The Week's Studio Visits

Once again I am in 401(k) enrollment meetings mode.

That means one or two studios a day, standing at the end of a conference room table, naddering on about the joys of sheltering and deferring income to animators, designers and storyboard artists until my vocal chords cramp up.

Today it was Sony Pictures Animation, which shares space with Sony Pictures Imageworks...

There's a big display for Beuwolf in the Imageworks lobby. The picture comes out in November in "Enhanced Live Action," whatever that means.

One of the feature development artists and I fell into a discussion of the retooling the studio is now doing with one of its features, also about the recent article in the trades about Sony's commitment to feature animation in general.

The artist isn't certain the commitment is real, what with Sony's less than boffo results with their last release and all. I said: "Disney's been successful with 'toons, also Pixar and DreamWorks. Now even Warners has gotten its act together with Happy feet. Animation is just too lucrative for all the other majors for Sony not to be involved in it."

I'm not saying I'm right, but Sony hasn't cut its development staff. And its slated features are still its slated features. (Another artist I discussed this with thinks SPA is going to stick it out.)

Me, I'm going to keep thinking happy thoughts, right up until the moment I get smacked in the forehead by sad reality.