In a historic move for the video game industry, workers at 2K’s Motion Capture studio are seeking representation from IATSE.
The 21-member bargaining unit, responsible for a variety of motion capture productions for Take-Two Interactive, is officially moving forward with an election via the National Labor Relations Board, the group announced Wednesday. It marks the first public union campaign at a video game motion capture studio.
The studio, located in Petaluma, California, is responsible for MoCap work on titles like NBA 2K, TopSpin 2K, WWE 2K, XCOM, Bioshock and Mafia franchises.
Workers aim to address issues related to compensation and working conditions, including job security, pay equity, wage minimums and “a clearer definition of job responsibilities.”
“The opportunity to work at 2K Mocap has truly been a dream come true for my coworkers and me. It is our love for the work we do that has not only allowed us to organize but is also the reason we are organizing in the first place,” Connor Bredbeck, a stage technician at the studio, said in a statement. “The inequities we are experiencing are endemic to the gaming industry and detract from the work we are all so passionate about. The decision to form a union was a necessary step for our studio and hopefully for others as well.”
The positions that would be represented via the union include Jr. Motion Capture Tools Engineer, Junior Motion Capture Stage Technician, Mocap Technical Animator, Motion Capture Animator, Motion Capture Artist II, Motion Capture Audio Recording Specialist, Motion Capture Audio Specialist, Motion Capture Lead Solver, Motion Capture Master Carpenter, Motion Capture Scenic Fabricator, Motion Capture Stage Technician, Motion Capture Tools Engineer, Senior Mocap AD, Sr. Motion Capture Tools Engineer, Sr. Virtual Production Tech, Mocap, Stage Technician, Stage Technician I.
In a statement of his own Wednesday, IATSE International VP Michael F. Miller said: “These dedicated individuals are essential to the success of the world-class video games their labor helps create, and their contributions and technical skills overlap significantly with crafts IATSE already represents. IATSE stands firmly with the 2K MoCap workers and Video Game workers in general in their pursuit of the same rights and protections union members have around the entertainment industry. We look forward to the election and eventually good faith negotiations with Take-Two Interactive to honor their workers’ voices and engage in good faith negotiations.”
The move for motion capture workers to unionize comes as SAG-AFTRA returns to the table Wednesday in an attempt to secure a new Interactive Media Agreement with 10 of the major video game companies. The union has been on strike since July, after negotiating for more than a year and a half on a contract. Wednesday marks the first time that the two parties have bargained since.
AI has been the sticking point on for months on the contract, which covers voice and performance-capture talent on video games.
