Workplace reviews and discussion: 西基電腦動畫股份有限公司

One of the top animation companies in Taiwan. Its main business areas include television animated series, video game cutscenes, and animation for Japanese pachinko machines. Its television series credits include Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the How to Train Your Dragon television series, and Trollhunters, adapted from an original novel by Guillermo del Toro. In terms of video game cutscenes, it has participated in producing cutscenes for the Final Fantasy series.

Pros:

It provides a solid foundation, a complete pipeline, and all the basic benefits. For those who want to learn comprehensive animation skills, it is the best choice in Taiwan.

The division of labor is detailed, so there is little need to handle work outside one’s core responsibilities. Although its projects mainly consist of television cartoon series, the quality of those projects is also among the best in the television cartoon industry. The work is stable, making it a company suitable for staying long term.

Cons:

The company is large, so promotion opportunities are relatively limited. There are many job levels, but before reaching the Lead level, the responsibilities and authority do not differ significantly; the main difference is in salary. Performance reviews are conducted once a year, with an average salary increase of 3–5%, although this does not mean there will definitely be an increase every year.

If you want to resign, you must give notice three months in advance; otherwise, you will face a penalty equivalent to one to two months’ salary. This is a major obstacle for animators who aspire to develop their careers abroad. After a typical overseas interview, it takes an average of two months to obtain a visa and start work, which means that anyone planning to work abroad must prepare not only the basic moving expenses but also the penalty.