why good enough isn't

Fark picked up a link about some of the major drama going on over at Disney Feature Entertainment . If you’re not up on things, the cheeses at Pixar have been put in charge of just about everything over at Disney including the Parks and it’s generally been heralded as pretty damn good news as Pixar has unflinchingly produced nothing but quality since 1991.

Now if you read the article, it’s slanted a bit toward the folks working at WDFA, involved in projects that are already well underway. Lasseter and his brilliant minions doing their job, as a simple question- “Why are we making this?” and then have the balls to STOP the CRAP. This disgruntles the employees that have been working very hard, and they turn to the internet to bitch, because a whiney blog is every human’s God-given right, yes?
I’m sure all the production staff would agree they don’t want to make bad movies, but WDFA hasn’t been doing that, if they had, I would expect quite a bit more hubbub from JL and crew regarding production shutdows. The problem is, when you’re working on something, something you have a lot of passion for, you’re struck blind, like Ralphie from A Christmas Story. This has happened on damn near everything I have ever worked on at some point, whether it was something I’m writing, or something I’m editing, you just can’t see the bad for the good. But if you’re not careful when you’re done, no one else is going to be able to see the good for bad. The movies coming out at Disney are okay. They probably entertain 40% of the population, given the large chunk adolescents make of the movie going public. Technically they’re well executed, but the reason I don’t go see Disney movies is because they’re just not consistantly enjoyable. If you can’t answer why you’re making the movie when the movie is being made, how do you expect audiences to answer “Why are we seeing this movie?” once it hits wide release? The stories aren’t cutting it, it’s about time someone slapped some sense into them.
Pixar has been renowned for making story king in production. They’re used to hammering away at something until every single moment of potential is played for what it’s worth. They HAVE to be because of the process they go through making their movies. If WDFA wants to be great again, it’s a model they should take to heart. I have no doubt that if every film produced and released today went through even 1/4th of the craft Pixar puts in, that we’d really be in another golden age of film.
“Good enough isn’t.” It’s a great motto, it’s a place I really want to get to, but I’m lazy like most people and I need a slap in the face every now and then to remind me. I got one of these slaps recently, on some coverage from Nickel & Dime. It stings, but you either listen or disregard it and somehow the minute you start disregarding advice is when it rears around and bites you in the ass. So back on page 1 scene 1. Plotting. Story. My effing kryptonite. I feel like Artie climbing the water tower- I want to get up there dammit, just gimme a shot to get up there, but you keep getting dragged back down. Which isn’t bad, cause I don’t want to fall to my death or anything, it’s just damned frustrating. It’s a Burger Barn, Gilbert!