ajmrowland wrote:SWillie! wrote:I don't understand how that isn't healthy. The film and media industry is booming, and those six companies together are employing thousands and thousands of people. That boom wouldnt be happening if it wasnt being driven by these big experienced studios, an many of those people would probably not be employed. There are still plenty of smaller companies that fill the void left after the huge corporations are taken out of the picture. The big studios and the smaller ones have healthy relationships, often collaborating on projects. Studios like Titmouse or Mercury Filmworks, which are owned and operated by individuals, have the freedom of being independent while also having the safety of working on bigger studios' projects, which are more likely to be successful than their own smaller projects. There is creativity everywhere you look, and there is profit everywhere you look. Please explain how any of this is unhealthy.
That is true, but people have a vendetta against big corporations and executives get paid and we've all said here the animators are actually underpaid and this isnt so much about economics; We're talking a huge-ass world we're living in and remember the idea of taking over the world is usually a supervillain thing.
There are a few things I'd point out. One is that the number of outlets for free speech in the media is shrinking with each new merger. Yes, right now there are 6 major studios, but when you take an honest look at the economic sides of a few of those studios, can you honestly say there will be six major studios in a decade from now? Two decades? And do we really trust all media and speech only in the hands of six major companies?
Next is creativity. Yes, these studios employ a lot of people. However, how many people they employ is lessening as demand slows down. I live in the LA area and I can't begun to tell you how many tv people I've been reading about who have lost work due to fewer new shows and most of the new shows that are made going outside of California, many of then in Canada!
Fact is, the less creative new shows and films are, the less demand there will be for them, which means the less jobs there will be. Case in point, please tell me how despite high critical praise and higher ticket prices, the "Spider-Man' re-boot did the worst at the box office out of all the Spider-Man film to-date? I could point to a number of other films as well. Fact is, theaters are not putting butts into seats, and the currently inflated ticket prices are covering that fact up. But it can't do that forever.
Further, Disney now controls two of the biggest tech employers up in the Bay Area with Pixar and LucasFilm, and are very cozy with Apple. I think it was on this forum a while ago it was pointed out how those places were teaming up for shady hiring practices. Who is to say this won't keep happening now?
There is also Disney's growing influence on government. I can tell you, Disney basically owns the Anaheim city council here in California. The more media employment they control with these mergers, the more they alone control the economy of various areas, especially here in California. Tell me that control won't lead to possible influence over government officials in those various places?
These are just a few points I share, but it's just the tip of the iceberg. Nothing good will come of this unless you own Disney stock...