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Animation
/ FX Cheers and Sneers - April 2001
(by
digitalmediafx.com) Here is the list of Digital Media FX's April
2001 Cheers and Sneers for the animation and visual effects industries:
 Cheers:
Michael Dudok de Wit (winner of this year's Best Animated Short
Oscar) receives an HDTV set from the Academy for giving the shortest
speech at the Academy Awards. He promptly donates the TV set to
charity.
 Sneers:
A movie trailer for Osmosis Jones (at the time, rated
PG-13) is tagged onto Pokemon 3, but hardly no one sees
it because Pokemon 3 performs so poorly at the Box Office
(despite free trading cards being given away). WB announces plans
for Pokemon 4.
Cheers:
Michael Eisner, chairman of Disney, makes a comment at the Washington
News Bureau that Disney animators deserve the greatest protection
within Disney because they "represent the heart and soul
of Disney."
Sneers:
Just one week after Eisner says animators "represent
the heart and soul of Disney," it is reported that Disney
Animation will be hardest hit in planned Disney layoffs and that
those animators that remain will have their salaries slashed by
up to 50%.
Cheers:
Steven Spielberg announces that he is bringing E.T. back
to the big screen with new footage. Spielberg passes on the idea
of test marketing the rerelease first (like WB always does with
mixed results) in order to give everyone the opportunity to see
it again in its original format and fully remastered.
Sneers:
Mighty Mouse endorses cheese in a TV commercial where the
super mouse doesn't save the day because he would rather be eating
cheese. Another classic cartoon icon reappears only as a 100%
commercialization character.
Cheers:
A groundbreaking ceremony is held in Kansas City to restore Walt
Disney's original Laugh-O-Gram Studios. It is called the "birthplace
of the world's biggest entertainment empire [Disney]."
Sneers:
DreamWorks announces a pop soundtrack for Shrek but doesn't
elude to any plans for a Shrek background score. Instead DreamWorks
announces that there will be a medley consisting of short clips
from the background score on the soundtrack. This is a major surprise
from a company that took such pride in past score releases.
Cheers:
DreamWorks extends its movie distribution deal with Universal
Studios, which had been a long running winning combination. DreamWorks
had been considering switching over to AOL Time Warner.
Cheers:
Shrek wins a showing at Cannes, the first animated film accepted
into the elite competition since the 1950's.
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