March
5, 2005
Disney
held its annual stockholders' meeting in Minneapolis, so I was fortunate
enough to attend a free screening of Dream On, Silly Dreamer, a
40-minute documentary about the rise and fall of Disney's traditional
animation studio over the past decade. This is angry movie, and
it found a home among the many stockholders who are out for Michael
Eisner's head.
I
don't know, however, how effective it is as a film. I managed to
talk to Dan Lund, the writer and director. While I told him that
I sympathized with his cause, I asked him how viable Disney animation
could survive when budgets for movies like Treasure Planet exceed
$150 million. He just swept the idea aside. "They've got the
money," he scoffed. "They can afford it."
I
am reminded of Dave Mustaine, who played lead guitar during Metallica's
early days only to be unceremoniously sacked just before the band
recorded their landmark debut, Kill 'Em All. Mustaine forged
ahead with his own band, Megadeth, creating memorable fusion-tinged
thrash rock and selling millions of albums. But despite earning
over $200 million, he's convinced his life is a failure, and bemoans
and comlpains to anyone who will listen about that time he was fired
in 1983.
I
don't feel good making such comparisons to Dan Lund or the Disney
animators. As an artist and lover of animation, I sympathize with
these people. Disney's decision to downsize and then close their
animation studio was both short-sighted and stupid. These are skilled
artists and storytellers whose careers have no right to be cut short
in favor of shoddy, straight-to-video sequels and spin-offs.
I
want to see these fine people take their adversities and make something
out of it. Sitting in front of a camera and complaining about "losing
your dream job" isn't going to change anything. They behave
like they're the only ones who've ever lost their jobs or suffered
from corporate excess. Please. You know that something's happenin'
here, but you don't know what it is? Of course you do, Mister
Jones.
I'll
offer the same advice I gave to producer Tony West after the screening.
Use this as an opportunity. Animation is regarded as legitimate
cinema everywhere else in the world, except in America, where it
is still treated as simple kiddie cartoons. There's a great untapped
potential and it only needs to be exploited. Where's the American
answer to Porco Rosso, Omohide
Poro Poro and Whisper of the
Heart?
There's
a reason why Pixar dominates American animation today: they learned
from the masters. They're the American Ghibli. When are you going
to do the same?
Dream
on, Silly Dreamer was well-liked by the stockholders in the theatre,
and it should, because they're really the target audience. It's
an opportunity for everyone to vent. Carthartic, yes, but venting
only takes you so far. Stop bawling. |
