The Hobbit in hot water with the unions...

[Craig W. Bickerstaff]

Matt, was the UAW representing the needs of auto workers when they drove GM and Chrysler over a cliff and killed tens of thousands of jobs?

GM and Chrysler were crappy companies who refused to innovate or make decent cars don't blame their downfall on unions Ford did just fine and they have the same Unions working for them.

 

[Matt W.]

It's frustrating because I agree that there's a huge problem with the American economy, and I think the free market is a great ideal to strive toward. I also think Communism is a fine ideal, but I don't believe either system works at all left entirely to its own devices. For an economy to function you need enough separation between the rich and poor to motivate people to work hard but enough equanimity between the two for there to be a working/middle class to support the local economy (and if that means unions, so be it). When a company outsources workers or severely reduces wages it may help its bottom line but it also reduces consumer spending because the money is no longer in the hands of local consumers, which hurts the economy more broadly and leads to large-scale economic collapse...sometimes.

In the 1950s we had a 90% tax bracket and corporations were not recognized under law as having the same rights as citizens. The American economy was booming. The only times in recent history when taxes on the wealthy were as they low as they are today and economics skewed closer to laissez-faire capitalism were immediately before the Great Depression and immediately before the stock market crash in the early 1990s, also leading up to the current recession.

Gah, politics. Sorry.

 

[D Fuller]

Matt, was the UAW representing the needs of auto workers when they drove GM and Chrysler over a cliff and killed tens of thousands of jobs?

At the risk of repeating myself... All you have to do is to look at Ford and GM to see that the unions are not the root of the problem in American auto manufacturing. Bad management is. Ford and GM both deal with the UAW, but Ford needed no bailout, was profitable the year after the crash, and is making better cars than any American company has made in a long time. They deal with the same markets and the same union. Ford just has better management than GM.

 

[Craig W. Bickerstaff]

At the risk of repeating myself... All you have to do is to look at Ford and GM to see that the unions are not the root of the problem in American auto manufacturing. Bad management is. Ford and GM both deal with the UAW, but Ford needed no bailout, was profitable the year after the crash, and is making better cars than any American company has made in a long time. They deal with the same markets and the same union. Ford just has better management than GM.

Exactly, it's not about wages it's about people getting greedy and focusing on short term profits over innovation with little disregard for the long term consequences.
Foreign companies making more reliable cars with better milage for example.

Sadly this seems to have become a trend amongst american business leaders.

 

[Brad Webb]

It's easy for management to shift the blame for lower profits to labor costs. Especially when it is mismanagement that is the actual cause. Lots of the money is wasted at the top, before it ever gets to the workers.

Large companies routinely lay off workers to make certain profit marks for short term stock market gain, when the same amount of money if not more could be saved if it were not spent on ridiculous bonuses for those sitting at the top.

 

[Zakaree Sandberg]

Lame. It's not popular to say on a film forum, but unions are causing devastation for many industries in this new global economy,

nail on the head.. take a look at detroit city...
not a fan of labor unions

 

[Jody Neckles]

How many times have huge budget films made astronomical amounts of money (largely thanks to the VFX) in the box office only to see half of the VFX companies who worked on them go bankrupt? That's what happens when you can't organize. You undercut so that you can at least slow the inevitable but that undercutting brings everybody else down with you.

Indeed, VFX companies should be charging MUCH MUCH MUCH more for VFX especially for creating action movies like Transformers. People go to see Transformers for the robots NOT Megan Fox and so VFX houses should be charging the premium fees A listers are charging.... in fact the whole VFX industry would benefit from working together more so they can negotiate better fees with the studios. This whole undercutting thing is damaging our industry and becoming a mugs game...

Alternatively they could do what Pixar have done and create their own content from conception to delivery..... that way they only answers to themselves (and investors where applicable)....

 

[Craig W. Bickerstaff]

Alternatively they could do what Pixar have done and create their own content from conception to delivery..... that way they only answers to themselves (and investors where applicable)....

They tried commercials early on but apparently it wasn't profitable.

On a side note ILM and Transformers? Maybe not the best example, they aren't exactly cheap over at ILM.

 

[Mark Collins]

May I suggest the Canadian shield for a location? beautiful rock formations.

I agree with this wholeheartedly....that way I can work on it. DGC GAP has it's uses

 

[Filip Orlandic]

The New York Times is busting out major headlines today: First with the revelation that ‘The Hobbit’ films will be filmed in 3-D, and now, all but confirming Peter Jackson will direct the two ‘prequels.’ (Woo Hoo!!! – Sorry, had to get that in there) According Michael Cieply’s article, an announcement to this affect will be coming in the next few days.

Mr. Jackson, who is a producer and writer of the two “Hobbit” films, agreed also to become their director after Mr. del Toro left the project earlier this year, citing the delays. Mr. Jackson’s agreement to direct the movies has been in place but hasn’t formally closed because it depends on the studios’ willingness to begin production soon, according to people briefed on his status.

The first “Hobbit” film is expected to be released in mid-December 2012, the second a year later. Mr. Jackson has said he can direct the films only if those release dates can be met.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/02/movies/02hobbit.html?_r=2

Epics are warming up !!! :hurray: