Visual effects crews at Marvel Studios filed for a unionization election with the National Labor Relations Board on Monday. Entertainment union IATSE points out that this move signals a major shift in an industry that has largely remained non-union since modern VFX was pioneered during production of the first Star Wars films in the 1970s. A supermajority of Marvel’s more than 50 worker crew signed authorization cards indicating they wished to be represented by IATSE (the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees).
This marks the first time VFX professionals have joined together to demand the same rights and protections as their unionized colleagues in the film industry. Mark Patch, VFX Organizer for IATSE, highlighted the significance of this moment: “For almost half a century, workers in the visual effects industry have been denied the same protections and benefits their coworkers and crewmates have relied upon since the beginning of the Hollywood film industry. This is a historic first step for VFX workers coming together with a collective voice demanding respect for the work we do.”
While positions like production designers/art directors, camera operators, sound, editors, hair & makeup artists, costumes / wardrobe, script supervisors, grips, lighting, props and paint, among others, have historically been represented by IATSE in motion picture and television, workers in VFX classifications historically have not.
“Turnaround times don’t apply to us, protected hours don’t apply to us, and pay equity doesn’t apply to us,” notes VFX coordinator Bella Huffman. “Visual effects must become a sustainable and safe department for everyone who’s suffered far too long and for all newcomers who need to know they won’t be exploited.”
The Marvel VFX workers’ filing for a union election comes at a pivotal moment in the film and television industry, amidst ongoing strikes by both the Actors and Writers Guilds as both seek fair contracts with the studios and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
“We are witnessing an unprecedented wave of solidarity that’s breaking down old barriers in the industry and proving we’re all in this fight together. That doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb asserts. “Entertainment workers everywhere are sticking up for each other’s rights, that’s what our movement is all about. I congratulate these workers on taking this important step and using their collective voice.”
Disney-owned Marvel Studios has created some of the biggest VFX-fueled box-office successes in film history, exceeding $2 billion with Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War. The studio also delivers content inspired by the MCU to Disney+, such as the critically acclaimed WandaVision and Loki. Upcoming projects currently in post production include theatrical movies The Marvels and Captain America: Brave New World, as well as Loki Season 2, Echo, Ironheart and Agatha: Coven of Chaos for Disney+.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE (in full: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada), is a labor union representing over 168,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live events, motion picture and television production, broadcast and trade shows in the United States and Canada.
IATSE also encompasses The Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839), which represents animation artists and production workers.
