NegiKitsu

do they pay these people in USD or Peso? If it's Peso I bet all of these people could make a better living freelancing it online for euros and USD.

It’s not necessarily about more money — it’s about getting the money they fairly earned and was promised for the work they did. Getting another job solves money problems for one person. It leaves the rest of the industry vulnerable. Freelance isn’t for everyone either.

It also doesn’t matter so much in what currency if it’s below minimum wage, because that is illegal within the context of their pay. It’s worth it to try to fix the system, I think, in addition to stopgap measures. Freelance does not come with stability or company benefits.

Artists around the world are fighting to have their trade recognized as skilled labor producing luxury goods. It is expensive (in time and/or money) to be a skilled enough artist to go pro. They seek compensation that reflect the high demand for their time and skill.

Unfortunately, the demand/supply equilibrium is handled by management who exploits the middleman position. This phenomenon has resulted in a shortage of new animators in Japan. Existing animators are often overworked as a result but they are still underpaid due to the system.

Many studios across the world outsource to countries with lower costs of living and weaker currency to cut costs. That they are being paid below min wage when already cost-slashed — that endangers the industry. At some point there is no lower point to outsource to.

Thank you for your precise explanation of th situation. Not long ago I heard a show that says PH is a heaven to find talented artists they can hired...it sounds like mean talented artists they can exploits due to weaker currency and lack of government protection.

Hi! My boyfriend is the OP. He didn't go into detail because it was a vent post he didn't expect to get traction. He was there for 8 months. The training was supposed to be 2 months long but they extended it to 5 months for no reason--

--during which time he had started actually animating on the show, but being paid at the abysmal trainee rate of 120 PHP/second. He then got promoted to entry level for 2 months, but was fired for voicing his concerns. Essentially he was there for 8 months--

--only 2 of which he was actually getting paid. The training was supposed to be 2 months. The time got tripled for no discernible reason, seemingly to squeeze more cheap labor out of him.

At some point he contributed 70 seconds of animation but made a total of 400 USD throughout his entire stay at the studio.