This is Thursday, so it's Starz day on TAG's unending studio tour.
The Simpsons crew is pared down now, with lots of empty cubes in the layout department now that the show's budget has been ... ah ... constrained. Do it faster, better, cheaper. Those are the watch words.
"We've all adjusted to the higher demands. The artists just stay at their desks and get the work done. There's no time for complaining ..."
The question I got over and over: So what's going on in the rest of the animation biz? Who's working?"
I've given the answer so many times I have it down pat. "Less traditional, hand-drawn employment happening, but more c.g. work. Warners has come back from hibernation, but Disney TVA's Sonora studio is mostly empty, with two shows coming into production ..." Etcetera.
One Simpson staffer mentioned:
The writers are doing a retreat to get rolling on another thirteen episodes. And I've heard Al Jean say he'd be happy to do The Simpsons for another twenty years ... [pause] I'd be okay with working on the show another twenty years."
Al Jean (one of the show's topkicks, if you don't know) had this to say about the Yellow Family.
Working with brainy guests like Stephen Hawking and Thomas Pynchon is truly priceless
But the nub of the matter:
The Simpsons is the sixth highest earner on television. "We're still vital."
Which is, after all the poker chips get counted and hauled off to the cashier's cage, why The Simpsons' diminished artistic staff could be working on the show for some years to come. Simpsons = Number Six.
"Only thirteen new episodes being written? For next season? I wonder how many hold-over half hours we've got? I bet that's how they plan on rounding out the order. With episodes they didn't use this year."
Did I mention that Fox is ... ah ... cost conscious?
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I sure would be interested to know how much money is thrown at these "writer retreats" that all of the prime time shows have. Would it be so rough on the writers if they just stopped doing those and spent the small fortunes on hiring more artists and paying them better? Why aren't there "storyboard artist retreats"? Believe me, I'm not blaming the writers for taking advantage of this idiocy. I would if I were in their shoes. It just amazes me that it doesn't even occur to people what a tragic waste of budget these retreats are.
the amount of money paid for retreats is inversely proportional to the hilarity of the jokes.
It's fallen to 6th place? So what's above it?
I never got a writers' retreat.
The closest I ever got was an all-day story session in Woolie Reitherman's office.
Followed by Ken Anderson screaming at me.
The writers get paid a ton, and get residuals. And much more if they write song parodies, as they're covered under ASCAP.
I'd love to say the "writers" laugh at the directors/animators on the Simpsons shows--but they don't.
They don't even think about them at all.
>>Followed by Ken Anderson screaming at me.
Now that's worth writing about.
Not sure what funny could possibly be made from breaking writers block with golf and craft service. Decidedly in the 'unfunny' column. But it explains a lot of the scripts.
I miss the episodes of Simpsons when they were just a poor, lower-middle class family that constantly had money problems or health problems and somehow dealt with them in a humorous way. These days every episode is about them traveling to Paris or buying a sailboat or meeting celebrities. For almost a decade the Simpsons writers have been completely out of touch with what it means to be a typical American family.
>>Followed by Ken Anderson screaming at me.
Now that's worth writing about.
I already have. I don't need to relive it twice.
Only thirteen new episodes being written? For next season? Does this mean they're starting to wind down the show like King of the Hill?
>have been completely out of touch with what it means to be a typical American family.
blame the retreats. typical families don't take retreats and don't get paid nearly what WGA jokesters get paid.
Isn't Marvel Animation doing two shows at Starz/Film Roman? No mentions?
Well, welcome to the new world of Business--cut the legs off the bottom 99% of your staff so the top 1% don't have to take a pay cut. In this case, it's the writers taking reaping the rewards, sadly, even though the show is surviving more on its popular name rather than how good it currently is.
Most writers don't get paid that much either, but they have a hell of a lot more job security and royalty than animators do. It's just plain sick that the people that make shows like this even possible to begin with are treated like disposable tissue!
Sometimes I think the only way this genre's ever going to be allowed to flourish, or at the very least get even a hint of respect from this town is if they can collaborate a strike of their own, because they'd sure deserve it a hell of a lot more than the writers guild or sag. Sometimes I wonder if ASIFA's just not doing enough.
ASIFA has absolutely nothing to do with what you just mentioned. That's the union's job.
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