Mainframe Studios FAQ

Pros

Work-Life Balance, Good team, respected environment

Cons

Nothing Major, No health insurance added

Pros

Great work life balance Opportunities for everyone Great people Everyone very helpful and they really value the artists

Cons

Probably the most lackluster health plan and overall benefits from all the Vancouver animation studios

Pros

- Great place to start your career in VFX, animation or Film& Television - Rich company culture, great staff and social aspects - Good portfolio of projects in-house - Management was supportive

Cons

- Some aspects in early pipeline could be more robust for better efficiency - Salaries could be more competitive - Facility was a bit outdated

Pros

- Good Location (when we worked in studio) - Decent projects - Stable employment, there are lots of TV series in production, with more on the way, many people have been with the studio for years - The studio keeps growing so there are a number of opportunities for advancement - The studio is getting more and more ambitious with the TV series they are producing, and thus the quality level the animation continues to improve - Competitive pay, a bit on the lower side - There are some health benefits - Decent place to learn and grow

Cons

- Mainframe’s biggest weak point is - pre production… Very little is ready when a new project launches into full-production, and thus fundamental framework doesn’t get put in place until way late in the production... if ever. - Management appears to be applying old templates from previous basic projects and applying them to new much more ambitious and complicated projects. --- Expecting artists to deliver advanced materials in the same amount of time the studio previously delivered something basic. - Lots of talk about the studio burning out their crew on all the newer projects. (Barbie projects being the exception as they have had more than a decade to streamline things and build up resources)

Advice to Management

- Invest more time in pre production, so your projects have a stronger foundation to work off of. - Schedules and resources need to evolve with your ambitions - Avoid burning out your crew

Pros

Friendly Artists, Higher Management is Approachable, Beer Fridays, Mentorship for Artists

Cons

Low Pay No mentorship for Production Disorganized A lack of investment from Managers/Producers Short Contracts Lack of Leadership

Advice to Management

Invest in peoples career development and opportunities as much they invest in you. Have a mentorship program for people aspiring to get Into Production. Reward people who demonstrate a strong work ethic by nurturing them with career growth.