The migration of digital effects work to offhshore studios is a continuation of a movement of animation work that began over forty years ago.  This means of cutting labor cost is now a normal consideration and VSX is only the newest branch of our industry to be effected.

LA Times reports that conservatives are up in arms over Avatar's liberal messages and storyline.  Many complain that Hollywood does not create films that reflect the opinions and values of the majority of Americans.

There's no use banging your head against a brink wall.  The holidays are here and instead of grumbling because you can't get anything done, take some time to enjoy your friends and family.  The New Year will come soon enough.

A congenial ramble about box office numbers, marketing and how studios can lose money and still make money.

Creating Intellectual Properties is like being a parent. In many ways it's better to have more than one child to dote on.  If you become over invested emotionally your heart and your ego take over, not your brain.

If you've ever wondered if animation has joined the global economy just see, finally, some work returning to the U.S.  Granted it is not a huge windfall of jobs but we should see this new start-up digital company as at the very least, a start.

Marty Murphy

It's often said that you can't appreciate things unitl they're gone but we shouldn't let that happen.  We should all try to remember how fortunate we are to be working with so many wonderfully talented and creative people.  Animation is not only a small industry, although growing larger due to CGI, it is tradionally an intimate business.  We work closely together and often shoulkder to shoulder with one another.  We should all stand back once in-a-while and enjoy the moment.

A short while ago, without a great deal of fuss, Marty passed away.  He was not one of the industry people whose name and work neveryone knew but he was a fine artist and cartoonist who was known and highly respected within the heart of the animation industry.

I was having lunch recently with some old friends and the conversation turned, as it often does, to a gripe session about the state of the industry.  Nothing seemed to any good any more and as I worked on my # 6-combination plate I listened with a full mouth but an open ear as one after another of my companions lamented the present day industry landscape.  To listen to these guys we were all but done, our chances were about as good as Joan Rivers swearing off plastic surgery.

UNIVERSAL/NBC UP FOR GRABS BY COMCAST IF VIVENDI WANTS OUT

sort of like going back to Junior Highschool - It's not always about the film.