YAWN....speculation. Give us some hard core facts.
All that stuff about Roy's problems with Jeff and his work methods was in DisneyWar. (Stewart specifically interviewed Roy) Oh, and if you want to talk about "spin", just go to SaveDisney.com. They change their "ideas", like, evey day. One day Eisner's bad for having too many companies like Miramax, the next day he's bad for not doing what Michael Moore wants and having fights with Harvey Weinstein.
It was the animators who did that, not Ron and John. They didn't know about it until near completion.
What about that Jim Hill article that pointed out how Ron and Jon met with James Woods and they all decided together that they would model Hades after Katzenberg?(as "payback" for making them do Hercules before Treasure Planet). And how could they POSSIBLY not know about it until the end, with his long skinny face, bug eyes, bald head (except for the flames)....James Woods sure knew what he was doing.....(see bottom of the page)
Treasure Planet would have been okay if the executives had left it alone. It was the film that made Glen Keane leave hand drawn animation. He's said he'd never seen a film as micromanaged as that.
Maybe that was because the idea was wrong in the first place, and K was smart enough to see that.
You mean like all the Eisner/Disney jabs in Shrek? At least Hades wasn't so blatently obvious
Shrek basically poked fun at a whole organization/culture (Disney) and Hades was modled on ONE PERSON. Faarquad looked like Eisner but not THAT much. They didn't imitate Eisner's voice anyway, just his face.
What's wrong with Hercules? I know lots of people who like if not love that film. The only flaws it has are the songs and the altered ending to ensure more cheapquels, which Katzenberg started....but we don't want to point fingers...
I like Hercules too but it lacked that substantial, epic sense that a lot of the earlier films had. A lot of critics said that when this film came out that it marked a definite downturn in Disney features. Plus it has like a thousand plotholes. (How could Hades not KNOW Hercules wasn't dead at the begining of the film and not just mortal? Wouldn't Herc have gone straight to the underworld if he really was dead?)
*****BTW what exactly was the "altered" ending????
He spins more than Bill Clinton on a good day.
Like Roy Disney doesn't. This guy is totally milking the prestige of his last name and playing on people's feelings for the company. At the same time he won't talk about his years at Disney or anything he's actually done/accomplished.
It has nothing to do with being PC, it's fact. The only film Dreamworks had that "turned out good" was Shrek and that was because it bashed Disney. That was how Shrek got an audience. Through bashing Disney and penis jokes. Yep, old Jeff is a freakin' Walt Disney! What a legacy!
Shrek wasn't just good because of the anti-Disney thing. Y'know more than half the people I've spoken to about that movie didn't even GET the whole Disney referance, or barely. That film succeeded because it was well-told, funny, clever, and sweet.
There are a lot of great things about the other DW films too (like Prince of Egypt) but sometimes certain films just aren't marketed right or don't catch on. POE and Antz both made a tidy profit (more than 100 million and 90 million respectively). So did SharkTale (and just made A LOT in DVD sales too). Madagascar is showing lots of promise. I'd hesitaite to say Shrek was the only success. That's a common misconception.
Because you have him on some pedastal that those who worked with him know to be false.
I really don't think so. I've read in a lot of places that many of the artists who worked at Disney said that after Katzenberg left, nothing was ever the same and things basically went to hell. A couple of years ago, around the time the first Shrek came out, the New York observer did a story in which several artists at Disney (like Tom Sito) cited Jeffrey's presence at Disney to be the main reason for the animated films' success.
You know, you should try to date JK's son. You'd be the pefect daughter in law for the guy. lol
I think his son prefers the Mary-Kate Olsen type.
From Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot's (writers of Aladdin, Shrek, El Dorado, other films) site WordPlay www.wordplayer.com
JEFFREY KATZENBERG: Jeffrey is the consummate executive. He's always at the right place at the right time -- whether it's a charity event, the opening of a movie, giving a speech, an animation story meeting. I would find it easier to believe he's one of a set of triplets than to believe that, day in and day out, he keeps up the schedule that he does. Just one example: on the weekend that ALADDIN opened, he took time out to call on Sunday with the overnight numbers. Now, just think about that a second. Here's a busy studio executive who takes time out to call one of the screenwriters on the weekend, just to let them know a film's opening numbers.
Part of what makes Jeffrey such a great leader -- and what gets people to commit years of their lives to his cause -- is his willingness to work. When the guy who's working harder than anyone else asks you to do something, it's hard to answer no.
Also, I find Jeffrey to be one of the warmest and compassionate people I've ever met. Once I saw him come to the aid of a writer in a story meeting who was struggling to make a point. "Relax," he said, "You don't need to audition. You've got the job." Katzenberg has an amazing insight into human nature. He knew just what the writer was worried about, and just what to say. Knowing the human heart helps him not only in business, but it's the cornerstone of his creative instincts in story meetings.
The only small technique I can offer from hanging around with Katzenberg: one way he gets so much accomplished is he's eliminated 'ramp time' from his life. He comes into a meeting on the phone, finishes the call, and is ready. He doesn't need to warm up, or 'ramp up' to the meeting. And when it's done, he's out of his chair, off to the next thing -- he doesn't seem to need to unwind, or 'ramp down' afterwards. When you think about it, how much time do all of us spend just getting ready, or recovering afterwards? (Yeah, yeah, the joke is obvious: Jeffrey is all action, no foreplay or afterglow. But he gets the job done!)
From Hollywood.com
Grumpy Disney animators chide studio chiefs
By Lew Irwin, Studio Briefings
............................................
A number of Disney animators are expressing strong dissatisfaction with the direction of the studio since the departure of Jeffrey Katzenberg and his replacement by Tom Schumacher, with several saying that the current emphasis has gone from featuring character and story to showing off whiz-bang graphics. In an interview with the New York Observer, Disney animator Tom Sito remarked that Katzenberg "doesn't give notes like 'That character's hair is the wrong color.' He says, 'I don't believe he loves her, and without a love story you don't have a movie.'" Another animator told the Observer that recent Disney films may be "technically proficient but very deficient in terms of storytelling and character." The publication also quoted from a note posted on the Motley Fool Web site last week by 20-year Disney veteran animator Dave Pruiksma who, referring to Disney's latest release, remarked: "With Atlantis, it was more about filling the screen with action than developing characters and story. And that's what makes Shrek popular--the writing and the vocal performances."
From WordPlay
Katzenberg Pitch Tips
Screenwriting Letter 24
I've got to pitch to Jeffrey Katzenberg next week. You've worked with him before. Got any tips?
Sure. Here's a quick list:
1. You can expect that he will say one thing at the start of the meeting to put you at ease. Often some kind of joke. He recognizes the stress of the 'audition' and will attempt to alleviate it, in order to do his job, which is to truly assess the talent of the people there, and the quality of the project. But, ONE THING to put you at ease is all you get, then it's time to go.
2. What time of day is it? Katzenberg is fresh and sharp in the AM. Remember, his day starts at 6AM -- and he's running a movie studio, overseeing every detail of any number of animated movies in production, several in development, is the top guy in DreamWorks television, negotiating deals, etc., etc. If you have a really complex or intellectual concept, you should try to get him in the morning. As the day goes on, he tends to shift his focus... more emotion-driven stuff, or visually-driven stuff is best for the afternoons.
3. He's quick. He will make up his mind fast. Don't dally!
4. In meetings, you can expect that he will be quiet at the beginning. Especially if there are others there. He likes to include the group, likes for everyone to get involved. A sign you are doing well is if he speaks up and starts to re-phrase the pitch in his own terms.
5. He's smart. Don't underestimate him. You can't really overestimate him, he will always surprise you.
6. He is observant, a real student of human nature. You cannot hide anything from him, so don't try. He will respect you more if you say, "I think that sucks" or "We don't know that yet." He can smell a vamp a mile away.
7. Tell him how you got to where you are. Bring him into the process -- he likes to take part; he wants to play, too. Disagree with him. Or agree with him. Joke with him. Engage him in the real issues.
8. If there is one thing you should stress in your pitch, it's EMOTION.
9. If there's another thing you should stress in your pitch, it's UNIVERSALITY. Katzenberg often looks for that aspect of a story that touches everyone. That thing we've all experienced, put in dramatic form. If you can work in the phrase, "What we're going for here is that common thing that we've all experienced..." that's a big plus!
-- Terry
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!
