Thank you. Your words helped me feel a bit better. I come from a poor family. I grew up living in poverty my whole life, and was told time and time again, that being smart, getting good grades, and being talented would take me places. I graduated from a top art school for video game design in May, and was immediately selected to interview for a major film company opening up due to the film incentive being offered. After viewing my work, I was told "We could definitely use you!!". Then promptly offered 0$. A friend of mine, who had experience working for a crappy game company out of someone's basement, who had comparable skill as I, was offered 65,000,000$. I was insulted. As soon as I mentioned I was hoping for a paid internship, just so I could afford gas, I was shown the door. And these monsters are getting money from the film incentives! Yet they can't pay me so much as a dime! It really hurts inside to know I graduated with honors, spent every cent I made and took out loans to pursue my dream in a field I was great at, just to be told I'm worth nothing only because I don't have a longer resume. Unpaid internships like this are illegal, but who do you contact to enforce that?? I've looked, and I can't find any information on how to report these slime balls. Unless you're currently or previously employed with them, you don't even have grounds to complain. But who would accept such a position if they weren't okay with it?? Maybe that's why it's so prevalent...
Thank you. Your words helped me feel a bit better. I come from a poor family. I grew up living in poverty my whole life, and was told time and time again, that being smart, getting good grades, and being talented would take me places. I graduated from a top art school for video game design in May, and was immediately selected to interview for a major film company opening up due to the film incentive being offered. After viewing my work, I was told "We could definitely use you!!". Then promptly offered 0$. A friend of mine, who had experience working for a crappy game company out of someone's basement, who had comparable skill as I, was offered 65,000,000$. I was insulted. As soon as I mentioned I was hoping for a paid internship, just so I could afford gas, I was shown the door. And these monsters are getting money from the film incentives! Yet they can't pay me so much as a dime! It really hurts inside to know I graduated with honors, spent every cent I made and took out loans to pursue my dream in a field I was great at, just to be told I'm worth nothing only because I don't have a longer resume. Unpaid internships like this are illegal, but who do you contact to enforce that?? I've looked, and I can't find any information on how to report these slime balls. Unless you're currently or previously employed with them, you don't even have grounds to complain. But who would accept such a position if they weren't okay with it?? Maybe that's why it's so prevalent...