DVDizzy Forum

sadly, when an animation studio is struggling its the low tier animtors that will get the blame and suffer the consequences.

otoh, I feel a small bit of satisfaction knowing that Jeffrey K. has to deal with the fact that nobody wants to buy his precious studio...teehee.

unprincess wrote: otoh, I feel a small bit of satisfaction knowing that Jeffrey K. has to deal with the fact that nobody wants to buy his precious studio...teehee.

Are Dreamworks in that much trouble then? I know they've had a bad run but
I have to be honest, I don't pay that much attention to Dreamworks as most of their films look like complete guff.

I don't like people losing their jobs though. I get no satisfaction out of that.

Im not sure why, but Jeffrey seems to want to sell it, but nobody wants to buy it at the price he is selling it for.

Lady Cluck wrote:It's nothing personal, but trying to shove out 3 mediocre movies a year is a little ridiculous.

I would be more pleased with DW's downfall if they were still on their Shrek fix. With more recent films like Monsters vs. Aliens, How to Train Your Dragon, and Mr. Peabody & Sherman, they were able to prove that they don't need the smart-alecky "Lookit how AWESOME we are" style of humor in order to compete with Disney and others.

This does serve as a cautionary tale about dumping your eggs into one basket. At least this time, since there's at least six major animation competitors, the underperformances of one studio isn't going to drag down the entire industry.

unprincess wrote:Im not sure why, but Jeffrey seems to want to sell it, but nobody wants to buy it at the price he is selling it for.

He doesn't seem to realize the large library of vintage cartoons that his company bought two years ago (UPA, Harveytoons, Rankin-Bass, etc.) They could generate more revenue by reutilizing those properties, maybe thru restorations and redistribution, than putting the main company up for sale.

http://deadline.com/2014/12/penguins-ma ... 201325704/

Benjamin Mogil slashed his forecast for its latest film Penguins of Madagascar and projected that it will end up losing $49 million vs. his previous prediction for a $15 million loss. If the analysts are right, then Penguins would be DWA’s fourth money-losing major film over the last two years. The company wrote down $87 million in early 2013 for Rise Of The Guardians, $13.5 million in February for Turbo (which the SEC is investigating), and $57 million in April for Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

Fans of 2D can grin a little bit cause it's proof that CGI Animation is no longer a guarantee sell. These losses could bring DWA to it's knees. Maybe "Home" will turn things around

DisneyEra wrote:http://deadline.com/2014/12/penguins-ma ... 201325704/

Benjamin Mogil slashed his forecast for its latest film Penguins of Madagascar and projected that it will end up losing $49 million vs. his previous prediction for a $15 million loss. If the analysts are right, then Penguins would be DWA’s fourth money-losing major film over the last two years. The company wrote down $87 million in early 2013 for Rise Of The Guardians, $13.5 million in February for Turbo (which the SEC is investigating), and $57 million in April for Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

Fans of 2D can grin a little bit cause it's proof that CGI Animation is no longer a guarantee sell. These losses could bring DWA to it's knees. Maybe "Home" will turn things around

All I know is DreamWorks isn't pulling in the numbers that like they did in the previous decade. I am thinking that people are moving away from what made DreamWorks edgy in the 2000's to the nostalgic reconstruction happening currently at Disney. I even think Disney has inserted some of DreamWorks' tropes into their movies as well and perfected it in their own way. It makes me giddy to see when Zootopia will finally come into theaters.

Wow, Dreamworks is really dying. It could close by the end of the decade.

how the tables have turned huh?
though I dont think execs are suddenly going to start getting bolder and maybe rethink 2d, theyll just play it even safer or more likely figure out a way to make the cgi films even cheaper by farming it overseas. But its a sign that studios cant just poop out anything cgi and expect it to make tons of bank for them anymore...

I see a possible future where we see lot of really cheap mediocre cgi movies being released but the really bold innovative stuff will be coming from indie studios who will take advantage of audience fatigue with corporate made animted films and, if not exactly make Frozen levels amounts at the box office, certainly get accolades from critcs and animation fans as well as cult hip status, and maybe even modest success at the box office, just for at least being something different.

unprincess wrote:how the tables have turned huh?
though I dont think execs are suddenly going to start getting bolder and maybe rethink 2d, theyll just play it even safer or more likely figure out a way to make the cgi films even cheaper by farming it overseas. But its a sign that studios cant just poop out anything cgi and expect it to make tons of bank for them anymore...

This is what some were saying a decade ago. The folly behind this thinking is when you create an environment that only works for one medium. Especially since now that animated features are no longer reserved for one studio, there actually is room to broaden the spectrum and let each studio do what works best for them.

I know everyone here is happy to see DWA dying because of the Katzenberg anti-Disney connection, but, while I don't really care if they go, they do have a few franchises I like (KFP, HTTYD) and several other films I've liked. I'd rather see Pixar go, tbh. Oh, well. Besides, didn't the feud Katzenberg have with Disney revolve around Eisner, who isn't there anymore? I don't think he cares now either.

I'm surprised Disney hasn't thought of buying them, just to pick up some more animated films they can hock and come a little bit closer to owning all available forms of media.

Disney's Divinity wrote:I'm surprised Disney hasn't thought of buying them, just to pick up some more animated films they can hock and come a little bit closer to owning all available forms of media.

Haha, just like this song says:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NPwYOub4l7E

I wouldn't be happy if Dreamworks died off.

DisneyJedi wrote:I wouldn't be happy if Dreamworks died off.

Why do I have a feeling they will go the way of Don Bluth's studios. I am seeing parallels here which is a rival studio who touted themselves as anti-Disney starts losing its audience as soon as Disney gets its mojo back into gear.

DisneyJedi wrote:I wouldn't be happy if Dreamworks died off.

same. i really like the maturity shown in HTTYD 1 and 2. reminds me of their early hand drawn movies before shrek took over and made most of their following films nothing but fart jokes and badly dated catch phrases.

Before Monsters vs. Aliens, I would've been jumping with joy at any notion of Dreamworks' downfall. But they have redeemed themselves, to an extent, with some of their more recent films.

Plus, they have a backlog of acquired, pre-licensed properties that they could utilize.

I can't find myself rooting for any animation studio to collapse. However you feel about a studio's output, their films are made by talented artists who work hard to to try and put something on the screen. If DreamWorks Animation shuts down, that's a lot of laid off animators now out of work.

same.... I depise the majority of their output, but the thing is they do have the potential to do really great stuff. Their 2d films where pretty good for the most part, and HTTYD is their shinning example of what they can do if they just stop trying so hard to be the "hip naughty" studio. And they probably can do even better.

jazzflower92 wrote: Why do I have a feeling they will go the way of Don Bluth's studios. I am seeing parallels here which is a rival studio who touted themselves as anti-Disney starts losing its audience as soon as Disney gets its mojo back into gear.

Well, not exactly the same. Bluth claimed to be the Disney that no longer was (at the time). He was never anti-Disney.

As for laid-off animators, at least they do 3D so they'll be able to find work at Disney and/or Pixar. The hand-drawn animators Disney laid off aren't that lucky.

Personally, I love the Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda AND HTTYD movies.

DisneyEra wrote:http://deadline.com/2014/12/penguins-ma ... 201325704/

Benjamin Mogil slashed his forecast for its latest film Penguins of Madagascar and projected that it will end up losing $49 million vs. his previous prediction for a $15 million loss. If the analysts are right, then Penguins would be DWA’s fourth money-losing major film over the last two years. The company wrote down $87 million in early 2013 for Rise Of The Guardians, $13.5 million in February for Turbo (which the SEC is investigating), and $57 million in April for Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

Fans of 2D can grin a little bit cause it's proof that CGI Animation is no longer a guarantee sell. These losses could bring DWA to it's knees. Maybe "Home" will turn things around

Wonderful news! Let it burn!