Ordinarily I try to visit one signator studio per day in a normal week, walking around and chatting people up, scarfing up gossip and gripes.
Today was a twofer day; I got a call from artists who wanted to have a meeting about uncompensated overtime (They've been doing it, but they're tired of doing it. Especially since it's uncompensated.) The meeting lasted lunchtime, after which I went off to Cartoon Network Studio in sun-kissed Burbank, where the birds always sing and hearts are always light. And no artists wanted to meet with me...
At CN, I got into a conversation with one of the flash animators on Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends -- now finishing its fifth season and starting Season #6 -- who told me about the abundance of flash animation around town and how most of his friends were working and the business looked great. (Sad part for Yours Truly: a chunk of that work is at non-signator studios, but at least it's in town rather than on an island off the south coast of China.)
Cartoon Network has been doing a good bit of hiring lately, and TAG will hold a new member lunch for a bunch of the newbies this week. Among the projects now bubbling along at the studio:
* Class of 3000 is wrapping up its second season.
* CN has done several dozen 2-minute shorts slated for the internet, theatres near you, and various phone-type devices. And more shorts are in work.
* The Powerpuff Girls returns to the teevee with a new 1/2 hour special now in work.
* Two new pilots are being done by the creator of Billy and Mandy.
* Camp Lazlo is wrapping up its fourth season.
* Chowder is wrapping its first 13 episodes and commecning its second 13.
* Several pilots are in various stages of development.
Outside of the usual office work, that was pretty much Monday. (Aren't you glad you asked?)
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12 comments:
CN produces and repeatedly airs more than a dozen 3 minute shorts of Camp Lazlo, with little or no consideration of the creator, nor recognition of their contractual obligation to the creator. They describe them as promos, which they are definitely not promos. They are original content based on characters that were created through contract with the creator. As a proponent and supporter of the creator-driven ethic and it's significant yet increasingly fragile contribution to good television animation, I find this to be reprehensible. And cheap.
Well at least someone is looking out for the creators.
Who could this Anonymous Hero be?!
The company has to pay appropriate rates for work performed.
Other than that, everything done in Hollywood is "work for hire," and has been since the days of hand-cranked cameras. WFH means that, when you create something for a company while you collect wages, the company owns it. The company has the copyright and is therefore the "creator" of record.
Now, I have a big problem philosophically with this. I don't believe that companies are entities that should own copyrights on anything. Actual creators should.
Sadly, the U.S. Congress early last century (1912, if memory serves) legislated that companies could own copyright. So here we are.
"Now, I have a big problem philosophically with this. I don't believe that companies are entities that should own copyrights on anything. Actual creators should."
And who would own a collaboration?
answer: the artists involved. Be it one or 200.
If Paul (McCartney) and John(Lennon) wrote a song,why shouldn't they own the rights?
(I'm just illustrating how this problem crosses over to other creative endeavors ie. :the music industry)
corporations (and it's lackies) have such a cinical way of looking at things...
"Now, I have a big problem philosophically with this. I don't believe that companies are entities that should own copyrights on anything. Actual creators should."
And who would own a collaboration?
The collaborators.
CN totally rules!
I'm not really in that country and I don't know what is going on around much so I've been wondering. Is it true that the Powerpuff Girls will get a 30 minute special? Craig McCracken slightly denied about it though as I heard it from othe users from other websites.
Oh MY GOSH!! the Powerpuff girls are coming back!! YAY!! hope the RowdyRuff Boys appear again.. or.. I'll kill Craig McCracken..
RowdyRuff Boys rule!!! They are the awesomest thing ever!! I can't even believe the creators don't do more episodes with them!! Like, 'Clipsville' the part where the girls grow up and met with the older RRBs.. I so want to see a complete episode of it!!!
I'm one of the Anonymous Heroes. For me, I am only for the Powerpuff Girls part. I'm not going to tell you guys who I am as there are many out there that wants the Powerpuff Girls back as well. I was chosen to be their leader for their "mission" and I have hope it would succeed since. The other shows are by other Anonymous Heroes who also refused to give out who they really are.
I hope the Powerpuff girls return as well. I grew up watching them, I represent every powerpuff girls fan when saying that they should of never canceled Powerpuff girls to replace it with Foster's home for imagenary friends. Now don't get me wrong, I love Foster's but Powerpuff girls is so much better. Besides there not just going to let Japan prance around with Craig Mcracken's idea are they? I mean seriously Powerpuff girls z is a stupid show compared to the oringnal.
powerpuffgirls please come back! please for the sake of the ppg lovers make more episodes. i havent seen one of those in years...
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