Disney Shuts Down Pixar Canada; Nearly 100 Jobs Lost

[Rumors Rocks]

http://www.deadline.com/2013/10/disney-shuts-down-pixar-canada-nearly-100-jobs-lost/

The 3-year-old Vancouver animation studio is shuttering as its operations are rerouted to Pixar HQ in Emeryville, CA. The studio had employed nearly 100 staffers, and the closure is effective immediately. “The team at Pixar Canada is incredibly talented, and we are so proud of the excellent work we have produced there,” Disney-owned Pixar said in a statement. “However, as we look at the creative and business needs of our studio, we’ve made the decision to refocus our efforts and resources under one roof in Emeryville and will be closing the studio in Vancouver.” Pixar’s Canada outpost had worked on cartoon shorts including Air Mater, Small Fry and Partysaurus Rex since opening in 2010. “Staff were just told today. Not great news, obviously,” Disney spokeswoman Barb Matheson told Vancouver paper The Province, which first reported the closure. “It was just a refocussing of efforts and resources to the one facility.”

 

[mm1971]

Sad news, but not all that surprised. There have been a lot of articles about refocusing resources and combining locations since the Lone Ranger flop at the box office. I do find it interesting that Pixar is where they started as that unit has been very successful, Canada or otherwise. Prayers to those effected.

 

[wiigirl]

 

[Goofyuk]

Pixar Canada is a small offshoot of Pixar the main film company, In the 3 years that Pixar Canada has been open they have produced a total of 7 shorts. No feature Films.

This isn't the team that created Toy Story, this is the team that created a few Cars spin off shorts.

Yes it's sad that people are without jobs, but if it had 100 people and they were making no revenue, then why would any company keep these 100 employed?

 

[RJP77]

I can't speak to the economics, because I don't know the costs associated with keeping this location open, but the technical and animation teams at Disney and Pixar have deep roots in Canada. A lot of great talent comes from there. Even if that location didn't create any feature length films, it doesn't mean it didn't create talented employees or ideas or technology that found there way into more profitable ventures for Disney. Sometimes diversity of location brings diversity of thought, which can be a valuable thing.

 

[mm1971]

Pixar Canada is a small offshoot of Pixar the main film company, In the 3 years that Pixar Canada has been open they have produced a total of 7 shorts. No feature Films.

This isn't the team that created Toy Story, this is the team that created a few Cars spin off shorts.

Yes it's sad that people are without jobs, but if it had 100 people and they were making no revenue, then why would any company keep these 100 employed?

Sadly, you are correct. They were making short films and generating no revenue. I assume that wasn't their choice and they would have loved the opportunity to do a feature film, but that Pixar just didn't have sufficient projects to farm out to them. Still sad to see it go, but that is the way things are in today's economic environment.

 

[Planogirl]

Effective immediately? I hope that they at least got some kind of severance.