ethan

Merry Christmas

Tomorrow is Christmas. Allison and I are driving to LA to finalize a lot of Wedding plans. It's been crazy the last few weeks, and it's going to get a lot crazier in the next few weeks. Trying to plan a wedding and going through crunch mode on Shrek 2 has been very hard. But it'll all be worth it. That's my excuse for not keeping this blog updated. I'm just glad we managed to fit our wedding inbetween Shrek 2 and Madagascar. I just don't want to think about my shots as I walk down the isle:)

So Merry Christmas friends and family. If you can't reach us by phone that's because we're on the road. We leave early tomorrow morning. I hope Santa can keep up with us.

Way Too Cool 2003 International TV Adds

Americans are a queasy lot. Or at least that's how television Network executives see us. You'd think we were a country of puritans. Other contrast seem to think that their inhabitants are intelligent people. Here is a web-page that lists 2003's top international adds that you'll never see in the "Home of the Free"

http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=39422

I found them to be very entertaining. Especially the first one!

Bush in 30 Seconds

What do Jack Black, Moby, Margaret Cho, Al Franken, Eddie Vedder and Michel More all have in common. They're all judges of the film competition: Bush in 30 Seconds. Send in your anti bush add and let it be judged. The winner will be professionally produced and placed on TV. You can view the adds and vote for yourself here:

http://www.bushin30seconds.org/

You can only watch 20 a day. So far I've seen a lot of good ones, and a few stinkers. Nothing that stands out as the best. I'm impressed as to how many of them are well done.

Cool QuickTime

This is a nice QuickTime a friend from work made:


http://www.ingredientx.com/watch/tales/protege.htm

Google search

Try this:

Type: miserable failure

Into Google, and hit "I'm Feeling Lucky"

It's all true!!

Walt Disney returned from the afterlife today, and made a brief but
memorable appearance at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.
Addressing a stunned audience of execs who had gathered at a hastily
organized damage control meeting, Walt admonished them severely before
storming off to his cryogenic chamber for the remainder of eternity.
" YOU FU#@ERS!",Walt screamed, obviously chagrined at the way top
management has taken the once iconic brand and made it into" a paragon
of self serving greed, corner-cutting, and criminally bad taste".
"YOU FILTHY CORRUPT MOTHERFU$#ERS!" Walt exclaimed, as creative
executives dove for cover, cowering under tables and whispering "who the
hell is that? " to each other.
" GREEDY SONS OF BITCHES, I SHOULD TORCH THIS PLACE!" he screamed
while flying about the Rotunda in a rage not seen at the studio since
his nephew Roy first laid eyes upon the abomination that was Wildlife.
"HOW DARE YOU CALL THIS DISNEY STUDIOS!" yelled Walt at the top of his
smoke-ravaged lungs.
Michael Eisner, chairman of the board and CEO of the Walt Disney
Company embraced the unscheduled visit from Walt and stated " Walt is
justifyably proud of what we have done to bring his legacy forward into
the twenty first century. Our future as a provider of quasi-quality
imported cheap family entertainment is the envy of the industry".
Witnesses claim that Walt's ghost flew into an apoplectic rage at this
comment, and threatened to "BRING DOWN THIS VERMINOUS HOUSE OF STINKING
RATS"
This was obviously reference to another rodent by the name of Mickey,
who unknown to most in attendance was once a symbol of the company.
Only the interferance of members of Eisners board of directors
prevented Walt from "kicking Holy Hell" out of the smiling Eisner,
claimed one insider.
"We held a Disney DVD copy of Bambi Two available June 2004 in front
of Walts ghost, and he appeared to visibly weaken and diminish in power.
" You vicious.. tasteless..bastards", croaked Walt, " you fu$%ed with
Bambi..."
Eisner thanked Walt for his words of incouragment at a later press
conference, stating
" We have always believed that Walt is still with us", Eisner stated
while patting his plastic and alumium heart. " His vision, his love of
children and of qulity marketing and product leaverage as well as his
belief in the fair and equitable remuneration for fiscal performance
has been clearly demonstrated today.

Holly *#&@ Roy Disney Leaves Disney and Calls for Eisner to do the same thing:

For years Disney has been in a bad situation, but this signals things are worse then we thought. Here's an article about the resignation:


http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Business/ap20031201_349.html

And here's his resignation letter:





Courtesy of Animation Nation

November 30, 2003

Mr. Michael D. Eisner, Chairman
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Dear Michael,

It is with deep sadness and regret that i send you this letter of
resignation from the Walt Disney Company, both as Chairman of the
Feature Animation Division and as Vice Chairman of the Board of
Directors.

You well know that you and I have had serious differences of opinion
about the direction and style of management in the company in recent
years. For whatever reason, you have driven a wedge between me and
those
I work with even to the extent of requiring some of my associates to
report my conversations and activities to you. I find this intolerable.

Finally, you discussed with the Nominating Committee of the Board of
Directors its decision to leave my name off the slate of directors to
be
elected in the coming year, effectively muzzling my voice on the Board
–
much as you did with Andrea Van de Kamp last year.

Michael, I believe your conduct has resulted from my clear and
unambiguous statements to you and the Board of Directors that after 19
years at the helm you are no longer the best person to run the Walt
Disney Company. You had a very successful first 10-plus years at the
company in partnership with Frank Wells, for which I salute you. But
since Frank’s untimely death in 1994, the company has lost its focus,
its creative energy, and its heritage.

As I have said, and as Stanley Gold has documented in letters to you
and
other members of the Board, this Company under your leadership has
failed during the last seven years in many ways:

1. The failure to bring back ABC Prime Time from the ratings abyss it
has been in for years and your inability to program successfully the
ABC
Family Channel. Both of these failures have had, and I believe will
continue to have, significant adverse impact on shareholder value.

2. Your consistent micro-management of everyone around you with the
resulting loss of morale throughout this company.

3. The timidity of your investments in our theme park business. At
Disney’s California Adventure, Paris, and now Hong Kong, you have tried
to build parks on the cheap and they show it and the attendance figures
reflect it.

4. The perception by our stakeholders –consumers, investors, employees,
distributors and suppliers – that the Company is rapacious, soul-less,
and always looking for the “quick buck” rather than long-term value
which is leading to a loss of public trust.

5. The creative brain drain of the last several years, which is real
and
continuing, and damages our Company with the loss of every talented
employee.

6. Your failure to establish and build constructive relationships with
creative partners, especially Pixar, Miramax, and the cable companied
distributing our products.

7. Your consistent refusal to establish a clear succession plan.

In conclusion, Michael, it is my sincere belief that it is you who
should be leaving and not me. Accordingly, I once again call for your
resignation or retirement. The Walt Disney Company deserves fresh,
energetic leadership at this challenging time in its history just as it
did in 1984 when I headed a restructuring which resulted in your
recruitment to the Company.

I have and will always have an enormous allegiance and respect for this
Company, founded by my uncle, Walt, and father, Roy, and to our
faithful
employees and loyal stockholders. I don’t know if you and other
directors can comprehend how painful it is for me and the extended
Disney family to arrive at this decision.

In accordance with Item 6 of Form 8-K and Item 7 of Schedule 14A, I
request that you disclose this letter and that you file a copy of this
letter as an exhibit to a Company Form 8-K.

With sincere regrets,
Roy E. Disney

Cc: Board of Directors