Heil Hickner [2]
Those Savage Young 'Toons [3]:
HOLLYWOOD TRASH: Or: How we are all being Hoodwinked by the Uncaring Mass Media----me included............
My fairly recent posting on here dubbed Heil Hickner: a Cautionary Tale for 'Toonists has generated the largest number of hits, despite it being a very untypical entry, it's essence being a not-very-flattering view of my bad experience in working on a Hollywood-funded big-screen animated cartoon film, which hopefully sheds some light on the dubious practises that can be employed in the cut-throat, cynical movie-making world, which I discovered --at first hand------to reveal that the business of making films is often just as false, hypocritical and plain 'reeking of the Rat Race' that blights virtually every other form of paid employment out there in the rest of the World.
Now, let me state quite categorically that I genuinely LOVE movies: I visit the local CINEWORLD three or four times a week, seeing all major new releases of all genres: on top of this, every Friday evening, --and often also on a Saturday night, all depending on the alcohol I consume at the weekends-----is taken up by my [probable] highlight of the entire week: front projecting blu-rays and DVDs onto a 9 foot-wide reflective screen at home, everything from the 1926 silent Fritz Lang METROPOLIS, the old Disney cel-drawn true Masterpieces, older-style Hitchcock extravaganzas, or the latest sci-fi Blockbusters.
Relaxing at home, being bombarded by these large images and surround sound ambience : this is truly sheer luxury incarnate, and I usually savor every second of this true experience. [Edit: just this week recieved my annual tax rebate, so I treated meself to a few blu-rays for the projector] : after experiencing this near-theatrical approach to film-viewing, there is simply no going back to the old 'goggle-box', with it's irritating adverts carving up most film-watching, or the dodgy programming.
However, behind the polished, gleaming Hollywood surface, lies the seedy underbelly of the actual process of putting these films together like a vast jigsaw------there are many dodgy Hacks and dubious Power Merchants at the helm of these Productions: the process of making movies is usually a logistical Nightmare, and not exactly 'enjoyable' by any stretch of the imagination. Clearly, most film fans are seduced by the final polished result onscreen that offers such escapism from such everyday pressures as money and relationship problems, and no wonder films are so popular with most folks out there.
However, sci-fi author Philip K Dick, whose novella Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? became the blueprint for absolute sci-fi screen classic BLADE RUNNER quoth: very aptly:
I love movies but I sure hate Hollywood
------and this illuminating outlook is pretty much the Mindset I subscribe to, what I saw of making large-scale Movies was not pretty at all for many who work behind the scenes: basically, much of it is a sweatshop situation that pays pretty modestly. Hollywood is mostly run by power-freaks who are living a lie, there is no question of that: the vast majority of fans who only see the end result of the polished film are not aware of the often back-stabbing, cut-throat practices that occur behind the scenes: it is all a load of shameful baloney, which I have experienced at first-hand.
I wish to make it perfectly plain that I loved the actual idea of working in a professional animation studio but it has to be said that my time was just totally wasted during this production : any drawing advancements I made came soley through my own original efforts, and certainly not through the ham-fisted, visionless blubberings as put forth by Mr Hickner and his equally uninspired yes-men, who exhibited no more than a braindead " zombie factory-worker approach' towards the process of making movies.......at least, in the experience I myself endured within this poorly-run establishment.
Going by what I have heard from other animation employees, no other studios were nearly as badly-run as this one was, and the studio run by Mr Hickner should not be viewed as typical of the many decent other studios that are still undoubtedly out there; this particular studio was a real shambolic affair, though , there is no getting away from this.
Anyway, back to the theme of the cartoon seen here, which depicts Dreamworks producer-director Stephen Hickner in a less than favorable light: the cartoon industry is undeniably peopled by a mixture of nice folks and downright nasty 'uns---more on this later-----and I am afraid Mr Hickner represents the most uncaring, blinkered 'professional' I ever encountered within the cartoon industry------yes I am sure he has helped out many others, but in my case he hindered and retarded real progress, which benefitted absolutely no-one,---either he, myself, or anyone in the Industry------ thank you.
Mr Hick visits schools in the United States where he inflicts 'wisdom lectures' of his movie experience upon gullible school-kids, who in their naievity , doubtless coo ooh and aah at his one-sided gibberings: I just wish I could teleport myself directly there in the midst of his garblings, so I could confront him about his less-than-wholesome treatment of some of his employees.
The scenario in my cartoon here is partly accurate: in his Amblin studio, the electrical wiring in the building packed in and we couldn't work for about a day-and-a-half; we still got paid, though. The wiring was the original 30s cabling and so it understandably packed in through all the power being consumed up on our level: this is scarecely the sort of thing you expect to discover working on a Multimillion dollar animated Movie.
HOLLYWOOD TRASH: Or: How we are all being Hoodwinked by the Uncaring Mass Media----me included............
My fairly recent posting on here dubbed Heil Hickner: a Cautionary Tale for 'Toonists has generated the largest number of hits, despite it being a very untypical entry, it's essence being a not-very-flattering view of my bad experience in working on a Hollywood-funded big-screen animated cartoon film, which hopefully sheds some light on the dubious practises that can be employed in the cut-throat, cynical movie-making world, which I discovered --at first hand------to reveal that the business of making films is often just as false, hypocritical and plain 'reeking of the Rat Race' that blights virtually every other form of paid employment out there in the rest of the World.
Now, let me state quite categorically that I genuinely LOVE movies: I visit the local CINEWORLD three or four times a week, seeing all major new releases of all genres: on top of this, every Friday evening, --and often also on a Saturday night, all depending on the alcohol I consume at the weekends-----is taken up by my [probable] highlight of the entire week: front projecting blu-rays and DVDs onto a 9 foot-wide reflective screen at home, everything from the 1926 silent Fritz Lang METROPOLIS, the old Disney cel-drawn true Masterpieces, older-style Hitchcock extravaganzas, or the latest sci-fi Blockbusters.
Relaxing at home, being bombarded by these large images and surround sound ambience : this is truly sheer luxury incarnate, and I usually savor every second of this true experience. [Edit: just this week recieved my annual tax rebate, so I treated meself to a few blu-rays for the projector] : after experiencing this near-theatrical approach to film-viewing, there is simply no going back to the old 'goggle-box', with it's irritating adverts carving up most film-watching, or the dodgy programming.
However, behind the polished, gleaming Hollywood surface, lies the seedy underbelly of the actual process of putting these films together like a vast jigsaw------there are many dodgy Hacks and dubious Power Merchants at the helm of these Productions: the process of making movies is usually a logistical Nightmare, and not exactly 'enjoyable' by any stretch of the imagination. Clearly, most film fans are seduced by the final polished result onscreen that offers such escapism from such everyday pressures as money and relationship problems, and no wonder films are so popular with most folks out there.
However, sci-fi author Philip K Dick, whose novella Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? became the blueprint for absolute sci-fi screen classic BLADE RUNNER quoth: very aptly:
I love movies but I sure hate Hollywood
------and this illuminating outlook is pretty much the Mindset I subscribe to, what I saw of making large-scale Movies was not pretty at all for many who work behind the scenes: basically, much of it is a sweatshop situation that pays pretty modestly. Hollywood is mostly run by power-freaks who are living a lie, there is no question of that: the vast majority of fans who only see the end result of the polished film are not aware of the often back-stabbing, cut-throat practices that occur behind the scenes: it is all a load of shameful baloney, which I have experienced at first-hand.
I wish to make it perfectly plain that I loved the actual idea of working in a professional animation studio but it has to be said that my time was just totally wasted during this production : any drawing advancements I made came soley through my own original efforts, and certainly not through the ham-fisted, visionless blubberings as put forth by Mr Hickner and his equally uninspired yes-men, who exhibited no more than a braindead " zombie factory-worker approach' towards the process of making movies.......at least, in the experience I myself endured within this poorly-run establishment.
Going by what I have heard from other animation employees, no other studios were nearly as badly-run as this one was, and the studio run by Mr Hickner should not be viewed as typical of the many decent other studios that are still undoubtedly out there; this particular studio was a real shambolic affair, though , there is no getting away from this.
Anyway, back to the theme of the cartoon seen here, which depicts Dreamworks producer-director Stephen Hickner in a less than favorable light: the cartoon industry is undeniably peopled by a mixture of nice folks and downright nasty 'uns---more on this later-----and I am afraid Mr Hickner represents the most uncaring, blinkered 'professional' I ever encountered within the cartoon industry------yes I am sure he has helped out many others, but in my case he hindered and retarded real progress, which benefitted absolutely no-one,---either he, myself, or anyone in the Industry------ thank you.
Mr Hick visits schools in the United States where he inflicts 'wisdom lectures' of his movie experience upon gullible school-kids, who in their naievity , doubtless coo ooh and aah at his one-sided gibberings: I just wish I could teleport myself directly there in the midst of his garblings, so I could confront him about his less-than-wholesome treatment of some of his employees.
The scenario in my cartoon here is partly accurate: in his Amblin studio, the electrical wiring in the building packed in and we couldn't work for about a day-and-a-half; we still got paid, though. The wiring was the original 30s cabling and so it understandably packed in through all the power being consumed up on our level: this is scarecely the sort of thing you expect to discover working on a Multimillion dollar animated Movie.
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