Forum - View topicNEWS: Crowdfunding Campaign Seeks to Expand Animator Dorms
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Waraich
Posts: 38 |
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Meh.. They should be looking at getting their pay raised instead.. This is not a good solution to this problem!
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walw6pK4Alo
 Posts: 9322 |
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They have no power to do that, that'd have to be a top-down decision and something foolish like an anime boycott would only make the situation worse because these animators still need projects to work on. There'd need be restructuring for the entire industry including the way production committees are formed and how they cut their profits with the animation studio tending to only be one partner out of several.
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H. Guderian
Posts: 1255 |
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By your suggestion:
Scenario A; "Hey thanks for hiring me, raise my pay now or....oh you don't want me back on the next project?" Scenario B; Artist simply doesn't work until pay is raised. Whenever that is. Potentially makes the same money elsewhere and delays entering the field they trained for, which can be fatal for someone's career. View this as a stop-gap measure. It slows the bleeding for a few lucky animators and provides a companion or two, not to mention job training. I'll check my finances and see what I'll do here. Some people complain buying anime and merchandise isn't enough to support the industry. here's a chance to support the animators who'll form the next generation of creators. Give 'em some love. |
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Narutofreak1412
 Posts: 338 |
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I contributed some money in the last campaign and now I also contributed a little for this new one!
I love animators, so although I don't have much money, I will contribute at least a few dollars, because if everyone thinks that way, we can gather a lot of money! I hope it will be the start of much more projects like this and the animation industry slowly changes. We need more young animators like Shingo Yamashita, who is really good and can teach new animators. I mean, most of the current Sakuga animators are veterans and already 50+. Who will guide the new people in the animation buisness in 20-30 years, if most of the animation is outsourced onto cheap low-quality studios nowadays? |
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Hameyadea
 Posts: 3679 |
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Again? The problem with this project is that it's a short-term quick-fix to a long-term, industry-sized issue. Sure, one can clog this hole in the dam this time, but the foundations are still eroding.
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Mr. Oshawott
 Posts: 6773 |
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Here's hoping the crowdfunding becomes a success. Those animators really need the help and expanding dorms is a good start.
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Crisha
Moderator
 Posts: 4290 |
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I missed out on the first chance to make a donation, but I was able to this time! I hope they make their goal!
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reanimator
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I have to agree that dormitory project is a stop gap measure. However bring in change to the current pay system requires tremendous effort and repercussion should be considered if the change ever happens. Also the pay system is exploiting legal loopholes of Japanese labor laws.
I've been doing an amateur translation of the history of Japanese animation labor union movement and I've found that the current issue of low animator pay is even before the "Astro Boy". In the beginning, Japanese animation industry used to hire animators of all levels as employees, but after labor strikes, poor management, and debt forced companies to adapt freelancer model and volume wage practice which companies hire most animators as contractors and pay based from how many sheets they can draw. Even worse, young animators who entered the industry after Anime Boom of 1970's, solidified the low pay practice further by entering the industry as fanboys who were willing to accept low pay just because they didn't have enough experience at that time. That practice has became the norm and even most senior animators accepts it as status quo as 90% of newbies drop out from the industry. Currently, unless animator reaches the top level as Animation Director/Supervisor or Director/Enshutsu, companies are likely to hire people only for production coordination and some senior-level animators as full employee. If we can ask young animators right now, their ultimate goal is to make to the top so that they could be hired as full employee with benefits. They think that they aren't good enough to receive higher pay until drawing skill improves and good drawing skill takes years to improve. That mindset is admirable and sacrificial, but not everyone makes to the top and things are not getting better after they retire. Translator Kaoru Kumi wrote a long essay in Japanese which labels Japanese animation industry as sweatshop industry. If you can handle Japanese pretty well, it worth reading. [url] http://synodos.jp/society/14091[/url] |
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H. Guderian
Posts: 1255 |
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The guy doing this isn't a CEO or on a Production Committee, he has no control over wages. This is a guy doing what he can with the name recognition he has.
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MarshalBanana
 Posts: 5527 |
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Well as said before you can't really raise their wages, animation already costs a lot, and the returns are not always high.
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Kadmos1
 Posts: 13626 Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP |
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While the rent is cheap and doesn't sound promising, it's a start.
I word at a local state Child Protective Services building where I make $8.75 as a FT File Clerk/Receptionist. My weekly paychecks are usu. around $283-$285. Both don't pay that well, however, if either is a beginning job, then it's a start. Heck, for a recent college grad, such pay is decent. |
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scchan
 Posts: 143 Location: Exeter, UK |
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To be frank, I think the goal is too low, and I am not sure it will help the greater problem. One is just financing 2-3 people housing - how are those presumably very lucky individuals are even chosen?
The dream is good, but you still have to be realistic in achieving the dreams. I think it would have been much better trying to influence board room decisions in Japanese TV stations and major anime studios with a bit of shareholder activism or encourage the animators to unionise. If you are going to throw money around for a dream, you better make sure you are at least getting some realistic results. |
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TokyoGetter
 Posts: 416 Location: CA. You can tell by the low moral standards. |
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The headline states "Crowdfunding Campaign Seeks to Expand Animator Dorms." Nowhere in the article does it say "one person will fix the entire industry with some dormitory housing."
People mis-construing this as an attempt to do so are sort of missing the point. |
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Cutiebunny
 Posts: 1772 |
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I just returned from Animazement, where Suguwara, Yamashita and Tamagawa were guests. They spoke about the Indigogo campaign and how they were expanding by buying a new facility that can hold up to four animators. I guess Suguwara used to award funds to talented newbies but instead, the prize this year is to live in the animator house.
Both Yamashita and Tamagawa spoke about how hard it was for them when they first started, and how they practically lived at the animation studio because they were paid, by completed drawing and earned roughly $900 a month. Because they would usually spend 10+ hours, six days a week in the studio, they were unable to get part time jobs. They said that the general impression that people have of the industry is that it's a Monday-Friday job and people go home to their families at night. I think the ANN articles, which focused on foreigners working in Japan, painted the industry with a far rosier picture than it is. I plan on donating to the campaign. Both guys were real sweet and they did quite a bit for those of us that attended their various autograph sessions. They also were really touched when I gave them each a SF Giants baseball cap. Being shown a small token of appreciation by a fan was not something they were used to and it meant a lot to them. |
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