Practical VFX disappearing from Australia

Oscar-winning VFX artist John Cox says practical effects and creature design will become a lost art in Australia, as an increasing number of professionals are leaving the industry due to the lack of work.

“There’s been no international production in Australia, and the majority of specialists have left the industry,” Cox told Encore.

The last animatronics project that John Cox’s Creature Workshop worked on was Nim’s Island, shot on the Gold Coast in late 2007. Since then, production attraction has been affected by external factors such as the US writers’ strike, the possibility of an actors’ strike, the global financial crisis and the rise of the Australian dollar.

“It’s been one hit after the other, and we’ve seen lots of production houses close and shrink down. The industry review should have been done last year. The government has been unable to respond quickly and tie the rebates to the Australian dollar,” argued Cox.