A Spot to Start but a Toxic Work Environment - 3D Artist Digital Loft Employee Review

It's an opportunity to get you started in the field. You'll learn how to model in a non-standard way, and if you're lucky you may get the opportunity to produce renders for clients.

There's a big focus on doing everything in a very specific way, dictated by management (the owner, essentially). There is no room for deviation and when you're someone with little to no professional experience, this results in aspects of your skillset not being fully transferrable to another studio should you wish to make a career move at some point due to the non-standard methods of doing things -- which you likely will at some point for a variety of reasons including low compensation, high expectations, and little to no autonomy in your growth as an artist, just to name a few. This is because it's pretty typical for no or low experience artists to be brought on at $28,000/year and they are trained to follow a very micromanaged workflow to create everything they do. To be a little more specific about what I mean about "non-standard" ways of doing things, when creating materials you are required to set them up a certain way which makes it hard, if not impossible, to create certain looks. Roughness/gloss maps are never used (!!!) and artists are told to not put anything in that slot. Metal materials are not allowed to have textures in the diffuse/color channel. Only solid color. When it comes to modeling, things are a bit better, but still not entirely ideal. You really only learn how to model basic hard surface objects and taut furniture (without wrinkles) and you MUST do it a specific way from start to finish. Anything more than that and you're out of luck. No one is allowed to use other programs in their workflow (Substance Designer/Painter, Marvelous Designer, etc) unless given direct permission by the owner. Typically only very specific people have been allowed to (myself being one of them). This is because the owner does not know the programs well enough and does not have an established, step-by-step workflow for creating things in them and unfortunately does not really trust anyone enough to loosen the reins at all. Beyond these issues, there is also an ego problem with management. I'm fairly sure the owner is a sociopath and extreme narcissist. Examples of this? We were frequently told clients did not come to the company for us, and they came to us because of the work the owner does. We were constantly reminded how much experience the owner has compared to us (25 years experience at age 35????) and why he has to be the one that develops everything and figures everything out. Or how the owner didn't have to keep the company running and he could quit and get hired by Pixar for a 6 figure salary (and no, he could not). These were some of the less bad things I've heard during my 3 years with the company. It was very possible to be in the owner's good graces one day and the next you were demoted for something he decided he didn't like on a whim, or even something that didn't happen. When I quit the company, it was several months after I got my last raise. I was at $42,000/year and was raised to $50,000. I asked for $55,000 and was then told I didn't do enough work, and apparently did hardly anything all year, then demoted and had my salary lowered to $43,000 (so I essentially got a $1,000 raise by the end of it). All while he was pulling coworkers aside and feeding them false narratives about what happened. I had seen other incidents like this during my time there. It seemed like we were always waiting for the next "blow up" to happen. There were times in the office where things got better for a while, but it seemed to be almost inevitable that there would be a meltdown again at some point. There was often an aura of dread in the office because of it and the turnover rate was high. Anyway, ultimately this place has a lot of issues. They're deeply rooted because of how the company is structured.

There are no pros to working at this loft.

In a long endeavor of a tenure just over five years. Creating what can be created. Bringing visions and dollar signs to life. Orchestrating ideas while implementing strategies that all work for a profit. Saving money anywhere money can be saved. Penny-pinching when it comes to salaries (mostly and utterly mine) other than the family. Staying short-staffed with zero benefits, over-time pay or any incentive to stay. My desperation and unawareness kept me there. All helping to ensure that a proper profit is made for digital LOFT, and for me . . . a loss. In retrospect, Bosch would have stopped years ago, and thus Thermador, had I not been so dedicated, diligent, and tenacious concerning the work being done. Despite the plethora of complications that only came to light far too late. For all the while, I was to blame and continue to receive less and less compensation and become the subordinate I always ultimately become, despite any amount of effort I whole-heartedly make. Offering countless ideas, suggestions, solutions, free work, free computers, free IT, (another was handsomely paid for the same), free babysitting for the render farm, endless hours (easily 4) on the phone with free 3D consultation, only to be told and shown, the insistence of a “no other way than way than mine” attitude is expected. A cry often heard accompanied by numerous well-crafted blames that cordially shows you the way “you’ve” made this mistake. You missed the “One Mouse Click”!! Words simply in no way can describe the abuse. Physical, mental, spiritual, ego melting, soul stealing, I endured for far too long. Countless times hearing “You know I love man. I mean . . . I shouldn’t be saying that. It’s out of tough love”. Reminding me to “Think of you as a god.” A finger pointed at every employee, what few there were, saying “You suck, you suck, you suck . . .”. Unforgettable. Life, sanity and bank will not be the same. It was only me; with all the experience I have and knowledge to give/steal having to withstand this torture. In my thoughts of grandeur, it’s me having a job till the day I retire. This was talked about many times. How this would last. Only proving to be words to keep this victim, in the coop. Keeping a relationship long enough you can build trust in someone. I tried trusting you and gave you everything I had and more and then some. No less than 100 hours worked every week for 5 years. Still, it was I tossed overboard from a boat I helped build. While another with zero experience comes in and makes $8,000 in one month. You said this to me when I’m making $900 in that same month. Covid open the door to the avarice that was quickly taken full advantage of to break as many labor laws as you please. Sounds like a lawsuit. Times like these. I always question . . .” What would it be like if I hadn’t tried”!? I’m so glad you and yours can trudge on with the success I’ve helped to ensure you have. And whilst you trudge, maybe it will help with every step to picture walking on my back and digging my grave.