Bye bye WB and UPN

[MsFish]

When is the last time Disney let *anybody* run free?

[Chimera]

After reading the article and watching the news video, I am much more hopeful than my initial reaction. Of course, both CEO's would want to do that--make us feel positive about the deal--but nevertheless, if I can take them at their word, then comments such as these bode well:

Pixar Executive Vice President John Lasseter will become chief creative officer of the animation studios and principal creative adviser at Walt Disney Imagineering, which designs and builds the company's theme parks.

I was discussing this with my friend who teaches at Calarts and knows a lot about animation. His conclusion was that as long as they kept Lasseter and let him do his thing, Pixar will continue to be successful. This seems to be the intent. In the video, Bob Iger expressed respect for Lasseter and that his contract is in force until 2011--so we can expect to have him around for at least five more years.

The two companies will remain separate, with Pixar keeping its brand name and headquarters in Emeryville, near San Francisco. Maintaining Pixar's unique creative character was a priority in the talks, executives said.
"Most of the time that Bob and I have spent talking about this hasn't been about economics, it's been about preserving the Pixar culture because we all know that that's the thing that is going to determine the success here in the long run," Jobs said on a conference call with analysts.

The video interview seemed to echo this. Both CEO's seem to want to let Pixar keep doing what it's been doing--making great films--but still using Disney's name and unique outlets such as seeing the characters in the theme parks.

So, for now, I'm staying positive. Let's hope it all works out and *someone* will keep making quality animated movies.

[Entsuropi]

One question is: will pixar start using disney icons?

[Fellfrosch]

I don't think you're opinion is really that far from anyone else's, Sprig--most of us are assuming, as you said, that Disney is just buying a good studio rather than fixing up their internal one. I would hardly call Pixar the flavor of the month, though: Toy Story is ten years old by now, and they've been making movies non-stop since then. That's a pretty long-standing pedigree.

[Parker]

I heard another interesting take on this--as in what will this do in the way of Apple and Disney?  Rumor I heard was that Jobs wanted to make every Disney short available on iTunes for $1 each.  All of them.  That would be pretty sweet, in my opinion.  But I have no idea if it's anything more than a rumor.

[Shrain]

Yeah, that -would- be a bonus. But I'm still sorta bumbed that Pixar is being re-attached to Disney. I appreciate Chimera's comments, though. I really do hope that Disney doesn't wreck the vision and creativity of Pixar. And I agree w/ Sprig that one of Disney's problems is that it's stuff seems so unfocused and trite.

I haven't been bothering to see any of their recent stuff--like that animated one where a hunter turns into a bear. In fact, I've tried to forget the other ones because they looked so dull. I can't even remember what else has come out lately, cartoon or otherwise. (Well, except The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and I was none too impressed by that, sad to say . . .)

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Well Parker 15 shorts miraculously appeared on iTunes this morning. And I downloaded Brave little tailor right away.
So...

[Parker]

VERY interesting . . .

I wouldn't have thought it would be that fast.  Anyone see any news release about it?

[Chimera]

In the news video in the article Fuzzy linked Jobs talked briefly about how he wanted to use Apple and Pixar/Disney in conjunction with each other. He didn't give any details, though. But that was probably one of the reasons Pixar looked so attractive to Disney.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Actually, this is almost more like Pixar buying Disney, since the Pixar people will all now be in charge of Disney's animation unit. I have a rosy outlook on this one.

[Edit: Sorry, that was responding to comments on the first page of this topic without seeing the 2nd page was here...oops...]

Ha... Steve looks like he doesn't know what to do with himself when he's sitting next to someone else who's being interviewed.

[Mr_Pleasington]

I think you've all missed the real tragedy here.

Exactly what's going to happen to the WB frog?

[Oldie Black Witch]

Oh no! Poor Michigan!

[Spriggan]

In the news video in the article Fuzzy linked Jobs talked briefly about how he wanted to use Apple and Pixar/Disney in conjunction with each other. He didn't give any details, though. But that was probably one of the reasons Pixar looked so attractive to Disney.

See I don't see this as a Disney Pixar merger but a Disney Apple merger, there's already talk of Disney content being Apple exclusive from now on which isn't surprising since that's how Steve Jobs always does things.  Cnet had something on a iMac media center that might come out this year that would be the only way to get Disney content on demand, then you've got iTunes which is the same way.  Heck knowing Steve Jobs he'd probably try and make Disney DVDs only run on Apple brand players.  However there's already rumors, so take the for what they're worth, that the Disney board has no intention of keeping Jobs on as a member and are trying to already get rid of him because of the conflict of interest with Apple and that they don't share his myopic view of how consumer choice.  There's also alot of comparisons of this merger with the AOL-Time Warner merger becasue, like AOL and WB, both Disney and Pixar (ie Jobs) have different goals and philosophies.

It'll be interesting to see how things work out a few years from now but this merger worries me that there will be less choice out there, since we all know the only person that truly knows what's best for us is Steve Jobs.

As for my Previous Pixar comments, I still see them as the "Flavor of the Month" because the brand isn't what makes Pixar movies good but the people in charge of making the movies.  Disney would have done just as well to hire away Lassiuer (sp?) and a few others then to buy Pixar, but the Pixar brand is hot but we really don't know for how long that would last if this hadn't happened.  Something that makes a creative company good, to me, is how well they do after some of the original people involved retire or leave.  It's probably not the most sound reasoning but it's how I look at it.

[Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock]

I don't recall having seen much of that perpetualless frog ever since the WB redesigned their image way back when some years ago. After they got rid of that whole "Duhba-duhba-duhba duhba-u-be!" jingle phase.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

The Disney-Pixar-Apple merger rumors have been around for about 4 years.