tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post2343833339560175527..comments2023-12-31T01:23:39.943-05:00Comments on Mayerson on Animation: Against OutsourcingMark Mayersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00065971589878678848noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-88612249252772006432009-04-06T09:29:00.000-04:002009-04-06T09:29:00.000-04:00I don't like that animation production are being s...I don't like that animation production are being sent overseas, but I wouldn't go as far to say that these overseas studios are "low quality". While there are crummy service studios, some such as Rough Draft Studios do a pretty good job.<BR/><BR/>Saerom, Digital eMation, and, back in the 90s, Tokyo Movie Shinsha, are also pretty good.Brubakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10741995395720022279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-76483212366445965782009-04-02T20:50:00.000-04:002009-04-02T20:50:00.000-04:00Unfortunately many of these producers do not even ...Unfortunately many of these producers do not even regard animators and artists as servants. We are more like interchangeable parts that can be replaced with other parts as needed. That mentality, if it can be called one, is not unique to animation.Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03559138404570089435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-742229615661977192009-03-27T13:56:00.000-04:002009-03-27T13:56:00.000-04:00It seems to me the same business model is at work ...It seems to me the same business model is at work on this side of the Pacific. Producers have demanded that freelance story artists draw tighter & tighter boards over the years to the point that they are tiny layouts, sometimes with levels diagrammed in the margins. This way they have a fixed price for the "blueprint" & a fixed price for the labor.<BR/><BR/>The fundamental problem is that we're making entertainment for kids. Owing to intrusive federal child labor laws, the disposible income of American kids is negligible. Their lack of little green ballots means they don't get a 'vote' in the economy. They're lucky to have whatever they get & we're lucky to have the work at all.<BR/><BR/>It would be wrong to say that kids' TV is a race to the bottom. It's been a slow, steady wearing away of standards. Since "good" & "bad" can't be quantified in the same way as profit & loss, they don't constitute a legal or economic argument. Yet, people being people, no one wants to be accused of contempt for children, but as rational actors in a free-market economy, we certainly do.<BR/><BR/>There's still plenty of room for growth at the bottom.pappy dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07634780939188002027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-1222912336282344292009-03-24T15:14:00.000-04:002009-03-24T15:14:00.000-04:00I'll echo what everyone else has said "brilliant"....I'll echo what everyone else has said "brilliant". I was fortunate to work at Pixar where they refuse to outsource. There is so much give and take in their creative process. The directors are extremely busy, yet they will always take time to listen to ideas from any source, some of the best gags and story situations came spontaneously from that process. John Lasseter was a student of Walt Disney's process, he loved the cross pollination from different artists and the inspiration that flowed from those exchanges.<BR/><BR/>I think it is easy to save money by outsourcing if you plan to make an inferior product.Steve Segalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04783388188278505071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-42631392702475439842009-03-23T19:16:00.000-04:002009-03-23T19:16:00.000-04:00Michael, I think that animation production is too ...Michael, I think that animation production is too fragmented, regardless of whether work is outsourced or not. However, I don't think that cgi done in house is any more of a problem than drawn animation. So long as people are in close proximity and can communicate their needs easily, the problems are solved more easily than when any kind of animation is outsourced.Mark Mayersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00065971589878678848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-15852598349400205732009-03-23T17:41:00.000-04:002009-03-23T17:41:00.000-04:00Interesting Mr. Mayerson, as my father was also a ...Interesting Mr. Mayerson, as my father was also a machinist and I enjoyed similar experiences as a child.<BR/><BR/>I will point out that 56% of airline crashes happen when the crew has worked together...<BR/><BR/>The economics of outsourcing animation only make sense, in my experience, if you are planning on doing a bad job. If you expect half-assed, uninspired work that needs constant revision. As you've written -unusual investment in pre and post production.<BR/><BR/>That aside, the true economic difficulty of large productions is overhead. You can budget the salaries of 4 directors and 20 animators and 40 production artists for a year -but the space for them to work and the equipment for them to work on will always topple a budget. That's why Nick Digital could produce 8 years of Blues Clues -Viacom absorbed a large number of costs (keeping the equally huge number of "producers" and merchandising profits aside).<BR/><BR/>The big companies who can afford it, are the same one's who put the bottom line at the top -and the smaller one's can't bear the load.roconnorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04933040935053560675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-24926655281076293532009-03-23T11:50:00.000-04:002009-03-23T11:50:00.000-04:00Lots of food for thought here. I can offer a uniqu...Lots of food for thought here. I can offer a unique perspective because of having worked almost 8 years in a row on Blue's Clues, a completely in-house production. <BR/><BR/>I saw first hand how a crew, all working under one roof, can collaborate in a way not possible when outsourcing the middle part of a production. <BR/><BR/>However, the digital (we-can-change-it-any-time -we-want) age also brought with it a lack of discipline in craft and in decision-making. <BR/><BR/>I found Cartoon Pizza to be very smart in how they produced season one of their first in-house flash series, Pinky Dinky Doo, of which I was an episode director. <BR/><BR/>Since Cartoon Pizza was used to outsourcing, they understood the importance of careful storyboards and timely decisions. And the digital animation crew working in-house was able to take advantages of collaboration in an efficient atmosphere. <BR/><BR/>There have been lots of great and important TV animation that has been outsourced successfully. A strong creator's vision is needed at the top for it to work. In an-house crew working on a committee bulls-hit project will not be able to make a miracle happen.David B. Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12611160893518781463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-23090955788075912402009-03-23T11:49:00.000-04:002009-03-23T11:49:00.000-04:00Terrific, thoughtful essay, Mark. Nothing to add e...Terrific, thoughtful essay, Mark. Nothing to add except, "Thanks."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-40957365552803511802009-03-23T08:12:00.000-04:002009-03-23T08:12:00.000-04:00Brilliantly stated piece, Mark. This was all obvio...Brilliantly stated piece, Mark. This was all obvious back when H&B started the ink and paint outsourcing to Asia. Oftnetimes, the Asian companies outsource their work to other comapanies, as well, all in the name of profit.<BR/><BR/>Is there any small correlation to cg mass production when the animator deals only with a skeleton, someone else adds a skin, another adds lighting et al?Michael Spornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02018522723674960270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-11556775119529640032009-03-22T21:33:00.000-04:002009-03-22T21:33:00.000-04:00Great articulation of a problem. But the answer......Great articulation of a problem. But the answer...? It's inferred.<BR/><BR/>Start of a thread, perhaps? I hope so.warrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09034823254751468446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-15352615146314403262009-03-22T19:03:00.000-04:002009-03-22T19:03:00.000-04:00Great post. That's the gist of it.Joe Murray, crea...Great post. That's the gist of it.<BR/><BR/>Joe Murray, creator of "Rocko's Modern Life", wrote about outsourcing in his blog some time back:<BR/><BR/>http://joemurraystudio.com/blog/?p=883<BR/><BR/>Murray writes in his book that, with digital ink and paint now being used, timing mistakes that the overseas studios made can now be corrected without sending it back, by deleting/re-arranging frames. That was the case with "Camp Lazlo", though not with "Rocko", which was painted on cels and filmed.Brubakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10741995395720022279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-34633503839102309772009-03-22T14:32:00.000-04:002009-03-22T14:32:00.000-04:00This is a superb essay on the issue , Mark.The quo...This is a superb essay on the issue , Mark.<BR/><BR/>The quote from Wynton sets the tone:<BR/><BR/><I>"A palpable energy is released when inspiration and dedication come together in a creative art. The energy is transformative in an individual who is innovative, but it is transcendent when manifested by a group. There are no words for the dynamic thrill of participating in a mutual mosaic of creativity."</I><BR/><BR/>and you have put into words the raw feelings that I usually end up expressing in sputtering, angry rants instead of the thoughtful, careful way you've expressed it here. (sorry , but this issue really gets me going) .David https://www.blogger.com/profile/09728364431363413760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27501132.post-12843365097404005172009-03-22T13:27:00.000-04:002009-03-22T13:27:00.000-04:00Outstanding post. Best articulation of this issue ...Outstanding post. Best articulation of this issue I've heard.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05102473278182318901noreply@blogger.com