We have two new animation related articles over at JHM today.
One is a history of "Gertie the Dinosaur"
http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/articles ... hp?ID=1150
The other is a sneak peek at the motion capture creepiness that is "The Polar Express"
http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/articles ... hp?ID=1151
Jim Hill Media's blog
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When will Jim Hill's site be good again??
It seems like he barely talks about animated films (at least newer, relevant ones) at all anymore. It's mostly just a lot of obscure stuff about the parks. (I don't live in Florida or California, nor do I have the resources to travel to DisneyWorld five times a year.) Not that the parks are not interesting but I"d rather hear about what goes on in the studio. Maybe he's afraid to get in trouble with the company?
A lot of it is BORING, however. It used to be so good. So much of what is on there I couldn't care less about. I hate to say this since I like Jim a lot as a writer (it was very brave of him to say the truth about Save Disney) but that website really needs some freshening up....both content-wise and probably design-wise too. The design is pretty sterile, especially for a Disney site.
A lot of it is BORING, however. It used to be so good. So much of what is on there I couldn't care less about. I hate to say this since I like Jim a lot as a writer (it was very brave of him to say the truth about Save Disney) but that website really needs some freshening up....both content-wise and probably design-wise too. The design is pretty sterile, especially for a Disney site.
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!
Maybe it's also because Disney has a genuine lock-down on information flowing out of the studios and that a lot of his sources happened to be people who were laid off in the last few years?
There is also the fact that corporate America is increasingly monitoring e-mail and Internet/web-browsing activity of workers. There are simply too many people who don't get work done because they're browsing porn sites or e-mailing their boyfriend or girlfriend instead of doing their job ON COMPANY TIME.
(It's also VERY stupid to criticize your boss at work and attach your name and office e-mail address to anything critical that you send out.)
What's also happening at many companies -- and apparently Disney is one of them -- is that they are blocking certain websites from viewing on company premises. It's very possible that Disney workers can't view Jim Hill and certain other Disney-critical sites because of company web-blocking. 'Fraid to say this, but that's perfectly legal to do even if it smacks of Red China or Iran-level censorship. Again, does it help ANY company's agenda and level of employee morale to enable complaining and general hate-elevation?
Most Disney employees are aware that all is not well in the company, and many of them ARE resentful of Michael Eisner and the Disney board. They've seen the cuts happening at the company and many have friends who got laid off. I don't know that even if the company were more open than it is now, that it'd really help them.
There is also the fact that corporate America is increasingly monitoring e-mail and Internet/web-browsing activity of workers. There are simply too many people who don't get work done because they're browsing porn sites or e-mailing their boyfriend or girlfriend instead of doing their job ON COMPANY TIME.
(It's also VERY stupid to criticize your boss at work and attach your name and office e-mail address to anything critical that you send out.)
What's also happening at many companies -- and apparently Disney is one of them -- is that they are blocking certain websites from viewing on company premises. It's very possible that Disney workers can't view Jim Hill and certain other Disney-critical sites because of company web-blocking. 'Fraid to say this, but that's perfectly legal to do even if it smacks of Red China or Iran-level censorship. Again, does it help ANY company's agenda and level of employee morale to enable complaining and general hate-elevation?
Most Disney employees are aware that all is not well in the company, and many of them ARE resentful of Michael Eisner and the Disney board. They've seen the cuts happening at the company and many have friends who got laid off. I don't know that even if the company were more open than it is now, that it'd really help them.
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Re: When will Jim Hill's site be good again??
A lot of people came to know him from his animation news this last year and may have just assumed that was his main subject area. But to be fair, the stuff about the parks is a major part of what Jim Hill has always done. Two examples many people may not know just by reading his website:ShyViolet wrote:It seems like he barely talks about animated films (at least newer, relevant ones) at all anymore. It's mostly just a lot of obscure stuff about the parks...
- The most recent edition of the very popular book "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" is filled with little "peeks behind the scenes with Jim Hill".
- He organizes and hosts his own tours of the parks.
Are you trying to tell us something?ShyViolet wrote:that website really needs some freshening up....both content-wise and probably design-wise too. The design is pretty sterile, especially for a Disney site.
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Don't get me wrong! 
I totally dig AN design! 
The design on Jim Hill's site is just a little dull, I thought.
Well...maybe Jim is also afraid to say what he really thinks on a lot of issues now since every time he spoke his mind about SaveDisney, people got mad at him. Even though what he said was true. (IMO.) THings got very rocky on the message boards, so maybe they want to be more careful....
It's fun to read about the parks but geez. If you don't have the resources to go now it's kind of depressing. I haven't ever been to DW or DL (I went to Epcot Center, but that was almost ten years ago).
Also, what about the Ovitz trial? There's been TONS of info on that coming out of magazines and newspapers. It's a fascinating insight into the company and what really happened. Why doesn't Jim talk about that, or maybe bring up some stories he might have with Mike Ovitz' (however brief) involvement with the WDC?
*side note: I have to admit that I am kind of sorry for Mike Ovitz. He's been scourged in the media even more than Eisner.
I totally dig AN design! The design on Jim Hill's site is just a little dull, I thought.Well...maybe Jim is also afraid to say what he really thinks on a lot of issues now since every time he spoke his mind about SaveDisney, people got mad at him. Even though what he said was true. (IMO.) THings got very rocky on the message boards, so maybe they want to be more careful....
It's fun to read about the parks but geez. If you don't have the resources to go now it's kind of depressing. I haven't ever been to DW or DL (I went to Epcot Center, but that was almost ten years ago).
Also, what about the Ovitz trial? There's been TONS of info on that coming out of magazines and newspapers. It's a fascinating insight into the company and what really happened. Why doesn't Jim talk about that, or maybe bring up some stories he might have with Mike Ovitz' (however brief) involvement with the WDC?
*side note: I have to admit that I am kind of sorry for Mike Ovitz. He's been scourged in the media even more than Eisner.
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!
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1) Jim does not have a main topic. He does not focus on Animation more than the theme parks, or the themeparks more than something else. He tries to give everyone what they want while still writing controvercial articles (Save Disney...the chess game continues). Sometimes, it's also a case of 'Ask and it shall be answered unto you.' Someone asked him for information about Disneysea, Long Beach and he made a whole article today about it. I just hope the fans don't get to him. After he wrote the SD article, so many complained to him on the forum saying that he always bashes SD (coming from the same people who months prior, bashed Eisner).
2) Jim has a lot of stuff to do. He has about 5 series he needs to finish and he still never sent out newsletters to the people who donated to him.
3) JHM is not purely a Disney site. In fact they are trying to broaden them horizons (one way, by renaming it MediaBinge). Mind you, he said that their main focus will still be Disney though.
4) I think the design on the main site is okay, but the forums definately should be updating (doesn't need it, but it should get it). First off, get off of EZBoard and get either vBulletin or phpBB.
2) Jim has a lot of stuff to do. He has about 5 series he needs to finish and he still never sent out newsletters to the people who donated to him.
3) JHM is not purely a Disney site. In fact they are trying to broaden them horizons (one way, by renaming it MediaBinge). Mind you, he said that their main focus will still be Disney though.
4) I think the design on the main site is okay, but the forums definately should be updating (doesn't need it, but it should get it). First off, get off of EZBoard and get either vBulletin or phpBB.
-Michael
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I understand that Jim is busy and I'm not criticizing him for that. It's just that you don't ONLY want to read about the parks. I'm also kind of tired of seeing all those "may have been" articles about the rides that MAY have been built. I haven't even been on the rides that are REALLY THERE, so what do I care about rides that were never even built in the first place?
I mean, there's so much going on now with Disney, the shareholders' meeting, the new book "DisneyWar", and the Ovitz trial. Isn't Disney supposed to be the main topic of the site? Maybe Jim is afraid that if he writes on these controversial topics it'll start trouble on the message boards again. But that's better than almost NO activity on the boards.
I mean, there's so much going on now with Disney, the shareholders' meeting, the new book "DisneyWar", and the Ovitz trial. Isn't Disney supposed to be the main topic of the site? Maybe Jim is afraid that if he writes on these controversial topics it'll start trouble on the message boards again. But that's better than almost NO activity on the boards.
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!
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Jim Hill at the "Dream on Silly Dreamer" screening
Hey peeps,
Jim Hill was over that the Minnesota screening of Dream on Silly dreamer last night and has filed a report over at the site with pictures and all. Check it!
http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/articles ... hp?ID=1305
Jim Hill was over that the Minnesota screening of Dream on Silly dreamer last night and has filed a report over at the site with pictures and all. Check it!
http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/articles ... hp?ID=1305
Ya know,
It's funny, but I've seen people who kind of LOOK like Roy Disney.
Seriously, Roy Disney doesn't have that unique appearance or "Hollywood uniqueness" to him. He's just a regular guy. That's part of his charm and what's missing from most of the people running Disney now.
Come to think of it, my parents' next-door neighbor LOOKS like Roy Disney!
I don't know that HE'D appreciate me saying that to him, but it is true.
It's funny, but I've seen people who kind of LOOK like Roy Disney.
Seriously, Roy Disney doesn't have that unique appearance or "Hollywood uniqueness" to him. He's just a regular guy. That's part of his charm and what's missing from most of the people running Disney now.
Come to think of it, my parents' next-door neighbor LOOKS like Roy Disney!
I don't know that HE'D appreciate me saying that to him, but it is true.
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Jim Hill Reviews the next 5 years of Dreamworks Animation
-Michael
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