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View Full Version : Disney to out-source Audio Animatronics - Orange County Register, 6/13/08



Darkbeer
06-13-2008, 01:50 PM
http://ocresort.freedomblogging.com/2008/06/13/disney-to-out-source-audio-animatronics/





The memo is dated June 12, 2008, and was sent to all Walt Disney Imagineering employees from Bruce Vaughn, chief creative executive, Craig Russell, chief development and delivery executive, and Kevin Eld, vice president of Disney Creative Production. The memo was sent to and received by the Orange County Register today. Imagineers is Disney’s a word for designers and engineers.

The memo states that after review manufacturing all Audio-Animatronics figures in-house is not feasible in terms of cost and staffing. Instead, Imagineering’s Manufacturing and Prototype Operations group based in North Hollywood will “build some select, highly complex” figures in-house.



Much more at the link...

Darkbeer
06-16-2008, 12:32 PM
Chuck Oberleitner over at o-meon.com has posted the full memo, and reports...

http://www.o-meon.com/pages/news&features/n&f_2008/06-16_Outsourcing.htm




Here is a copy of the actual memo released by Bruce Vaughn, Craig Russell, and Kevin Eld. There were a total of 22 layoffs out of a division of 50 staff members in MAPO (Manufacturing and Prototype Operations) or almost 40 percent. Layoffs occurred on Wednesday June 11th.

Not surprisingly, all the animated characters you mention in your article (Lucky, Wall-E) have been created by the R&D division (where Bruce Vaughn came from) with an unlimited budget and with no help from the talent at MAPO. It is a sad day for MAPO especially now that the “kids” are running the candy store.