The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have been tussling:
As the health of the Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan nears “critical” status, negotiations for a new IATSE film and TV contract are also approaching a critical stage. ... The main sticking point appears to be a rescue plan for the underfunded pension plan, which as of January 1, 2017, was only 67.4% funded. ... The plan has assets of more than $3.8 billion, but its liabilities exceed $5.6 billion, which accounts for the 67.4% funding level.
Sources say that IATSE is trying to persuade management’s AMPTP to come up with a new residuals formula that better reflects today’s marketplace for the films and TV shows that their workers help create and, in so doing, save its struggling pension plan. And because the plan is governed by a board of directors with an equal number of union and employer representatives, it’s both sides’ fiduciary duty to ensure that the plan remains solvent and able to meet its current and future obligations. ...
The union has also said that wage “parity” for members working in new media are among the union’s other goals, and a grass roots movement has been launched to urge management to address the pay gap between members of historically female crafts and historically male crafts who do comparable work.
The Animation Guild draws Motion Picture Industry pension and health benefits from the Plan, so how this negotiation shakes out is important for animation employees in Los Angeles. And New Media (aka "streaming video") is more and more how cartoons are delivered to viewers, so many workers in the business receive lower wages. The issue of wage parity over different viewing platforms has become a HUGE issue since the last contract in 2015.
As of now, IA/AMPTP contract talks are slated to conclude the end of July, with Animation Guild negotiations to begin soon after. The IATSE hasn't struck over a major contract in ... well ... in forever, but 2018 appears to be a year of firsts, so who knows what will happen?
The Mouse has shuttered an animation studio ... one that was a shadow of its former self.
... Disney has decided to close down DisneyToon Studios. This shuttering is said to be unrelated to Docter and Lee's promotions, but as a result, 75 staff members, including animators, will be laid off, and it's unclear if any of them will be transferred to Pixar or the main Disney animation branch. ...
Disney Toon Studios specialized in making animated features for the home video market (VHS cassettes and later DVDs ... remember those?) The impetus for the division came when Disney Television Animation took multiple episodes of its new TV series Aladdin and cut them into a "sequel" feature entitled The Return of Jafar.
The opus cost a few million to cobble together, sold fifteen million units (VHS cassettes in those long-ago days) and grossed $300 million. And Disney knew instantly that it had stumbled into a gold mine with lots of thick veins of shiny metal.
Dozens of direct-to-video "sequels" followed: Cinderella II, Lady and the Tramp II, Bambi II, Lion King 1 1/2, etcetera and etcetera. The company turned the production of lower-cost spinoff features into its own division called (ultimately) Disney Toon Studios. Sharon Morrill, a Disney TVA executive in the right spot at the right time, became head of the new subsidiary. And big money continued to be made, even though story development on the sequels was often chaotic. (The first director on a new project was invariably fired by management. A standing joke: "You're more likely to survive Omaha Beach than being Director #1 on a direct-to-video Disney feature.")
The division prospered during the era of tape cassettes and DVDs, although budgets escalated and profits steadily declined. The head of the division was disliked by the artistic staff, but upper management nevertheless rewarded her with lucrative employment contracts. (Said one disgruntled film editor: "Michael Eisner is a micro-manager who pays no attention to what's actually going on.")
Eventually, however, upper management changed. John Lasseter and Ed Catmull took over most of the company's animation portfolio, and made it clear they were less than totally enthusiastic about the low-budget product Disney Toon Studios was turning out. The market for little silver disks was already in a tailspin when Ms. Morrill was at last given her walking papers, but the division limped along for another decade, surviving on the Tinkerbell franchise Mr. Lasseter set up.
A second series of features built around the Cars spin-off Planes failed to take flight, Mr. Lasseter departed, and the studio, which had suffered major layoffs a couple of years ago, was shut down this week, the victim of market changes and shifting audience tastes.
To the surprise of nobody who pays attention, the Supreme Court today struck down -- by five votes to four ("Janus v. AFSCME") -- the unanimous Supreme Court precedent from 1977 ("Abood Vs. Detroit Board of Education"), where the court ruled public sector unions could collect fees from non-members for the costs of contract negotiations and other services rendered (things like protection from illegal firings, collection of back salaries, boring items like that).
Now, of course, "Abood" flies out the window and the dues-paying members of labor unions will pay for protections extended to non-payers.
(Full-disclosure here. I ran a private-sector union for a bunch of years, so obviously I have a pro-union position. But here's what I'm (semi)-okay with:)
If somebody working under a labor contract REALLY wants to opt out, then he or she should be allowed to opt out.
But they should be required to opt out ALL the way.
All the damn freaking way.
You're not paying dues? Fine, then you're NOT under the labor contract. The document doesn't apply to you. In any shape or manner.
You're completely free to work out your own payment arrangements with the government entity or company for which you work. If you've got the leverage to get more money, then congratulations. If you can get yourself a better health benefits package, and a fancier pension, bully for you.
The labor union (and its collective bargaining agreement) is out of the picture. It is NOT obligated to pay for any arbitrations on your behalf if you think you've been shafted, not required to provide a lawyer when there's a legal issue. And NOTHING that the union has negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement applies to you. Not the health package, not the retirement package. The wage minimums or wage schedules in their stupid contract? Not relevant because you've chosen another route.
Because, fair's fair, right? You've bailed from the program, and you're doing your own thing. (Hooray for freedom!)
So go do it completely. You start with a nice, clean sheet of paper with your employer. Pay for legal representation out of your own pocket. Do your own negotiating for salary and separate benefits. Don't call the union rep and ask her for help. She ain't your gal Friday.
If that was the reality and outcome of the Supremes' ruling today, I would have less objection to how the five men in black robes came down. But of course, that's not the way the ruling works. Because whether you're paying dues/fees or not, the union is still required to represent you under the collective bargaining agreement. Still required to spend time, money, and staff-time on whatever problem you bring to its attention.
A lot of animation in the Domestic Top Ten, some of it called "animated feature" and some called "animated visual effects". But they're very similar animals.
To date, the dino movie JW: Fallen Kingdom has collected $466 million abroad, giving it $602 million worldwide. Incredibles 2 has earned $424 million on a global basis.
The mice! The mice! Inside stories of Disney Animation in two exciting volumes ... Mouse in Transition and Mouse in Orbit. Available now! ... and into the future (we think)!
The arm-wrestling match for most of the body parts of 20th Century Fox is, apparently, near an end:
Walt Disney Co. is close to winning U.S. antitrust approval for its $71 billion deal for 21st Century Fox Inc.’s entertainment assets, according to a person familiar with the matter, creating a potentially insurmountable hurdle for a rival bid from Comcast Corp.
The Justice Department is set to approve the deal in as soon as two weeks, said the person, who declined to be named because the investigation is confidential. Disney has agreed to sell some assets to address competition problems stemming from the tie-up, according to the person. ...
If Bloomberg is right, it's all over but the weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth by Comcast-NBC-Universal. (That's assuming there are no further bids.) Rupert M. & Company must be giddy over the prospect of amassing an even LARGER fortune.
As previously stated, the Walt Disney will end up with a lot more animation assets when this deal is finally, at last, put to bed. There's Blue Sky Studios and its backlog of features; then there's the hundreds of hours of Fox's prime-time cartoons.
No doubt the wily Mouse will find new and innovative ways to exploit all the new intellectual property. (CG reboots, anyone?)
It's been hinted at for months, but now the new creative heads of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar are (at last) made "official":
Pete Docter and Jennifer Lee have been named a chief creative officers of Disney’s animation divisions, with Docter stepping up at Pixar Animation Studios, where he has directed such films as Up and Inside Out, and Lee heading up Walt Disney Animation Studios, where she helmed Frozen. ...
Jennifer Lee, one of screenwriters for Wreck-It Ralph and writer-director on Frozen, has worked at the House of Mouse since 2011. She's the first woman to cratively head Disney's feature animation division.
Pete Docter, who worked at Disney Feature Animation in the 1980s and began his Pixar career in 1990, has been involved with most of the Emeryvile studio's feature films. Two that he directed (Up and Inside Out) have won Academy Awards for "Best Animated Feature".
Other executives at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar will remain in place.
And now, another overview of production going on in Southern California's animation industry. You will note that there are additions and subtractions from the last installment, but many series titles remain. As before, this list will be amended and corrected over the next few days/weeks. (Sadly, there are always errors.)
(You will find the Animation Guild's studio list -- showing which Los Angeles studios are union -- here.)
Amazon
Danger and Egg -- ongoing
Too Loud -- ongoing
Bureau of Magic
Lost in Oz -- *ENDED (Amazon Prime)
Cartoon Network
Powerpuff Girls -- ending
Ben 10 -- ongoing
Mighty Magiswords -- ending
Steven Universe (shorts) -- ongoing (and building on momentum)
Per report's, Cartoon Network's "Bite Size" online network has closed down.
Victor & Valentino -- ongoing
Infinity Train -- ongoing
Craig of the Creek -- ongoing
Adult Swim (a Cartoon Network subset)
Close Enough -- ongoing (aka "Splittin' Rent")
Tiggle Winks -- ongoing (shorts)
Primal (Genddy Tartokovsky)
Skydance Media Animation
This new cartoon unit, barely more than a year old, has just hired two DreamWorks Animation Television veterans -- Ian Sheppard and Lawrence Jonas -- to SMA's senior executive staff. The pair will be running Skydance's television slate and reporting to division topkick Bill Damaschke.
Split -- ongoing feature
Luck -- ongoing feature
Television projects -- to be announced
Warner Bros. Animation
Unikitty -- ongoing
Scooby Doo and the Red Ghost -- (long form Scoob)
Guess Who, Scooby Doo -- ongoing
* As always, there are various Scoobs.
Lego Justice League -- ongoing
Wabbit/New Looney Tunes -- ongoing
The Looney Tunes shorts program was announced this month. ... From the hyper-ventilating press release:
"Looney Tunes Cartoons echoes the high production value and process of the original Looney Tunes theatrical shorts with a cartoonist-driven approach to storytelling. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and other marquee Looney Tunes characters will be featured in their classic pairings in simple, gag-driven and visually vibrant stories. Each cartoon will vary from one to six minutes in length. ..."
Animaniacs -- upcoming reboot (co-production of Amblin' TV and WBA)
"Animaniacs" will be an update of the original 99 episodes from the early nineties.
Mike Tyson Mysteries -- ongoing
Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz -- ongoing
Teen Titans Go! -- ongoing
DC Superhero Girls -- ongoing
Green Eggs and Ham -- ongoing
Wacky Racers -- ongoing
Young Justice -- ongoing
Flintstones -- ongoing (African-American cast)
Warner Animation Group
The Lego Movie Sequel -- ongoing
Smallfoot -- ongoing
Space Jam 2 -- ongoing
The Billion Brick Race -- ongoing
Scooby -- ongoing
Warner Animation Group has pre-production facilities at multiple locations in Burbank and Hollywood; most production work (a la Illumination Entertainment) is done in foreign lands ... often at Animation Logic in Sydney.
Hasbro
Micronauts -- ongoing
My Little Pony* -- ongoing
Equestrian Girls* -- ongoing
Hasbro now does much of its work at Boulder Media in Ireland. Writing for Boulder shows* continues to be done in Southern California.
Nickelodeon
Cyma Zarghami, longtime President of Nickelodeon, stepped down in early June. Allegedly, Viacom's upper management was displeased that Nick lagged competitors in the internet streaming department. Also, too, new Viacom Prez Bob Bakish has been sweeping with a big broom.
Invader Zim (tv movie) -- ongoing
Sponge Bob Square Pants -- ongoing
The Loud House -- ongoing; ratings continue strong.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -- reboot is ongoing
Welcome to the Wayne -- ongoing
Shimmer and Shine -- ongoing
Glitch Tech -- ongoing
Rocko's Modern Life -- ongoing
Henry Danger -- wrapping up
Disney TV Animation
Amphibia -- ongoing
Mickey's Roadster Racers -- ongoing
Star vs The Forces of Evil -- ongoing
Puppy Capers -- ongoing
Sofia the First -- ongoing
Tangled -- ongoing
Mickey Mouse shorts -- ongoing
Duck Tales -- ongoing
Fancy Nancy -- ongoing. (As of February 15, 2018 there is no announced air date, but the show is scheduled for launch this summer. Actors Allyson Hannigan and Rob Riggle have just been cast as Nancy's parents. This is a Disney Jr. show.)
The Rocketeer -- ongoing (Season #1; Disney Jr. via Wild Canary)
Wicked World -- ongoing
The Lion Guard (Disney Jr. "Baby Lion King") -- ongoing
The Owl House -- ongoing
The Three Caballeros -- ongoing
Muppet Babies -- ongoing (produced at Oddbot, Inc.)
Country Club/ aka Big City Greens -- ongoing
Big Hero Six -- ongoing
Elena of Avalor -- ongoing
Vampirina* -- ongoing (*the show was paicked up for a second season in late January by Disney Jr. It's produced by Brown Bag Films, which has studios in Dublin, Toronto and Manchester.)
T.O.T.S. -- ongoing
UPDATE -- July 19: The Walt Disney Company (via LucasFilm) is producing 12 new episodes of Clone Wars, which was seen on Cartoon Network from 2009 through 2013. This new iteration will be streamed on Disney's yet-to-be-launched SVOD service in 2019.
Disney Toons Studios
Planes sequel -- kaput
Update: The Walt Disney Company announced on June 28th that they are closing DTS and laying off and/or transferring remaining staff. Disney has been in the direct-to-video animated feature business sine the release of "Return of Jafar" in 1994. It was a long, lucrative run for the Mouse, but markets change (who buys DVDs anymore?) and audiences' passions shift.
The company made big profits with items like "Lion King 1 1/2", but the "Planes" franchise gendered little excitement. Producing low-budget features for the big screen didn't work either, because the movies -- particularly "Planes 2" -- made no money. Disney Toons Studios, RIP.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
The big news here: creative chief John Lasseter departs the end of the year. (Some media outlets have wondered aloud why he's being retained as a consultant through December; our info is that Lasseter's employment contract runs through December, so since he's being paid anyway, the House of Mouse wants to get a wee bit of bang for its buck.
One other significant Walt Disney Animation Studios departure this year: longtime director John Musker decided to hang up his director's hat and leave for other pursuits, throwing a goodbye party at Burbank's Pickwick Center as he walked out the door.
Update: And now replacements for Mr. Lasseter at Pixar and Walt Disney Animatin Studios (per a trade paper): "Pete Docter and Jennifer Lee have been named a chief creative officers of Disney’s animation divisions, with Docter stepping up at Pixar Animation Studios, where he has directed such films as Up and Inside Out, and Lee heading up Walt Disney Animation Studios, where she helmed Frozen." ...
Wreck-It Ralph 2 -- ongoing
Frozen 2 -- ongoing
(Various other projects at various stages of development, "Dragon Empire" allegedly being one of them. But not -- so far as I know -- officially announced by the studio.)
DreamWorks Animation
How to Train Your Dragon 3 -- ongoing
Trolls 2 -- ongoing
The Croods 2 -- ongoing (back on the schedule)
The Boss Baby 2 -- ongoing
Shrek 5 -- ongoing
Madagascar 4 -- ongoing
Puss in Boots 2 -- ongoing
Madagascar 4 -- ongoing
The majority of DreamWorks Animation theatrical projects are sequels, but there are also a number of originals
Dreamworks Animation TV
Veggie Tales -- ongoing
Rocky and Bullwinkle -- ongoing
Dinotrux -- ongoing
Home: Adventures of Tip and Oh -- ongoing
Kung Fu Panda -- ongoing
Wizards -- ongoing
3 Below -- ongoing
Troll Hunters -- wrapping up
Voltron -- ongoing
Dragons Jr -- ongoing
Harvey Street Kids (AKA "Harvey Girls) -- ongoing
Captain Underpants -- ongoing
Spirit Riding Free -- ongoing
Trolls -- ongoing
Boss Baby -- ongoing
She-Ra: Princess of Power -- ongoing
Cleopatra In Space -- ongoing
Minions -- ongoing
Noddy, Toyland Detective -- ongoing
DWA tv employees are now pitching original IPs to the company and multiple ideas have been greenlit for development.
Starz - Film Roman
Sold to Lions Gate -- no announced projects.
Rough Draft
Disenchantment -- ongoing (New Matt Groening show, long in development.)
Mega Man -- ongoing
Clash of Clans -- ongoing (YouTube series)
Frederator
Costume Quest -- ongoing (for Amazon)
Paramount Animation
Paramount Animation, under the leadership of former DWA exec Mireille Soria, has green lit multiple new projects. Paramount uses the Warner Animation Group and Illumination Entertainment production model of developing feature projects in Southern California and doing the productions with an overseas studio.
Wonder Park -- wrapping
It's A Wonderful Sponge -- ongoing ("SpongeBob" project which has been stopped and restarted multiple times)
Monster on the Hill -- ongoing
Luck -- ongoing
Bento Box
Bob's Burgers -- ongoing
Paradise PD -- ongoing (Netflix)
Fox Animation
Fox Animation Studios has two locations in Southern California. The facility housing "Family Guy" and "American Da" is on Wilshire Boulevard in L.A.; the facility doing "The Simpsons" is On Alameda Boulevard in Burbank.
Family Guy -- ongoing
Seth M. no longer does day-to-day oversight of "FG"; he delegates, does a variety of voices, and concentrates on his live-action activities from headquarters in Beverly Hills
American Dad -- ongoing
The Simpsons -- ongoing
Genius Brand (Andy Heyward Company. Andy ran DIC decades ago. The company was bought by ABC before ABC was part of Disney.)
Lama Lama -- ongoing (for Netflix)
Marvel Animation
Avengers Assemble -- wrapping up
Guardians of the Galaxy -- wrapping up
Spider-man -- wrapping up
We're informed that Marvel Animation will be going into hibernation.
Titmouse/Robin Red Breast
Moon Beam -- ongoing
Megalopolis -- ongoing
Super Jail -- ongoing
The Venture Brothers -- ongoing
Niko and the Sword of Light -- ongoing
Big Mouth -- ongoing
Tigtone -- ongoing
Scavengers -- ongoing
Activision
Skylanders Academy -- ongoing
Renegade -- ongoing
ABC Mouse (flash show) -- ongoing
Star Burns Industries
Rick and Morty (Rick and Morty LLC) -- ongoing
Animals -- ongoing
Shadow Machine
Bo Jack Horsemen -- ongoing
Dad Boner -- ongoing
Six Point/Six Point 2
Apollo Gauntlet (Adult Swim) -- ongoing
Star Chaser pilot --
Wild Canary
Puppy Dog Pals (Disney Jr.) -- ongoing
The Rocketeer -- ongoing (Season #1 -- 11-minute episodes -- for Disney Jr.)
Stupid Buddies Stoodio
Robot Chicken -- ongoing
Buddy Thunderstruck -- ongoing
SuperMansion -- ongoing
Hot Streets -- ongoing
Leodoro Productions
F is for Family -- ongoing
Universal
Alvin and the Chipmunks -- ongoing
Curious George -- ongoing (newer flash version)
Illumination Entertainment Studios
Secret Life of Pets 2 -- ongoing
Minions 2 -- ongoing
Sing 2 -- ongoing
Johnny Express -- ongoing
Despicable Me 4 -- ongoing
Untitled Mario feature -- ongoing
Illumination Entertainment's next release is "The Grinch", out November 9th. IE is heavy on sequels, but why not? The various franchises have enabled Illumination to open its own mint.
Splash Entertainment
Kulipari: An Army of Frogs -- ongoing (Netflix)
Woody Woodpecker (10 5-minute cartoons for South America)
Bureau of magic -- ongoing
The mice! The mice! Inside stories of Disney Animation in two exciting volumes ... Mouse in Transition and Mouse in Orbit. Available now! ... and into the future (we think)!
