Forum - View topicNEWS: Japan's Animator Labor Group Legally Incorporates
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crilix
Posts: 208 |
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This organization is nothing but a pipe dream, IMO. Corporations are free to outsource their projects to other markets while hanging on to valuable Japanese key animators.
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DmonHiro
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I for one, hope that working conditions will improve for the japanese animators. Hey...a guy can dream, right?
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tlsmith1963
Posts: 100 |
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They barely make more than I make in a year! It's disgusting. I am all for this. There are some incredibly talented people in the anime industry & they deserve better.
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Dargonxtc
 Posts: 4463 Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋 |
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This is really a follow up of the last story. If I remember correctly, it's plan is to get as many key animators, big names and small, on board as possible so that it would be difficult to pick and choose. Or in others words, get enough key's involved that they would basically have to outsource the entire animation if they don't want to deal with the union. My fear is that is exactly what will happen. |
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xstylus
 Posts: 272 |
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You beat me to it. Yes, that's precisely what would happen. In fact, it's happening now because the $30,000/yr companies pay animators (at least, the lucky ones) is still seen as too much. Notice a lot of Korean names in the credits of your favorite shows lately? |
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enurtsol
 Posts: 14889 |
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Japanese animation is experiencing the runaway production that started to American animation 3 decades ago.
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Carl Horn
Posts: 90 |
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I don't mean to say what should be obvious, but unless any of us are workaday animators in Japan, JAniCA understands the risks of job loss to outsourcing better than anyone here. And those risks exist whether they organize or not. The first thing Hayao Miyazaki did when he joined the anime industry was to organize the animators; not just in the studio, but marching down the street. He saw that an artist was also a worker, and he believed he would be a better artist, and make better art, by struggling for better pay and conditions as a worker; by standing up for himself and his profession.
JAniCA wants to call attention to the contradiction between Japan taking recent pride in its anime industry, and the situation for the Japanese who make this anime. JAniCA knows they've got an uphill battle. But if you're a fan of Japanese animation, don't you have any admiration or respect for the Japanese who animated it--I mean, as actual people, who have to pay rent and buy groceries? Don't you think they deserve better lives, as we would all like to have? If you have doubts, I'm sure they have them too. But at least they're going to fight. And I think the least we can do is express support, not dismiss them as doomed. |
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enurtsol
Posts: 14889 |
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Well, it's known that Miyazaki is a closet communist (as many influenced by 1960s Japan activisms) but eventually got disillusioned by it, as can be noticed throughout the decade it took him working on the Nausicaa manga. 
Oh, we support them. We just think anime will never be the same. Ironically, what makes anime so pervasive among fandom is because it's relatively done dirt cheap. The more money involved, the less creative control there would be. It's an interesting dilemma. |
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hikaru004
 Posts: 2306 |
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It was a battle for the American unions too. So go JAniCA!
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VLOXY
 Posts: 41 Location: Texas |
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I am sure with these brilliant minds, Ashida, Paprika director Satoshi Kon, and Eureka Seven director Tomoki Kyoda, they should be able to come up with a solution.
I for one was personally inspired by the way Project Eureka was originally organized and I feel with a little tweaking, similar models can be implemented throughout the industry. A lot of that organization seems to have also come from Bandai Entertainment. HOWEVER... The major issue will become technology, where superior computers/servers will continue to maximize efficiency without the need for people. Meaning, like the prepress industry, the workflows will begin to do the common tasks, thus eroding away at the base needs for those type of people who used to complete those tasks. That will ineviatably result in a "higher paid" workforce because through consolidation and layoffs, the number of people working in anime will dwindle to the most talented remaining, thus resulting in an overall higher pay average. It is sad that some of these people are currently making $30,000 a year. The cost of living in Japan is much higher than the United States and inflation will continue to increase as commodity prices skyrocket as the only investment vehicle that is safe in a turbulent and dwindling marketplace. There are answers to all of these problems though. |
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kusanagi-sama
 Posts: 1723 Location: Wichita Falls, TX |
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Of course, that is why animation (the quality of what was drawn) from the 70's to early 80's was so poor |
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tlsmith1963
Posts: 100 |
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Yeah, I'm seeing the usual cynicism that is a huge part of this era expressed here: "Nothing can be done, so why fight?" It's no wonder that things are so screwed up when people talk themselves out of fighting back. I always applaud anyone who stands up & fights the system. There aren't enough people like that these days. Go, Japanese animators! 
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Dargonxtc
Posts: 4463 Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋 |
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Of course I do! But I still have fears. I'm still allowed to have fears aren't I Carl?!
I agree that the people in charge are very well aware of outsourcing issues. I would also note that being a genuis of animation doesn't mean one is a genuis of business or of politics. I would also note being passionate about something, or even being right about something, doesn't necessarily net you the end results that you desire. I would also suggest, contrary to popular belief of the young folks these days, that the only way to fight "the man" is to publically organize to get what you want and/or need. In the whole fandom that prides itself on creativity, people seem to only see things in black or white, or in a singular way, ignoring all other realms of possibilities. Look no further than the quality of products of most of the American unions. And as an end-user of this particular product, I have a right to want the highest possible quality, hence why have the right to have fear that said quality will be affected in what may be a permanent manner. Look, when this news first broke several months ago, I am going to say the same thing I did then. I hope they succeed, I really do. It is obvious to me that many in the industry are under compensated. And of course I want the human on the supply side to be treated fairly. And maybe this is the only way any change will happen. Maybe all such other options that I was talking about, have been tried and exhausted(though I doubt it). But it is dangerous ground that is being tread on here. And one which relies so much upon the quality of workmanship that one puts into it. I just hope they solve things instead of make a mess. Which is at least a 50% probability. And I hope we have well compensated animators, instead of none. |
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