There has been a flurry of discussion in the VFX industry around the recent revelation that Digital Domain CEO John Textor intends to fuel Tradition Studios, the company’s new feature animation studio in Port St. Lucie, Florida, with student labor.

The blog VFX Soldier has obtained a speech that Textor gave last November to investors in which he revealed how the company’s new animation school, Digital Domain Institute, will be integrated with the new studio. Textor told the audience:

“…what’s interesting is the relationship between the digital studio and the college. Not only is this a first in a number of ways that we’ve talked about, but 30% of the workforce at our digital studio down in Florida, is not only going to be free, with student labor, it’s going to be labor that’s actually paying us for the privilege of working on our films.

Now this was the controversial element of this and the first discussions with the Department of Education, ’cause it sounds like you’re taking advantage of the students. But we were able to persuade even the academic community, if we don’t do something to dramatically reduce costs in our industry, not only ours but many other industries in this country, then we’re going to lose these industries … we’re going to lose these jobs. And our industry was going very quickly to India and China.”

AWN received a public reply to Textor from visual effects professional “tang1039,” that blasts the CEO for “Digital Domain’s unethical plans to turn a profit.” Read the full letter, below, and let us know what you think:

Mr. Textor, this is in response to the news that Digital Domain’s new business plan is to now have up to 30% of their labor force be unpaid students.

I am a visual effects professional. I have been both an artist and a visual effects producer.  I understand the economics of the visual effects industry and the extremely thin margin most visual effects studios operate on. I am empathetic to Digital Domain’s situation. It has become increasingly difficult to turn a profit as costs rise and visual effects budgets are slashed.

As a visual effects producer, I cannot condone Digital Domain’s unethical plans to turn a profit. If the future of Digital Domain is students paying to work for your company, I never want to work with Digital Domain or anyone who continues to associate with Digital Domain. I will encourage every visual effects professional I meet, artist or producer, to boycott Digital Domain. And without visual effects professionals, what type of future does Digital Domain have?

Do you believe that students can create the same quality visual effects as professionals? Do you believe that our years of training, professional experience, and skill can be matched by a student? If Digital Domain follows through with this plan, then you will have to accept that untrained student work is the best you will ever get.

I will not work for you.

Those I know will not work for you.

No visual effects professional will work with you.

And do you really expect studios, directors, or producers to risk being boycotted as well for working with you?

As a lone individual, I know that I cannot damage your company. I know that I am just a cog in the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry.

Mr. Textor, when you attack all visual effects professionals’ ability to earn a living and provide for our families, you no longer have one cog to worry about, you should be worried about the entire machine crashing.