My dad and I got into an argument over film directors. My dad said that the main priority of ANY filmaker is to get money money money. He said, yes, they may like what they’re doing, but they’re main priority is bascially to pay for the bills.
I said that I bet the Pixar staff members care so much about their job, that they would care more about the product and NOT the money first. He continued to disagree.
I THEN pointed out that when Pixar first started they made short films for fun; just to give them pleasure and to expand the medium. They weren’t doing it for money THEN.
He said that’s called a hobby.
Well, do you you think my dad could be right, or that maybe I’m too young and stupid to understand this?
I think that it depends on what studio you talk about;
Dreamworks
90% Money
10% Creative, Good Movie
Pixar
55% Good Movie
45% Money
Now you can argue all you want about Pixar directors, but the main goal of movies is to make money, you really have to face that. Directors are people like you and me who need a job and their job is to make money making films. I believe that because these Directors want to make money they attempt to make the best Movie Possible…Thus Pixar is 55% Movie…But when it all comes down to basics Money is what keeps you creating more films and having more time to grow. If Pixar had great films but put the prices down so that people could see it for a much cheaper price they would go out of business…
Movie Business is still mostly about money, althought Pixar is dedicated to making good films that will reflect through income how great the story was…
Although I’m not in the mind of any of Pixar’s directors, here’s how I think it works.
John Lasseter loves to use this quote:
“We don’t make movies to make money, we make money to make movies”
~Walt Disney (I believe)
In other words, they make movies to make money to make movies.
I really think it depends on the director in question. Yes, most directors do care about making money, but the impression from most of the directors I’ve read about, especially the Pixar ones, is that creativity cones first for them, money is second. Directors typically push for making the best movie possible, no matter the cost, while producers are typically the ones who worry about cost and moeny and whatnot. Yes, there are directors who are concerned mainly with money, whihc typically means they are selling out.
My goal is too become a screenwriter, and eventually a director, I know persoanlly that I have not once ever cared about the money. I do want to do want I want do, because I want to tell stories. It’s as simple as that. I think I’m good at what I do, and I think i=I could entertain people with my stories. Yeah, I’d like to get some money, but not ridiculosuly rich, just well off enough to support myself.
You know, it annoys me when people don’t take people who create art seriously. There was a point brought up in one of my lectures about art practitioners not getting tax returns because their works are considered as a ‘hobby’. Something like that…
I even had a discussion with a friend yesterday on how people think animators just ‘draw cartoons’ and ‘anyone can do it’. I can tell you as an animation student that it is one of the most time-consuming and subjectively-assessed work you could ever do. On the other hand, if you like logical, by-the-book objectivity, be an accountant.
And isn’t the stereotype of an artist is a badly-shaven skinny guy who lives in a studio apartment and ‘suffers for his art’?
It is this very subjectivity of art that makes it be perceived as a non-financially viable occupation for many. As for Pixar, I suppose they make stories they want to tell first, and worry about the monetary returns later. It’s because they are so self-confident and assured, that people place their trust in them (not to mention winning the loyalty of all the fans on this forum here ). If you keep making films for movie, you’ll come of as a hack. People will spot it from a mile away.
Well, the people at Pixar make the movies because of two reasons: 1) They love art and are passionate for filmmaking and animation. 2) TO make money to support themselves and/or their families. BUt I am willing to bet that the people at Pixar would put the quality of the movie over how much money it can make anyday.
Well yeah, the point of having a job is to make money. That doesnt mean the people at Pixar dont love what they do or that they dont try to do their best on everything. I dont think seeing how much profit they can make is first and foremost on their list. Plus making those movies also costs a lot of money.
Thanks everyone. I’m glad everyone else thinks that Pixar really cares. What I was trying to say that, yes, I know, they have to make a living, but making a good movie is a little more important to them.
I think any company wants and needs money. Not to say every company is selfish.
But I think in terms of Pixar, they need to make money so they can continue to run the company and continue their “hobbies”.
No way. During the production of Toy Story, salaries were low, but people stayed on even when the project seemed destined to fail; not because of the money, but because of the excitement and confidence they had in making the first computer animated movie, and for many their first movie which they had a lot of power over.
In later films such as WALL-E, they’ve had to make a lot of risky last minute changes in the movie, but they feel the need to make the story as good as can be, so they allow it to be done.
So overall it’s not as much the money as it is the experience.
Lets make this simple not one company will put MAKING movies in front of MAKING money. in the end every company will need to show the shareholders, directors and basicly everyone that it is a healthy company that is still making profit. if it isnt making profit it is losing money, if it is losing money a lot of people are gonna think twice about their investments.
Offcourse the dedication of its employees and the standard level of work differs with every company.
Every company has a bottom line. Like Vekoma posted, they ned something to show their shareholders. In all honesty Toy Story was a big gamble. It tookalot of revenue to produce the film, and if it didn’t turn out well in the box office then who knows how Pixar would’ve ended up? size=x-small[/size] But because Toy Story was so successful, Pixar was able to proceed with the relatively expenise process of making CGI movies. And why was Toy Story Successful? Story. Lasster has reinterated that Story is king. No wonder Pixar, a company of directors who love storytelling, is so successful. Do they consider what will sell and doesn’t? sure. But it probably does not have as much of effect on the overall movie as much as it would in another studio.
). If you keep making films for movie, you’ll come of as a hack. People will spot it from a mile away.