Interesting article on Jeffrey Katzenburg (of Disney and Dreamworks fame) I've always known Katzenburg as the director of motion pictures at Disney under Eisner - as it turns out he started out as a political operative and seems to know the ropes well enough to become one of Obama's primary crony capitalists. See the picture and tell me which one is the alpha male.
DreamWorks has had an interesting history. It never really lived up to expectations, their TV division only produced a couple of hit series, their record label never went anywhere, and the studio had come close to bankruptcy multiple times.
I don't even think they own all the rights to their films anymore. They now work with Disney as a distributor and I think Paramount has home video rights to their catalog. (Which is why the Saving Private Ryan and Galaxy Quest Blu-Rays on my shelf have the Paramount logo on them.)
A few years ago, they spun off their (more successful) animation division into its own studio and received an influx of Indian money to continue making films.
It's all chronicled in this book. I've never read it but I get the feeling it's one of those books that will make me question my sanity - after all, I still kinda want to work in this business!
Scott, I can't speak to the other DreamWorks divisions, but my personal theory as to why no other animation studio has found success like Disney (except PIXAR, but wait) is that practically all of them have been established for the purpose of competing with Disney as opposed to being established to produce quality animation.
On another issue, I have to say that I am happy for Manti Teo. He seems like a decent kid who got caught in something that probably was a pretty vicious prank against him. And as with Tebow, I got the sense that a lot of people wanted him to fail out of this bizarre sense of spite you see in the public these days. So I'm happy that he got drafted about where he should have been drafted and by a team that seems to want him.
Andrew - I have never seen someone so loathed by his own teammates as Tebow. Just because he lived by what he believed. I must believe it is because he made them look bad as the drunks, druggies, and womanizers that they are.
Bev, I don't fully understand it, but there seems to be a real need to hate people right now. And I don't mean people like the terrorists because those are people that bizarrely everyone wants to "understand" and "not judge." Instead, people are spewing intense amounts of venom at people who have done little or nothing to deserve it. In fact, their targets are often people who actually embody the very things the attackers claim to admire.
It strikes me that the only reason these people are spewing this venom is to make themselves feel better because they can't stand the idea that there are decent people out there. It makes their own flaws seem that much more blameworthy. I guess it puts the lie to the idea that humans needs to be twisted wretched creatures and the most twisted among us can't stand that.
What bothers me though is how amazingly widespread this has become. Everywhere I look, the first instinct of so many people now is to destroy and tear down.
Tryanmax I have a much higher opinion of non-Pixar CG movies than you do.
In the context of Western film animation, Shrek 1 and 2, Madagascar 3, Rio, Kung Fu Panda 1 and 2, How to Train Your Dragon, Wreck it Ralph, Despicable Me and Puss In Boots are all quality movies I'd put above the lower tier of Pixar movies (Cars 1 and 2 and Brave) if not the upper tier (The Incredibles, Monsters Inc and the Toy Stories).
The dislike of Tebow strikes me as bizarre. Random people disliking him is one thing, I think its insane the NY hired him and refused to play him though.
As for Manti Teo, he is at worst at liar, at best a liar and a fool (he admitted lying to the public at the end). I'm not worked up about him (I don't follow college sports and never heard of him until the scam was revealed) but he earned his problems.
I agree that its bizarre that minor celebs can unify the public in ways that great villians can't.
I suspect its just the public distracting itself from horrifying evil with harmless minutia (until recently more people would name Snooki as their most despised person than the leadership of Al Queda or some serial killer).
Anthony, I think you misunderstand. There is quite a bit of quality CG animation coming out of multiple studios right now. But the fortunes of the studios producing it aren't necessarily reflective of the product being produced. Like I said, it's just a theory, but it generally holds true that if you are doing a thing for the wrong reasons, you won't find the same success as you would otherwise.
Anthony, Everything I've read about what Teo lied about actually makes sense. It sounds like he only lied to get his uncle off his back when he uncle kept asking why he hadn't met the woman before. It's very understandable to me why he might not want to discuss anything with his uncle and would then dismiss him with a lie like that.
But even so, it's not just Teo and Tebow that I'm talking about. It strikes me that almost anyone who appears in the news these days in anything other than a truly cynical, nasty way gets attacked. I'm not sure why that is, but it's depressing.
I think there is at best a nodding relationship between commercial success and quality in Hollywood, but even sticking to your metric, my claim holds water. All of the movies I named were more profitable than the lower tier Pixar movies I named (earning a larger multiple of their budget).
"It strikes me that almost anyone who appears in the news these days in anything other than a truly cynical, nasty way gets attacked. I'm not sure why that is, but it's depressing."
Think that is bad? Go to a fan forum. Any fan forum.
We are in a period of intense negativity, such that it almost seems nobody knows how to be positive. Foremost is the tearing down of decent people, but it extends to everyone. There's not much that builds up. Even most of the religious websites I travel to only seem to put out articles attacking politics, culture, hypocrites in the ranks--real and imagined--but nothing truly edifying. It's very frustrating.
tryanmax, I see that too. There is very little positive out there. And when you find something, you can be sure that it will be attacked savagely by just about everyone else.
Look at the newest actress to play a Doctor Who companion, Jenna-Louise Coleman. You can find forums tearing her apart.
She ain't that bad. In fact, she's quite good. As far as I can tell her chemistry w/ Matt Smith is incredibly fun to watch. The worst I see are some minor writing problems w/ her character. I understand critiquing but there is a fine line between criticism and trolling.
Interesting article on Jeffrey Katzenburg (of Disney and Dreamworks fame) I've always known Katzenburg as the director of motion pictures at Disney under Eisner - as it turns out he started out as a political operative and seems to know the ropes well enough to become one of Obama's primary crony capitalists. See the picture and tell me which one is the alpha male.
ReplyDeleteDreamworks meets Dream pol
K, I'd always heard he was very political -- so is Spielberg. As for who is in charge there, why am I wondering where their hands are?
ReplyDeleteDreamWorks has had an interesting history. It never really lived up to expectations, their TV division only produced a couple of hit series, their record label never went anywhere, and the studio had come close to bankruptcy multiple times.
ReplyDeleteI don't even think they own all the rights to their films anymore. They now work with Disney as a distributor and I think Paramount has home video rights to their catalog. (Which is why the Saving Private Ryan and Galaxy Quest Blu-Rays on my shelf have the Paramount logo on them.)
A few years ago, they spun off their (more successful) animation division into its own studio and received an influx of Indian money to continue making films.
It's all chronicled in this book. I've never read it but I get the feeling it's one of those books that will make me question my sanity - after all, I still kinda want to work in this business!
Scott, I can't speak to the other DreamWorks divisions, but my personal theory as to why no other animation studio has found success like Disney (except PIXAR, but wait) is that practically all of them have been established for the purpose of competing with Disney as opposed to being established to produce quality animation.
ReplyDeleteBob Dole....Bob Dole....Bob Dole.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav - is that like Beetlejuice...Beetlejuice...Beetlej...?
ReplyDeleteScottDS: You can get all the information you need about Dreamworks just by watching "Megamind".
ReplyDeleteDole had wit, but I can't for the life of me understand how we could run him for President? It's that whole "next in line garbage."
ReplyDeleteOn another issue, I have to say that I am happy for Manti Teo. He seems like a decent kid who got caught in something that probably was a pretty vicious prank against him. And as with Tebow, I got the sense that a lot of people wanted him to fail out of this bizarre sense of spite you see in the public these days. So I'm happy that he got drafted about where he should have been drafted and by a team that seems to want him.
ReplyDeleteAndrew - I have never seen someone so loathed by his own teammates as Tebow. Just because he lived by what he believed. I must believe it is because he made them look bad as the drunks, druggies, and womanizers that they are.
ReplyDeleteBev, I don't fully understand it, but there seems to be a real need to hate people right now. And I don't mean people like the terrorists because those are people that bizarrely everyone wants to "understand" and "not judge." Instead, people are spewing intense amounts of venom at people who have done little or nothing to deserve it. In fact, their targets are often people who actually embody the very things the attackers claim to admire.
ReplyDeleteIt strikes me that the only reason these people are spewing this venom is to make themselves feel better because they can't stand the idea that there are decent people out there. It makes their own flaws seem that much more blameworthy. I guess it puts the lie to the idea that humans needs to be twisted wretched creatures and the most twisted among us can't stand that.
What bothers me though is how amazingly widespread this has become. Everywhere I look, the first instinct of so many people now is to destroy and tear down.
Tryanmax I have a much higher opinion of non-Pixar CG movies than you do.
ReplyDeleteIn the context of Western film animation, Shrek 1 and 2, Madagascar 3, Rio, Kung Fu Panda 1 and 2, How to Train Your Dragon, Wreck it Ralph, Despicable Me and Puss In Boots are all quality movies I'd put above the lower tier of Pixar movies (Cars 1 and 2 and Brave) if not the upper tier (The Incredibles, Monsters Inc and the Toy Stories).
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteThe dislike of Tebow strikes me as bizarre. Random people disliking him is one thing, I think its insane the NY hired him and refused to play him though.
As for Manti Teo, he is at worst at liar, at best a liar and a fool (he admitted lying to the public at the end). I'm not worked up about him (I don't follow college sports and never heard of him until the scam was revealed) but he earned his problems.
I agree that its bizarre that minor celebs can unify the public in ways that great villians can't.
I suspect its just the public distracting itself from horrifying evil with harmless minutia (until recently more people would name Snooki as their most despised person than the leadership of Al Queda or some serial killer).
Anthony, I think you misunderstand. There is quite a bit of quality CG animation coming out of multiple studios right now. But the fortunes of the studios producing it aren't necessarily reflective of the product being produced. Like I said, it's just a theory, but it generally holds true that if you are doing a thing for the wrong reasons, you won't find the same success as you would otherwise.
ReplyDelete(BTW, Wreck-It Ralph is Disney.)
Anthony, Everything I've read about what Teo lied about actually makes sense. It sounds like he only lied to get his uncle off his back when he uncle kept asking why he hadn't met the woman before. It's very understandable to me why he might not want to discuss anything with his uncle and would then dismiss him with a lie like that.
ReplyDeleteBut even so, it's not just Teo and Tebow that I'm talking about. It strikes me that almost anyone who appears in the news these days in anything other than a truly cynical, nasty way gets attacked. I'm not sure why that is, but it's depressing.
tryanmax, So you're saying that a hit man who works for the United Way will have better success than one who works for the Russian mob? ;)
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I... uh... ah... I just can't respond to that.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Sorry to rattle your brain.
ReplyDeleteTrayanmax,
ReplyDeleteI think there is at best a nodding relationship between commercial success and quality in Hollywood, but even sticking to your metric, my claim holds water. All of the movies I named were more profitable than the lower tier Pixar movies I named (earning a larger multiple of their budget).
Anthony, you're still only considering a narrower picture than the one I am discussing.
ReplyDeleteAnyone been watching Doctor Who and the new companion, Clara Oswin Oswald? If so, what do you think?
ReplyDelete"It strikes me that almost anyone who appears in the news these days in anything other than a truly cynical, nasty way gets attacked. I'm not sure why that is, but it's depressing."
ReplyDeleteThink that is bad? Go to a fan forum. Any fan forum.
We are in a period of intense negativity, such that it almost seems nobody knows how to be positive. Foremost is the tearing down of decent people, but it extends to everyone. There's not much that builds up. Even most of the religious websites I travel to only seem to put out articles attacking politics, culture, hypocrites in the ranks--real and imagined--but nothing truly edifying. It's very frustrating.
ReplyDeletetryanmax, I see that too. There is very little positive out there. And when you find something, you can be sure that it will be attacked savagely by just about everyone else.
ReplyDeleteKit, Forums are like fountains of hate and idiocy.
ReplyDeleteAndrew said..."Kit, Forums are like fountains of hate and idiocy."
ReplyDeleteAnd wretched hives of scum and villainy.
Be cautious.
-Rustbelt
Look at the newest actress to play a Doctor Who companion, Jenna-Louise Coleman. You can find forums tearing her apart.
ReplyDeleteShe ain't that bad. In fact, she's quite good. As far as I can tell her chemistry w/ Matt Smith is incredibly fun to watch. The worst I see are some minor writing problems w/ her character.
I understand critiquing but there is a fine line between criticism and trolling.
"Kit, Forums are like fountains of hate and idiocy."
ReplyDeleteTruly so, Andrew.
Rustbelt, you nailed it. Obi-Wan was right. :)