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How Pixar Bosses Saved Their Employees from Layoffs

geekosystem.com

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Re: How Pixar Bosses Saved Their Employees from Layoffs

#21

Post by qq66 »

vl wrote: post #7

I'm worried about future of Pixar, they always valued original and insightful stories. All of their early and recent productions were delightful to watch. Understandably, this approach left not so many space for sequels. They recently committed to making of Monsters 2 and Cars 2. Story outline for Cars 2 is just terrible. It seems that financial concerns under Disney leadership are prevailing and bits of integrity ar…

That concern would be valid if Toy Story 3 wasn't the 2nd best Pixar movie ever (in my opinion, a hair behind Ratatouille)

Re: How Pixar Bosses Saved Their Employees from Layoffs

#22

Post by Splines »

If you haven't yet, go and watch the Pixar Shorts Films Collection[1]. It includes a fairly long extra with interviews with early Pixar employees, and the challenges they faced with the limited technology at the time.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Pixar-Short-Films-Collection-1/dp/B000...

Re: How Pixar Bosses Saved Their Employees from Layoffs

#23

Post by radioactive21 »

Great story. Of course if you over analysis it's nothing great, under neath it could simply be that the executives know that the layoffs was just a start. First round of layoffs leads to low morale, which leads to a decline in quality which eventually leads to them being removed.

A lot of leaderships like coaches are usually on short lifespans. The executives knew that by forcing the company to think about losing two top execs it was serious and maybe reconsider. In this case it was a good gamble.

Their intentions is what makes the story great, though. Honestly I would have given a list of people to layoff, but that's why I am not a great leader or a leader of anything for that matter, of any sorts LOL

Re: How Pixar Bosses Saved Their Employees from Layoffs

#24

Post by wtracy »

dustingetz wrote: post #17
vl wrote: post #7

I'm worried about future of Pixar, they always valued original and insightful stories. All of their early and recent productions were delightful to watch. Understandably, this approach left not so many space for sequels. They recently committed to making of Monsters 2 and Cars 2. Story outline for Cars 2 is just terrible. It seems that financial concerns under Disney leadership are prevailing and bits of integrity ar…

i wonder, if you broke down their revenue, if the majority of their viewers are children, thus the diminishing returns of making a blockbuster vs churning out crap make their decision rational? pure speculation obviously.

That was exactly how Michael Eisner ran Disney.

Re: How Pixar Bosses Saved Their Employees from Layoffs

#25

Post by wtracy »

lukefabish wrote: post #15

It's great to see that level of commitment to a team, but it was also a smart move - those guys knew that the intellectual capital sitting in those employees heads was one of Pixar's biggest assets. Get rid of them so they can go work for a competitor? Nuts.

Which then makes me wonder: If they had gotten laid off, how many of those employees would have followed them to the next job?

If your employees are valuable enough, and loyal enough, you might actually win either way in that situation.

Re: How Pixar Bosses Saved Their Employees from Layoffs

#26

Post by JabavuAdams »

topherjaynes wrote: post #14
vl wrote: post #7

I'm worried about future of Pixar, they always valued original and insightful stories. All of their early and recent productions were delightful to watch. Understandably, this approach left not so many space for sequels. They recently committed to making of Monsters 2 and Cars 2. Story outline for Cars 2 is just terrible. It seems that financial concerns under Disney leadership are prevailing and bits of integrity ar…

The Story outline for cars might seem "terrible," but think about every Pixar movie's outline before you actually saw it? A movie about Toys? A Movie entirely about Rats--whose going to watch that? A Robot who doesn't talk, for how long? And yet, each and everyone of those movies were astounding, at least in my opinion, but critics and box office receipts prove my point too. Yes, sequels have a tendency to be purely…

For me, aside from some interesting landscape rendering, Cars isn't in the same league as the other Pixar films. It felt like a pure kids movie + merchandising extravaganza.

> and box office receipts prove my point too

This isn't saying much. The cost-structure of CGI and effects-heavy films is such that you have to essentially make something that will appeal to kids and/or teens, otherwise you're hosed financially.

I can think of many great stories that I'd love to see on screen that wouldn't really appeal to kids + teens, and therefore wouldn't be feasible with the current cost-structure.

Re: How Pixar Bosses Saved Their Employees from Layoffs

#27

Post by axod »

vl wrote: post #7

I'm worried about future of Pixar, they always valued original and insightful stories. All of their early and recent productions were delightful to watch. Understandably, this approach left not so many space for sequels. They recently committed to making of Monsters 2 and Cars 2. Story outline for Cars 2 is just terrible. It seems that financial concerns under Disney leadership are prevailing and bits of integrity ar…

I really worried they'd lost the plot after Wall-e and Up! (The 2 worst releases imho). So Toy Story 3 was great to see.

Story outlines usually sound rubbish IMHO. So I'll give cars 2 the benefit of the doubt. Glad there's a new movie with characters my kids love in it.

Wall-e and Up! catered mainly to parents/intellectuals so it's nice to see some good fun movies in the pipeline.

Re: How Pixar Bosses Saved Their Employees from Layoffs

#28

Post by axod »

JabavuAdams wrote: post #26
topherjaynes wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Story outline for cars might seem "terrible," but think about every Pixar movie's outline before you actually saw it? A movie about Toys? A Movie entirely about Rats--whose going to watch that? A Robot who doesn't talk, for how long? And yet, each and everyone of those movies were astounding, at least in my opinion, but critics and box office receipts prove my point too. Yes, sequels have a tendency to be purely…

For me, aside from some interesting landscape rendering, Cars isn't in the same league as the other Pixar films. It felt like a pure kids movie + merchandising extravaganza. > and box office receipts prove my point too This isn't saying much. The cost-structure of CGI and effects-heavy films is such that you have to essentially make something that will appeal to kids and/or teens, otherwise you're hosed financially.…

I liked Cars. I absolutely hated Up! and Wall-e with a passion.

Cars is obviously a reasonably simple storyline, but it's a good movie with good characters. Kids like cars shrug it's a movie about toy cars... what's not to like?

Better than an obese highly irritating boy scout kid hitching a lift on a house with an old guy :/

Re: How Pixar Bosses Saved Their Employees from Layoffs

#29

Post by axod »

wtracy wrote: post #24
dustingetz wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i wonder, if you broke down their revenue, if the majority of their viewers are children, thus the diminishing returns of making a blockbuster vs churning out crap make their decision rational? pure speculation obviously.

That was exactly how Michael Eisner ran Disney.

Those are some of the best Disney movies :/

Re: How Pixar Bosses Saved Their Employees from Layoffs

#30

Post by ruff »

jedsmith wrote: post #11

I watched "ILM - Creating the Impossible" on Encore on Demand the other night, and it was well worth the watch. There is quite a bit devoted to the relationship between ILM and Pixar, and a number of historical anecdotes like this article that are very interesting. If you haven't seen it, check it out before they drop it. Of course, The Pixar Story is worth watching as well (same people, I think).

The Pixar Story has some issues with it--largely cuts out Alvy Ray Smith and gives a lot more credit to Steve Jobs than deserved. I'd recommend reading The Pixar Touch for a balanced portrayal of the company.

For what it's worth, I got to know Alvy by running into him at various Seattle breakfast spots over the years (he's in Berkeley now). If you ever get to hear him speak, be sure to go up and talk with him. He's nothing but a welcoming, smart, and humble guy.

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