Archives for January 2019

(Continued from Part 1)

Sony

After doing a bunch of television work, I found myself at Sony Animation. Working on Adam Sandlers “8 Crazy Nights”.
A truly awful movie. And I may have a post on that at another time.
While it was indeed an awful flick, I was happy to be back in the studios working in feature again. But that happiness was short lived.
The industry was still in full disarray. With no signs of letting up.
And the studios knew it.
They had us by the short and curlies and they were all too happy to push their advantage.

And Sony was no different.
Demanding tons of work off the clock.
Overloading on work and giving far less time to do it. Extreme pressure.
Add to that that they were a studio that had literally no clue as to what they were doing, and you have a recipe for disaster.
It was not a good environment. To say the least.
And who…who comes walking through the doors?
Well….that good ole’ Union rep that we’ve all come to adore.
Making his rounds to check up on everything.
“How’s everything goin’?”
“Well”…I said…”come here. And I’ll tell ya”.

We went into a non used office and I did just that. Told him everything that was going on within the studio. And I wanted to know what the Union was going to do about it.
And there wasn’t even much hemming and hawing over it.
He flat out said, “Look Steve…there really isn’t a whole lot we CAN do about it. It’s a buyers market out there. The studios know that. So they’re going to take advantage of the situation.”

I asked him: “So…what is your purpose as the union? When you make your trips to the studios and you walk around here and ask us how everything is going? How are they treating you? Etc etc…What’s the point of all that? What is it that you actually DO for the members?”

He, being the polished union rep that he was, didn’t miss a beat.
“You can file a formal complaint. And it will be on record.”

I looked at him for a few seconds..”……and that does?…”
Union Rep: “At this point, due to the state of the industry, that’s pretty much all that can be done.” (paraphrasing)

So there you have it folks. The ugly truth of it all. That’s it.

Time to revisit mental bookmark #1: Remember…one of the so called ‘benefits’ of being in the union is for “protection” from abuse from the employers.
The union (as told to us) is supposed to be a ‘check’ on those companies.
Well, as it turns out, there isn’t much that the union can do regarding ‘protections’.
And as someone who has personally worked in both union and non union houses in both animation as well as game development…I can assure you that there is absolutely no more ‘protections’ or ‘security’ in working in a union house as opposed to a non-union house. None. Zilch. Nada.
In fact…I would argue that I’ve actually been treated BETTER in the non union houses than in the big studio union houses.

Again….the “Union” is only as strong as the market allows them to be.
If the “Market” is the Gigantic whale…the Union is surely the little fish that attaches itself to the belly of the whale and hangs on for the ride.

But the story doesn’t end there….

I finally left Sony. (Sidenote: Sony neglected to give me a credit on that movie. Something that I wasn’t at all angry about by the way. 😀 )…And went back into the TV realm again.
It was at that time that the Union prez had either stepped down or was in the process of stepping down from his union perch.
He had been working as a director for a big studio. Working on a feature that was to be coming out very soon.
Needless to say…even with all my battles with the union about any number of things, it did STILL come as a hysterical shock to me when I heard through the grapevine that the studio he was at….on the very film he was DIRECTING on…was….yes indeed folks…
SENDING WORK OVERSEES!!

And of course, the work being sent was to non-union shops.
Yes indeed folks. We are now revisiting mental bookmark #2!

Wasting no time, I quickly got on the phone and called the union. Spoke to their people and asked them about this.
And what they told me was:
“He (the union president) doesn’t own the studio. It’s not up to him how they function and what policies they have.”

And..

“That he (the union president) is only doing his job duties at the studio. Which is directing. It IS a job. And like everyone else..he has a family to feed.”

All true.
But remember…it wasn’t that long ago when this very same union president was  demagoguing others for doing the exact same thing. Working at a studio that was sending work overseas, OR working at a non union shop.
And THIS studio he was working at now was (ironically) a UNION studio.

I told them that based on everything that was said (by him) about studios sending work oversees and working with non union shops, that I thought just on principal, that if he wouldn’t resign, that he would at least reject those policies publicly by at least speaking out against them.
Hell, I’d settle for one of those oh so insightful and opinionated union newsletter columns calling out said studio for doing so.

But no. Not a peep from our stalwart union or it’s high and mighty president.

The only peeps that were happening were from me. And boy howdy did I PEEP!
I raised it on the union website forums.
I raised it on every animation web forums and sites.
Later, I raised in animation facebook groups that they themselves were in. And got in some pretty heated conversation with the both of them.
All of which got me banned and booted from those forums and walls. And I can’t say that I blame them.
After all…it IS rather embarrassing when you’re exposed as a racket and as a fraud. And that is exactly what the animation union is.
A racket…and a fraud.

The animation industry and  the union today

The industry as it stands today still seems staggered to me.
Many veteran animation people being laid off after decades of working in the industries.
Others choosing to work in studios oversees in other countries. Going to where the jobs are.
Some have found their niches in the U.S. animation industry, and continue to bounce from project to project in different capacities.

The “Union” continues to go on. Like most bureaucracies, they somehow find a way to linger and never die.
Now being headed up by different people. With a different ‘president’ and a different ‘union rep’. But one look at the union newsletter makes one think of that old song…”Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss”.
Like most other unions for other industries, it’s a sure bet that ‘membership’ (forced) is probably down. As Unions across the board have suffered declining membership for years now.
For the animation industry, much of that is due to a few things:
1) The state of industry.
2)  The digital age opening other doors for creative’s.

While the digital age has brought a bit of instability within the animation industry …it has busted a hole in the studio wall, opening a slew of possibilities for animators not interested in the stagnant, cookie cutter projects that come out of the studio/union houses.
Glen Keane, noted ex-Disney veteran has created some astonishing work such as his “Duet” small film. And has recently won an academy award for his work with Kobe Bryant on the small film “Dear Basketball”.

Many creating their own works big and small, for an audience that is hungry for individual creativity. Independent and away from the union shop/big studios (or even the non union shops).

The union, like the industry itself, finds itself amidst great change and instability. As the medium grows due to technology, so does the ways to create. And much of that lies in the hands of non-union houses which also includes small individual creators (veteran and amateur alike) that don’t need or want union or big studio interference.
So that leaves the union as well as big studios, grappling with the *one thing* that leaves them in a precarious and perilous position. Which ironically (and not surprisingly) is what leaves the individual creator in a more desirable position.
And what is that one thing you ask?

“Freedom”

VIVA !!!

First…let me say something upfront. This post is about the animation union. And my experiences and issues specifically with the animation union.
Everything I write in this post is the absolute truth. And based on my experiences with the union and the people that headed up the union- at that time.
I will however, in a sign of ‘good faith’, keep names out of this post. BUT a simple google search of the time spans I mention will obviously show you who exactly I’m referring to.
And I’ve mentioned my disdain for these people publicly in forums and social media before. So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to anyone that knows me.
Also: This post is not meant to try and sway anyone’s opinion pro or con of the animation union or unions in general.
If you love the animation union, awesome. Power to you. I don’t hold you in any less esteem for your positive view of it.
My post is nothing more than my actual and factual experiences with them.
That said…..Onward.

Good on paper.
When I started at Cal-Arts in 1990, the industry was in the beginning of a massive boom time. And making themselves the most visible at that time was in fact…the animation guild. Signing new members up as fast as new animation talent was thrown into the work force.
It was an amazing time to be starting out as an animator in the industry.
The booming market. The incredible films in the pipeline! The rumors of new studios opening in the not so distant future!
It was electric!
And all of us in the animation industry were and are aware of the romantic history of the animation union. The tales of Art Babbit staring down Walt Disney.  The industry coming together. Fighting back the big studio mentality.
And with so many of us being new to the studio scene…we were more than happy to know that we had someone on OUR side. In OUR corner. Fighting for US.

Or so the union pamphlets and newsletters led us to believe.

The union, on paper is a great thing. Here are some of the touted benefits:
-job-related health coverage
-Unions (allegedly) help protect employees from unjust dismissal through collective bargaining agreements (CBA). Because of this, most union employees cannot be fired without “just cause.” This is unlike many nonunion workers who are considered “at-will” employees and can be fired at any time for almost any reason.
-Health benefits
– More job security (allegedly)  and better working conditions.
-A union “representative” that will  (allegedly) ‘work on your behalf’.

Ok. So those are some of the top tier things that the Union is said to do *for* you. IF….IF you are a part of a “Union”.
Note: make a mental bookmark #1 of this. As we’ll be coming back to it later on in the post.

The “Boom days” of the second golden age.
When I was hired out of school after my third year to be an animator, I was informed that I’d have to join the Union. It’s a requirement to work in the big studios. Or what’s called “union shops”.
I thought nothing about it really. Heard their story and was familiar with them.
So, join I did.
And of course in joining …you are paying union ‘dues’ to be a part of this elite club of sorts.
Those were amazing times! Booming to me seems almost an understatement. Studios literally fighting for talent. Scooping up people left and right.
We had lawyers. We had agents!!
Helping all of us navigate through the legalities of contracts, signing bonuses, benefits etc !
Imagine my surprise, fresh out of Cal-Arts and I have my own agent?? Whaaaaat????
Of course the union would keep us all informed on what’s happening around the industry.
What studios were hiring, what studios were starting up. What to expect down the pipeline from the union. Etc.
They would hold meetings that were presided over by the Union president as well as the union representative.
They’d have pizza and drinks for all of us. (side note: Pizza and drinks that WE the ‘members’ would actually be paying for…with the dues that we pay into the union.)

The meetings served mostly to mix and mingle. Share what they thought we needed to know about what the union is doing in the industry.
The union newsletter, the “Pegboard” came out regularly and served a similar purpose as the meetings did. As well as being a cheerleader of sorts for all of us as well as for itself.
And there was always talk and encouragement to go out and push the union line. Pass out union cards. Especially to the people working in non union shops. (I.E. television animation studios and commercial houses.)

The union rep would visit all the studios, and walk the halls. He would talk to us. Asking us how things were going and if we were being treated well.
It was pretty cool. It gave a great feeling that we were being looked after. A sense of security!

That is…until there wasn’t.

The Industry Crash
Around 1999(ish), things started to take a turn in the industry.
The films that had come out weren’t performing as well as needed. Or just flat out failing all together! Not that all of them were bad. Some were pretty damn good! One of which was a film I worked on..”Iron Giant”. But it bombed and bombed hard due to a lack of marketing on Warner Brothers part.
Studios were spooked. To put it mildly. Many of these studios saw the animation game as an easy ticket to quick profit.
Not really knowing how these things are done. And what needs to go into them to gain that success. Mistake after costly mistake was made. Which led to bomb after bomb.
Things slowed down. Jobs were being lost. And/or being sent over seas.
The big studios started cutting down on their staff. Which sent a lot of those folks into other avenues in the industry. Some went into storyboards. Many (such as myself) into tv animation.
It is in these times that I made the realization that the union, was only as strong and as the times allow them to be.

It was a very disillusioning moment to be sure. I would liken it to how Dorothy, tinman, scarecrow and the lion felt when the curtain is pulled away from the old man working the mechanisms that conjure up the ‘great wizard’.
Now…you could make the argument that it’s not fair to hold the union to blame for the industry going south. That is very very true.
But it is also very incorrect to hold them as the reason the industry was booming. Which is what many of us were doing. Which turned out to be equally wrong.

When things started to go south for the industry, my first negative encounter with the good folks at the union was when I found out that a portion of the ‘dues’ that we the members pay to the union, was going to political candidates.
Now….I don’t care what side of the aisle your on. I have a big issue with ANY of the money that we as members pay into the union going to any candidate of either and all political sides.
And I called the union rep to tell him just that.
The union rep told me that “we” as a group, vote on these things.
I…said that that doesn’t matter to me. If I..as an individual, have qualms about giving our hard earned dollars that are given to the union..to politicians..Whatever their stripe is..shouldn’t that be MY choice.
He of course said “no”.

I said: “then what you’re saying is that you are forcing us to
1) Pay dues.
2) Not have any say in how or where they go.
We couldn’t “opt out” if we disagreed as to where the money was going.

He (the union rep) said sweetly: “Of course you can opt out.”

“Really?” I replied. Rightfully confused.

“Steve”, he continued…”you have every right to opt out if you so chose. That’s entirely your choice to do so.”

I paused on the phone trying to make sense of what seemed like contradicting statements that he was telling me.
And then, of course…it became quite clear to me.

Me: “Aaaaaah. I get it now. You’re saying that we can opt out if we want. Correct?”
Union Rep: “Correct.” he replied.

Me: “…and I can work in the studios.”

Union Rep: “No.”

And therein lies the rub folks.
You CAN “opt out” if you choose to. You just have to forfeit working in the animation field almost all together.
Kind of an interesting little racket they have going on right? And by “Racket”…I mean RACKET (in the not too complementary sense of the word).
It’s like paying “protection money”. Only it doesn’t “protect” you from very much at all! As we will come to see later on in part 2.
Kinda sounds a little like 1930’s style of ‘protection’, doesn’t it?

The Demeaning and the vilifying
As the crash started, animation jobs were being thinned out and spread across the industry..many people were either laid off after their films wrapped, or saw the writing on the wall and left the big studios and went into the tv realm. Which were non-union shops.
The union was obviously well aware of this, and you then began to see articles pop up in the union newsletter the “Pegboard”. Articles about how terrible non union shops were. And how they hurt the industry. And how immoral they were. And how bad it was that so many people were working in them. And if YOU weren’t doing what you could to tow the union line and sign people up….well…boy howdy YOU were part of the problem.

Imagine that! Tons of artists laid off, scrambling for work, in an industry that now has a glut of people all fighting for the few jobs that are out there. And the union…has the gall to tell those people, who are doing what they can to pay their bills and feed their families…that THEY, are part of the problem.
Simply, because they are going into non union shops.

Amazing.

I was beside myself with anger. To say the least.
And I let it be known to the good folks at the “union”.
Calling yet again, that union rep and asking for clarification.
The line the rep gave me was the same old same old.
Non union shops bad. Low pay. Take advantage. No benefits. Send work overseas. Etc etc.
Now…again…bookmark #2 that last part of sending work overseas in your memory. This is going to be important later on.

My response to him was to not make people that are doing everything they can to survive in this industry feel like the bad guy.
We…certainly were not!
We were hard working veterans working and paying our dues in this industry (figuratively and monetarily) for years. And are deserving of a bit of respect rather than attack and scorn from this union.(THAT WE WERE PAYING DUES TO!!!)

Next: The Animation Union : Part Two! It gets worse…..

VIVA!!!

I hope you all had a fantastic one!
Apologies for the slowed down posts. Holidays are usually very busy busy. And this one was no exception.
I don’t know if you all make ‘New Year resolutions’ or not. I rarely do. But changing that up for this year.
Looking ahead in the New Year, there’s going to be some fun stuff happening on my end and with this site. So! With that said, onto the ‘resolutions’ (or goals if you will).

RESOLUTIONS (Goals)

–My new YouTube channel! Coming soon!
The channel will be very animation centered. But also with some speedpaints and things of that nature. I’ve been hankering to get back into animation end of things. But away from the confines and cookie cutter restraints of the industry and studio atmosphere.
Something of a more independent nature. Where I can do just what interests me, and what I think lovers of the animation medium might get a kick out of as well. There does seem to be a hunger for more independent work.
Along with original animations and stories, I will also post old pencil tests from some of the past films and tv shows I’ve worked on. ( “Cat’s don’t Dance”, “Iron Giant”, etc etc)
I think that this will be tons of fun. Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I will.

-Online Store (on this site) will finally open!
Looking to have prints first. With other fun stuff later on down the line!

-Commission page(on this site) will open!
Looking to start off on a  limited fashion. As time permits. Hopefully midway through this year! I will indeed keep you posted! Keep your eyes peeled to the ‘commission” page for details as they happen.

-Shows and Conventions!
I can not wait for this to happen! Looking to finally get out there on the convention end of things. See tons of people, and get back to enjoying some convention time! It’s certainly been a while.
Hopefully toward the end of the year. Again, I will keep you posted!

There you have it. Gonna be busy busy busy! But exciting things are going to be happening. I look forward to sharing them right here. With you!

So with that, I raise my glass to you. And hope for a great new year for us all!

VIVA!!!!