Vantaggi
- The Bible Project is funded entirely by donations, and tries to "pay it forward" in that same spirit of generosity. In the case of the general public (those who watch the videos, listen to the podcasts, etc), this means giving away all their resources for free. In the case of employees, this translates to a competitive salary, GREAT benefits (including a truly stellar maternity/paternity leave policy) , and a cornucopia of office "perks." - Director's truly value creativity and originality, and don't flinch at artistic risk. Every illustrator and animator is treated like a visionary ARTIST, rather than a hired wrist. The result is a sense not just of participation, but of authorship. The Bible Project's creations feel like your own...which is good, because you probably won't have time to work on your own stuff. - The studio is a lively environment of near-constant collaboration. It's also periodically visited by crowds of enthusiastic supporters. I find this invigorating, though an extreme introvert might not. That said, it's also possible (and necessary) to carve out uninterrupted chunks of solitude, thanks to the office's careful design and an institutional respect for scheduling and privacy. - Though the organization is explicitly Christian, the staff comes from a variety of religious and non-religious backgrounds. This mix of perspectives actually helps clarify biblical explanations that might otherwise assume an "insider" audience or default to cliched "Christianese." - Catered lunch every Monday ensures you eat something besides potato chips at least once a week.
Svantaggi
- Unflinching deadlines mean the workload is often quite high...but the company also schedules many celebratory or relaxing events (parties, special breakfasts, etc.) during work hours, so you're occasionally faced with the dilemma of either falling behind or seeming antisocial. Compounding this, it's sometimes ambiguous whether these optional events count for or against total hours worked in a week; the answer may differ based on whom you ask. - Because the Bible Project grew so much in just a few years, many of the protocols that made sense for a startup are still being replaced by ones more suited to a larger organization. The perpetual introduction of new systems, new staff, new software, etc. can feel a little unstable. However, this updating process seems to be plateauing in 2019. - Biblical explainer videos are a niche sector of the broader animation industry, so the work you create here may not fit in a general-purpose illustration portfolio or animation reel. - After a lifetime of meaningless toil, you will return to the dust from which you were created, and somebody else will reap the fruits of your labor. This too is meaningless--a chasing after the wind!