Jim On Film
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The new head of Walt Disney Feature Animation should understand that scarcity drives the marketplace. By releasing three films to theaters a year, large sums of money are being collected, but each film is not living up to its individual financial potential. The main difference between Beauty and the Beast and Hercules was that one was released after three other consecutive releases, the other was released after almost eight other consecutive releases, not including theatrical stop-motion, computer, and television animation releases. This person will understand that, just as the novelty of musical fairy tales wore off, so will the novelty of computer animated comedies, suggesting that unleashing a studio of computer animation films to join the Pixar films set for release will only further flood the market until audiences are waiting for the latest Disney video release instead of seeing the new Disney film in theaters.
The new head of Walt Disney Feature Animation should also remember the fateful flaws of Jeffrey Katzenberg, who built the animation department too large, ensuring that when the market became flooded, lay-offs and cutbacks would be needed to remain competitive . . . but at the expenses of hundreds of talented people who dedicated their lives to the art of Disney animation.
The new head of Feature Animation must be able to lead the artists of the studio to further success, lead them out of executive-induced depression, and become not only their number one fan, but their spokesperson and their cheerleader.
This sounds overwhelming, but, while geniuses like Walt Disney and Howard Ashman are rare, they are not a dying breed. Michael Eisner needs to understand the needs of his Feature Animation department and not appoint just another executive who can add numbers and sound good in interviews. Michael Eisner needs to search out for the person who can fulfill all the demands of the position and not appoint someone who fills some of these needs. Michael Eisner needs to prove that he is a true visionary for his company and not appoint someone because they fulfill a career profile. He needs to and must search wherever talented people thrive and find the person (or persons) who will lead the greatest collection of artists and storytellers to new and even greater mountains.
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-- Jim Miles
Jim On Film is published every other Thursday.
The opinions expressed by our guest columnists, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future of Disneyland and the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted November 14, 2002
Copyright Jim Miles. Licensed to LaughingPlace.com.