this is too simplistic an article...

how about something sensible like how to write a deal memo. Most artists need to set the parameters with their client even before the job begins...

You should make more episodes for my son.Please he really loves it

I LOL'd

So you "put an artist on a project" and expect them to be in direct contact with the client about schedule and deliverables?

That's a producer's job, not an independent contractor's. If you're producing the project it's YOUR responsibility to make sure all the involved parties have the proper information. It's YOUR job to traffic what the artist creates.

It's amazing how Spongebob is stil going strong.. and of course the ratings are high.. Thanks for uploading this because other articles won't provide updated information

uhh this article starts off wrong:

NEVER, NEVER, EVER Deliver ON TIME OR EARLY.. Always deliver LATE.. from the very get go(its all about conditioning).. during production tell a client you will have the first proofs in an hour.. and then wait a day to deliver.

why deliver late? because clients never pay full for their projects anymore or sometime will try not to pay at all.. so not worth your time to kill yourself on it.

THE KEY IS CONDITIONING... if you condition them that they will receive stages of the project late and later then by the time the project is due.. you can be out drinking with friends and they will not expect it on due date...

The best thing you can do is to condition clients to not be upset that work will always be late... and trhe best is to let them really get it in their mind.. by always setting up delivery on friday and then party on the weeekend work the following monday and tuesday and send them it on the Wensday AFTER the friday you told them they would get it.

Anonymous member - Well said Ed Hook. Personally a great fan of watching the film (visually), its familiarities of characters and concepts, but most of all it's outstanding appearance. BUT! Disney will have clearly done this to make marketing advancements into Asia; as they have just handed in the original character's emancipation; so they smuggled them over to the Disney family.

Where can this Game be Purschaed in Elk Grove, CA?

What a stupid and pointless article!

I to am confused on how this movie could ever flop? I do not follow too many critics, mostly because half the time they say something isn't good when it is. However, I do know that when my friends and I (all of which are college students) finished watching the movie we couldn't stop talking about how awesome it was and so did the rest of the theater. The movie had been out for three weeks and still the theater was packed when we got there, ten minutes early might I add. Personally, I love Santa's accent (and I grew up with coca-cola Santa to), how the whole dynamic of the Guardians worked and just about everything in the movie! The animation was wonderfully done and the actors did extremely well in fitting into the characters.

When I watched it, I felt like a little kid again. The creative team did a splendid job of making the movie what they wanted it to be, emotional, heartfelt and told to fit all audiences. From the reviews I have seen, in which the ages ranged from 18 - 50 year olds, the movie was a hit for all ages. My little cousin (7yrs old) is ecstatic to watch it after I told him about it and so is his mother (28 yrs old). In fact, while I was watching the movie, a little kid behind my friends and I shouted. "Can I be the Easter Bunny when I grow up Daddy." Yeah, it sure made the theater laugh and the movie that much more enjoyable. With so much positive feedback from the viewers, there is no reason for this movie to be anything but a success.

It's the Moving Picture Company
not moving picture's' company.

The open letter has some merit but there are still some glaring issues with the argument. If the film had been terrible BECAUSE of the VFX, Mr Lee would also have borne the brunt of the vitriol. That's the risk he takes as a director, the sword falls on him for everything. If the actors are bad... bad direction. Bad script? Poor choice by the director. And so on. Would we also like to see the VFX artists lambasted with every bad contribution where CG ruins the movie? Should we mention them by name? I see no open letters asking for this? The simple choice is, take the risk and take the praise/scorn as it comes. That is what the Director does every time.
And while we are on it, I have to agree with the 'whinging' post above. If I approached my three year old son as he is creating and playing with Plasticine and asked him if he would like to do that for a living one day. Only he would be paid over a hundred thousand dollars, sit in a nice designer chair, have a private kitchen and make imaginary beings that people would love... I think he'd jump at the chance. The 'god complex' is alive and well in our industry. We aren't going to accidentally cut an artery and lose a life, chaperone a child across a busy road with a lollipop and endanger ourselves or even... dare I say it, lift heavy labour objects around a film set for eighteen hours a day with a back support and get paid 'award' rates for it like every other manual film crew member? So what's the problem. We get to play make-believe, play with plasticine and get rewarded handsomely. As it was suggested above... there are plenty of other jobs out there if we're not happy. But I guess they don't come with fancy designer chairs?

Since we are all happy to be anonymous here.....

Please stop WHINING.

This is not a studio conspiracy. The media reports what people want to read. That is NOT the behind the scenes palaver. It is actors, directors, story and sometimes music. So blame the public.

How about set builders, costumers, animal wranglers, clapper loaders, focus pullers, gaffers, riggers, electricians, carpenters, production assistants, drivers, colorists, editors, editor assistants, audio engineers, foley artists, stunt doubles and all other associated human grist that goes into making a film. All of whom before VFX was even a concept.

And as for salaries, I know one hell of a lot VFX artists under 30 who earn more than all teachers I know, one in particular a kindergarten teacher with 35 years of experience...and they are unionized!

No one is forcing us to do this. If we don't like it, how about going and doing something else like teaching, or paving roads, or emptying trash, or catching fish, or farming, or mining, or moving furniture, or building schools, or being a lawyer, or saving lives, or being an actual artist if you really want to experience poverty, or move to a third world country, or any other of the infinite variety of choices that we whining western cry babies have the opportunity of doing. There is no gun at our heads forcing us to take part in the incredibly vital activity of making mainstream western cinema.

Come to mention it, become a director and chase that credit everybody is so keen for. If that is what motivates, I can see mistake number 1 right there.

I have read so many of these whining posts. Please go and spend energy constructively saving lives or something, or alternatively just get on with life. If its that bad, deny the industry your services in protest.

Just google 'life of pi fxguide' and you'll see how much work the vfx did!

Beautiful work! Can't wait to see the vfx tomorrow night at the cinema.

If the LA 3D Festival voted this film over Para Norman it's my opinion the judges have zero credibility and the award is meaningless. WOTW Goliath is getting some positive reviews for concept design and soundly criticized for everything else: story, characters, animation and acting. The Imdb rating for this film is 3.4 out of ten.

Cheers

Interesting to see that Autodesk replaced Petit with SVP of Reputation.

Can't be renewed or upgraded? That's useless. It sounds like a way to get people to pay for a software trial.

Well of course! We're behind caterers and assistant to the directors cat. We're damn near the only non-union workers in the business... Of course no-one takes notice.

Good day Ed

First of all, I'm a great admirer of your work and has subscribed your book "Acting for Animators" for 5 years to my students. The reason why I'm contacting you is because I'm doing my PhD in Motion Picture Production and will appreciate your input as far as the importance of acting is concerned when using virtual CG cloned actors. In the study I will attempt to validate experimentally with empirical data, using quantitative research, the practice and techniques of visual effects designers when duping audiences using Computer Generated (CG) characters in films with real world elements and the visible influence of the uncanny valley on the acting of animated 3D characters.

I'm only in the beginning stages of the study and would first of all want to know if I may contact you for input and feedback.

Kind regards,

Willie Bouwer