<p>I was in LA actually having dinner with some vfx people when this article came out. Their take on this was interesting: the article is essentially true, that a union would be great, but the fear is that outsourcing could increase. It’s kind of hard to see friends in the industry getting retirement and fantastic health benefits through their union.</p>
<p>Overtime: That is negotiated in the contract. All those I talked to got paid overtime, including one guy who had worked with the woman featured in the article. That applies to those working hourly for vfx-houses. But for independent projects, people many times bid on a particular deliverables, and their work time could vary considerably for the negotiated price.</p>
<p>Working non-stop: These guys work long hours on projects, but they do take decompression time as well. I talked to two who were in gap periods because it was their choice - turning down gigs because they wanted a break.</p>
<p>Independent contractor status: This sort of makes sense, since work is contracted on a film-by-film basis. When that work is done, you go on to another project, many times for a different company. The guys I talked to had worked on lots of films for lots of companies.</p>
<p>Cost of health insurance: Health insurance is not too expensive if you are young and healthy (my son pays less than $200 a month). But for the older guys, it could be an incredible expense.</p>
<p>Taxes: these guys had accountants and paid quarterly taxes which helped keep track of things.</p>