Shaquille O'Neal courted controversy after he offered to pay $500 for original animations commissioned for his new show, Shaq Life. He was originally hit with criticism, with many accusing him of exploiting animators by severely underpaying them. Animators were asked to submit their original cartoons based on one of his stories, but it was only for a chance to be awarded $500 if they were picked.
In response to the criticism, Shaq has announced that the commission price has changed to $10,000. "That's right, animators, I'ma make you famous," he said in both of the videos he posted to Twitter. "To all my animators out there, I hear you," Shaq tweeted. "I love your work and want you to feel the love."
While he has been applauded for increasing the amount of money offered to those who have their submissions picked, people on Twitter were quick to point out there's still some glaring issues. One user in particular noted that TNT and TBS will still own 100% of the rights to submissions, and that's regardless of if they're picked or not. "If you're considering this, please know what you're giving up just by submitting," they wrote.
Others also chimed in to voice their concerns over the contest.
As pointed out by Deadspin, it is estimated that a freelance 44-second animation would cost somewhere between $2,900 to $47,000.
