How to Nail the 2024 VFX Uptick, 3 key moves VFX studio Leaders should consider now.

It's no secret that the VFX market has hit rock bottom. Big studios' pipelines are draining, and everyone wonders when this will reboot. Well, it ranges from a couple of months to up to 10 months...??

Ok, before everyone goes crazy, let's talk about the market. We have two significant segments: un-subsidized and subsidized projects. For big shows, recruiting might be in 6-10 months, but smaller shows will start to pop around in the coming months.

So what's your next move? Here are three key strategies you need to consider to be ready for the VFX ramp-up of 2024.

Scaling Fast is Hard:

Expanding from a small group to a large team takes time and effort. You will need proper preparation to avoid a mess, as it can quickly become a shit show where nothing gets done properly. Devoting sufficient time to train and onboard new employees with up-to-date documentation of all your processes is paramount. Take the time to evaluate and ensure your company's approach is efficient and effective. How much time do you need for a new hire to get up to speed?

Here are some lessons to be taken from the process of efficient expansion:?

1. Plan thoroughly:?Review your strategies and identify potential roadblocks. Plan for different scenarios and ensure you have the resources to handle them. Lead time to acquire new hardware and infrastructure or learn new software.
2. Invest in your team:?Hiring the right people is critical, training them effectively and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed is equally important.
3. Document procedures:?My rule of thumb is that if I have to explain something to more than 3-5 people, I'll write a wiki page and send people to that before answering questions and update it regularly based on feedback. As your team grows, it becomes increasingly important to document procedures to ensure consistency and efficiency.
4. Monitor progress:?Track your progress against your goals and adjust your strategies when necessary. This will help you identify potential issues early on and address them before they become significant problems. Being flexible and adapting to this volatile market.

According to a study conducted by C.B. Insights, the top reason companies fail is due to a lack of market need AkA "Giant Ass Strike," or the second most common reason is a lack of resources, including funding and personnel. And this is all about how good you are at scaling.

Tech That Hustles for You:?

The industry is moving quickly; strike or not, our tech needs to follow. Staying current in hardware and software is essential to stay competitive. According to a recent survey by Deloitte, 81% of businesses believe investing in the latest technology is critical to achieving their goals. Some VFX studios tneed to run carbon dating to find the software versions, no bueno. This includes your H.R. systems, Payroll, VFX Pipeline, Wiki, dailies, Ingest, deliveries, etc...?

1. use a cleaver HR system (Check Workable or similar)
2. Get a Wiki that everyone can contribute ( Check Confluence , Nuclino , etc..)
3. Your VFX pipeline suck? go Open Source ( Check Ynput , Avalon, Prism )
4. Scale in the cloud ( Amazon can subsidize the cost; ask me how)
5. Get face-to-face in Virtual Office ( Check out Cosmos Video ) After all this... take a big, long breath and jump both feet into AI.
6. ComfyUI (animDiff, ControlNet, Lora's, IpAdapter, Diffusion models, etc...)
7. Nerf, Gaussian splatting, 3d diffusions, Cuebric etc...
8. Stay up to date. AI move Fast

Even if everything AI feels very experimental, you can be sure this will be a part of the future of VFX. Knowledge is a must to stay in the race. Pro tips: Bring your lawyer for the ride; you'll need him.

Culture Fit is not a hippie concept.

Hiring for culture fit is crucial to ensure that your organization's values align with those of your employees. Authenticity is critical to attracting the right people and achieving clear goals with high spirits. Studies have shown that companies with a strong culture outperform their competitors by up to 20%.

Here are some actionable steps to prioritize culture fit in your hiring process:

1.?Define your core values:?Strong Culture starts with understanding yourself. Identify the most important values to your organization and use them as a guide when evaluating potential hires—work flexibility, Minimal OverTime, Horizontal management, etc. Whatever you fancy, but don't try to please everyone; failing to deliver doesn't look good.

2.?Incorporate culture fit into your interview process:?Ask questions assessing how well the candidate's values align with your organization's values. Anything goes, really, as weird as it may be.

3.?Involve your team:?Have team members meet with the candidate to gauge their fit with the company culture. This is easily done in a virtual office, opening the door for the team to discuss with new candidates. They have so much more chance to feel at home down the line.

By prioritizing culture fit, you can reduce turnover, increase employee satisfaction, and create a more cohesive and productive team. Hiring for culture fit is not a hippie concept. It's more relevant than ever. Stay authentic, and the right people will naturally come to you.

The bottom line for 2024 is simple: scale wisely, don't delay tech upgrades, and keep your team's vibe genuine. If you get these right, you're set for an epic comeback.

P.S.. If you are interested in a Virtual Office, AWS Cloud VFX pipeline, A.I. or Building a Remote VFX team that delivers. D.M. me / Book a call.?

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