Dreamworks Animation: What Went Wrong?

[Mojoguy]

Cannot believe they decided to can BOO after all this time. 

 

Surely the film was almost done considering the delay was less than 12 months before its release date.

 

I think this is the latest canning we've known of? I mean, Bolt, Tangled, Brave etc. were all delayed and released. 

 

newt was cancelled 2 years before release or something and we never really knew if they had any development really going on for Shadow, Mumbai Musical and etc.

 

Does it really save them money? Surely it would still make like $80m and maybe $200m worldwide. Isn't that better than scrapping $150m? I don't know. 

I think the movie was only in preproduction. It would cost much much more to cancel once they actually start making the movie.

[BK007]

Voice actors had finished their parts up and the delay was only known a couple months ago.

 

I'm pretty sure it was far along the line.

[FrozenUnicorn]

Darn. And B.O.O. was one of the very few DWA films that I was like, "I must see that!" about.

[Rudolf]

Too many studios competing for a slim market: 4 quadrant animated movies.

With readily available software go for the niche sectors. Make watchable AM for adults. More erotic movies (not porn), more violent movies (not slug fests). I would start cooperations with international studios, outsourcing to get costs down and find new content, that Disney is not interested in, but would find an international audience. 

Not all animated movies have to be about talking animals or toys.

[BK007]

Too many studios competing for a slim market: 4 quadrant animated movies.

With readily available software go for the niche sectors. Make watchable AM for adults. More erotic movies (not porn), more violent movies (not slug fests). I would start cooperations with international studios, outsourcing to get costs down and find new content, that Disney is not interested in, but would find an international audience. 

Not all animated movies have to be about talking animals or toys.

 

Hmmm...

 

2015 Animated Movies- 20%

1. Strange Magic- nothing

2. SpongeBob- nothing

3. Home- nothing

4. Underdogs- nothing

5. Monster Trucks- maybe I'll give you toys

6. Inside Out- nothing

7. Minions- nothing

8. Hotel Transylvania 2- nothing

9. Peanuts- nothing

10. Good Dinosaur- animals

 

2014 Animated Movies - 50%

1. Lego- Toy

2. Big Hero Six- nothing

3. How to Train Your Dragon 2- nothing

4. Rio 2- Animal

5. Mr Peabody & Sherman- I'll give you animal even though it's really nothing about talking animals

6. Penguins- Animal

7. Nut Job- Animal

8. Planes 2- nothing

9. Boxtrolls- nothing

10. Book of Life- nothing

n/a Song of the Sea, Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Wind Rises- nothing

 

2013 Animated Movies- 20%

1. Frozen- nothing

2. Despicable Me 2- nothing

3. Monsters Uni- nothing

4. Croods- nothing

5. Cloudy 2- nothing

6. Epic- nothing

7. Planes- nothing

8. Turbo- animals

9. Escape from Planet Earth- nothing

10. Free Birds- animals

 

2012 Animated Movies 18%

1. Brave- nothing

2. Madagascar 3- animals

3. Lorax- nothing

4. Wreck It Ralph- nothing

5. Ice Age 4- animals

6. Hotel Transylvania- nothing

7. Rise of the Guardians- nothing

8. Paranorman- nothing

9. Frankenweenie- nothing

10. the Pirates- nothing

11. Arietty- nothing

 

2011 Animated Movies- 50%

1. Cars 2- nothing

2. KFP2- animals

3. Rio- animals

4. Puss in Boots- animals

5. Rango- animals but really not kids skewing at all

6. Gnomeo- nothing

7. Adventures of Tintin- nothing

8. Happy Feet 2- animals

9. Arthur Christmas- nothing

10. Winnie the Pooh- toys/animals/books 

11. Mars Needs Moms- nothing

12. Hoodwinked 2- nothing

 

17/53 in the last five years = 32% (and that's giving you Peabody, Rango, Pooh and Monster Trucks)

 

Recycled argument failure. 

[Rudolf]

Hmmm...

 

...

 

Recycled argument failure. 

given, but which of these AMs would you call adult oriented?

[ddddeeee]

Patrick Doyle had been working on the score for B.O.O. for some time, it was very far along.

[Sir Tiki]

Maybe they're retooling B.O.O. into a Casper movie? I'm pretty sure they have the film rights to that now.

[TServo2049]

Not sure how they'd do that...

[FrozenUnicorn]

Technically wouldn't Spongebob count as "talking animals", or not since they're mostly anthropomorphized?

[AniNate]

Dreamworks isn't going to target its films at adults, so let's just nip that idea in the bud right now. Funny kids movies are what sell big these days, it's just a matter of giving them a unique hook which they've failed to do with any consistency.

[FrozenUnicorn]

Dreamworks isn't going to target its films at adults, so let's just nip that idea in the bud right now. Funny kids movies are what sell big these days, it's just a matter of giving them a unique hook which they've failed to do with any consistency.

Plus, there was that animated show "Father of the Pride" they did around the time Shrek came out, that was for an adult audience, and it didnt do so well.

Entertainment that kids are able to watch used to be their forte. But now they've languished from their former greatness, with some exceptions.

[MovieMan89]

"At least good" is not enough in this market for animated movies. In the cases where the studio did strike a chord with audiences, they reaped considerable benefits (ie Madagascar, Croods, HTTYD). I don't buy that they wouldn't have done much better if they had made three "great" films a year rather than three "good" ones. A lot of animated films come out every year that are not by Dreamworks, and with very rare exception they're typically the only entertainment suitable for kids that doesn't make parents want to shoot themselves. If Dreamworks made something like The Lego Movie or Frozen with more regularity, they'd still have that brand name power.

But my whole argument in the first place was that it's nearly impossible for a studio to put out something that high caliber everytime when you have 2-3 animated films releasing a year. The size of the staff would have to be massive to make sure that each film gets the required attention to detail and effort put in. Animation is an exhausting process, three films a year for one studio is a ridiculous idea to start with. At least some people in the studio are being ran ragged by that turnout. Not to mention a studio with that many people and teams is far harder to manage and ensure quality than a normal sized one. We will see it with Pixar and WDAS if they adopt the multiple releases every year, I guarantee it. In fact, we'll probably see it this year already with Pixar.

Edited January 23, 2015 by MovieMan89

[Blankments]

The performance of Sausage Party is probably gonna be the most influential animated movie release since Shrek. If it does well, it proves the marketplace for adult animation. If not, adult animation will remain dead for another long while bar South Park and Simpsons movies

[TServo2049]

At least WDAS and Pixar will be alternating, they won't EACH be releasing two films EVERY year. (Or at least, that's how it seems to be turning out.)

I do agree though, it would be better if every animation studio released just one movie per year. They already need multiple teams to handle that.

I know two a year could guarantee one original film every year, or one of the two being a more adventurous and less formulaic idea, but that still only works long-term if they all do well.

Honestly, there'd be nothing wrong with one well-thought-out original film per year, plus an occasional NECESSARY sequel if and only if it makes sense and a new and compelling story can be come up with. But that's obviously wishful thinking.

Edited January 23, 2015 by TServo2049

[AniNate]

But my whole argument in the first place was that it's nearly impossible for a studio to put out something that high caliber everytime when you have 2-3 animated films releasing a year. The size of the staff would have to be massive to make sure that each film gets the required attention to detail and effort put in. Animation is an exhausting process, three films a year for one studio is a ridiculous idea to start with. At least some people in the studio are being ran ragged by that turnout. Not to mention a studio with that many people and teams is far harder to manage and ensure quality than a normal sized one. We will see it with Pixar and WDAS if they adopt the multiple releases every year, I guarantee it. In fact, we'll probably see it this year already with Pixar.

 

You don't need that many people to write up a sound storyline (hence the expression "Too many cooks..."). The vast majority of the production labor goes into rendering the films, and Dreamworks' films certainly don't lack for visual qualities. Even if you think they do, it's still the least of the studio's issues.

[AniNate]

The performance of Sausage Party is probably gonna be the most influential animated movie release since Shrek. If it does well, it proves the marketplace for adult animation. If not, adult animation will remain dead for another long while bar South Park and Simpsons movies

 

The only thing it would prove is that Rogen/Goldberg can do the irreverent adult animation genre and may get some future work in that arena. It's not going to do much for anyone else.

 

What might help is a dramatic, Oscar-baity film from a reputable director that non-animation fans can't ignore.

Edited January 23, 2015 by tribefan695

[Jonwo]

The only thing it would prove is that Rogen/Goldberg can do the irreverent adult animation genre and may get some future work in that arena. It's not going to do much for anyone else.

 

What might help is a dramatic, Oscar-baity film from a reputable director that non-animation fans can't ignore.

 

I would love to see something like Grave of the Fireflies or Princess Mononoke done by an American animation studio but I cannot see the likes of DWA, Illumination etc doing something on that scale for an older audience. Sony aside from Sausage Party has Superbago which will be a stop motion/live action hybrid which sounds more it's targeting an older audience than their usual fare. 

[AniNate]

I would love to see something like Grave of the Fireflies or Princess Mononoke done by an American animation studio but I cannot see the likes of DWA, Illumination etc doing something on that scale for an older audience. 

 

Even if they did, it has to have someone like Spielberg or Peter Jackson attached. That's the only way all the people who ignore animation will take it seriously.

[dudalb]

The official Dreamworks statement on B.O.O. is that is being put back into development.  Only Katzenburg knows  eaxctly what that means.

But being thrown back into Development Hell after actually getting that far into production is not a good sign...

Edited January 24, 2015 by dudalb