Nathan McGuinness on the closing of Asylum VFX

4 Comments

Randi Altman interviews Asylum VFX owner Nathan McGuinness for Post Magazine on the recent closing of the Santa Monica-based studio: "[We] could not compete with the tax incentives and the visual effects companies around the world."

Comments

by higgedyhiggles - December 3, 2010 7:36 am

knowing someone who worked at Asylum I was told it all ended rather shabbily. in typical fashion the people at the top crapped over the people at the bottom, made sure all the work was completed then turned around and told the staff they wouldn`t be paid for it.
this is very common these days and i think its time it was made an offence myself. its fraud.

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by Pablo Hadis - December 3, 2010 10:18 am

According to a report from Variety: “McGuinness expressed his regret that artists will be left unpaid for their final week’s work.”
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118027742

There’s much praise around for Nathan McGuinness’ work at Asylum, including from ppl who worked there. He does not seem at all like someone who would enjoy being in such a situation, or who wouldn’t do the best he could for artists at his facility.

Check out this comment by Scott Ross, presumably the founder of Digital Domain:
http://www.fxguide.com/qt/3161/asylum-visual-effects-closing/comment-page-1#comment-13850

It seems like this is one of those regrettable situations where no one ends up winning.

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by othoap - December 5, 2010 11:54 am

Could the company sign over a license seats to a employee that didn’t get paid? Or a computer, aeron chair? Would be better then nothing.

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by Pablo Hadis - December 6, 2010 10:58 am

Agreed. That would at least be some compensation.

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