Don is very concerned about the animation industry, not only to hit Disney's core industry, but also for the future layout of Tang Pictures.

Who would have imagined that in 2004, the NBC Group, a subsidiary of General Electric, acquired Universal Pictures, and the total cost was only $4 billion. And Pixar's market value exceeded $4 billion that year!

The animation department is definitely the most scarce treasure in Hollywood!

Animated movies are by no means like live-action movies, which can be made with money, connections, and resources.

Talent is needed!

Not only technical talent, but also creativity, modeling, painting, simulation, voice acting, and many other aspects that are exclusive to animated films that even the sunglasses system can't offer.

Twentieth Century Fox's animation department was engaged in more than ten years, and finally had to be cut and replaced by the acquisition of Blue Sky Studios. As for the animation departments of film companies such as Universal, Columbia, and Paramount, they are even more empty.

Donn knew that animated movies were difficult, so he started with simplicity and planned to launch a series of children's cartoons with Viacom's Nick Rodian Channel, competing with Disney Channel on the one hand, and cultivating his own animation talent on the other.

But now it seems that the situation is not good.

Bill McNick saw the solemnity of Donn's face and stretched out three fingers, "Three aspects." The first, and one of my biggest concerns, is the soul of the animation department, Chris Meledandley. ”

"He doesn't want to come here?" Don understood what he meant.

Bill McNick sighed, "Chris is now the top head of Fox Animation and is currently working with Blue Sky Studios to launch the first computer-generated 3D animated film. Chris put a lot of heart and soul into the film, and he was not willing to leave when this success was in decline. ”

, Blue Sky Studios' famous animated series, has indeed been a great success.

Donn is a little disappointed, Chris Meledandri, but the real god of the animation industry, can be compared to DreamWorks Jeffrey Katzenberg and Pixar John Rust.

It can be irresponsibly said that in today's Hollywood, except for these three people, no one can hold up the banner of animated films!

Jeffrey Katzenberg served as chairman of Disney's animation division from 1984 to 1994, the second golden age of Disney's animation division, which produced classic animation such as 、、、.

But in 1994, there was a major change of power within Disney, and a large number of executives left, including Bill McNick, Jeffrey Katzenberg and others.

As a result, the Disney animation department, which lacked the soul of Jeffrey Katzenberg, fell directly. In the following ten years, Hollywood's animation market became the three kingdoms of Pixar Animation, DreamWorks Animation, and Blue Sky Animation.

It wasn't until Disney acquired Pixar and let Pixar's god John Rust lead the Disney Animation Department that the defeat was reversed and many excellent animated films were launched one after another.

Now, with Donn failing to poach Chris Meledandley, he has essentially broken off the idea that he wants to develop animation talent on his own.

"Second?" Don rubbed his head with a headache.

Bill McNick said: "Your idea of taking a stake in Nick Rodeon was rejected by Viacom. ”

"Huh?"

Don couldn't believe his ears.

With Comcast matchmaking, Don as a guarantor for the content, and strong pressure from Disney Kids from the outside world, Viacom could refuse to cooperate?

"It's not that we refuse to cooperate, Viacom just doesn't want our hand to stretch too long. It's impossible to defeat a tiger outside, but attract a wolf at home, right?"

Bill McNick's words immediately get to the heart of the matter.

Viacom is a media conglomerate, and it is true that Disney is a competitor, and similarly, there is a lot of competition with Down Pictures.

Viacom's Paramount, needless to say, as long as it is a film company, there is competition.

HBO's biggest competitor, Shotime, is Viacom's professional cable television station. Towne Pictures, now that it has acquired Starz and is also participating in the same market, will certainly threaten Shotime in the future.

Viacom would never have allowed Towne Pictures to complete its layout of the cable network.

Don sneered a little, his face full of disdain and mockery.

It is no wonder that Viacom quickly degenerated, and its industry continued to break up, from a large company of nearly 100 billion dollars to a market value of only more than 10 billion US dollars.

The horizon is too low!

Sumner Lei Shidong may be old and confused, or he may be busy severing the father-son relationship with his son, and has forgotten how to manage the company and strategic layout.

Typical of the mouse's eyes!

Cooperating with Tangen Pictures, at least half of the equity can be retained. If you don't cooperate, wait for Disney Channel to sweep the world, then there will be no scum left.

"The old dragon clock's family business, Viacom is also capable of this!" Donn sneered unceremoniously.

Bill McNick shook his head, "Nick Rodeon has his own animation studio, maybe...... They don't think it's time for their lives to hang by a thread. ”

Donn raised an eyebrow, "What? Don't even want to accept our cartoons?"

Bill McNick said: "That's not it, Nick Rodeon is excited to play a superhero cartoon, but Marvel has a different view. ”

"How?"

"Marvel Entertainment and Marvel Studios don't approve of your idea of adapting Marvel's superheroes into young cartoons, especially Nina, who is very resolute, and she thinks it will seriously affect the quality image of Marvel movies. And Kevin said something that I think makes a lot of sense. ”

"Kevin?"

"That's right, Kevin Feige, assistant to the president of Marvel Studios. Bill McNick paused, "He said that since the 'Avengers' series is going to be formed, then there must be a main tone throughout, and humorous mass entertainment is the best choice." So don't worry that Marvel movies don't have a children's market, more and more children will enter the cinema in the future. ”

"Makes sense!"

Don nodded approvingly, "In that case, let's seal those mainstream superheroes and cartoons that can be filmed." ”

's movies are difficult to make, not only because of the special effects, but also because of the setting of the four protagonists. At least for a short time, Donn had no idea of starting the project.

It can be made into a cartoon and shown on Nick Rodeon.

Wait until more than ten years later, when the special effects mature, and after the Marvel movie swept Hollywood, and then took advantage of the opportunity to launch the movie, the impact of the current inferior cartoons is minimal.

Although Viacom turned down the collaboration, Donn had to make an animated film. Because in his PR crisis, Viacom contributed a lot.

Taking out the copyright to shoot cartoons is enough to repay the favor.

"By the way, Bill, how is your relationship with Jeffrey Katzenberg?" Donn muttered for a moment, then spoke suddenly.

Bill McNick glanced at him in surprise, "I used to work at Disney and was fine, but then he came out to start a business, and the relationship faded." ”

Don looked at him expectantly, "Bill, how about I buy the DreamWorks Animation Department?"

The animation industry must be indispensable, and since Chris Meledandley has no plans to leave Fox, Don has set his sights on another animation god.

"Huh?"

Bill McNick was stunned.

Don was a little excited, "Bill, DreamWorks is in a bad situation right now, it has sold publishing, games, Internet and other departments one after another, the music department has been losing money year after year, and the animation department is even worse. Last year, the box office did not get the expected success, and this year's release can be described as a fiasco!"

It was only released at the end of March this year, with a total investment of 95 million US dollars. Now in the past two months, the global box office is only 43 million US dollars, and according to authoritative media forecasts, the total box office will not exceed 80 million US dollars!

Even if the peripheral industry of animation is strong, the peripheral industry is often driven by the influence of the box office.

The box office fiasco doomed this to be a serious loss-making movie.

As early as a month ago, Hollywood had already reported that DreamWorks Animation was going bankrupt.

"This ...... It's hard, I'm afraid. "Bill McNick wasn't optimistic about Donn's idea," Jeffrey is the founder of DreamWorks, and he personally runs the animation department, and he can't agree to sell the animation department. It's like the music department has been losing money for many years, but because David Geffen is in charge, it has never been cut or sold. ”

Don didn't give up, "Bill, this matter, I have to trouble you to run a few more times." Tang En Pictures must have an animation department, if it doesn't work today, then tomorrow, if it doesn't work tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow!

Hollywood's window-based marketing business model was only gradually established in the 90s.

The animation industry is still too avant-garde.

The prospect is huge, and at the moment Jobs and the prescient Don can see clearly, many large companies are abandoning the animation department.

Including Bill McNick.

He is an older generation of filmmakers, with a slightly conservative and traditional mindset, and his views on the animation industry are far less searing than those of Donn.

However, seeing that Donn was so interested in animated movies, Bill McNick could only act according to his boss's intentions, "Okay, I'll communicate with DreamWorks, but ...... Donn, if you're really interested in animated films, I hope you'll do a little bit more to prepare. ”

Don smiled and nodded, "I know. ”

What else is there besides Blue Sky Studios and DreamWorks Animation?

Pixar!