Disney building a unit to Produce Pixar Sequals

[Peter Pirate]

I agree with you DB, I don't think he has any more integrity than Mike and it's ALWAYS all about money. To be sure Stevie has been successful with the innovative PIXAR, but it's still an infant and though they were able to exploit a new technology their legacy is still being written...Also they have yet to experience failure...But they will eventually and then it will be interesting.

 

[raidermatt]

It really has nothing to do with integrity, though. Its just business philosophy.

I'm not saying Jobs wouldn't make sequels to make money because he's a higher quality of person. Further, I'm not even saying its not all about the money.

I'm just saying that when compared to Disney, he has a different idea about how one makes money. I believe he has a better understanding of the importance of maintaining and growing the value of his brand. But who knows? Maybe as the temptation to make the quick buck grew, he would eventually give in. But on the relativity scale, I just can't see much evidence that he's as far down the continuum as those running Disney.

To be sure Stevie has been successful with the innovative PIXAR, but it's still an infant and though they were able to exploit a new technology their legacy is still being written...

All true enough, but its the way that they exploited the technology that is key. They used it as a tool to tell great stories, and have kept the priority straight.

Again, that doesn't relate to integrity so much as to business philosophy.

Also they have yet to experience failure...But they will eventually and then it will be interesting.

Fair enough, but again, with their philosophy, I like their chances of rebouding from a failure moreso than if they didn't "get it".

 

[Plus4206]

Ever wonder if Jobs operates Pixar differently then ME runs Disney because it is his company ? Kind of the way Walt ran his ? IMO it's more personal. Yes Jobs wants to make money, but is he more interested in protecting his "offspring" so to speak ? Maybe I'm not making any sense.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Yes, I agree Plus. Plus (pun intended) Steve (as majority owner) gets to do EXACTLY what he wants to do / feels is right, just like Walt did in the day. Eisner has never had that option...Not to say that had he that option he'd be capable of acting 'Walt like' but the fact is it would be much harder to be 'Walt like' in the running of such a huge public company. It's a bit like comparing apples and mice perhaps?

 

[abeyst]

I had mixed feelings when I heard about the new animation unit. I was happy that it was finally coming back to Disney. I was not thrilled when I thought that the movies they make may turn out to be like all the sequel flops they've released in the past.

Anyone can make a sequel, or even a brand new movie. It's the creativity and desire of the animators and writers that make the movie great. I hope they keep that in mind.

 

[raidermatt]

Eisner has never had that option...Not to say that had he that option he'd be capable of acting 'Walt like' but the fact is it would be much harder to be 'Walt like' in the running of such a huge public company. It's a bit like comparing apples and mice perhaps?

There's some truth to what you are saying, but its only a small piece of what's going on. For Eisner's first 10 years, he certainly did not have the power run the company at his whim.

Thankfully, there was Frank Wells, as well (pun intended) as other strong pre '84 executives. But for much of the last 10 years, Eisner has indeed had probably as large a level of control as anyone could ever hope to have.

If Walt had a fully loaded 6-shooter, Eisner had 5 rounds. He certainly couldn't be as autocratic as Walt could, but he's been close enough that if he really was trying to do Walt-like things, we'd all know it.

But sure, if he had been trying to implement his Walt-like visions, only to be sometimes stymied by the oppressive system, I could cut him some slack.

Its an interesting hypothetical, but given what we have come to learn about Eisner over the years, it really is nothing more than that... a hypothetical.

 

[Plus4206]

To add to the original point I was trying to make, I don't think anyone can run a company in the same manner as the company founder. People like Walt & Steve have a vision for their company that will never be as crystal clear to anyone else.

Obviously ME is more concerned with his image in the eyes of Wall Street then Walt ever was - and it shows in the way he has run Disney the last 10 years or so.

Jobs isn't that obseced with WS yet. IMO he's on a mission with Pixar that he and only he will ever fully understand. To me, that's very Walt-like. That's one reason I'm not terribly optomistic about ME's future replacement.