Continuing Changes in Glendale

Even as DWA lays off some employees, other positions open up.

DreamWorks Animation has appointed a new chief financial officer, in the latest in a series of management changes at the Glendale studio.

Fazal Merchant, a former executive at DirecTV and Barclays Capital, has been tapped as the company's finance chief. He succeeds Lew Coleman, who will focus on global growth initiatives as vice chairman, the studio said Monday morning. ...

DreamWorks Animation has appointed a new chief financial officer, in the latest in a series of management changes at the Glendale studio.

Fazal Merchant, a former executive at DirecTV and Barclays Capital, has been tapped as the company's finance chief. He succeeds Lew Coleman, who will focus on global growth initiatives as vice chairman, the studio said Monday morning. ...

I'm not sure adding more execs and slimming down on production crews is the best way to go, but what do I know?

Maybe if you want to grow into a conglomerate, you need to staff like a conglomerate.

Click here to read entire post

International Box Office

With an overview of how the animation is doing.

Weekend Foreign Box Office -- (Global Totals)

Galaxy Guardians -- $33,100,000 -- ($418,681,000)

Teenage Mutant Turtles -- $25,600,000 -- ($185,142,236)

Training Dragon 2 -- $37,700,000 -- ($537,217,593)

Dawn of Apes -- $16,500,000 -- ($538,812,360)

Transformers Extinct -- $8,400,000 -- ($1,054,436,930)

So it appears that DreamWorks Animation's theatrical "failure" continues to do well:

... “How to Train Your Dragon 2″ soared to the top of the foreign box office charts this weekend, picking up $37.7 million from 28 markets.

The DreamWorks Animation sequel was powered by a strong debut in China, where the picture picked up $25.9 million. Though “Dragon 2’s” $171 million domestic gross was lower than expected and lagged behind its predecessor, it’s been a monster overseas. Its global gross now stands at $537.2 million, easily topping the $494.8 million made by the first film in the series. ...

Doesn't quite jibe with the recent financial and trade press's storyline, but what can you do?

Click here to read entire post

Iwerks

The man who owned 20% of Diz Co.

Ub Iwerks published the first Color-Sound cartoon 84 years ago [yesterday], starring Flip the Frog. But chances are, you’re much more likely to know him for his other cartoon creation: Mickey Mouse. ...

Old Ub was Walt's right-hand man until he left the company in 1930, turning in his ownership share of Walt Disney Productions, which totaled 20%. (If he'd hung on to it, his nut would be worth around $28,500,000,000 today. Ah well ...)

Ub returned to Disney in 1940, working as a special effects technician rather than an animator. He passed away in '71 at the age of seventy, and his two sons (don and Dave) continued his legacy.

Click here to read entire post

Animation Awards -- The Emmys

Congratulations to all the winners.

Outstanding Individual Achievements In Animation (Juried)

Adventure Time, Wizards Only, Fools; Nick Jennings, Art Director, Cartoon Network
Disney Gravity Falls, Dreamscaperers, Ian Worrel, Art Director, Disney Channel
Disney Mickey Mouse, ‘O Sole Minnie, Narina Sokolova, Background Designer, Disney Channel
Disney Mickey Mouse, The Adorable Couple, Valerio Vaentura, Background Designer, Disney Channel
Long Live The Royals, Sean Szeles, Storyboard Artist, Cartoonetwork.com
The Powerpuff Girls: Dance Pantsed, Jasmin Lai, Background Painter, Cartoon Network
Robot Chicken DC Comics Special II: Villains in Paradise, Cameron Baity, Animator, Adult Swim
The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror XXIV, Dmitry Malaitchev, Color Design Director, Fox
The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror XXIV, Charles Ragins, Background Designer, Fox
Uncle Grandpa, Afraid of the Dark, Nick Edwards, Character Design, Cartoon Network

Short-format Animated Program

Disney Mickey Mouse • ‘O Sole Minnie • Disney Channel • Disney Television Animation

Animated Program

Bob’s Burgers • Mazel Tina • FOX • 20th Century Fox Television

Slowly, bit by bit, animation is getting more recognition. In the marketplace, in critics' hearts, at awards time.

I have hope that sooner instead of later, animation won't be thought of as live action's ugly kid brother, but as its studly equal.

Add On: Deadline notes two firsts.

... Fox’s animated comedies produced two under-the-radar winners tonight, Harry Shearer as the winner in the Best Character Voice-Over performance category, and Bob’s Burgers landing the best animated program trophy. Not a ratings dynamo or a pop culture phenomenon like The Simpsons or Family Guy and without the pedigree of American Dad!, from Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane, Bob’s Burgers has been an industry darling. Creator Loren Bouchard and exec producer Jim Dauterive are well liked by their peers, as is the cast. ...

It was not only Shearer’s first Emmy, it was also the first Emmy ever in the newly spun-off best character voice-over category. Splitting the narrator and character voice-over fields likely helped Shearer as just last year, the voice-over Emmy trophy went to Lily Tomlin for a narrating work. ...

Click here to read entire post

The Box Office

... of the animated and related features.

Domestic Box Office Thru Thursday

Teenage Turtles -- $89,242,236

Guardians of the Galaxy -- $197,545,821

Planes: Fire and Rescue -- $54,695,759

Dawn of Apes -- $199,912,360

How to Train Your Dragon 2 -- $170,662,593

Transformers Extinct -- $243,136,930

And of course, there's more news about the movie that sent DreamWorks Animation's stock downward. ...

Forbes:

... "How to Train Your Dragon 2" has surpassed the $494m worldwide cume of "How to Train Your Dragon" just as "Kung Fu Panda 2" surpassed the $631m cume of "Kung Fu Panda". A hit is a hit, no matter where it makes its money. ...

Also noted at the L.A. Times and Cartoon Brew (among other places.)

Add On: The domestic Top Ten now contains halfway animated features (Turtles, Galaxy Guardians, etc.) but none of the 100% variety.

Weekend U.S./Canada Box Office

1). Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (PAR), 3,980 theaters (+135) / $7.9M Friday / $10.7M (+35%) / 3-day est. cume: $27M (-58%) / Total est. cume: $116M+ / Wk 2

2). Guardians of the Galaxy (DIS), 3,697 theaters (-391) / $6.9M Fri. / $9.69M Sat. (+40%) /3-day cume: $23.75M / Total cume: $221.4M / Wk 3

3). Let’s Be Cops (FOX), 3,094 theaters / $5.2M Wed. (includes $1.2M late nights) / $3.2M Thurs. / $5.6M Fri. / $6.49M Sat. (+15%) / 3-day cume: $17M+ / 5-day cume: $25.4M / Wk 1

4). The Expendables 3, (LGF), 3,221 theaters / $5.9M Fri. (includes $875K late nights) / $5.6M Sat. (-5%) / 3-day cume: $15.8M to $16M+ / Wk 1

5). The Giver (TWC), 3,003 theaters / $4.7M Fri. (includes $750K late nights) / $4.7M Sat. (0) / 3-day cume: $13M / Wk 1

6). The Hundred-Foot Journey (DIS), 2,043 theaters (+20)/ $2M Fri. / $3.19M Sat. (+55%) / 3-day cume: $7M (-32%) / Total cume: $24M / Wk 2

7). Into The Storm (WB), 3,434 theaters (0) / $2.26M Fri. / $3M Sat. (+35%) / 3-day cume: $7M+ (-58%) / Total cume: $30.9M / Wk 2

8). Lucy (UNI), 2,520 theaters (-627) / $1.57M Fri. / $2.1M Sat. (+35%) / 3-day cume: $5.2M / Total cume: $107.5M / Wk 4

9). Step Up All In (LGF), 2,072 theaters (0) / $750K Fri. / $860K Sat. (+15%) / 3-day cume: $2.25M (-66%) / Total cume: $11.4M / Wk 2

10). Boyhood (IFC), 771 theaters (+265) / $535K Fri. / $845K Sat. (+60%) / 3-day cume: $1.95M / Total cume: $13.6M / Wk 6

Another halfway animated feature, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is out of the top tier but has reached $200,427,000 in domestic ticket sales.

Click here to read entire post

Free Money!

Corporate welfare marches on:

... From 2012 to 2013, movie production spending [in the United Kingdom] rose 7.5% to $1.81 billion, according to numbers from the British Film Institute, with 81% of the total U.K. production spending coming from films financed from outside the U.K. — mostly from the U.S. studios. These pics contributed $1.46 billion, an increase of 28% on 2012. The first half of 2014 saw U.K. spending on all films hit $1.3 billion, the highest since the first half of 2011, according to the BFI.

The boom can be traced to Britain’s attractive tax credit, which got sexier in 2013: It improved the rate of relief for larger budget pics, offering a 25% rebate of the first £20 million ($34.2 million) of qualifying U.K. expenditure, with the remainder of a budget still receiving a 20% rebate. ...

The lure of free money is potent. It's not a surprise that our fine entertainment conglomerates are flying to the sceptered isle. (Disney isn't doing Star Wars VII in Burbank, now are they? Even though Abrams would be more than okay with that.)

I'm not a fan of showering cash on big multi-nationals, but recognize that we live in a corporatist state. I'm supporting AB 1839 (California's version of free money) out of self defense, not because I like it.

Click here to read entire post

Traveling Chuck Jones

For your perusal:

What’s Up, Doc? The Animation Art of Chuck Jones is a new traveling exhibition that reveals the creative genius behind some of the most enduringly popular cartoons and animated films of all time. The exhibition is a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, and the Museum of the Moving Image.

What’s Up, Doc? examines Jones’ development as a filmmaker and visual artist and showcases many of his most significant films, which come to life on screens throughout the exhibition. ...

Got your own museum? Then you're in luck! Because the exhibition has some open slots and you can book it into your facility!



Click here to read entire post

Animation Work In And Around Los Angeles

Per request, we've gathered information about union animation work going on in L.A. I've had assistance from staff and members, and have tried to be fairly comprehensive, but I'm sure there are gaps, omissions, and (horrors!) an error or three.

Feel free to chime in regarding non-union or union studio projects that I've missed, because I know I'm not up to speed on all the stuff out there. ...

Bento Box

Bob's Burgers -- Prime time show well into new season
Brickleberry -- Comedy Central show near end of season
Border Town -- New Macfarlane show in the front half of series order.

Cartoon Network:

Over the Garden Wall -- Micro series that's now completed
The Powerpuff Girls (Rebooted) -- Not yet in production
Adventure Time -- Has greenlight for Season #6
Regular Show -- Also greenlit for Season #6
Rick And Morty -- Adult Swim series -- non-union -- done at Starburns Industries
Uncle Grandpa -- 2nd season underway
Clarence -- 2nd season underway
We Bare Bears -- New series working on 1st season
Mixels -- A Lego property done as series
Ben 10 -- Winding down, but up for a future reboot
Steven Universe -- ongoing
Black Dynamite -- ongoing.

Disney Television Animation

Wander Over Yonder -- Okayed for a 2nd season
The 7D -- Solid ratings, should get 2nd season pickup
Mickey Mouse shorts -- Produced in Canada, with pre-production in Glendale
Gravity Falls -- Now wrapping up 2nd season
Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja -- Pre-production at Titmouse (dba Robin Red Breast)
Sophia the 1st -- Third Season for this hit show
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero -- Season #1
Jake and the Neverland Pirates -- 4th and likely last season
Pickle and Peanut -- Long development time for this series
Sheriff Calley's Wild West Show -- Pre-production at Wild Canary Animation
Miles From Tomorrowland -- Pre-production at Wild Canary Animation
Star Vs. the Forces of Evil -- In work.

DisneyToons Studios

Various shorts and features in development. Recent layoffs of 18 staffers.

DreamWorks Animation

Home -- Feature that's in the home stretch.
Penguins of Madagascar -- Feature largely produced in India, some work in Glendale
B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations -- In development and production
Kung Fu Panda 3 -- Production work largely in China. (Most story work on DWA features is done in California/Glendale).
Croods 2 -- In development
How To Train Your Dragon 3 -- In early development.
(Various Chinese DreamWorks Animation projects in story development at DWA's Glendale studio, also others. Some story work at PDI in Redwood City. Rolling layoffs of 28 staffers.)

DreamWorks Television Animation

How to Train Your Dragon/Riders of Berk -- In midst of 58 episode order, some for Netflix
Turbo Fast -- Netflix series with pre-production at Titmouse/Robin Red Breast
King Julien -- Large Netflix series order
Puss in Boots -- Another Netflix show
Veggie Tales in the House -- Lots of Netflix episodes
Dinotrux -- Supervised by Jeff DeGrandis, late of "Dora"
The Croods -- Sizable Netflix order
Mr. Peabody and Sherman -- 78-episode order.

Film Roman

The Simpsons -- Prime time veteran deep into its twenty-somethings season

Fox Animation

Family Guy -- Working on latest, slightly shorter-than-normal season
American Dad -- Engaged with the first season of shows original to TBS. If you didn't know, it has departed Fox Broadcasting.

Hasbro

Stretch Armstrong -- Ongoing
Transformers -- Ongoing
Rescue Bots -- Ongoing.

Marvel Animation

Avengers Assemble -- Ongoing
Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. -- Ongoing
Ultimate Spiderman -- produced, and now completed, at Film Roman.

Nickelodeon

Spongebob Squarepants -- Now that movie is complete, could be new episodes at some future date
Fairly Odd Parents -- On hiatus, most crew members on other projects
The Loud House -- Creating Season #1
The Legend of Korra -- Wrapping, with crew now on other shows (and has shifted on on-line distribution)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -- Now on its 3rd season
Sanjay and Craig -- Doing its 2nd season
Shimmer and Shine -- 1st season
Bad Seeds -- Working on Season #1
Dora the Explorer -- Will relaunch in 4th quarter
Wallykazam! -- Working on Season #2.

Paramount Animation

Various projects in development on Paramount studio lot (Hollywood).

Sony Pictures Animation

Popeye -- In development (production in Vancouver).
The Smurfs -- In development (production in Vancouver)
Hotel Transylvania 2 -- In development (production in Vancouver)
Kazorn -- In development.
(Various other projects in work)

Universal Cartoon Studios

Land Before Time -- In the process of becoming.
Curious George -- Maybe more episodes toward the end of the year.

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Big Hero 6 -- In the last couple of months of production.
Zootopia -- In development
Project in development -- title removed at request of Diz Co.
Project in development -- title removed at request of Diz Co.

Warner Animation Group

Various projects in development on the Warner Bros. main lot. (Pre-production only).

Warner Bros. Animation

Wabbit -- Latest series incarnation of Bugs
Mike Tyson Mysteries -- Warner series on Adult Swim
Batman Direct-To-Video Feature
Scooby Doo series -- The franchise that never dies.

On top of the union animation work, there are a number of non-signator facilities doing production, including ADHD (Animation Domination High Def - Fox affiliated), Titmouse Animation, Moonscoop (formerly Mike Young Productions), Rough Draft Studios, Renegade Animation, and Cosmic Toast.

Reel FX, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, has a non-signator satellite studio in Santa Monica which is currently animating feature projects.

Besides traditional animation, there are a number of small visual effects houses in the east San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica/Venice/Culver City, boutique effects houses that work on t.v. and movie special effects. If and when California increases tax incentives for television, movies and VFX, there should be improvements to this segment of the entertainment business. We anticipate some visual effects work returning to the state.

Click here to read entire post

Warcraft Cinema

... or, if you prefer, Cinematic:



Blizzard Entertainment, headquartered down in Irvine, California, has been around for twenty-three years.

A feature based on Warcraft (the game) rolls out in 2016. Hard to know how the long-form movie will do in the AMC, wide-screen marketplace, but it appears as if it's being produced in British Columbia, the land of Free Money.

Click here to read entire post

401(k) Freeze Lifted

One more narrowcast:

The transition from Mass Mutual to Vanguard is now over, and you can directly manage your account in The Animation Guild 401(k) Plan:

• Online. Go to vanguard.com/register to sign up for account access. You will be able to check your balance, conduct transactions, research investments, get investment advice, use financial planning tools, and more. You will need your plan number to register: 094523.* Click here for fund and expense information.

• By phone. Call the 24-hour interactive VOICE® Network at 800-523-1188 to conduct transactions, get detailed fund information, and more. You will need a personal identification number (PIN) to use VOICE. To create a PIN, follow the prompts.

• With personal assistance. Call a Vanguard Participant Services associate for help at 800-523-1188 Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Pacific time.

* If you have an individual account already registered at vanguard.com, your current user name and password will enable you to access your individual and Plan accounts. If you have an individual account with Vanguard but have not yet registered for online access, you will need your individual account number to register.

A couple of notes here: Most members working at a studio repped by the Animation Guild are eligible to enroll in the Plan. (They must be 21 and have cumulatively worked 90 days under TAG's jurisdiction, but after that they're good to go.)

It's easy to enroll, just grab enrollment forms off the Animation Guild website or contact us at (818) 845-7500. If you like, Vanguard can deliver your account statements, confirmations, notices and tax forms over the web. You can sign up for e-delivery after you’ve registered for account access at vanguard.com . Just log on to your account at vanguard.com/retirementplans and select My Profile, then Mailing Preferences.

All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.

Click here to read entire post

The Tax Incentive Bill

There hasn't been a number attached to the movie and television tax bill wending its way through the legislature, but now ...

... [L]awmakers in Sacramento are looking to increase California’s $100 million Film and TV Tax Credit Program by up to 300%. As the multi-sponsored Film and Television Job Creation and Retention Act heads to the important state Senate’s Appropriation committee on Monday, it will be amended to include a figure of around $400 million, sources tell me. In fact, the dollar figure for the annual incentive could go up to more than $400 million to exceeded the $420 million that New York state hands out each year to attract production to the Empire State. “The final numbers are still being added up but between $300 and $400 million looks pretty certain to be submitted in an amendment next week,” a political insider told me. ...

The challenge is getting tight-fisted Governor Brown. But he seems to have one foot on the tax-incentive train, The question is, what number will he be happy with?

And more importantly, agree to.

Click here to read entire post

Siggraph: Animated Feature Collaborators

Some new players in Cartoonland:

Bron Studios’ previously-announced animated feature Henchmen will now be produced in association with Gary Sanchez Productions.

GSP’s Adam McKay, Will Ferrell and Chris Henchy are on board as executive producers and creative collaborators. Jason Cloth also serves as executive producer via his Creative Wealth Media Finance, one of the films main backers. Bron’s Luke Carroll and managing director Aaron L. Gilbert are producing.

Ferrell has been involved with animation for awhile. He was the man in the yellow suit for Curious George, then one of the leads in DreamWorks Animation's Megamind. But now he and his partners are getting into the production side.

Animation. You can never have enough new players.

Click here to read entire post

Shorts to Series

So Nick was taking civilians' pitches at Comic-Con, and ...

... Cupcakery of Doom will be developed into an animated short and, as with all content chosen for Nickelodeon’s global Animated Shorts Program, it will have the potential to air on the network, appear on the newly relaunched www.nick.com and Nick App, or even be developed into a long-form animated TV series. ...

This is a quarter-step removed from Hanna-Barbera's original shorts program, where H-B's employees were invited to pitch their pet projects to the studio and get them made as six-minute shorts ... then thirteen half-hours for television.

I wonder how many pitches were taken at the Con? And how long people had to make the sale?

Click here to read entire post

Cable Cartoons

Cartoon Network, still prospering.

... Showcasing its original series on Thursday night (6-8 p.m.), Cartoon Network ranked as the #1 television network among kids 2-11 & 6-11 and all targeted boy demos, earning double-digit delivery gains across the board ranging from 26% to 58%. Teen Titans Go! (6 p.m.) ranked as the #1 telecast of the day among kids 2-11 and all targeted boys, as well as #1 in its timeslot among kids 6-11. Original animated series The Amazing World of Gumball (6:30 p.m.) and Clarence (6:45 p.m.) both ranked #1 in their respective time periods among all kids and boy demos. Adventure Time (7 p.m.) also ranked #1 in its timeslot among kids 2-11 & 6-11 and all boys, and Regular Show (7:30 p.m.) ranked #1 among boy demos. ...

The Saturday Morning schedule (7-11 a.m.) captured year-over-year delivery gains across all kids and boy demos, ranging between 4% and 61%. ... For the second week of August 2014, Adult Swim once again ranked as the #1 network in Primetime on basic cable among adults 18-34, as well as the #1 network in Total Day among adults 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49 ...

I was in DisneyToon studios this afternoon, which is becoming more and more like a Mojave ghost town. It's got the shorts unit and a bit of feature production, also a small unit from Walt Disney Animation Studios, but there's lots of empty cubes, along with cubicle occupants who know their end-dates.

One of the residents, departing within weeks, asked where the work is just now. I said t.v. animation has a lot of activity. The examples above show why. DreamWorks Animation tv with its Netflix output, Warners with its direct-to-video features and oncoming television series, new shows in work at Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.

Praise be for small-screen production.

Click here to read entire post

The Oscar Contenders

Per the Rope of Silicon.

1) The Box Trolls; 2) The Lego Movie; 3) How to Train Your Dragon 2; 4) Big Hero 6; 5) The Book of Life. ...

Bogus.

They're totally overlooking Mr. Peabody and Sherman.

Click here to read entire post

The Genie

A nice L.A. Times article, except ...

In 1991, directors John Clements and Ron Musker gave Disney animator Eric Goldberg an unusual assignment: listen to Robin Williams' stand-up albums and draw the comic, as a genie. ...

Goldberg animated a routine in which Williams riffed that, tonight he'd like to talk about schizophrenia. In another voice, Williams snapped that, no he would not. Goldberg drew the genie -- a big blue strongman with a tiny topknot and Williams' face -- growing a second head so he could argue with himself.

"John Clements" has a nice ring to it. Maybe Ron and John can switch first names for the second half of their careers. The L.A. Times thinks that would work.

Add On: Mr. Williams also completed one final animated project:

... "Absolutely Anything," an animated comedy directed by Monty Python veteran Terry Jones, was the last movie he shot. The film centers on a teacher who is unwittingly granted special powers by aliens. Williams stars as Dennis, the teacher's dog and sidekick — in a part that can't help but evoke thoughts of Williams' landmark Genie from the 1992 smash "Aladdin." The movie does not yet have U.S. distribution. ...

Click here to read entire post

Robin Williams, RIP

Dead, apparently, by his own hand.

Oscar winner and comedian Robin Williams died this morning at 63. While his publicist wouldn’t confirm that his death was a suicide, a rep did issue this statement. “Robin Williams passed away this morning. He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.” ...

Known for his standup. Known for his acting chops. But also a vocal talent who did his share of animated features: Aladdin, Happy Feet, Ferngully, the Last Rain Forest.

Click here to read entire post

Litigation

Oh dear.

DreamWorks Animation has been hit with a shareholder lawsuit alleging the company misled investors about the poor performance of its 2013 movie "Turbo.".

Charles Paddock, a DreamWorks shareholder suing on behalf of himself and other investors, alleges DreamWorks Animation failed to disclose the poor results of the film in a timely fashion, according to a complaint recently filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

"As a result of the defendants' wrong acts and omissions, and the precipitous decline in the market value of the company's securities, plaintiff and other class members have suffered significant losses and damages," the lawsuit states. ...

If it isn't under-performing hits, it's (allegedly) inadequate information regarding flops.

Apparently these are shareholder that missed the tutorial on market risk. In "free markets" (and I'll tell you when I find one), stock purchasers can make money or lose money. It's the way it usually works.

Click here to read entire post

Word of Layoffs

... circulates to the trade press.

Things are getting leaner at the House of Mouse once again. This time it’s DisneyToon Studios that is handing out pink slips. About 17 of the 60 full-time employees at the primarily direct-to-video animation group have been laid off, with some occurring last week and the rest to leave during the next month. ...

Disney has been cutting staff in various divisions including Disney Interactive, LucasArts and Walt Disney Studios during the past 18 months and this was a part of that cost-cutting strategy. Third, sources say that the drawing was on the wall at DTS with the underwhelming box office performance of Planes: Fire & Rescue, which has made slightly more than $90 million worldwide since its July 18 release. ...

I brought this up last week here on the blog, so the news is out there.

Animation has always risen and fallen like a careening roller coaster: The theatrical shorts market dried up in the fifties, then the television cartoon was born in a big way with Hanna-Barbera, and unemployed Disney and M-G-M artists scampered to Bill and Joe's place.

In the nineties, when the home video market rocketed upward, DisneyToon Studios was spun off from Disney Television Animation and became a big profit driver for the Mouse. Every young family across the fruited plain bought VHS tapes and then little silver disks to entertain the small fry. But in 2014, disks aren't what they used to be (and then there's Amazon giving Disney a tiny bit of grief about selling same), so here we are, diving down the next twist of the 'coaster.

Disney Feature is now using the Disney Toon Studio in Glendale as an overflow basin, since the hat building in Burbank is stuffed to the gills. But that will end in a month or so, because Big Hero 6 will be wrapping up and all those extra lighters/surfacers/animators that Walt Disney Animation Studios has been hiring to get the feature through its seven-month production schedule will be out of jobs.

Did I say animation was a business than went up AND down?


Click here to read entire post

Why They're The Favorites

From the Daily Telegraph:

Why animated films are the UK’s favourite – and why that’s not likely to change

America’s Fox television network calls its Sunday night schedule “Animation Domination”. That would make a good label for the current state of the British box office. In 2013 animation became the top-grossing film genre at UK cinemas, making almost £250million, a fifth of total box office takings. We shouldn’t be surprised.

Animation’s present popularity is built on solid and clearly identifiable foundations. The easiest way for a film to be enormously popular is for it to appeal to everyone who goes to the cinema. Films that truly are “for all the family” have a far larger potential audience than those that only appeal to one demographic. Animation plays well with the largest group of UK filmgoers – people aged seven to 24 – but its appeal stretches far beyond the young.

Many of the current crop of animated films – such as the widely adored Lego Movie – appeal as strongly to parents (and even grandparents) as they do to children. These films don’t have adults begrudgingly chaperoning children at the cinema on spare afternoons in the school holidays; they have them marching their sons and daughters to queue up on opening day.

And these pan-generational audiences are loyal. One of the most reliable laws of 21st-century movie-going is that sequels make more money than original films – and many major animated movies have become dependable franchises. Despicable Me 2, the most popular film in the UK last year, was a sequel. It will be followed by a second sequel, Despicable Me 3, in 2017. And next year will bring a spin-off, The Minions. ...

This is a trend that's been developing for a while. And the big entertainment conglomerates -- none of them particularly slow on the uptake -- have moved into long-form animation with energy and focus. (World grosses can be persuasive. And as an added bonus, there aren't any high-powered profit participants.)

Chris Meledandri, the exec behind the Despicable Me/Minions franchise, understands that animated features have to own simple, clearly articulated stories ... and characters that pop off the screen into audiences' laps. Disney understood that (and pioneered the concept), Lasseter knows it, Jeffrey Katzenberg knows it on his good days. And Mr. Meledandri has demonstrated he has picked up the concept in a career that reaches back to Anastasia and Titan A.E. when he (apparently) didn't have a full grasp of the idea.

When the basic format isn't followed and/or executed well ("What's this movie ABOUT? Who's our likable protagonist?" etcetera) lackluster box office occasionally results.

Click here to read entire post