Industrial Light & Magic Artist Reviews

Pros

Great artists, amazin talents. If you like franchises, really good projects Good for the CV Good salaries There is a will to change things, but things take very long to materialise Some good Disney benefits (free parks entries)

Cons

old pipeline artist management is not great contract renewal usually done at the last minute London office doesn't get the same benefits as SF, ILM SF has a long VFX culture that didn't not reach London. uneven quality of supervisors, some are great some are bad They struggle to get new work, which resulted on a massive wave of lay off. More and more work is sent to 3rd party companies. No much space to grow,... limited career development.

Advice to Management

There is work in modernising the pipeline but this is moving too slowly. ILM has to find a way to be more competitive. Maybe reduce the number of supervisor, streamline some departments, be more agile with the artists. Be more reactive, everything moves too slowly.

Pros

Working on the biggest/best projects in the entertainment industry, all of the time.

Cons

Chose to leave after seeing layoffs, at the same time we were hearing we'd made record earnings on films. All of the work is being outsourced.

Advice to Management

Fairer pay for Jr artists that live in the area, keep work in the Bay, otherwise management is pretty awesome.

Pros

The story of this place and the people that started everything is so inspiring.

Cons

No morale No culture anymore, it's turning into a production line Long hours You will get emails about how the company is thriving, how successful the projects are thanks to you, but you will no get bonuses anymore. A promotion is just impossible, Managers don't really pay attention to who is who, they usually promote the whiners and not the most talented or hard workers. If you are not a supervisor nobody... will pay attention to your suggestions or feedback. Salaries are awful no work-life balance in San Francisco, the most expensive city in the world. The work is now done in Vancouver mostly, San Francisco only gets the left-overs Not a healthy competition environment. Trying to save money they turned the work areas into a homeless camp.

Advice to Management

You are losing people because of the lack of morale, the micromanagement is also killing the passion. Listen to your employees, make managers understand everyone's level so you can promote people in a fair way , they are moire like "bosses" than leaders. Reward people, they are your company! Trying to save money hiring Jr's is not smart, you are losing Senior artist that now are leaving your company and will... eventually turn into your competition. Managers are incompetent.

Pros

Not one besides the fact it's got this big name and good benefits.

Cons

If you are not friends with the right group of people you are out. You might say that's any company out there but I've been at almost all of the big companies in the industry. Nothing even comes close the how ILM works.

Advice to Management

Stop giving out any kind of work related special treatment to your friends. It's so painfully obvious. Stop treating your drinking buddies in the departments like employees first class and the rest like disposable attachments. Stop giving them the best work unconditionally and the rest who doesn't suck up to the gods of the departments are neglected. Stop giving long contracts and staff to only your drinking buddy... sweat hearts. It's so obvious. And for God's sake stop promoting the most useless people just because you are friends with them. Everybody on the floor sees what your are doing.

Pros

good benefits for employees, used to be better pre disney

Cons

Managers who truly have no idea what the persons they manage actually do. if you not buddy buddy with them you won't go anywhere and will have actively thrown hurdles in your way.

Advice to Management

get managers to actually take interest in the day to day work.

Pros

Good tech and pipe. Work colleagues are nice

Cons

The moaniest place ever worked. No loyalty to employees. If someone is cheaper than you expect the shove out at earliest opportunity. Incessant emails telling company how well it's doing while letting employees go. No reward for trying harder or giving your all. Awful office more like a cold call center. Badly run departments and expect to work pressured overtime for nothing. It's ILM in name only, more exciting... shows at other places (proved by lack of awards) .

Advice to Management

Nothing. You promise change just to keep people passive or not to be like other vfx houses yet low and behold exactly same. No advice because you don't listen.

Pros

Great team. Join the force!!

Cons

Improve leadership and paycheck is bad in this place (Singapore)

Advice to Management

Need to treat the staff great

Pros

Although the wages are low the work environment is great. The experience gained is worth it in my opinion. Good luck!

Cons

Low wages. It's not the best place to work if you need an income over 100 k. Still a great place.