Life After Pi

It was about a year ago today ...

That R & H went awaay ...



From the Times:

Pioneering visual effects house Rhythm & Hues stunned Hollywood last year when it filed for bankruptcy protection and laid off more than 250 employees.

The announcement came as the Los Angeles company was enjoying its crowning achievement: the Ang Lee film “Life of Pi,” whose dazzling digital effects would land Rhythm & Hues its third Academy Award just a few weeks later.

For Rhythm & Hues veterans Christina Lee Storm and Scott Leberecht, the juxtaposition was both devastating and traumatic.

They coped the only way they knew how: They picked up a camera and began interviewing their colleagues to document the fallout and help explain the forces that led to the near-demise of one the industry’s most storied effects firms.

The result is “Life After Pi,” a 30-minute documentary filmed at the company’s former El Segundo headquarters during the weeks that followed the bankruptcy.

The film debuts Feb. 25 on YouTube ...

And what's happening a year later? The industry still licks it bleeding wounds, and entertainment union are pushing for a tax subsidy on par with New York's. (California has a much smaller subsidy now.)

There's debate about whether this is a good long-term fix, but the thought of Hollywood guilds and unions is: "We're in drowning NOW. We need a life vest NOW!"

And, honest to God, there was real damage done to people's lives last year. And it's worthwhile to remember that.