tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post562555475209751272..comments2024-03-29T02:18:35.303-07:00Comments on TAG Blog: The "Science" of Story MakingSteve Huletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05537689111433326847noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-25838576352459341032008-09-29T03:06:00.000-07:002008-09-29T03:06:00.000-07:00I just love all this chatter from people who don't...I just love all this chatter from people who don't work there, and have absolutely no knowledge or understanding of what actually transpired. Even when people who WERE there weigh in with informed commentary, their comments are ignored or willfully misunderstood.<BR/><BR/>Keep chatting, plebes!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-64573565203812673322008-09-23T21:48:00.000-07:002008-09-23T21:48:00.000-07:00Yeah, yeah, yeah...don't you people realize..I LOS...Yeah, yeah, yeah...don't you people realize..I LOST MY BLUETOOTH! BobBob and Rob Professional American Writershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13273869278815498283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-70214733902423437062008-09-23T16:22:00.000-07:002008-09-23T16:22:00.000-07:00You're right. No one holds grudges that long in t...You're right. No one holds grudges that long in this industry. My bad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-61094828774456339622008-09-23T15:34:00.000-07:002008-09-23T15:34:00.000-07:00I loved this from a previous anon:"You're fired""Y...I loved this from a previous anon:<BR/><BR/>"You're fired"<BR/><BR/>"You cant fire me! I quit!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-42153474793384982212008-09-23T13:03:00.000-07:002008-09-23T13:03:00.000-07:00"Unlike Lasseter, who WAS fired from Disney. That'..."Unlike Lasseter, who WAS fired from Disney. That's also a simple fact. Which might be part of the reason he's so eager to try a slash and burn policy at Disney now."<BR/><BR/>Seriously? You really believe that Lasseter is going to hold a grudge this long? After all the success he's had subsequent to his firing? And take it out on people who not only weren't there at the time, but in some cases not even born?<BR/><BR/>What color is the sky in your world?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-44292373048303046662008-09-23T10:43:00.000-07:002008-09-23T10:43:00.000-07:00If you think that Chris Sanders voluntarily "quit"...If you think that Chris Sanders voluntarily "quit" a film that he was putting as much of his heart and soul into as "American Dog", then you're REALLY hitting the Kool Aid hard, my friend. ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-28651055501196767122008-09-23T08:02:00.000-07:002008-09-23T08:02:00.000-07:00"You're fired""You cant fire me! I quit!""You're fired"<BR/><BR/>"You cant fire me! I quit!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-963078328214619592008-09-23T07:50:00.000-07:002008-09-23T07:50:00.000-07:00Unlike Lasseter, who WAS fired from Disney. That's...Unlike Lasseter, who WAS fired from Disney. That's also a simple fact. Which might be part of the reason he's so eager to try a slash and burn policy at Disney now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-62644510263220095052008-09-23T07:42:00.000-07:002008-09-23T07:42:00.000-07:00Remember, sanders QUIT. He was NOT, I repeat, NOT...Remember, sanders QUIT. He was NOT, I repeat, NOT fired.<BR/><BR/>That is just a simple fact.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-32104788391080226442008-09-23T06:56:00.000-07:002008-09-23T06:56:00.000-07:00PS) Yes, having the Hawaiian shirt-cladded Lassete...PS) Yes, having the Hawaiian shirt-cladded Lasseter make the executive decisions is better than the suit-wearing previous regime, because at least he has experience being an animator AND a director. Id much rather have him in charge than someone like Stainton or Eisner.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-49233776705266742282008-09-23T06:51:00.000-07:002008-09-23T06:51:00.000-07:00Look people. Enough already. Its simple, Sanders...Look people. Enough already. Its simple, Sanders was royally effing up A-dog (I was there, so I know), he was given ample opportunity to fix it, but instead he ran around in an indian headress and got himself fired.<BR/><BR/>If it werent for Lasseter, A-dog would have been made, and it would have tanked. There'd be no 2D animation at Disney, and the WDAS probably wouldnt be around for long.<BR/><BR/>Bolt is Disney's best chance for a new, better Disney. It isnt a perfect film, but by god it's a GOOD film. Im so sick of hearing all this crap from people who weren't there and DONT know, and cite internet rumors and blogs as evidence of Sander's unfair removal. (or dont cite evidence at all) <BR/><BR/>Personally, I like Chris, and I think with the right team around him, he can be brilliant, and I wish him all the luck in the world at Dreamworks. But Im really tired of all the martyrdom that surrounds him and Bolt/A-dog. Trust me, if any of you were Lasseter, and were given the charge to "fix" Disney, you'd have done the same thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-2329101358705641882008-09-23T00:03:00.000-07:002008-09-23T00:03:00.000-07:00> Do you have info that makes you> so positi...> Do you have info that makes you<BR/>> so positive that Sanders and <BR/>> Pinkava had a kickass story but<BR/>> the Nazi regime of Lasseter and<BR/>> Catmull took it away from them <BR/>> and forced the crap story of <BR/>> Ratatouille and soon Bolt upon<BR/>> us?<BR/><BR/><BR/>Yes, I do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-39771326705845445902008-09-22T20:26:00.000-07:002008-09-22T20:26:00.000-07:00Well, if STORY IS KING it would be nice if they'd ...Well, if STORY IS KING it would be nice if they'd used that model when making their last few films. Other than TS1 and The Incredibles (and MAYBE TS2)story sure seemed not to reign supreme.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-87909098879689459962008-09-22T17:48:00.000-07:002008-09-22T17:48:00.000-07:00JL and EC have both spouted platitudes about the u...<B>JL and EC have both spouted platitudes about the unassailable primacy of the director from their very own mouths. And did you even *read* the article? (excerpt below)...<BR/><BR/>You think it makes a difference that someone is wearing a Hawaiian shirt vs. a suit?</B><BR/><BR/>Yeah, I read the article. I didn't realize it was written by Pixar...<BR/><BR/>Oh, it wasn't? So Pixar's still never said "<I>director</I> is king?"<BR/><BR/>Show me an exact quote where Lasseter and Catmull have explicitly said they placed a director's vision over the story and I'll go back and hide my face in shame.<BR/><BR/>Everything I've read thus far has shown <I>story</I> to be the most important thing. Do you have info that makes you so positive that Sanders and Pinkava had a kickass story but the Nazi regime of Lasseter and Catmull took it away from them and forced the crap story of Ratatouille and soon Bolt upon us?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-50394529284919920882008-09-22T13:24:00.000-07:002008-09-22T13:24:00.000-07:00"You think it makes a difference that someone is w..."You think it makes a difference that someone is wearing a Hawaiian shirt vs. a suit? "<BR/><BR/>I just peed. Very funny.<BR/><BR/>Control the money AND the picture and you begin to have a director-driven film. Walt had his brother, it is as simple as that. <BR/><BR/>Everyone always forgets the guy over on the side of the set sweating bullets. Bear witness to THAT kind of filmmaking and there you find true Hollywood stories.<BR/><BR/>All the rest is victim to the unavoidable hand of corporate vertical integration.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-45976619842907126462008-09-22T12:48:00.000-07:002008-09-22T12:48:00.000-07:00> Only a selected "brain trust" of>...> Only a selected "brain trust" of<BR/>> other Pixar filmmakers gives notes,<BR/>> and the director has absolute<BR/>> authority on how to address them -- <BR/>> or whether to address them at all.<BR/>><BR/>> Pixar has been trying to instill<BR/>> that mindset at Walt Disney <BR/>> Animation Studios as well.<BR/><BR/>And what better way to instill that mindset than by summarily firing directors? ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-75906857913521561282008-09-22T12:45:00.000-07:002008-09-22T12:45:00.000-07:00>>...Except that Pixar never>> said &q...>>...Except that Pixar never<BR/>>> said "the director is king."<BR/>>> Get your beefs straight.<BR/><BR/>JL and EC have both spouted platitudes about the unassailable primacy of the director from their very own mouths. And did you even *read* the article? (excerpt below).<BR/><BR/>Catmull's line about "clipping off three levels of approval above the director" is complete nonsense, unless he is simply referring to the previous three levels (including Stainton and Eisner). Directors still have to answer to Lasseter, who in turn answers to Iger, and heaven help the director who exercises his "absolute authority". They stand to have something "clipped off" themselves. Just ask Jan and Chris.<BR/><BR/>You think it makes a difference that someone is wearing a Hawaiian shirt vs. a suit? <BR/><BR/>---<BR/><BR/>(quote)<BR/>On a Pixar film, the director is king. Nobody has approval over the director. Only a selected "brain trust" of other Pixar filmmakers gives notes, and the director has absolute authority on how to address them -- or whether to address them at all.<BR/><BR/>Pixar has been trying to instill that mindset at Walt Disney Animation Studios as well. When they took over at Disney, Catmull says, "There were three levels of approval over the directors. So we had to clip that off."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-80229164034857445022008-09-22T10:18:00.000-07:002008-09-22T10:18:00.000-07:00...Which WAS the case with American Dog (for those......Which WAS the case with American Dog (for those of who actually experienced it, even though the internet elite seem to know something us Disney employees dont)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-51847514972697305702008-09-22T10:05:00.000-07:002008-09-22T10:05:00.000-07:00...unless of course you're making the argument tha......unless of course you're making the argument that a director should be left at the helm of a film that is clearly going off the rails or meandering with no clear direction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-3239517642485691822008-09-22T09:28:00.000-07:002008-09-22T09:28:00.000-07:00"Getting real tired of Pixar's "the director is ki...<B>"Getting real tired of Pixar's "the director is king" bullsh!t. Tell that to Pinkava and Sanders."</B><BR/><BR/>...Except that Pixar never said "the <I>director</I> is king." <BR/><BR/>It is a "director-driven" studio, as anon #2 points out. Marketers are not going to be able to do product placements and fart-jokes if the director thinks it's crap.<BR/><BR/>But their mantra is "<I>Story</I> is king." Took this to mean that if the director just wasn't getting the story right, he's out.<BR/><BR/>Get your beefs straight.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-64519380033789326652008-09-22T08:56:00.000-07:002008-09-22T08:56:00.000-07:00Well, upper management in both cases you're referr...Well, upper management in both cases you're referring to (Pinkava and Sanders) is John Lasseter, who, after all, is a director.<BR/><BR/>:)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-40423132958482195922008-09-22T08:43:00.000-07:002008-09-22T08:43:00.000-07:00The whole point of a director led studio is that t...The whole point of a director led studio is that the director is in charge of the team. He (or she) is responsible for leading the team and giving direction. If the director is unable to lead the team and give clear direction then it isn't going to work.<BR/><BR/>It is clear when things are working and when they aren't, and that is when the director gets replaced.Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07033520437729077065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-35419793344443360272008-09-22T08:37:00.000-07:002008-09-22T08:37:00.000-07:00it isnt really BS when you consider the point is t...<B>it isnt really BS when you consider the point is that no one has final say who's wearing a suit and is doing marketing research to find a formula for funny (like they do at other studios) </B><BR/><BR/>Okay ... Pixar might give directors more sway, but saying "the director has total control" isn't true, based on directors being replaced when upper management isn't happy.<BR/><BR/>Hard to get around inconvenient facts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-76637494612637461482008-09-22T07:58:00.000-07:002008-09-22T07:58:00.000-07:00"The inability of a society to create a new narrat..."The inability of a society to create a new narrative reflects its impotence toward affecting change. The stories that do reverberate only serve to amplify this stagnant self image. I would call the beginning of American stagnation the release of Top Gun and the first Gulf War."<BR/><BR/>So long as they connect with AUDIENCES (we're in the business of entertainment/communication), I'm cool with THAT! <BR/><BR/>There are more than 6 plots, anyway. <BR/><BR/>So long as the stories being told aren't like most of those crappy Japanese films. that can't TELL a story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-30387709674419578802008-09-22T07:39:00.000-07:002008-09-22T07:39:00.000-07:00There are six plots, four hero types, ten endings,...There are six plots, four hero types, ten endings, sixteen conflicts, and three Greek philosophies of wine. Sounds like a formula to me. It's fine to cling to the warm blanky of tradition when it's time for night-night, but if I see one more Joseph Campbell movie, my head is going to explode and spray chunks of gray into the projector booth.<BR/><BR/>The inability of a society to create a new narrative reflects its impotence toward affecting change. The stories that do reverberate only serve to amplify this stagnant self image. I would call the beginning of American stagnation the release of Top Gun and the first Gulf War.<BR/><BR/>Oooooh! I can't wait for Shrek IV! Nighty-night, mummy! There aren't any monsters, right? <BR/><BR/>RIGHT?!?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com