Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Failing upwards
We all know of people on the artistic and technical side of animation who have, shall we say, made careers not based on what they can actually do, but on who they know, or where they've been, or whatever. Fortunately, those who can't actually create anything useful usually get found out soon enough. Word gets around, and they disappear. And the famous Peter Principle (getting successive promotions until you reach your level of incompetency) tends to be balanced out by the general meritocracy of animation. In a nutshell, you can only fake it as an artist, writer, or TD for so long.
For producers, however, dealing as they do in so many intangibles, even the Peter Principle doesn't work. On the production side, if you're associated with successful projects, you can keep moving up the food chain, even when you don't bring a single thing to the table. I'm reminded of this from reading a news item on AWN about a new feature studio being formed on the other side of the pond, one that will be headed up by a producer of one of the films I animated on.
Now, I hate to say this producer was weak, but from where I sat every single decision and comment he made was 180 degrees wrong. It was uncanny. If he said a character should move faster, you knew you needed to slow things down. If he said a door should open inwards, you knew for certain that it needed to open outwards. Fortunately, the other producer on this film was an excellent one. That second producer acted as a 'solvent.' That is, when he was around, the first guy just kind of dissolved. When they were both in the room, the first guy became invisible.
And now he's heading his own studio? My head is spinning.
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5 comments:
Yes, but remember--this guy had provenance of already being a "feature producer"(and I don't have any idea who you're talking about, but it could be, well, a lot of people). Anyway, once a producer(even on a bomb--or even.esp. if HE bombed), once AGAIN a producer. People above the line just plain lie, also, you know. Take huge amounts of credit for things they never did, etc.--all to get the next position. Once you'ev had that first "big" job in L.A., you can drag that credit out all over the world, if your agent is good enough. Especially in animation, where it's still perceived as this Great Big Mystery by non-animation producers or start-up operations. makes for a lot of losers getting hired, unfortunately.
Oh, I understand fully how the game is played. But that doesn't stop me from being amazing when I see such midjudgment by an otherwise savvy company about the most important hiring decision they could make!
The Fish stinks from the head. If these kind of people get in power positions its because the people who hire them don't know the business either. Nor do they consult those who might know.
I was thinking the same thing the other day when I heard the news. Somehow everyone knows about David except those that do the hiring.
So we're talking about Framestore in London? And the genius in charge is David Lipman? Oy vey!
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