Changes are going on at Sony Pictures Animation. Aardman staffers, over from the United Kingdom, occupy a part of the building, readying Arthur Christmas*, due for release in 2011.
"We'll be working on the picture sixteen months. We've done a second pass of the boards, and the story is there. First act, second act, third act. Of course we'll be tweaking it, happens with every picture, doesn't it?" ...
Down at the other end of the building, Hotel Transylvania is in a transformative stage. Ax an artist told me:
"Chris Jenkins has come on board as a director, and we're reworking the story. The last time through was kind of a transition from the old story to the newer one. We've now got the green light to make more changes, and we'll be making them."
I told them I had a full head of dark hair when Hotel Transylvania first went into work. (This tracks my Rapunzel joke.) Two artists said they could almost believe it.
Meanwhile, the latest Open Season III continues in work, animated by Reel FX in Texas, and the buzz is that there might be an Open Season IV.
And of course we must never forget that The Smurfs has started production. In our darker moments of despair, we must hold fast to that reality ... and rejoice in it.
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9 comments:
I don't know who is to blame. The suits at SPE or Hannah Mignella but Sony animation is playing very, very safe... Open season,3,4,Popeye,smurfs...
How long does it take to put Hotel T story together? Storytelling is not easy but it's not rocket science.
There is another director on "Hotel T" ya know? Todd Wilderman is CO-directing with Mr. Jenkins. This makes the 3rd or 4rth directing team attached to that property - frankly we've all lost count over here, well that, and our ability to give a damn anymore ...
And Matt O'Callahan, I believe is helping shove it through.
All that wasted money and time. Horrible executive team (albeit better than the previous one).
And sadly run by a bunch of tech heads instead of creative artists. The lame executives think the tech heads know better. What an obvious mistake.
A story artist told me when I was over there yesterday:
"They want to animate the CG Popeye in the Fleischer, rubber hose style ..."
I find this pretty interesting, if it turns out to be true. The Fleishcers really had their own animation style and cartoon universe, which was pretty far removed from Disney and other West Coast studios.
I think it should be noted that 80% of Hotel Transylvania and Smurfs will be done in Vancouver and not in LA. All the leads and even some Anim supes walked out, according to rumors/gossip. Does anyone know the real story of the recent exodus? I hear that the Culver City studio is a ghost town now.
SPA has lost five of their animation sups, as well as Hotel T's most recent director Jill Culton and that project's producer. Not sure the reasons behind their all leaving but it does not sound good now does it?
Sony has some kind of clinical aversion to being successful. They inspire their artists with fear and they have accountants and MBA's giving story notes who, ironically enough, have zero concept as to how incredibly expensive their unworkable notes really are. Upper management is completely disinterested in retaining top talent and quite frankly, unable to appreciate how essential their contributions are to the greater success of the company.
Atta-boy Bob!
"They inspire their artists with fear"
So they are choosing the Fox route over Dreamworks.
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