Blog

Something wonderful is going to happen at Thomas FX. . . . .  In fact, it is happening now.

If you have been following our Blog you will have noticed that posting has been quite thin recently.

That is because we are all in the middle of a major transformative project that will soon change the face of the company.

Stay tuned for breaking news.

Meanwhile, thank you for your patience.

The sky is Blue . . . The sun is shining . . . Spring is just around the corner . . . and the Thomas FX annual Easter Sale is on right now.

Every year, once we have finished shipping to our international wholesale accounts, we blow out all remaining inventory at prices that are actually BELOW WHOLESALE!

If you are looking for unique Spring & Easter seasonal decor drop by. You will see unique items that are not available anywhere else in Canada. We even have some interesting items for Valentine's Day and St Patrick's Day as well.

You will not believe our low prices for these very high quality decor items. We are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am til 5:00 pm.

Whether you are looking for something special to enhance your store display or themed event, shopping for Spring & Easter decor for your family, or want to get a jump start on planning your Halloween Haunt, get a map and plan to visit soon.

We promise to put a smile on your face.

NOTE: During the Sale, our In-Store prices are even lower than those advertised online.

Yesterday I worked from home while overseeing the installation of new kitchen appliances. Early in the day it became obvious that I was facing a serious problem . . . . the new stove, did not fit in the same space as the old stove! As well, the old stove had been hard wired to the electrical supply, and there was no way to plug in the new stove.

Previously we had received excellent service from a millwork contractor, so a desperate phone call resulted in him sending his Shop Foreman to our home to adjust the cabinet width so that it could accommodate the new stove. He arrived within 20 minutes!  . . . and solved the problem in just under 15 minutes from the time he stepped into the house.

Another desperate phone call, this time to our electrical contractor, had a similar outcome. The company owner and his son arrived onsite in just under one hour, and the electrical connection problem was solved shortly thereafter. My wife and I have worked with this family-owned and operated electrical contracting business for more than 20 years. They are always responsive to our needs and we always get quality workmanship and great results.

At one point in the conversation my electrician said "Isn't it nice when you know who you are doing business with?" This was nothing short of a profound observation on his part. My response was, "If you don't know who you are doing business with, and can't trust each other, perhaps you should not be doing business." He agreed.

Especially in these challenging economic times, WHO you know has never mattered more. Any successful business must have TRUST as one of its key foundation stones or it will eventually fail. It is critical to work from a solid base of trust, relying on service and quality to move forward. When I have a trust-based relationship, and I know the person I am dealing with will not let me down, it is very easy for me to do what needs to be done to grow my business and serve my customers. When I find people, and companies, who always deliver . . . who are integrity-based . . . who are as focused on customer service and quality as I am . . . there is no reason to even consider doing business with anyone else.

Thomas FX is a "values-driven" organization. In the course of our 44 years in business, we have developed amazing relationships with our suppliers . . . and with our customers. We could not provide the high levels of service to our customers unless we had strong and trustworthy people and companies around us, and behind us. Customers around the world rely on us every day because they know they can trust us. And so, TRUST is what makes "our world" go round. If people could not trust us, and if we had not cultivated the high levels of trust that we enjoy, we could not function in today's world. Rather, we would have been out of business a long time ago.

If you are doing business with a supplier you cannot trust . . . a supplier who frequently overcharges you . . . a supplier who sells products that are not of a consistently high quality . . . a supplier whose rental equipment often does not work properly . . . a supplier that frequently short-ships critical production supplies . . . a supplier whose shipments arrive late, or not at all . . . a supplier that has more "excuses" than inventory . . . or a supplier that frequently lies to your face . . . WHY? And, a more important question might be . . . How is this going to affect my ability to do MY job properly, and build trust with the people who are paying my wages?

PS: If anyone in Vancouver is looking for REALLY good plumbing, electrical, or millwork contractors, drop me a line. That is the other thing about TRUST . . . Once I know I can trust someone, I go out of my way to refer them to my friends. In my perfect world, I win, my friends win, and my contractors win. Yes, in case you have not guessed yet, my personal philosophy is "Win / Win ... or no deal!" Wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone could trust each other? Now that, would be a world worth creating together!!!

Falselife - Items of Horror and Gore Writes: "I originally went to school for Sound Engineering and $15,000 and one year later (after graduation), I was told that I was expected to work for free for up to two years to "pay my dues". . .. They even told me that after I paid my dues, I would only make $8.00 per hour to start. I learned (the hard/expensive way) that any school that specializes in anything needs to be thoroughly checked out and one must explore the path they expect to take after as well, before signing up. . . . The worst thing is to put all that money out for school and find yourself jobless and full of debt when done." See More >

Ouch!!! We feel your pain. Thank you for sharing your story and for validating much of yesterday's Blog. Sadly, your story is not unusual. Every year, in every city across this country, hundreds of "graduates" with few marketable skills are turned loose on the world to look for jobs in industries that are already saturated with skilled professionals who cannot find work. The Film Industry is just one case in point, but people seem to be willing to put up with it, perhaps because of the perceived sense of glamour associated with our industry. Try working 18-hour days, seven days a week, for months on end (If you get lucky) . . . slogging heavy equipment for miles into the bush in freezing rain, or digging mortar holes into frozen ground in the middle of the night while everyone screams at you to move faster . . . because that is what newbies get to do . . . .then tell me how glamorous you think this business is.

The real problem is that education has become a business just like every other business. Whether it is a Government regulated or private educational facility the formula is the same , Enrollment = Cash Flow. Sadly, many Instructors, more often than not, have not had hands on experience in the subjects they teach, for decades in some cases . . . and sometimes NEVER! Learning institutions get paid for turning out "Graduates" whether those graduates have learned anything useful or not. When they are being perfectly honest, many Instructors will admit that most of their students will never work on a professional film set.

Thomas FX has been helping people to get into this industry for more than four decades. There are many film schools in our area and students are always dropping by. We do our best to help, sharing techniques that are not taught in their schools, or teaching them about products and equipment that they have never encountered. Too frequently the techniques being taught in the classrooms are obsolete. Nevertheless, each year we hire students to help out whenever we can. Last year we hired more than 20 students on a temporary part time basis. (We paid them quite a bit more than the minimum wage by the way.)

I.A.T.S.E. Local 891

As everyone knows, unions can sometimes be greedy or unrealistic, but they are not always without value. So here is my advice. (HINT: It is worth what you have just paid for it.) People who want to get into this industry should go to the union that organizes workers in their area of interest and find out how to become a "Permittee". Then, once they have accumulated enough working credits, they become eligible to become full union members. After that, it's just a matter of time . . . hanging on, and slowly moving up the priority list until they are working regularly and earning a decent wage. In any professional industry, "Paying Dues", other than to the Local, should involve "blood, sweat, and tears" . . . . . . . . NOT STARVATION!

Teaching people that they have to work for free for two years is a big part of what is wrong with this industry, and Production Managers are taking full advantage. Potential crew members dare not refuse to work for low wages because they know there are dozens of other hungry people out there that will take their jobs, never mind the hundreds of people that are willing to work for nothing!!! 

Now we are starting a dialogue!  In a Facebook response to yesterday's Blog:

Falselife - Items of Horror and Gore Writes . . . . . "Good answer, the state if the economy has an effect on everyone. The financial state and decisions countries make have a ripple effect across the Globe. From special effects artists to people who work in car washes and everything in between....There are a lot of people out their closing their doors due to bankruptcy and such and if people do not change with the times, they sink. It's interesting to see people's take on the economy from other countries." To Read the entire post Click Here. To find out more about Falselife Click Here.

Falselife makes some pretty good points. On Friday we spoke with one of Vancouver's prominent Special Effects Coordinators who told us he has not had his own feature for 18 months and is having a hard time of it these days. He also told us that another Effects Coordinator closed his shop three months ago, and that a third is reportedly in the process of doing the same thing. All three of these Coordinators are/were at the top of their game and have HUGE resumes, yet they cannot find work. Every day, we hear similar hardship stories from Special Effects Technicians, everywhere, who are completely disenchanted with this industry. Many of them are out there looking for alternate careers, working far below their established pay grade, or doing day calls on other peoples' shows.

NOTE: If Thomas FX had not reinvented itself to meet the unique needs of the world's very best Special Effects, Entertainment, and Consumer Retail Professionals a decade ago, we too would no longer be in business. Fortunately, by the Grace of God, we have made more good choices than bad over the years, and our business thrives most of the time. As a company, we use our success as a platform from which to reach out to people working around the world in the entertainment industry. Our Mission is to help them to do better work, and get better results, so that Special Effects Magic will be available to everyone.

Could This Be The End Of The World As We Know It?

Having said that, consider Roland Emmerich's stunning feature "2012" . . . Cataclysmic shifts in the Earth's core that destroy virtually all life on the planet. Only the handful of people lucky or wealthy enough to find passage on one of the secret "Arcs" survive. (Check Out The Trailer) End Of The World . . . . lots of broken windows right? . . .WRONG! . . .  Not a single pane of breakaway glass was used in the making of that movie. All breaking glass and many other effects were created using digital technology. While the effects crews were kept busy building giant motion platforms, and pulling together some pyro effects, much of the work that would normally have been done by them was created with computers.

With the work of so many professional film technicians being replaced by digital effects technologies . . . with so many highly skilled Special Effects Coordinators and Technicians unemployed, or under employed . . . and with so much of the Special Effects infrastructure being lost . . . one wonders if there is ANY future for the Special Effects Industry.

Meanwhile, film schools everywhere are still turning out "newbies and wannabees" at an alarming rate. These people are being taught that they should "volunteer without pay" to get into the industry. In light of recent trends, I might suggest that since the Special Effects industry, and Film Industry in general, can no longer support the people that are already working in it . . . or more likely, NOT WORKING IN IT . . . it could be argued that it is irresponsible for film schools to fill students' heads with the notion that they are entering anything other than a dying industry, and that they should certainly NOT be teaching their students how to take jobs away from established professionals who are trying to feed their families and pay their mortgages.

Is there still a role for Special Effects in today's "no budget" film making environment, or is 'Special Effects' obsolete? I would love to hear your thoughts on this . . . AND . . . where do you think this industry is heading?

In response to my "State Of The Union" Blog yesterday . . . 

'Anonymous' writes . . . "What the hell does this have to do with Special FX?" . . .

That is a good question that deserves a good answer.

Let me explain it in detail for "Anonymous" and anyone else that may be wondering the same thing.

- Today, we are all operating in a "GLOBAL ECONOMY",

- Several major economies are large enough to impact all other economies,

- The United States is one of those major economies,

- The United States is still mired in a deep recession,

- The United States is about to have a Presidential Election,

- The outcome of the US Presidential Election will impact the US economy, for better or worse,

- If American voters make a bad choice their economy will worsen, and so will other economies,

- If the US economy worsens, there will be less investment capital available . . . anywhere,

- If there is less investment capital available, there will be fewer movies made . . . anywhere,

- If fewer movies are made, fewer Special Effects technicians will be working . . . everywhere!

Thomas FX, in response to the evolution of the Global Economy, reinvented itself a decade ago and has established itself as a global company. We support film and entertainment production professionals in 46 countries. The products that we manufacture and distribute are ALSO used by the US and Canadian Military, first responders, themed attractions, tourism destinations, theatrical presentations, live special events, and display designers working for a number of the world's leading retail outlets. We invite you to View our CREDITS for more information.

The world is changing and it is changing very quickly. Our Blog reports and comments on the events, trends, geopolitical threats, and economic factors that impact our daily lives here at Thomas FX, as well as the lives and businesses of our clients around the world. From time to time, if you are a regular reader, you will have noticed that we weigh in on current affairs, changing legislation, market developments, news from clients and friends in other countries, industry news, and sometimes even the weather if it is relevant . . . and YES, we do express our own unique points of view.

The Thomas FX Blog is NOT about "Special Effects" per se . . . It is about our world and our customers, including the ones in the special effects industry. Our Blog is about staying connected and sharing information so that our friends and customers can be better informed about the matters that may have a direct, and possibly a profound, impact on them. Our Blog is also about entertainment, and about the entertainment industry.

We believe that we make a difference in the world. Right now, in most places in the world, there is a film, television show, or advertising commercial being screened or broadcast, in a host of languages, that has been made using products from Thomas FX. Now in our 44'th year, we are proud to have supported tens of thousands of film and entertainment professionals working on six continents, as well as the untold billions of entertainment and retail consumers who enjoy the fruits of our labours, and our products, every minute of every day.

Thanks for the feedback "Anonymous". I hope that we have addressed your question effectively, in words that you can understand and take to heart . . . God Bless!

I was one of the nearly 40 million people who viewed President Obama's 2012 State Of The Union Address on Tuesday. As his speech began I was completely impressed with the major changes that the President has brought to the people of America since being elected; ending the war in Iraq, and health care amongst them.

Most of the speech was about Mr. Obama's VISION for an America that "could be" if all Americans worked together. In truth it was a truly inspiring vision. However, listening to his words I realized, as I am sure that you did, that the President's vision would likely not come to pass any time soon. In fact President Obama himself acknowledged that "Washington is broken" and that "nothing would get done" for the next several years. This is a tragedy of epic proportions.

The entire time that the President was talking, Republican House Speaker, John Boehner, maintained a sour and angry demeanour. In fact it looked like he was "sucking on a pickle". None of the other Republicans in the house applauded the President's words, other than his praise for the heroism of the Military. Why? . . . Partisan politics . . . Simply because they are Republicans and the President is a Democrat. On the other hand, they might simply be rude and childish people.

Imagine a boat carrying Republicans and Democrats, and imagine that the boat is sinking ( it is by the way). However, only the Democrats are willing to bail and keep the boat afloat. The Republicans in the boat are sitting back, refusing to bail, waiting for the boat to sink so they could blame the sinking on the Democrats. Dudes . . . . . Wake up and smell the coffee! . . . . If EVERYBODY doesn't work together NOW, your boat WILL sink, and BOTH parties will have been the cause of it. At that point, with everybody underwater, it really doesn't matter whose fault it is, does it?

President Obama appears to be the only political leader in Washington who is talking about building a better future for America. Meanwhile, Republicans are campaigning on a platform of taking away health care, giving tax breaks to billionaires, and creating a regulatory environment that could lead to another economic meltdown. What sane person in their right mind would support these people?

It was clear that President Obama does not have all the answers yet, especially with respect to debt reduction, but if I were an American, there is no doubt in my mind that I would be voting for the party headed by a level-headed man of vision . . . a man who has a track record for getting the things done that need to get done!  . . . So I guess that makes me a Democrat.

I wish that Canada had a dynamic leader like President Obama.