Going into the hat building today, Tangled displays were much in evidence. There was a nice sign celebrating the feature reaching the $400 million mark (only now it's $450 million-plus), and interviews and clips were playing on various monitors ...
Work progresses on a 3-D version of Lion King* and there's shorts in work, features in story development, (Winnie the Pooh, I'm told, is "in the can.") and supervising animators are engaged with various smaller projects. I also ran across staffers who are getting laid off. One of them said:
"I've been here a long time, but I got my notice. I'm not happy about it. I've trained for a lot of different jobs, applied to different departments, but nobody's interested in picking me up. They don't seem to be interested in what I can do, and I'm not 22-years-old. I'm not happy with the 45-hour weeks. I'm not happy with listening to management say one thing and do another. And I'm not happy that the union can't do anything about it ..."
I offered explanations about how the company could build in pre-paid o.t. to get longer workweeks if it wanted to. (The explanations sounded remarkably like excuses coming out of my mouth.) I said I get complaints every time the Mouse has another round of layoffs (and here came another). I added that since WDAS doesn't have a deep development slate there's long gaps between productions and so the company uses a visual effects model of hiring people when it needs crew and laying off people when it doesn't.
The employee wasn't mollified.
On a happier note, I then ran across a designer who's delighted that he's still working at Walt Disney Animation Studios after several years, since he had a long span of not working in the biz and so is pleasantly surprised at his current good fortune.
So there you have it. The Ying and Yang of different employees on different floors in different departments, one happy and one definitely not.
* Come Monday, "Lion King" art director Andy Gaskill will be talking about the making of the early nineties blockbuster in another TAG Interview.
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38 comments:
I'm willing to bet they'll soon lease the building. Don't get mad at me for simply stating the facts.
Again, Floyd has no idea what he's talking about.
I've been around Disney for a while, and right now is an exceedingly exciting time for the studio. We're taking the momentum from Tangled and pressing forward with 5-6 of the most exciting feature projects Ive ever seen in development. And thats not hyperbole. Theres also 3-4 shorts in development as well.
When was the last time you were even IN the building Floyd?
And nothing in full-bore production, so staffers continue to get down-sized.
Great planning.
Prep and Landing 2 is in full bore production, as are other projects that cannot be named.
If they were in full bore production, you COULD name, because they wouldn't be secret. What you are referring to are projects that are in development, and NOT in full bore production. Hence, the original commenter was correct--there is very very little in full bore production. Great planning.
Until Disney Greenlights a feature everything is just 'in development' and means nothing. They can have a hundred projects 'in development' (which they clearly don't - sounds like they might have 5 or 6)and when one of these is greelit they will announce it. They will definitely announce it if for no other reason then to help drive stock prices up.
Until then nothing is in production.
NOTHING!
Only $400 million more until Tangled turns a profit!
And you are right in saying floyd doesn't know what he's talking about--as usual.
Wrong, it just needs 70 million dollars to make a profit.
IT doesn't matter if the film itself ever turns a true profit or not. It's perceived as a hit and Disney is happy with the results. They'll make plenty of licensing money and they're happy they didn't embarrass themselves again.
What this means for the future only time will tell.
If I were them I'd be looking at the directors of Tangled and not at the directors of Frog for my next film...
But this is another nail in 2D's coffin
Man. For all the "nothing" that's going on at Disney, it sure seems awfully god damned busy.
And to the above poster criticizing Disney for announcing projects to drive up stock prices, Dreamworks does that monthly, it seems.
Bottom line is, the hundreds of employees at WDAS are happily and busily working on many awesome projects, springboarding off the success of Tangled. Whats the problem again?
"In development" projects still employ lots and lots of artists per project. Arguing about whether or not it's been greenlit and officially "in production" just makes you sound like a producer or management.
Maybe Lasseter should describe the next Disney film as "the last Priness movie - and this time we mean it!"
Because the "last Princess movie" pronouncement sure didn't hurt Tangled's box office, such as it is. Nice it's doing better than Lasseter (evidently) expected, but as a film, it sure as hell ain't no Lion King.
And quit dumping on Floyd. He was at Disney when it was still worthy of the name.
There was no "last princess announcement.". That was a quote taken out of context and turned into an erroneous article.
And I'll stop dumping on Floyd when he stops making shit up
Floyd's a harmless self promoter who views his contributions to the business through rose colored glasses. Take anything he says with a grain of salt.
If Tangled was so damn successful, why haven't heard any announcements about "Tangled 2"? ;)
because it's got a long way to go to begin breaking even. the toys are not doing very well, either.
The ONLY new WDAS project I'm interested in hearing about is the movie based on Epic Mickey. That game is AMAZING, even with the camera issues. And why? Because it has one of the most original, engaging stories Disney has told in quite some time. And best of all, it's not based on a book or comic, it's based on MICKEY MOUSE! So there's no reason not to make a movie about it. Better it than some stupid movie about Kermit the effing frog that Disney didn't even create!
Get with it Disney! Make a movie about Epic Mickey. It's sold nearly 2 million copies so far! Obviously there's an audience out there. How about making a movie about your OWN characters for a change?
And to the above poster criticizing Disney for announcing projects to drive up stock prices, Dreamworks does that monthly, it seems.
You seem to think that those announcements are just for show. Problem is, Disney is the one constantly laying people off, while DreamWorks continues to grow, and continues to keep several crews constantly busy.
I'm happy for the group at Disney who have avoided the latest round of layoffs. Bully for you. But don't let your pride in that fact obscure the reality that Disney long ago stopped being THE place everyone wanted to work, and it's on the verge of becoming a place that many people avoid. Tangled's success might mark a turning point, but that turning point was supposed to have been 5 years ago.
"The ONLY new WDAS project I'm interested in hearing about is the movie based on Epic Mickey."
One of the most original, engaging stories from Disney is actually not from Disney. It was developed by a group of CalArts animation students who were interns at Buena Vista Games ThinkTank. (Justin Hunt and Sean Jimenez being some of them). It's amazing what they came up with through the limitations of the company wanting a video game based on mickey mouse
because it's got a long way to go to begin breaking even. the toys are not doing very well, either.
Funny. All the reports I read say the opposite. Tangled merchandise holiday sales made a killing, and continue to do well.
while DreamWorks continues to grow
You're delusional if you think that'll last forever.
Nothing lasts forever.
But commitment to production takes more than just announcements, and in that dept. Dreamworks has far surpassed Disney for years now. That's a fact.
And they're not owned by a gigantic corporation, either-they're an independent. Which is why their announcements and productions are not write offs or just for dog & pony shows. They're real. Because they damn well have to be.
Not so Disney, sad to say. And it's bloody sad. FA, you've outlasted your reputation. Thank the execs left there.
"And they're not owned by a gigantic corporation, either-they're an independent."
Nothing lasts forever.
What announcements has Disney made that are dog and pony shows? Everything they have announced is still getting made. There is a production gap between Tangled and Reboot Ralph. That's all. And that got filled with Prep and Landing 2 and other projects. The goal is to have less gaps. Congrats to dreamworks for not having gaps. But then again, that means you have to sometimes work on Shrek 4 or puss n boots...
What announcements has Disney made that are dog and pony shows? Everything they have announced is still getting made.
True.
If you overlook "Snow Princess," "Jack and the Beanstock," "Reboot's" previous incarnation "Joe Jump," etc.
Look, I've got no problem with Walt Disney Animation Studio's content or development slate. The creative decisions are solid. But I've got an issue with the way long-term personnel are treated, how employes with five or ten years with the company are thrown overboard for a new crop of lower-cost trainees.
The excuses made are "Well, they're weeding out the weaker players." Really? In favor of trainees? Don't think so.
Management has been saying for years that there won't be layoffs or that layoffs will be small. But the model in use now is basically a visual effects model. They hire crew when they need crew, lay them off when they don't. There's nothing immoral about that, but it would just be nice if they would own up to what they're doing, that's all. Andrew Milstein's soft soap gets old after awhile.
While I agree with you that its pretty crappy that 5-10 year employees are laid off, you cant deny some are being replaced by better talent. Its a sad truth. Not all, but most. I dont want to name names, because that's rude. But it's true.
Oh, and I dont think you know all the goings-on at the studio right now, otherwise you'd have more up-to-date information on what's getting made and what's not. That's all I'll say.
"Replaced by better talent"? Maybe. Maybe also, in a wild coincidence, replaced by much cheaper talent.
God, with these claims from Disney staff that only the weaker links are ever let go, you wonder how stupid the studio was to not only HIRE, but keep paying these awful, weak, no-talent excuses for Disney animators over a "5-10 year" period? It's a miracle Frog and Tangled ever got done much less done well with so much dead weight on the staff!
Come on.
Do you really think Milstein understands and weighs who's "more talented" instead of "who costs more"-or that the few people at the top who are left who've never been laid off aren't skewing who's considered "more/most talented" by attributing that distinction to their cronies?
Think again. That kind of management breeds an unpleasant workplace-no job security, paranoia and a lot of politics.
Chicken Little. Meet the Robinsons. Enough said.
Wait, I'm sorry. Dinosaur, Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons...enough said.
God, with these claims from Disney staff that only the weaker links are ever let go, you wonder how stupid the studio was to not only HIRE, but keep paying these awful, weak, no-talent excuses for Disney animators over a "5-10 year" period? It's a miracle Frog and Tangled ever got done much less done well with so much dead weight on the staff!
Beautifully said. Funny thing is, the ones who are doing the replacing, the ones who are puffing out their chests that they're in the current round of winners, are going to be that much more bitter and angry when they get canned in the next round of layoffs.
Wait, I'm sorry. Dinosaur, Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons...enough said.
You left off Bolt. A huge chunk of the crew of Bolt were also sent packing when that underperformed.
Funny thing is, I know a lot of the people who were at Disney for the films listed above. Most of them are doing quite well, scattered around at top flight studios all over the place, happily doing first rate work on successful projects. Funny how that works.
And I know a lot who have gone on to second and third tier places. Funny how you left them off.
While I agree with you that its pretty crappy that 5-10 year employees are laid off, you cant deny some are being replaced by better talent.
Of course I can deny it. Many are being replaced by 20-something trainees that cost less.
"the beatings will continue 'til morale improves!"
nothing more demoralizing than rows of empty desks...
r.
These comments are a cancer.
Thank you Steve and the Guild for providing this service.
These comments are a symptom. The cancer is internal.
There's also a fair amount of "letting off steam" and "devil advocate playing" here too.
No need to be that melodramatic.
I love the "he said, she said" aspect of the comment section.
"Disney is (blank)."
"No, it's not!"
"Yes it is!"
"No, it's not!"
And then Floyd Norman comes in with some vaugely relevant comment about how much better it was in the old days.
Never change Animation Guild blog.
And you forgot it's all by anonymous posters.
It a cancer
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