The new studio in Vancouver rolls out.
Disney Pixar officially launched its new Vancouver studio Tuesday, as it ramps up to an eventual 100 artists animating short films based on popular Pixar characters.
The Vancouver studio, which has put out a hiring call for local animators and technical artists, will produce short-form animation portraying legacy Pixar characters that includes Buzz Lightyear and Woody from "Toy Story" and Lightning McQueen from "Cars." ...
Pixar's new facility will be the third Disney studio set up north of the border. It seems as if yesterday there were others:
Walt Disney Animation Canada Inc. will open a Canadian studio in January, 1996, with offices in Toronto and Vancouver, it was announced today by Tom Ruzicka, Senior Vice President Production, Walt Disney Television Animation, at successive press conferences in each city. Walt Disney Animation Canada Inc. will produce direct-to-home video programming in connection with Walt Disney Television Animation ...
These two earlier studios turned out hand-drawn, direct-to-video features, but didn't last long. By the end of the decade they were gone, victims of shifting priorities and executives down at the Mother Ship in Burbank.
I'm guessing this new Disney studio north of Seattle lasts longer than its predecessors.
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Wasn't Amir Nasrabadi, along with Sharon Morrill, responsible for all the awful Disney "cheapquels?" Why would Pixar hire a hack like that to run their Canada studio? Surely there are far more qualified people to do this. It's not a good sign.
I keep misunderstanding; are these short-FORM (commercials, amusement park stuff) or short films (for theatrical release)? Or both?
Can someone in the know clarify?
From what I understand it will be mostly short-form, as in commercials, special projects, and work for the parks. Pixar was starting to get more requests for this sort of work than they could handle while still turning out theatrical features and shorts.
Nothing like shipping jobs to other countries!
Yeah, how terrible to ship it to Canada, of all places! I mean, really? Isn't it accepted by now that animation is an international industry? There are plenty of talented foreign artists working at U.S. studios and there are definitely U.S. artists working abroad. What's the difference?
There are plenty of talented foreign artists working at U.S. studios and there are definitely U.S. artists working abroad. What's the difference?
The difference is we must pay fealty to our inborn patriotic tribal loyalties!
The truth is, however, that Californians are much more culturally in common with western Canadians than they are with, say, the South. There are whole swaths of America that feel far more foreign to me than large chunks of Canada.
Hmmm.
Yeah, how terrible to ship it to Canada, of all places! I mean, really? Isn't it accepted by now that animation is an international industry? There are plenty of talented foreign artists working at U.S. studios and there are definitely U.S. artists working abroad. What's the difference?
IMO, it isn't about the people being Canadian or US. It is about the money leaving the US and going elsewhere.
The jobs are not going to Canada because they have the best talent pool.
The jobs are going there because they have incredible tax breaks. Thats what pisses people off here in CA. If the converse were true, Canadians would be just as pissed, so save your finger wagging for another issue.
Plenty of americans working here in Canada Land, taking jobs away from canadians...
"Plenty of americans working here in Canada Land, taking jobs away from canadians..."
Yeah - check your stats - way more Canadians taking American jobs down here.
So much easier for you guys to get into our country to work than the other way.
I'm for anyone in any country getting work, but you wonder why soem folks on an American Union board might be a bit ticked about jobs an American company sends away, when there is a huge unemployed talent pool down the highway.
On a side note - all of those geeks that thought Lasseter coming to Disney was the same as the second coming in regards to making things better off all us poor hapless folks, may need to rethink who really gives a shit about them.
Video explains the move to Vancouver:
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100420/bc_pixar_opens_100420/20100420/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome
On a side note - all of those geeks that thought Lasseter coming to Disney was the same as the second coming in regards to making things better off all us poor hapless folks, may need to rethink who really gives a shit about them.
True, but at the same time if Bolt or Frog would have been hits, morale would be a lot higher right now, and people would probably be singing his praises. John made some decisions, and turns out in retrospect they might have been wrong (butting heads with Sanders, choosing Ron and John as the directors). But thats just Monday morning quarterbacking.
I do believe John and Ed care about Disney, but they are also in the tough position of making WDAS profitable, which sometimes means making unpopular decisions.
I mean, do you really expect a raise or go back to 40 hour weeks and have smooth sailing when we're deep in the hole?
They might 'care' about Disney, but decisions that were made by JL were decisions made by someone who thinks their own shit doesn't stink and when it does stink they explain it away as someone else's shit that they had to push out.
if Bolt or Frog would have been hits, morale would be a lot higher right now, and people would probably be singing his praises. John made some decisions, and turns out in retrospect they might have been wrong (butting heads with Sanders, choosing Ron and John as the directors).
Wha-at?!
John Lasseter is a genius. Never a wrong move, never a misstep.
Ed and John have been at Disney for 4 years. During their time there, there's geen "Meet the Robinsons" (only partially theirs), "Bolt", (all theirs), "The Princess and the Frog" (all theirs.) and now "Tangled" and "Winnie the Pooh Gets a Hickey".
Genius.
And look at what Katzenberg did in his first four years. "Oliver and Company," "Little Mermaid," "Rescuers Down Under," "Beauty and the Beast."
Not too good, but ... Oh, wait ...
But then again, look at their last four Pixar movies: Up, WALL*E, Ratatouille, the Incredibles...
Four movies, four best animated movie winner at the Oscars, four best original nomiated screenplays at the Oscars...
And their first films aren't bad at all...
The last 10 minutes of Meet the Robinsons are incredibly touching. Bolt was very funny and the Princess and the Frog's only sin was not being as good as Up.
"John Lasseter is a genius. Never a wrong move, never a misstep."
Cars sucked - and he shilled for the Tinkerbell DVDs as if they were new classics. He help oust Chris Sanders whose little Dragon flick is tearing it up in the BO and critics corner - seems he would've helped Bolt from being a piece of crap. And now he has sent work to Canada while some of his brethren down here are begging for work. Yeah he's Jesus alright!!!
If you'd seen Chris Sanders version of the little white puppy you would have known it did not have it together story-wise. Sanders and DeBois were given nearly free reign on dragon and they were under the gun to get it done with what assets existed already.
Not every director is a hit every time with every movie.
Pixar north doesn't matter to us down south anyway, since it's not like they could have afforded to offer the jobs to people in LA.
"...Sanders and DeBois were given nearly free reign on dragon and they were under the gun to get it done with what assets existed already..."
And knocked it out of the park just like Lilo and Stitch.
"Not every director is a hit every time with every movie."
Duh...But how about giving someone who had a hit the same confidence given to someone who had a box office dud like Brad Bird. That's right kiddies Iron Gian was a flop - but genius!!!
"Pixar north doesn't matter to us down south anyway, since it's not like they could have afforded to offer the jobs to people in LA."
Yeah I forgot, Disney's broke. Shouldn't of spent all that moola on Marvel. Funny thing, they're still producing content though. They're looking for doing it on the cheap, same as everyone, which shows that even JL don't give a crap, as long as the shareholders are happy. Business as usual, it don't matter who is sitting on the throne...
No matter how much you may want to ignore it, fact is form the mouse that Sander's version just did not have it together story-wise.
"No matter how much you may want to ignore it, fact is form the mouse that Sander's version just did not have it together story-wise."
And the end result did - hope they paid you well...
yes, DW pays us very well, and Chris and Dean are awesome to work with.
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