What can Walt Disney Animation Studios do to save itself? Ditch digital Floyd Norman is back with a column that's sure to cause some controversy. Since this Disney Legend is now suggesting that WDAS should abandon production of CG animated features and instead concentrate on reviving its hand-drawn animation unitI’m going to apologize in advance for today's column because I'm sure that it's going to make a lot of people angry. I have a plan that some might call radical. But it’s a plan that I’m afraid we need. Tough times demand tough decisions, and here’s one to consider:
Get rid of digital animation at
Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Yep. I said it. I think that WDAS should stop producing CG animated features and should instead concentrate on reviving hand-drawn animation.
Now, lest you think this is some kind of impassioned plea about the
“purity” of hand-drawn animation -- think again. This is not some geeky, fan boy rant about which is the better cartoon medium. Far from it. This is pure business stuff. Corporate strategy, some might call it. Tough things that you gotta do when running a business during tough times.
Animation has been going through a fair amount of turmoil over the past few years. Some
“business geniuses” had the bright idea that animation was going through a paradigm shift. This was all because a new tool had been invented. A tool that gave us the ability to move objects in a computer. According to these suits, this brilliant new tool was what would move animation moving to the next level. Hand-drawn animation had reached its limit, they said. Digital animation was the new paradigm. Hand-drawn was dead, and rightly so.
If today's audiences really think that hand-drawn animation is old-fashioned, then who the heck is buying all of these?Hold on a second. If hand-drawn animation is outmoded and passé, then how do you explain Disney's ability to continue to sell
“Pinocchio,” “Sleeping Beauty,” and
“Peter Pan” in every new technology that comes along? How many times has Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment repackaged & resold the Company's old hand-drawn features on DVD with new added features or new digital transfers?
Kids watch these movies over & over again not because of the film-making technology involved, but because they’re good. The problem here isn’t with the mode -- it’s with the message. The reason that any one film fails at the box office isn’t because of the technology. It’s all about whether the stories are any good; whether the characters resonate with an audience. We have to care whether the hero wins and the villain loses. Unbelievably, it’s as simple as that.
So you see, this is not really a discussion of the merits of one film production method over another. Each has its points and that’s perfectly fine. I embrace both, of course, with the nod going to hand-drawn. But then again, that’s just me. However, we’re not here to discuss art. We’re here to talk business.
Serious question now: Does The Walt Disney Company really need a digital animation studio? You bet your megabytes they do. Luckily, they own the
finest digital animation studio in the world. A company that consistently turns out some of the greatest animated features ever produced, and will -- in all likelihood -- continue to do so. Now comes the next tough business question: Are
two such studios really a legitimate need?
The trouble is, Walt Disney Animation Studios is already getting lost in the crowd. That’s the problem with digital animation. There’s nothing that truly distinguishes one film from another. At one time, WDAS was unique. It was the premiere animation studio in the world. It was what everybody who aspired to be an animator wanted to work. Walt Disney, along with his incredible staff, set the standard and raised the bar so high, competitors could only dream of hopefully coming close. Once the leader in a business it completely dominated, Walt Disney Animation Studios is now reduced to playing catch up.
Walt never followed the competition. He was always too busy leadingIn this ever-growing field of animated films from numerous competitors both foreign and domestic, The Walt Disney Company still has a hole card. A card that’s evident even now as work continues on WDAS' first hand-drawn animated feature in years. A movie that could restore Walt Disney Animation Studios' identity and remind audiences around the world that the Company they remember from their childhood is still very much alive. That it is already beginning to awaken from a deep digital slumber like some beautiful princess in a fairy tale.
Once again, this is not an artistic discussion. This is not a debate over which medium is more viable, or what audiences prefer. This is a business decision that will be made one day, and that day is quickly approaching.
From time to time, I’ve taken heat from angry CG guys for being too critical of their recent movie efforts. Most seem to think I was beating up on them because I had a vested interest in hand-drawn animated features. In truth, I was never taking issue with the medium -- rather the poor films that were being made. I have little doubt that -- with today's column -- I’ll once again be accused of “computer bashing.” As nervous technicians fear future downsizing and the loss of their jobs.
That said, I still think that it's time that Walt Disney Animation Studios grew up. It's time that WDAS realized that it's not the cool young kid on the block anymore. Get over it! So you’re not young, hip, or cool. Big deal. You’re still the great grand-daddy of feature animation. And that’s a very good thing to be. In fact, that may wind up being the very thing that saves Walt Disney Animation Studios.
So what to do? I think that WDAS should capitalize on its own historic legacy, remind would-be moviegoers of those not-so-distant days when hand-drawn animation was still considered magical. When the animators who worked at Disney were looked upon as artists. And it took decades -- not months -- to master this craft.
You mean you don't need workstations and servers? That's amazing!Finally, I have a question for all you executives and managers who keep looking at the bottom line. Which do you think is more expensive? Software and workstations or pencils and paper? Servers and digital infrastructure or wooden desks? Yeah, I know. There’s always digital post, but you get the idea.
Hand-drawn traditional animation is Disney’s past. But it can also be Disney’s future. What Walt Disney Animation Studios really needs to do is lead a modern renaissance of hand-drawn animation.
And when they do that ... Guess what? The magic -- because it
is magic -- will return.
"Waltz With Bashir" receives Directors Guild awardAri Folman won a Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Award on Saturday night for his involvement with the animated feature film
Waltz With Bashir.
Nominated for best foreign-language film at the Academy Awards,
Waltz With Bashir garnered Folman a prize for documentary directing. It depicts an Israeli soldier struggling to recall suppressed memories of his involvement in the 1982 war with Lebanon.
DGA award winners were announced during the 61st Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
Danny Boyle won the DGA's Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for
Slumdog Millionaire.
In the TV movie category, Jay Roach was the winner for Recount. Paul Feig won in the television comedy category for an episode of
The Office.
The drama series prize went to Dan Attias for an episode from the final season of The Wire.
Other winners were Tony Croll (
America's Next Top Model) for reality programming, Amy Schatz (
The Poetry Show) for children's programs, and Larry Carpenter (
One Life to Live) for daytime serials.
Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert was presented with an honorary life membership in the DGA.
Afro Samurai: Resurrection DVD in FebruaryDVDTimes reports that Funimation have announced the DVD and Blu-ray releases of
Afro Samurai: Resurrection Director’s Cut on
3rd February. Extras on this release will include Unedited Dialogue and Picture ,
“Path of the Samurai: 24-Page Booklet” featuring forewords by Takashi “Bob” Okazaki, Fuminori Kizaki and the RZA, concept art, production art, promotional images and more, Afro In-Depth: Exclusive insight into the world of
Afro Samurai with creator Takashi “Bob” Okazaki,
Afro Samurai: East Meets West, Part 1 - GONZO studios interviews and behind-the-scenes,
Afro Samurai: East Meets West, Part 2 - West coast production, interviews and behind-the-scenes, and more. All the extras will be included on the Blu-ray disc in HD.
The Secret of Kells trailerMovie-List shares a trailer for the upcoming animated film
The Secret of Kells. Written by Fabrice Ziolkowski and directed by Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey,
The Secret of Kells tells the story of 12 year old Brendan who must fight Vikings and a serpent god to find a crystal and complete the legendary Book of Kells.
Cartoon Brew TV #18: Superman’s Secret Cartoon History
No comments:
Post a Comment