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    Digital Domain Reviews

    Updated November 19, 2018
    78 reviews

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    2.6
    StarStarStarStarStar
    Rating TrendsRating Trends
    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
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    Daniel Seah
    18 Ratings

    Employee Reviews

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    Pros

    • "Some of the most talented people in the industry" (in 5 reviews)

    • "Good pay and typical perks in correlation to industry standards" (in 4 reviews)

    Cons

    • "Lack of communication between the parent company and employees" (in 3 reviews)

    • "Severe lack of leadership and direction that is reflected in the code base and the product" (in 3 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. "Character Rigger"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Character Artist in Los Angeles, CA
      Current Employee - Character Artist in Los Angeles, CA
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook

      I have been working at Digital Domain full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      Good people, good projects, good tools.

      Cons

      No long term STAFF on films in Los Angeles

    2. "Marketing Director"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee

      Pros

      Good working environment and nice team to work with

      Cons

      Operational process and employ benefits

    3. "After waiting for years it never seemed it would regain ground"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at Digital Domain full-time (More than 8 years)

      Pros

      Amazing engineering department lead by some of the most forward thinking minds in the industry.

      Cons

      It never was the same post bankruptcy, many questionable business practices.

    4. Helpful (2)

      "Producer of top-notch work now suffering from brain drain--not a good sign"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Playa Vista, CA
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Playa Vista, CA
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at Digital Domain full-time

      Pros

      Nothing leaves the facility without looking awesome.
      Some projects are extremely high profile.
      The level of artistic sensibility and technical knowledge among the artists, TDs and supervisors is impressive.
      Pipeline is very robust in all departments.

      Cons

      Many of the people who made the company great are leaving, and management doesn't work hard enough to retain them.
      Feeling of "team" and "work family" are weaker than in past years.

      Advice to Management

      Prioritize your core business--visual effects. Cut loose all the extra ventures. Spend money to get back the great brains who left.

    5. Helpful (1)

      "Beware"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Los Angeles, CA
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Los Angeles, CA
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at Digital Domain full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      Interesting people to work with.
      Very nice recruiting team and HR people

      Cons

      No work
      Bad leadership
      Constantly changing department structures
      Lack of communication between parent company and employees
      Lack of cohesiveness across multiple office sites

    6. Helpful (1)

      "Horrible leadership. Horrible morale. No care or concern for artists low on totem pole."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Playa Vista, CA
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Playa Vista, CA
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at Digital Domain full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      -Working with other talented artists
      -Pay seems decent or above average
      -If you want to work for simply Donuts on Fridays, then you are set

      Cons

      -CEO and all senior management lack communication, ideas, and knowledge of how to properly run facility... let alone boost morale.
      -Poor/fair benefits: No 401k matching. Substandard health care coverage.
      -No parking... unless you are VP/Leadership, in which case even if you have been working at DD for 10+ years, a new hire VP or Supe/Lead will get a parking spot... meanwhile your 10 years of dedication is worthless.
      -Ineffective use of money.
      -Lack of notice when letting go contract and even Full time staff (not even a week notice in some cases).
      -Human Resources department that does not take seriously complaints about employees in leadership positions that are causing extremely toxic, stressful, and negative environments or that go out of their way to be vulgar to clients... even after multiple employees have reported said offending person.
      -Did I mention the management doesn't really know what they are doing here? All employees have a clear lack in faith in this company and how it operates... and management does not listen at all to those low on the totem pole, well... because they don't care.
      -15 minute walk to get lunch... don't even think of driving, as you won't have a parking spot.

      Advice to Management

      Get rid of all senior management and start fresh. LISTEN to your employees.

    7. Helpful (1)

      "Worst experience in 20 year career"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at Digital Domain full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      Some of the most talented people in the industry.

      Cons

      Severe lack of leadership and direction

      Ineffective use of money

      Lack of communication between the parent company and employees

      Advice to Management

      To be honest I would toss the whole leadership team and replace them with people who know how to run a business successfully and are committed to taking company culture seriously and work towards earning back trust.

    8. "Great place to work. Cutting edge technology and innovation abounds."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Video Editor in Los Angeles, CA
      Former Employee - Video Editor in Los Angeles, CA
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at Digital Domain full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Benefits are decent and the work is exciting. Breakfast is supplied every Friday.

      Cons

      No matching 401k and many of the employees are very clicky and reserved. The location is industrial and depressing.

      Advice to Management

      More cowbell.

    9. Helpful (1)

      "Ineffective leadership and stagnant environment"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at Digital Domain full-time

      Pros

      -Fun projects when there is work
      -Great coworkers create a nice environment
      -Decent salary compared to other studios

      Cons

      -Positions are rarely refilled upon personnel departure
      -Terrible leadership
      -Ineffective use of money
      -No investment in the workforce by management

      Advice to Management

      Stop hiring upper management and mid level micro-managers. Invest in the current workforce and fill empty positions.

    10. Helpful (5)

      "Storied, legendary vfx company in a post bankruptcy slump"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Playa Vista, CA
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Playa Vista, CA
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at Digital Domain full-time (More than 5 years)

      Pros

      Been at DD LA since a little before the most recent bankruptcy. What has never really changed is the core brilliance of people who work there. The core employees who have been there for a very long time are passionate, and it shows in how they work.

      Monthlies!
      Donuts on Friday!
      Holiday Parties.

      Cons

      Latest batch of management are penny pinchers who seem to move from shiny object to the next to make a quick buck. They seem to consider feature and commercial VFX work as a burden and VR and AR work to be the future, which it might as well be, but not commit to either one of those with proper long term resources and planning.

      Employees talk about this constantly, it's an open secret that there is disdain for this management style.

      Advice to Management

      Stop hemorrhaging money on half baked plans by committing to what actually brings in revenue. Invest in your employees and company by properly resourcing it.
      The VFX industry is brutal enough as it is, there's no need to constantly be shooting yourself in the foot.