For some reason we seem to be highlighting female animation artists just now. So does the L.A. Times in today's editions:
... [Jennifer Yuh] Nelson is one of four women to have directed a feature at her home studio of DreamWorks Animation — though her contemporaries, Brenda Chapman ("Prince of Egypt"), Vicky Jenson ("Shark Tale," "Shrek") and Lorna Cook ("Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron") shared their duties with at least one male counterpart. ...
Might I say here that Jennifer getting this solo assignment is richly deserved? Because she's not only extremely nice, but extremely talented. But the Times has other things to say about women directors in animation:
... [W]hen Brenda Chapman was fired from Pixar's "Brave," it stung not just Chapman but also her female colleagues in the animation community.
"I think it's a really sad state. We're in the 21st century and there are so few stories geared towards girls, told from a female point of view," said Chapman ...
There are varying industry stories about Ms. Chapman's departure from Emeryville, but it's interesting that the L.A. Times airs this linen on the same day it profiles Jennifer Yuh Nelson, no?
Management at Pixar/ Disney is fond of saying how the pictures are "director driven" and it's all about the "director's vision," etc. To some degree that might be true, but when the director's vision collides with the ideas of the head of the studio, all of a sudden the director isn't driving anymore.
Everybody knows this to be true. It might be useful if management admitted to the reality.
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All animation directors are equal. It'a just that some are more equal than others.
Admit reality? Management promotes their own fantasy. Why change now?
It's not "lying," if you make up the truth. The gNOp/teabagged party knows this well.
The problem is that women (and most minorities) =don't wear Hawaiian shirts or play (I mean collect) action figures so John doesn't think they can be good directors.
She is an inspiration for me and I respect her tremendously. In a male-dominated field I cannot help but feel overwhelm at times to prove myself as their equal. But when you share the same passion and drive it helps to close the bridge little by little. I'm learning more and more about the politics of animation and despite the obvious wrongs in the industry it hasn't deterred me yet to what I want to. So for everyone, male or female, keep to the positive!
To some degree that might be true, but when the director's vision collides with the ideas of the head of the studio, all of a sudden the director isn't driving anymore.
Everybody knows this to be true. It might be useful if management admitted to the reality.
This is only partly correct. Instead of "director driven" it should be called "story driven"
At Pixar, the Story Trust is extremely important. If a director is not taking notes, not improving the story, and not earning the respect of the team, the film will be taken from them. I think this is a good thing. It's pretty democratic too; ie, there needs to be a consensus it isnt working.
Imagine the alternative: the entire crew watching a film go down in flames, with no power to fix it because it's a "director driven studio."
The bottom line is the director is am employee of the studio. The studio allows the director to color within the lines that they create. You out there in the mythical land where art exists for arts sake need to remember that animation is a commercial art. It is around to make money. Period. End. There's not a damn thing wrong with that either...
I don't think if anyone is savvy enough and well-connected enough to get a feature directing gig they need to be educated about animation being a commercial art form. I think they know that.
It's really all about the politics for directors. They might be crazy talented, but anyone in the director's chair at Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks didn't get there only because they're "the best" at whatever they do. It's also a popularity contest, a contest of wills, and a constant power struggle at every place making anything substantial.
And sometimes directors run afoul of management and get taken off and it's not because it's for 'the good of the story' or whatever the official line is. Sometimes it is but sometimes it isn't. Politics.
I am so tired of hearing about the "boys club". Has anyone ever thought that animation has been and somewhat still is mainly men. Animation seems to attract men. Not sure why that is but it does. As for the women it attracts all are as capable as the men so therefore they are equal at least to me they are. When you have more of one sex employed within any given field that sex will most likely be the one taking on the top jobs. As more women enter the field as they have been doing then we will begin seeing more of them filling directors seats. I do not believe there is a "boys club" in animation. Yes I know in the early days there was a bias, I and anyone who reads this blog knows of this but in our current state of animation I don't believe it is true. I am sure someone will fire back with a posting that they have had a personal story of the so called "boys club". I am not saying that no one is bias but think that for every bias male there is a bias female as well.
What a load of horseshit the above is. Typical, predictable ranting and whining.
Do you actually work in the industry, at a major studio, and have you for any substantial amount of time?
"I do not believe there is a "boys club" in animation.
Do you even know what the phrase means? Because it can mean a lot of different things.
Anyway, since the existence of a "boys club" doesn't affect you in any way shape or form you couldn't give a shit whether any such thing DOES exist.
I'd say the bigger issue here isn't that Pixar fired a woman (though that doesn't help their reputation as a Boys Club, yes, a Boys Club!), but the fact that John seems to have a history of firing directors off of their own projects. This is the third one that I can think of - maybe there's others that I'm not aware of. If you weren't part of that phony 'sitting around in a restaurant, scribbling on a napkin' group then any new ideas seem to be bought with the promise of the creator directing and then getting fired when you displease the 'brain trust'.
Don't get me started on the 'brain trust' especially when the lead 'brain' so blatantly ripped off another move...
It's actually the fourth time he "fired" directors from their own projects:
Jan Pinkava from "Ratatouille"
Chris Sanders (and Dean Deblois) from "American Dog".
Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker from "The King of the Elves".
Branda Chapman from "The Bear and the Bow/Brave".
I am so tired of hearing about the "boys club". Has anyone ever thought that animation has been and somewhat still is mainly men. Animation seems to attract men.
Not my observation but ... okay.
And you base your POV on what, exactly? Because Cal Arts animation department is 50% female. And the percentage of women in the unionized part of the animation industry is 17%.
http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/your-april-statistic.html
But thanks for your input.
It's actually the fourth time he "fired" directors from their own projects
Don't forget Brad Lewis from "Cars 2." Lasseter took over the project early last year. And Gary Rydstrom probably was a contributing factor to "newt" getting shelved, even beyond the too-close-for-comfort similarities with "Rio."
Good grief people you make a comment on here and you folks have a cow and claim I don't work in the field or if I do I haven't for long. I have worked in feature animation since 1996 and still do to this day and again from my PERSONAL POV is I don't a boys club. Any woman who has worked with me or in the department that I have worked has always been treated fairly. I have heard stories and I made that clear in my first posting but I am speaking from my POV. Ah Steve if only 17% of our work force in animation are women then yes it is mainly men in our field, your math proves that. OF course the rest of the bitching from what I said is most likely from a female (most likely divorced) who feels they haven't been dealt a fair hand because of their sex. Maybe it is your talent that is lacking or your interpersonal skills. You think there is a boys club I dont, it is only an opinion but as usual that cannot be expressed without being attacked, let me guess you are as liberal as they come but that's another topic.
Wow, what a sad little rant.
Do you realize how ridiculous and horrible you sound? Someone's sure as hell lacking "interpersonal skills" and it isn't an imaginary woman. Let me guess: you "most likely divorced"? For her sake I sure hope so.
And this, folks, if it's to be believed, is what at least one of what the 17% are working around. Oh goody.
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