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Aimation World Gets Competitive |
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Friday, 21 March 2008 |
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Sony is the only other studio to produce its CGI toons entirely inhouse, though it hasn't seen much success. Despite its Academy Award nom, "Surf's Up" wiped out at the box office, and 2006's "Open Season" performed only a little better.
Since deciding not to sell f/x house Imageworks, which produces Sony Pictures Animation's toons, the studio claims it is committed to improving the unit's fortunes. The recent appointment of Hannah Minghella, formerly a creative exec for Amy Pascal, as head of SPA raised some eyebrows since she has no experience in animation, but it's also a sign that Pascal cares enough to put someone she trusts at the helm.
New Sony Pictures Digital Productions president Bob Osher, who serves as Minghella's boss and oversees f/x house Imageworks, says he's committed not only to improving the performance of SPA's CGI toons, but expanding its output as well.
"On the high end of animation, we've proven we can execute. We will strive to find stories that resonate with larger audiences," he says. "There are also real opportunities for us with smaller budgets and live action/animation hybrids."
SPA is already making a direct-to-video sequel to "Open Season," and Osher says that has him thinking about doing more lower-budget toons, which can be targeted at more specific auds. He's also particularly interested in the success of "Alvin," noting that that they can benefit from Imageworks' experience in doing special effects for live- action pics.
Following the success of "300," Warner feels it already has a toehold in that area, especially since it has one exec in charge of both f/x-heavy pics and toons. Exec VP of digital production Chris Defaria hit a bump with 2006's "The Ant Bully," WB's first CGI animated feature and a B.O. disappointment, but quickly followed it up with smash "Happy Feet."
Warners' only announced project is a feature version of '80s TV toon "Thundercats." However, WB has a co-development fund with "Happy Feet" maker Animal Logic for new projects, and Defaria says the studio has several films that he hopes will move into production shortly.
"Our model is to internally develop properties with writers, artists, and live-action filmmakers who may be familiar with digital production and are interested in animation," he says.
That's akin to Meledandri's Illumination, which doesn't have any internal animators and is developing projects with filmmakers, and later enlisting independent toon studios to handle production.
Even though his new company, which has some money from Universal and will be raising outside coin, is entering a crowded and competitive space with little more than experienced execs, talent deals and a bunch of ideas, Meledandri says the market has matured to a point where that can be enough to succeed. He can assemble his own creative team and go to whatever animation house he wants for each project.
"The last five years has seen an eruption of creative talent that for the first time lets us join creative talent and animation studios for single projects," he says. "That gives us a lot more flexibility in assembling a team and setting a budget than we ever had before."
The animation boom, in other words, is far from over.
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