Reorganization brings cuts in Disney animation
Last Update: 8:21 PM ET Dec 1, 2006
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Walt Disney Co. said late Friday it was cutting an unspecified number of jobs at its animation division, citing a new staffing system in which each of the company's future films will have its own production schedule.
The company said it was eliminating "a number" of current positions and said once notices go out, employees would have 60 days to find new employment. Sources outside the company said Disney would be cutting roughly 160 jobs.
"After a careful review process, the management team at Walt Disney Animation has determined that each film will dictate its own appropriate production schedule," a company statement said. "The result of this necessitated a reduction in staff."
DIS, , ) officials could not be reached for comment.
Steve Hulett, business representative for the animators guild, said it appears the reductions will amount to about 20% of its current animation work force of 800. Actual numbers had yet to be released by Disney, though, he pointed out.
"I've known about it for some time," Hulett said. "Disney told me a few weeks ago there would be layoffs."
Hulett said Disney's new production schedules mean it likely will stretch out the time it takes for each feature to be finished by several months.
The reductions come on top of the more than 600 animation jobs the company cut in 2000 and 2002, when it closed studios outside its main facility in Burbank. But Disney acquired Pixar, the computer-animated specialist based in the San Francisco Bay area, earlier this year.
Hulett said the expanding animation work force, particularly in computer-generated films, should be able to absorb most of those cut in the Disney reductions.
Russ Britt is the Los Angeles bureau chief for MarketWatch.
Last Update: 8:21 PM ET Dec 1, 2006
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Walt Disney Co. said late Friday it was cutting an unspecified number of jobs at its animation division, citing a new staffing system in which each of the company's future films will have its own production schedule.
The company said it was eliminating "a number" of current positions and said once notices go out, employees would have 60 days to find new employment. Sources outside the company said Disney would be cutting roughly 160 jobs.
"After a careful review process, the management team at Walt Disney Animation has determined that each film will dictate its own appropriate production schedule," a company statement said. "The result of this necessitated a reduction in staff."
DIS, , ) officials could not be reached for comment.
Steve Hulett, business representative for the animators guild, said it appears the reductions will amount to about 20% of its current animation work force of 800. Actual numbers had yet to be released by Disney, though, he pointed out.
"I've known about it for some time," Hulett said. "Disney told me a few weeks ago there would be layoffs."
Hulett said Disney's new production schedules mean it likely will stretch out the time it takes for each feature to be finished by several months.
The reductions come on top of the more than 600 animation jobs the company cut in 2000 and 2002, when it closed studios outside its main facility in Burbank. But Disney acquired Pixar, the computer-animated specialist based in the San Francisco Bay area, earlier this year.
Hulett said the expanding animation work force, particularly in computer-generated films, should be able to absorb most of those cut in the Disney reductions.
Russ Britt is the Los Angeles bureau chief for MarketWatch.
I can't beleive they are cutting more jobs in this division again.