Outsourcing Has Hit Home

No one in my immediate family has had any problems with US companies trend of outsourcing work to other countries.  My sister got her degree in marketing years ago and substitute teaches these days.  My older brother works in IT and my other brother is a cop.  I never finished college for various reasons but after talking to a friend of a friend last night, I'm glad I didn't finish my original degree, which was computer graphics. 

You see this friend (of a friend) used to be a full time employee with Big Idea Productions and in the years since they moved to TN, he's been doing some freelance work for them.  So he was getting us caught up with what's been going on over at Big Idea in recent years.  To be honest, I haven't seen a Veggie Tales video since Madame Blueberry, and even then I watched it with my ex (and his kids?) and never got around to watching anymore.  But from what I've heard, you can tell the quality has gone downhill since they started outsourcing.  The cheaper the outsourcing, the more noticable it is when you watch the videos.

Anyway, my love of computer graphics started when I sat in the theater in 1982 watching one of the coolest movies to come out since Star Wars; Tron.  I practically drooled over the computer graphics and knew then and there that's what I wanted to do when I grew up.  Fast forward to 1991 when I was a freshman at Columbia College trying to major in computer graphics.  I was disappointed that Columbia didn't offer it as a degree, and as far as I knew no one did back in those days.  Still I pressed on.... until I ran out of money and I transfered out.  By college #4 I was no longer sure I wanted to study computer graphics and for the first time in 15 years, I was undecided in terms of my college majoir. 

So in talking to that friend last night and hearing how, despite all the out of work animators in this country, Big Idea is being cheap and looking for animators in other countries to do the work when there are hundreds if not thousands of people in this very country that would love to do the work. 

After hearing that, I was glad I didn't get my degree in computer graphics.  It makes me wonder if I'd have been employed for a decade only to spend another decade out of work, struggling to find something.  I know the other person I knew that worked for Big Idea is still out of work, and he was an animator.  Last night's friend is a programmer so he has some work here and there from Big Idea and Dreamworks.  But the other friend is actually one of the original three guys that made Veggie Tales what it is today.

It's pretty shameful that companies are screwing over their own country all in the name of saving money.  Can you imagine how much the unemployment rate would drop if they stopped outsourcing and hired qualified individuals that are right here in their own country?