At Fox Animation

Drove over the hill this morning to visit the staff on Family Guy and American Dad. Most (but not all) of the artists and directors are still working; unfortunately some down-sizing has occurred.

The question I got asked over and over was: "What do you hear about the WGA negotiations?" Beyond what I posted yesterday, I don't know a hell of a lot, and told everyone so.

It looks as though most of the staff (at least the artists I talked to) will be employed into early January. After that, folks will be rolling off as their boards and directing duties are completed. One storyboarder said:

"The schedules have gotten better this past season, and I really like the steady work. These shows are hits on Fox, and pretty steady. That's a lot different than the daytime stuff where I was always hustling for my next gig. I'd like to chill for a month or two when this ends, but I've got a mortgage and baby, so I'm going to be out looking for other work."

The other big question (besides the one above), is "where's the work?"

At the moment, the major hiring that's soon to be done is on theatrical stuff at DreamWorks Animation and Disney Animation Studios. The t.v. side is more subdued. That could change in a couple of eye-blinks -- as it sometimes does -- but that's the story right now.