WDFA to lay off 160

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 3rd, 2006, 4:59 am

This was reported on Friday by several trades, such as Variety.

More details here:

http://www.animationnation.com/ubb/ulti ... 1;t=011896

I really don't understand this.

Post by **Meg** » December 3rd, 2006, 9:44 am

The comments posted below the article are interesting. Have you read them as well, Vi?

Anyway, very sad, and I feel really sorry for those getting layed off, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Post by **Ben** » December 3rd, 2006, 11:19 am

Though, as MattM says at the bottom, we've known this would happen for quite some time.

Post by **Daniel** » December 3rd, 2006, 6:54 pm

This is very sad indeed

Even though we've known this for a while, its still sad that it had to occur

Post by **Ben** » December 3rd, 2006, 8:07 pm

Sad, sad news from The Hollywood Reporter.

First Mark Dindal leaves (supposedly over the new gang taking over, and now interim Feature Animation head Don Hahn seems to be gone "for months"...

Disney Animation to cut staffers
By Paul Bond and Carl DiOrio, Dec 2, 2006

Five months after the Walt Disney Co. slashed 20% of its work force at its live-action studio, the company has said that it will do likewise at its Burbank animation facility.

Walt Disney Animation -- which houses Disney Feature Animation, Disney Television Animation and Disney Toons -- will cut about 160 jobs from its staff of 800, with employees due to be notified of their employment status by midmonth.

Disney, which made the announcement Friday, will give the affected workers 60 days' notice, putting their last day of employment there roughly six weeks before the March 30 opening of Disney's next animated feature, "Meet the Robinsons."

Walt Disney Animation employees have speculated for months that layoffs might be headed their way by year's end, the catalyst being Disney's $8 billion purchase of Pixar Animation Studios.

After that May acquisition, Pixar's Ed Catmull and John Lasseter were named president and chief creative officer, respectively, of Disney's animation business. Pixar -- operating in Emeryville, Calif., just as it did before its merger with Disney -- will retain its entire 800-person staff, sources said.

Sources said that Don Hahn, who had been interim head of Disney Feature Animation, has been gone for a few months already, and it wasn't clear Friday whether he would return.

Sources said the decision for deep cuts in staffing are being prompted at least in part by a shift to a longer production cycle. Currently, feature production has been completed in 12-14 months, but Disney plans to shift to an 18-month cycle.

The company has said it plans to release two animated movies a year, one produced in Burbank and one in Emeryville. Burbank animators are about two months from completing work on "Robinsons," according to IATSE Local 839 business agent Steve Hulett.

Hulett said Disney informed the union last month that "substantial" layoffs were in store.

More than 300 of the Burbank animation employees, including 106 animators, are members of the animation guild, Hulett said. About 56 other IA job classifications include employees in story and visual development operations, technical directors, digital lighting professionals and others.

It was unclear Friday whether certain job classes might be hit harder than others by the layoffs.

The feature division employs the most, at perhaps 350 CGI workers plus a sizable support staff. The TV division employs about half that number of animation employees, and the direct-to-video Disney Toons unit outsources much of its animation work overseas but also has a small on-lot animation staff.

A Disney spokeswoman said the layoffs will not affect movies currently in production. After "Robinsons," the Pixar-Disney film "Ratatouille" is due June 29. Films that had been in development, the status of which are now unclear, include "The Frog Princess," "American Dog" and "Rapunzel."

"After a careful review process, the management team at Walt Disney Animation has determined that each film will dictate its own appropriate production schedule. The result of this necessitated a reduction in staff. As a result, it will be necessary to eliminate a number of current positions," the Disney spokeswoman said Friday.

"We are committed to do everything we can in order to assist everyone during this transition period," she said. "Once notified, employees will have up to 60 days to find new employment. Disney will also help provide job placement opportunities."

Post by **Daniel** » December 3rd, 2006, 8:20 pm

omg NO! Not Don Hahn!!

he was one of my favorite producers.

I even enjoyed listening to him in the BATB audio commentary and now he's goooone... (Not really, but from Disney

)

And this is suppose to be happy times? *Sigh* I hope he comes back somehow

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 3rd, 2006, 8:20 pm

The comments posted below the article are interesting. Have you read them as well, Vi?

Yeah, I did. I see some of their points. But like Ben said in another thread, why couldn't some of them just be assigned to something else, like the new shorts? Or what about the "new and improved" Toy Story 3??

Or will Toy Story 3 have "nothing to do" with WDFA and only be produced at Emeryville-Pixar? Yeah I know that Lamp and Mouse are "the same" now but somehow it doesn't really feel that way to me.

(I mean, is anyone in Emeryville afraid for their job like the people at Disney are?)

****************************************************

I'm not trying to be mean, I know JL is trying his best and it must be hard for him to juggle everything like this, and that he must be under a tremendous weight of pressure. I feel for him.

I'm just trying to say: look at PDI and DreamWorks. (no, this is not another one of my "DreamWorks is the best and Katzenberg should rule the world" rants,

just an honest observation. PDI is DW and DW is PDI. They've merged and PDI people work with DW people and vice versa, and Glendale and Redwood City are in very close contact. (and yeah, maybe it was less "successful" but in that other partnership the Aardman guys worked with DW guys and vice versa, and Bristol is halfway round the world, not three hours away.)

Is this the same way at Glendale and Emeryville? Or is the culture clash so deep that Lassetter wants to mostly stick with his guys and in the Camelot-like Pixar haven?

Because if they are mostly going to stay separate, then what was the point of the merger, other than renewing their contract? (which would have been MUCH more affordable for Disney, had Jobs agreed to the terms.)

Other than the fact that Lassetter and Catmull are running things and that new projects are underway (which I agree is a very good thing) it doesn't seem to me that Iger/Disney "bought" Pixar as much as they placated them. It was a fight to the death between many egos and as we all know, Pixar won. But that's not the same as Disney winning. All I'm trying to say is: Is Disney getting the full value of their purchase?

This sounds mean, I know. I'm sorry.

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 3rd, 2006, 8:26 pm

omg NO! Not Don Hahn!! he was one of my favorite producers.

Oh, *bleep!* Now this just bites!

I alwasy remember Don Hahn talking about Angela Lansbury as the Teapot on that BATB short/intro thingy on the Jungle Book 1990 VHS. He seemed so nice and mellow, very calm, intelligent guy.

NOOOO, Don, please don't go!!! PUH-LEEEEEEEEZE!

Post by **Ben** » December 3rd, 2006, 8:41 pm

Don's a great guy. He's been at the Mouse House for many, many years.

I was hoping that he'd be Lasseter's number two...the guy that actually ran Disney Animation while JL was off producing/imagineering/directing/executing/selling...

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 3rd, 2006, 8:43 pm

I was hoping that he'd be Lasseter's number two...

I really think (just my honest opinion) that John wants to stick with his guys, aka the Randy Newman thing, etc....Plus, Ed Catmull's more like Lassetter's #2, just like he was at Pixar.

So that's why I said that it really doesn't feel like "Pixar" has merged with "Disney."

Post by **Wonderlicious** » December 3rd, 2006, 11:31 pm

You did hear that Don Hahn is on a sabbatical, right? I don't think he's been fired, especially when one considers his track-record and his persona (which is supposed to be very good).

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 4th, 2006, 12:14 am

I hope you're right, but as Jim Hill said (and in this case I think he's right) being "on Sabbatical" can mean a number of things in Hollywood....none of them good.

But of course as we all know Don DOES have a great track record, and he's awesome, so hopefully he'll be back before you can say: "Ribbit!"

(for Frog Princess

)

(I still hope Mark Dindal comes back, BTW!

)

Post by **Ben** » December 4th, 2006, 1:33 am

The story doesn't say he was "fired". People can leave of their own accord, and that's what the story was implying. "Sabbatical" is the usual word banded about when they don't want to cause a problem with staff...can you imagine the outcry if word got out that Hahn - a very respected man - had left unhappily?

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 4th, 2006, 2:15 am

http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/ ... ickey.aspx

Hey, he mentioned Animated News!

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 4th, 2006, 3:23 am

This is an interesting Animation Nation thread from exactly three years ago, also right before the holidays, right at the height of the whole anti-Eisner/Disney stuff.

It's the Furies unbound: Kind of interesting to look back on stuff.

http://www.animationnation.com/ubb/ulti ... 935#000018

Oh yeah, and make sure to scroll to the bottom: WHAT THE HECK is that photo of Lassetter holding a shotgun with Miyazaki about?