Remote Work 2024: Finding the Balance

In a broader sense, the world is figuring out what types of businesses and industries are okay to work remotely – or not. According to David Lebensfeld, President and VFX Supervisor at Ingenuity Studios. “The VFX industry has gotten comfortable with the idea that remote work is here to stay. It’s interesting though – more workers are returning to the office in some locations more than others. So, for example, Europe has more workers returning to the office. Yet in New York City and Los Angeles, we’re finding that people want to continue working remotely.”

Lebensfeld observes, “Most artists do want the option. I think hybrid and remote work will endure in the VFX industry, if for no other reason than access to talent being key, and remote/hybrid options definitely expand the pool of qualified candidates.” In terms of key software and hardware that facilitate remote work, “There are common tools that everyone uses, including MS Teams and Zoom. We use Teradici to power remote working around the world,” Lebensfeld adds. “Remote work is supported well by the cloud. You can access workstations or storage from anywhere and move workstation demand closer to team member location, such as through AWS or Azure for improved latency speed, which is more or less attached to distance.”

Remote work is having a positive effect on many visual effects artists. “I think it is impacting work/life balance, quality of life and flexibility to handle family needs and work after the kids are sleeping,” Lebensfeld says. “All of this depends on the team member and the project needs at any given time. Sometimes, having work completed at odd hours really benefits a project timeline while still promoting a healthy balance.” He comments, “The hope is that post-strike demand returns to a level that is sustainable for the industry, and we happen to think that the option of remote work allows us to best meet our hiring goals, especially when demand spikes. I don’t think remote work fully replaces how people work together, however. In-person working and team interactions bring added benefits of additional context and relationship-building. I find that mentoring is often easier with in-person dialogue and rapport.”