going and verifiable which is the focus of the discussion. 00:00 Introduction & Disclaimer 01:17 Mark's story 04:39 The Recruitment Process 07:38 Lack of Communication and Organization 15:37 Payment Issues and Lack of Accountability 17:07 Introduction and Background 17:52 Unresolved Payment Issue 18:36 Impact on Freelancers 19:36 Financial Consequences 21:02 Limited Company and Financial Buffer 22:32 Fear of Speaking Up 23:58 Concerns from Other VFX Companies 24:58 Ownership and Legal Issues 28:43 Cracked Software and Legal Troubles 30:10 False Image and Misrepresentation 31:01 Manipulation of Services Offered 32:23 Poor Quality of Work 33:16 Resolution and Awareness 35:29 Manipulation of Reviews 36:43 Investigation and Glassdoor Reviews 38:29 Prioritizing Job Security 39:21 False Offices and Deterrence 39:50 Lack of Resolution and Communication 40:24 Exploitation in the UK 41:30 Importance of Contracts 43:38 Exploitation in Other Studios 47:25 Working Without Contracts 48:43 Other Sketchy Experiences 51:44 Protecting Artists and Changing the Industry 52:43 Diversifying and Finding Other Opportunities Watch the full videos 📣Inside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (Part-1)       https://youtu.be/C6n0zndRPDI 📣Inside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (Part-2)      https://youtu.be/BNXNMo32oes As always, if you liked this episode, please 👍 like, 📝 comment, 📢 subscribe, and 📣 share! Listen to all episodes on our website https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/ Follow Us 👍👍📌📌 ◉ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thevfxartistspodcast ◉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevfxartistspodcast/ ◉ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vfxartistspod ◉ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-vfx-artists-podcast/ Subscribe: @TheVFXArtistsPodcast Listen on 🔊🔊🎧🎧 ◉ Apple Podcasts:  https://apple.co/3NSllZG ◉ Amazon Misuc: https://amzn.to/3UrOrSn ◉ Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3fWyuog ◉ Stitcher: https://bit.ly/3EjHUmY You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel. Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our website Thank you for your support! We appreciate you!