In our recent negotiations, the studios asserted (and I every so slightly paraphrase):
"DVD sales have taken a real hit. You've got to give us some relief because we're hurting here, bro."
They got some relief, but then there is this:
"Monsters vs. Aliens," the DreamWorks Animation film ... easily captured the top spot on all three home video charts the week ending Oct. 4. A Warner release, the direct-to-video animated feature "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies," debuted at No. 3 ... It's true that DVD sales are down from the heady days of ... oh ... 2003. But animated features have held up considerably better than your garden variety live-action epics. Which, of course, provides studios with plenty of motivation to produce animated product.
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Im sick of hearing excuses from the big studios. When animated films are making 5-6 (and even the least performing are making double) times their budget in theaters, and even more in DVD sales, the last thing I want to do is give them some "relief"
Especially when the CEOs are making enough in their yearly salaries to keep a studio full of animators staffed for 5 years.
Stop laying animators off and put them to work. You never know what idea they'll come up with and bankroll your retirement.
I second that.
If the producers are doing so poorly, why don't they close up shop and go into another business? Not hardly. Plus, they finally have a labor force they can completely intimidate.
Must be sweet.
Steve-
I apologize for this being completely off-topic, but I would like to have a very thorough examination of the "third-party arbitration" process that is currently how conflicts between studios and union employees are resolved (hopefully in a new thread, not a hijacking of this one).
What is your experience with third-party arbitration? Do the studios pick the arbitration companies? I have heard anecdotally that these arbitration companies generally favor the corporation over the employee or consumer. What have you found?
Who are these arbitrators? Why do studios/companies prefer arbitration over the standard legal system? Are there standard rules of evidence-giving, evidence-gathering, discovery, record-keeping, etc. in arbitration hearings? Are there standardized rules regarding the decision-making process of arbitrators? After a decision, is there further legal recourse?
This arbitration business has been in the news lately, and it doesn't seem like a particularly fair, equitable setup. But since I've never had any experience with them, I'm curious as to your experience, and whether you feel there is any built-in advantage to the studios over the employee/union. Do you feel the system is fair, and a level playing field?
I'll take your advice and put my answer up as a post.
In our recent negotiations, the studios asserted (and I every so slightly paraphrase):
"DVD sales have taken a real hit. You've got to give us some relief because we're hurting here, bro."
They got some relief, but then there is this:
"Monsters vs. Aliens," the DreamWorks Animation film ... easily captured the top spot on all three home video charts the week ending Oct. 4.
A Warner release, the direct-to-video animated feature "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies," debuted at No. 3 ...
It's true that DVD sales are down from the heady days of ... oh ... 2003. But animated features have held up considerably better than your garden variety live-action epics.
Which, of course, provides studios with plenty of motivation to produce animated product.
"give us some relief"???
People who feel their job is safe will be consumers, and buy stuff they don't need, such as dvd's. People who feel their employment is in peril, will save their money for a rainy day.
They should also consider lowering the prices on the animated dvd's. They're over priced.
R.
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