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Thread: Pixar Better Than Disney

  1. #1

    Unhappy Pixar Better Than Disney

    This is not really a fair comparison since Disney no longer has a "real" animation studio. The problem with Disney animation is that it is completely lacking in innovation. All the breakthroughs in animation today are being done by Pixar and Vanguard. It seems Disney is just content in just distributing other company's work. In a way Disney has become the Walmart of animation.
    Eisner and the rest of Disney should be ashamed of themselves. They have squandered their leadership role in animation.


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  3. #2

    Didn't you say the exact same thing in this thread? Even the phrase "Wal-Mart of animation." Are you trying to say something different here?


  4. #3
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    Re: Pixar Better Than Disney

    Originally posted by Akear
    This is not really a fair comparison since Disney no longer has a "real" animation studio. The problem with Disney animation is that it is completely lacking in innovation. All the breakthroughs in animation today are being done by Pixar and Vanguard. It seems Disney is just content in just distributing other company's work. In a way Disney has become the Walmart of animation.
    Eisner and the rest of Disney should be ashamed of themselves. They have squandered their leadership role in animation.
    What is "reality"? Disney does still do animation, but in Burbank CA. I think Disney has evolved into a lack of innovation and imagination in their animated fare for a couple of reasons. They allowed their best talent to leave for other studios. Their bottom line cost concerns, while justified, should be balanced with the genuine need to keep their staff fresh and creative juices flowing, whatever the cost. They allowed their "ownership" of high-end high quality feature animation product to be taken by Pixar as part of their partnership. Disney simply rested on its laurels and its brand too much, took audiences too much for granted and also underestimated its audiences. Competition can see those vulnerabilities and exploit them, which they did. Even Disney's own partner, Pixar, took advanatage of their partnership and exploited it to Pixar's advantage, which is usually the way Disney has done things with their partners up to now.

    Disney is the Wal-Mart of animation? Well, take some steps back and look carefully. "Brother Bear" outgrossed "Sinbad" and other animated theatrical fare last year, except for "Finding Nemo". "Hitting one out of the ballpark" in today's market is still very difficult to do, it makes one appreciate how on a roll Disney was with "The Little Mermaid" through, what, "Tarzan" or so. Other than Pixar, the only studios to achieve any comparable box office success are Dreamworks with "Shrek" and Fox with "Ice Age". But notice that, other than Pixar, Dreamworks and Fox can't seem to consistently follow up those previous successes with back-to-back stuff, even though there may well be ex-Disney employees in their folds. Disney can still make money at the box office with Feature Animation and is doing so, but the consistency of back-to-back hits for Disney just has tapered off. Take more steps back, and it may be in Pixar's future to get toppled off the pedestal, too. It takes retaining your people and due diligence, and a whole lotta luck, to maintain box office and market supremecy. It isn't as easy as Disney made it look.

    Now, the TV Animation feature films that come to the box office have been inconsistent in quality, some actually are merely good (mildly entertaining, inoffensive, but do indeed cover familiar ground and aren't being done for art's sake, and don't make me necessarily want to own it on video, but the time at the movies was overall pleasant but not "WOW!") and not great. And they do put a lot of home video titles on the market, a lot, a 'way big bunch a LOT of titles. Some families regard these as innocuous video baby-sitters and throw these into their shopping basket and move on. Those who feel otherwise realize it for the brand and quality dilution that it is. In that respect, I agree with you.

    But Disney Home Video is its own separate division of Disney. What's going on is the "synergy" between major divisions of Disney is missing. It's not one harmonious in-sync place with everything coming out of the same vat, everyone on the same page of the guidebook, that you would assume. Flooding the market with this stuff is what Disney interprets as meeting demand for product. But the quality of the direct-to-video sequels, the II's and the 1 1/2's and all, is simply dilution and trivialization of their brand and product, it diminishes Disney's reputation for quality and bang-for-the-buck, it's just dishing out more of the same. It's hurting them in the marketplace and now it's affecting the shareholders and ex-Board members seeking changes.

    Disney's permitted management exodus of anyone with talent, depth of caring, and expertise to keep itself fresh and reinvented across market segments and audience demographics. It's always had competition but has also always retained it's talented artists and executives and thus could maintain consistency and thinking outside the box during changing times and trends. I agree, there should be reform. But Disney still does do feature animation consistently better than other studios and still is a "real" animation studio, for now. With luck and consumer and shareholder awareness that can be changed for the better.

  5. #4

    Good Points.
    I wish I could be positive about the situation at disney. Things have never been worse at the studio. Without Pixar we will see just how mediocre Disney has become.

    The same corporate malaise that has infected General Motors seems to have reared its ugly head at Disney. What is sad is that Eisner is surrouned by so many "yes" men that it will be almost impossible to remove him.

    Within a few year Eisners will be considered one of the nations worst CEO.

    What good is there in destroying an American icon.


  6. #5
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    Originally posted by Akear
    Good Points.
    I wish I could be positive about the situation at disney. Things have never been worse at the studio. Without Pixar we will see just how mediocre Disney has become.

    The same corporate malaise that has infected General Motors seems to have reared its ugly head at Disney. What is sad is that Eisner is surrouned by so many "yes" men that it will be almost impossible to remove him.

    Within a few year Eisners will be considered one of the nations worst CEO.

    What good is there in destroying an American icon.
    Akear,

    You wish you could be positive? Heavens, I wish I could be positive too!!! Sheesh, every week some new piece of depressing news about Disney or some aspect of Disney. But you have to step back sometimes and do perspective measurements. For now, still Disney is doing some of the best feature animation around. In a year's time, compare Disney product shown in theatres to other studios' and Disney continues to stand out. Now, about Michael Eisner, he enjoys mixed reputations in the business and entertainment worlds. His reputation is coming under scrutiny lately in the mainstream business press. Take a look at the NY Times article today about Steve Jobs being a new type of executive and compare those ideas and traits to a lot of people in any industry today. I see hope out there, Akear, but it's hope tempered with the fact that up and coming business majors are seeing the corporate scandals and what has worked and not worked in business and they are learning from all of this. When it's their turn to run things at the top, will they apply what they learned, and do it creatively and humanely? That's what we should be asking, and that is what I hope the next CEO of Disney will be like. There's hope, Akear, there always is. Didn't Fairy Godmother prove that to Cinderella when Cin was in utter despair? Cinderella always had it in herself to rise above her immediate environment and times. With a mentor, she succeeded. In business it's tougher, but good prevails and good is also good business. Hang in there. The good will win out.

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