Thursday, March 23, 2006

Animation Moves & News

The article linked to the title above says Disney Feature Animation might be moving to the Grand Central Industrial Park in Glendale... There might be something to the story. It's almost touted as Gospel fact that John Lasseter and Ed Catmull don't care for the "hat building", but that's not the only buzz about animation studios changing location. For instance, other gossip says that: Warners Animation -- now housed in a large building at the Sherman Oaks Galleria -- will move back to either A) some new building on the "Warner Ranch" in Burbank, or B) the new office building next to NBC. Cartoon Network Studios -- now tucked inside a three-story building next to the Burbank Fire/Police Departments on Third Street in Burbank, will move to the same facility that will soon house Warner Animation. DPS-Film Roman will have to find additional space for its relocated staff as that staff continues to grow...and grow. But to return to Disney Feature Animation: When I was an elementary school kid, the Disney lot was a place of sound stages, graceful low-slung buildings and green ball-fields. My old man played touch football on the wide grass field that is now filled with the Team Disney/Michael Eisner building (you know, that big square structure with the seven dwarfs holding up the roof?). Today the Disney lot has all the charm of Warner Bros. or Paramount, little more than a cramped chunk of real estate with mismatched buildings and sound stages that hold all the charm of the garment district in South-Central L.A. What a hoot if Disney Animation abandons the "hat building" and moves to Glendale...with a ball field out the back door.

5 comments:

Jeff said...

I still like the idea of moving back to the old Feature Animation building. Now that would be making a statement!

Steve Hulett said...

From what my spies and stoolies tell me, Disney will be making some geographic moves with Feature Animation.

Most likely area, of course, is near DreamWorks, since Disney owns most of the property in the Grand Central industrial area (KABC, Circle 7, and Disney Imagineering are already there), so I suspect the relocation might be there.

Sad to see Disney Feature Animation depart Burbank after 68 or 70 years, but all things change...

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with the garment district? It's one of the most interesting parts of downtown LA. It's one of the few sections that doesn't look like it was built ten minutes ago.

Jeff said...

Most animation folks live in the Valley. Would you want to battle downtown traffic to get to work? No thanks!

Anonymous said...

Read Steve's posting again. He was talking about architecture, using the word "charm". I guess it's in the eye of the beholder. As for travelling, like most Angelinos, walking distance sounds ideal. Unfortunately, like all of us, it's; have job, will travel.

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