It’s well worth taking the few seconds to read it (and his suggestions at the end) but here is the standout quote:
The sheen of irony and misplaced nostalgia might have buoyed its reputation in recent years, but the fact is that Hong Kong Phooey was never anything more than a footnote in the story of Hanna-Barbera.
I have just been informed that it has been 20 whole years since Ren & Stimpy first appeared on our screens.
Judging by their continued popularity, I’d say they’re certainly among the ranks of Mickey Mouse, The Flinstones and The Simpsons in terms of their impact.
It’s been almost a week of videos here on the blog so in the fashion of in for a penny, in for a pound, here’s some Irish animation.
The stories of Cú Chulainn is known by everyone in Ireland. A fierce warrior, he was rightfully feared and respected in equal doses. There are many tales surrounding this mythical man including this one, where Cú Chulainn is tricked into slaying his only son.
Animated by Damien Byrne, it’s Celtic animation in an altogether darker shade than The Secret of Kells. Don’t forget to check out the blog for the obligatory behind the scenes story on how it all came together.
The recent winner in Aniboom’s (yeah, I know) competition in conjunction with Sesame Street was a stop-motion remake of the classic pinball short from before I was born. The remake is proof positive that it is possible to take an existing film and create something almost entirely new while still acknowledging the original. (tip of the hat the The Laughing Squid)
Yes, yes it is (although the real top video has been removed).
It appears to be of European in origin with versions in French and German as well as English. The question is, what an 139,452,702 views tell us about this video? Probably that it’s aimed at kids and that most people are watching it for the song more than anything else (at least I hope they are). In any case, this Gummybear fella has a stranglehold on the top 10 and I’m sure he’s making an OK living doing it, regardless of how poor the animation is.
This summer, Fanta has rolled out a new advertising campaign developed by Ogilvy & Mather . The core of this new campaign is a series of animated ads created by Psyop (hat tip to The Inspiration Room for the details). There are far more than the usual animated series of commercials, and they are at least pleasing to the eye, with some catchy, contemporary music. Will they adhere the audience to Fanta? Perhaps, but its not guaranteed.
The commercials are fun, and they send the message that Fanta is a fun product, but when it comes to drinks, soft drinks especially, you want to give the viewer a solid reason to want the drink. That’s why Gatorade concentrates on sports replenishment and Pepsi Max went for the “no sugar” line. A drink has never been successful just because its “fun”, besides, Fanta isn’t even the best tasting orange soft drink out there (that would be Club Orange).
Either way, here’s the entire series for you to enjoy. 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zjG-Om1Dtk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr3BZZEtVm4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-C5aXVtYpk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URwgy0J1ObI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE4ABwxce8o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QRHDG12avM
And perhaps the best of the bunch (that’s actually two years old?):
It provides a crisper, clearer picture than the traditional 35mm film.
So does a HD plasma screen TV.
The bottom line: If I wanted to watch a digital film, I’d wait for it to come out on DVD/Blu-Ray. Assuming the film was digitally distributed too, I should be paying a lot less for my cinema ticket* but there’s fat chance of that happening.
This is because there is not the same financial outlays involved in shipping physical cans of films around that a traditional setup involves.
The title of the post is a serious question. Would it be possible to take the world-renowned Toyota Production System and augment it so that it works within the confines of an animation studio?
Before you comment, take note that it has been applied to a hospital in Seattle, so yes, it can apply to service industries too.
Well, not really puke inducing, but certainly fairly shocking when one considers the quality of the animation. It’s pretty poor. The movement is too rigid, the women is just a short cycle followed by some actual movement and as someone on tumblr pointed out, the effects on the alien look about 10 years out of date. It’s kinda sad to say you’ve seen better quality in a student’s animated film than on a primetime show like The Simpsons.
Is this what The Simpsons has become? Apparently so, even in its early days, at least the animation was honest. Klasky-Csupo was a young studio getting off the ground and the studio in Korea was having teething problems finishing the animation, so the blatant errors can be excused. Today though, with 20+ years of experience, there is no real excuse for poor/lazy animation.
In addition to that, how about the joke? Have a peek at the clip below from Al Jean and Mike Reiss’ short-lived 1990s sitcom, The Critic and see if you can’t spot something familiar.
Although DreamWorks Animation is already independent, it does distribute it’s films through Paramount, who in return, collect a fee from the gross receipts. Such an arrangement has worked well until now, just one short year away from the end of the current agreement.
There has been a lot of talk about DreamWorks being either acquired or selling itself to a larger corporation as a way to ensure its survival. Of all the big guns, only Warner Bros. seemed likely as they don’t already have a theatrical animation division but the noises from inside that company suggest they are not interested. The question is: Why would DreamWorks feel the need to be part of one of the larger studios anyway? The answer is money, but instead of analysing that reason, I offer you X reasons why the studio must remain independent.
Katzenberg is not a quitter. He built DW up from nothing and I doubt he would like to sacrifice his independence to be under the boot of a board of directors again. He’s taken the company this far, there are few reasons why he can’t take it further.
When you’re number 2, you try harder: Yes, it’s an old Avis slogan, but it rings true. If you’re number 2 in the market, you will try harder than the leader when it comes to your products. DreamWorks isn’t quite there yet, but last year’s How To Train Your Dragon was infinitely superior to Toy Story 3.
It’s been done before: Back in the late 40s, a relatively small animation studio lost their distribution deal with RKO. They managed to haul a distribution team together and form Buena Vista. A distributor I think you all should be familiar with.
An independent keeps everyone on their toes: As an independent, you have to do your best every time.That means others must compete on at least the same level of quality. If one player ups their game, everyone must. Corporations have a habit of getting comfortable in their shows which can lead to a stagnation of quality.
The money is in the long tail: Walt Disney himself knew it was better to create a good film that would be popular for a long than one that would be a flash in the pan. Good films make money for decades after they’ve been paid for. DreamWorks can rely on this for income provided their films are up to scratch (see point 4)
It’s a tougher road , but the ultimate rewards are better: No-one likes to take the hard road, it’s more work for what appears to be less reward. However, that burden of responsibility will ultimately result in a stronger company as everyone shares in the responsibility for success.
It affords more freedom to experiment: Right now, on the cusp of the digital revolution, DreamWorks has the freedom to go in directions that were never possible before. As an independent, it has the freedom to try and experiment with new distribution and sales models to see if they work. DW can has the chance to become the industry leader in the digital age, an opportunity that should not be passed up.
Via: The Guardian
