layoffs round three - FIGHT!
Now playing: Various - Decorum / Contrax (Weapon Rmx)
Well theres been another round of layoffs at me ole haunt of workplace of ADV Films. Which ya know, I guess I shouldn't really care about honestly. But hey ya know sometimes ya remember folks, old people you've worked with etc. Lotta good times made in the house of ADV. I remember the good times and the bad. I hate to see people get axed but it happens. I'm not really sure what the state of the biz is at the moment. But hell lets take a shot at ADV shall we? Let's look and see.
Now lets first say the following: I worked at ADV from 1995 or was it 1996 to 2000 or was it 2001. Anyways. I was there in the early days sub 15 people. Now its grown and massive into the vision you see today. Sure on the surface its all very magical, the people and lives underneath, thats the gusto ya know. Am I bitter? Not really. I left ADV, they didnt fire me. There was just nothing left to do. I edited animation, created trailers, worked on the early websites, was the original content o matic, created marketing materials, dare i say aided in aqusition reccomendations and more. ADV was force back in 1997-98, those were the unstoppable years of development of the brand. Today if anything i'm mifted to see whats become of the unstoppable brand i like to think i had a hand in crafting. So grant me this soap box folks. Its totally different than what I do now, I agree. You really cant compare anime to research. But the general marketing aspect of both industries still work for me. I'm still translating something into something else and making it kick ass as I go.
Are you an Anime ADVocate? Thats one problem I had with ADV back in the days I worked there. I always felt the spine of ADV was far too flexible. They just bended every which way far too easily really. The language of the brand was never strong enough to make a statement, nothing original really pressed to the surface. And when it did, it never came from management or marketing.. it always came to surface from a fan. Fans make the industry go as a whole but they are the first to leave you in the dust if you don't pay attention to them. Are you an Anime ADVocate? The name ADV was never something I really liked as well. ABC, EFG, ahhh well. I mean yer an anime provider, latch on to some spice ya know. Get a voice, claim some space and project yourself.
John (the CEO, though i've head its now a kind of hive mind at work at ADV) has always a stickler for policy, proceedure despite its true need in my opinion. Check out policy at the site. Damn. Thats the first thing that comes to mind. I'm suprised there isnt a cool flash animation dude magic button with breasts on it to get this page really. T&A was like policy back in the 90's you could do no wrong with a little T&A.
I suppose it is all just proceedure but my god man. I like all the different trademarks as well, ADVTOYS, ADVCATS, ADV<INSERTWORDANDWEWILLFINDYOUBITCH>, etc.. I love the added " From time to time we may share your email address with other ADV owned or affiliated companies....muahahhahhaha. " Its really notice overkill. So why do it? What if I choke on a tic tac while surfing the site.. maybe i could sue them.. is that covered in there as well? Ok sure so policy big deal, but why thats my point and I think it comes into the overall perception the company has as a whole of the brand itself. I mean does the compeition do this? Lets see. Take Geneon animation, ie Pioneer animation, a good solid compeitior really. Any notices of doom on board? Nope. None. Manga? Nope. Too small you say? I agree lets go bigger.. Bandai? Maybe its an old school japanese protection fetish thats occuring here, lets see: Yep they got one. Oooo I like it. Its a wee bit less in my face. Ok so weak argument, I agree, weak but nevertheless it goes into my straw hat on my issues with ADV.
Its funny. I know right now my old friends I met at ADV are reading this goin "why is he even givin a blog entry..." In fact when EX ADVer's get together we used to talk about those other folks at ABC. I just remember ADV getting renamed at some bar some night. ABC! I guess part of me wants to sit down and have a drink with the ole boss and say what is up dude? ADV was cool brand to me back then. If only it could of embraced its people, people on the inside that cared. A few egos rule at place now and it sounds like all the red tape of proceedure does everything else in as well. The biz dev guy in me wants to look at it purely from an asset aspect. What's the offering? Film wise, is there anything there? Back in late 90's ADV, any animation house was based on its value of potential pictures to release. Own it. If theres one thing ADV taught me, it was to OWN it. But owning it isnt enough in marketplace where yer competion is 10x as strong and the creators hold the key. The japanese that is. At least thats what happened at ADV. They put all the keys in japanese hands. Sure they dabbled in production efforts of their own but not nearly enough. Lady Death, Sin, good starts, you learned alot there.. you still have total lack of faith in your own people though. The paranoia of ADV still shines true today as it did back in 2000 when I left. Now the offering is increasingly difficult to present, the list of titles is limited, and outlets to get it to consumers is fading as well. Fans are overstepping your offer with thier own bit torrented files, sure theres an effort to stop that as well but still, the marketplace is bigger and your exposed as a result.
This isnt a rant about how to fix ADV. Again I dont know thier numbers, in fact I never did. And in fact i wouldnt believe any numbers i see out there now cause like anyone are based on speculation on potential to sell not actual result. So ya potentially we can millions... but whats the real number, after the costs of production hit ya.
I wanted to write this blurb while i had it in my head at the moment. I'm sorry for my last bit of friends who got the axe at ADV. It was comin, they knew it one way or another. Just like my job now, or anyones, we could all be outa work at any moment. So stay frisky and realize your worth and take claim of it. You did it. I did it.