Will you be ready for the Future of the Animation Industry soon?
https://youtu.be/GlCXTOfhcGM?si=xyTfBPLhqRjTLcI3
This video by Dr. Panda got me feeling a certain way, but it has also made me buckle down on my goals for the future to come. In his video and also on the "What's in my Head" Podcast, Van Partible, the creator of Johnny Bravo, got fired from his show due to the Time Warner merger and the notion that "he wasn't leading the show efficiently." In result, Van had to work at a Marriott to pay the bills and eventually got his job back at CN, but the show was already at a downward slope.
This got me curious, cause why didn't guys like Butch Hartman or Seth McFarlane help Van out with their shows, but then I remembered, Family Guy got canceled twice around that time, and FOP was technically canceled until they got a renewal after months of silence. It goes to show that the Industry is not for the weak if you don't have any backup income.
Which brings me to now, Paramount Skydance is essentially gonna buy Warner Bros. Discovery on credit and increase their debt 10 fold. First thing they'll do once Congress approves the merger is cut fat or projects that didn't produce a return on investment. Case in point, Avatar Studios. Avatar Studios was made over six years ago and hasn't made an ROI besides some books and comics. With the Aang movie being leaked and even sold on eBay, it's not looking good for the studio when it will come for cost cutting. Also, Cartoon Network has been in a state of flux, and making Michael Ouweleen the CN president after being there for 30 years is just a figurehead move to fulfill the President spot until the merger is complete.
Cautionary tales aside, are you guys ready for the next chapter? Once the dust settles and whatever algomation comes from this merger, will you be ready to fulfill the demands the new suits want or will working in Animation continue to be a pipe dream until your senior years? I'm currently working on my skills for the industry but I'm also building several income streams to subsidize my pursuits for the career. I hate the fact that you pour your heart and soul into a project, but it's ultimately a business decision that dictates your career moving forward. So, how do you ensure your vision comes into fruition? You fund a huge portion of the project yourself with the company essentially being the publisher because of their brand. I understand that Animation is very expensive and can be frustrating, but a company is more likely to take a chance on a project if the person is willing to put up the cash.
I'm not saying by tomorrow I'll be lock and loaded and pounding at these executives' doors, but I'm currently building an infrastructure where I have more leverage to see a vision through versus getting the plug pulled at any moment. Never let anyone tell you that you can't do something cause if it wasn't for guys like Ted Turner, Todd Macfarlane, Curtis Jackson "50 Cent", Tyler Perry, etc then visions would never come into reality. So, I ask everyone, are you ready for the next chapter?!