MPC Cuts Comp Jobs in Canada
It happened in London, and it's about to happen again in Canada.
We've heard reports that 90% of the compositing department for Montreal will be let go/have their contracts run out shrinking the Montreal office down to around 20 core compositing crew (including supervisors).This sadly includes some new recruits form MPC's comp academy, many whom having relocated internationally for the opportunity to work with MPC, were being told that as soon as the course concludes they will also be let go. You can imagine moving half-way across the world and just starting out, to learn a short time later that you're going to have to move again.This seems to be a departure from MPC usual hiring of the comp academy graduates and letting go mid-level compers. Even seniors appear to be having their visa renewals reduced. Does this spell the end for their Montreal office?Montreal doesn't appear to be the only Canadian MPC suffering from cut backs, as we've also hear rumours of cuts in the Vancouver office. We can only wonder what this mean for compositing jobs in general at MPC.I know there were some people that speculated that it was the threat of unionization that may have contributed to cutbacks in London's compositing department, but that wasn't really happening in the Canadian offices, could it be that really this was their plan all along? Many people would have said that writing was certainly on the wall, well before BECTU joined the fight for better working environments. Our hearts and solidarity go out to our fellow colleagues in Canada who are facing the loss of their jobs or are affected.Has this affected you? Let us know!VFX workers have to stick together, and it's sad when companies bottom lines affect real human lives with such stark consequences for workers of having to be let go and move cities. It's something many VFX workers know all too well.Edit: Small edit made about production staff. Apparently they will not be considerably reduced, but instead will move to other departments for the time being.