Article About Closing of Disney Animation

[FoodLover]

According to this St. Petersburg Times article, published December 21, the remaining 2D animators in Florida have been told to pack their bags by January 12:

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/12/21/Floridian/Lost_art.shtml

Not big news to those who have been following this story, but a lot of people are unaware that the art form that made Disney great is about to become extinct.

Mary
MouseSavers.com

Updated to (hopefully) correct the link.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I couldn't link to anything.

Not Found

 

[WDWHound]

I believe I found the article he was trying to link to. Click the link below, hit the search button on the page that comes up (the search phrase should already be there, but if not, enter "animation"), then click on the "Lost Art" article.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/index.html?ts=1072097676

This quote speaks volumes. ..

In October, Eisner told the Wall Street Journal, "We are very interested in turning animation back into the enormous profit center that it used to be."

Just try to imagine Walt saying something like that. The whole concept of profits following quality and creativity is lost on Ei$ner.

Then there is this from a Disney animator...

Grasso recalls: "We had a meeting on A Few Good Ghosts, and one of the executives said, 'We've got some good stuff, guys. This is Pixar quality

Ouch. It used to be that everyone strived at the nearly unobtainable goal of achiving Disney quality, now Disney finds itself looking up to Pixar's standards. This is what putting profit above all things gets you.

 

[KNWVIKING]

***"In October, Eisner told the Wall Street Journal, "We are very interested in turning animation back into the enormous profit center that it used to be."***

If ME were being interviewed by Better Homes and Gardens, this statement would bother me. But he's talking to the WSJ, they're more interested in $$$ then pixie dust.

 

[WDWHound]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
***"In October, Eisner told the Wall Street Journal, "We are very interested in turning animation back into the enormous profit center that it used to be."***

If ME were being interviewed by Better Homes and Gardens, this statement would bother me. But he's talking to the WSJ, they're more interested in $$$ then pixie dust.

Fair point, but I beleive Mr Ei$ner's management style bears out my statement.

 

[KNWVIKING]

***"Fair point, but I beleive Mr Ei$ner's management style bears out my statement."***

Agreed. Actually, I can picture ME making this same statement to BH&G's also. I doubt he'd realize the distinction.

 

[caseymaureen]

I think this is just a really sad article. The animator in the story just wants the public to know what is really happening, to his co-workers, to the company, and to the animation industry in general, because the company has put so much effort into misleading people. If only they had put that much effort into keeping the department running....

 

[ThreeCircles]

Originally posted by WDWHound
IThen there is this from a Disney animator...

Grasso recalls: "We had a meeting on A Few Good Ghosts, and one of the executives said, 'We've got some good stuff, guys. This is Pixar quality

Ouch. It used to be that everyone strived at the nearly unobtainable goal of achiving Disney quality, now Disney finds itself looking up to Pixar's standards. This is what putting profit above all things gets you.

This quote is taken out of context. The animator in the article goes on to say that he feels traditional Disney Feature Animation is just as creative, valuable, and enjoyable as it ever has been. He says (and I totally agree) that when Pixar has done 50 animated features and people are still watching/talking, then they can consider themselves up-to-par with Disney.