Disney-Pixar vs Dreamworks | Onward and Upward | 4
发布时间 2023-03-08 08:01:00 来源
摘要
It’s 2006 and with Pixar part of Disney, Ed Catmull and John Lasseter now face the task of fixing Disney Animation Studios. And they need to fix it fast, because DreamWorks is winning at the box office.But while they strive to turn Disney Animation from has-been to hero, Hollywood’s other big studios are gearing up to take a bite out of the animated movie pie and that’s only going to dial up the competitive pressure on DreamWorks and Disney-Pixar.Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars.Support us by supporting our sponsor!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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中英文字稿
January 2006, Disney Animation Studios, Burbank, California. Pixar President Ed Catmull follows the Facilities Manager onto the basement floor. It's early morning and the studio is deserted. The Facilities Manager leads Catmull through the rows of desks belonging to Disney's animators.
2006年1月,迪士尼动画工作室位于加州伯班克。皮克斯总裁埃德·卡特穆尔跟随设施经理来到地下一层。现在是清晨,工作室里空无一人。设施经理带着卡特穆尔穿过属于迪士尼动画师的一排排桌子。
Down here, it's mostly animators. The executive offices are all on the top floor. Catmull peers at the desks as they stroll past. They're all neat, tidy and anonymous. There are no personal belongings or signs of individuality anywhere. In that worries, Catmull.
在下面,大部分都是动画师。行政办公室都在顶层。Catmull走过去时盯着桌子看。它们都整齐、干净而匿名。没有个人物品或任何个性的迹象。这让Catmull感到担忧。
Disney announced its takeover of Pixar yesterday. As part of the deal, Catmull and Pixar creative chief John Lasseter now also run Disney's troubled animation studio. So Catmull is here to assess the scale of the challenge they've taken on.
迪士尼昨天宣布收购皮克斯。作为交易的一部分,卡姆尔和皮克斯的创意总监约翰·拉塞特现在也负责迪士尼陷入困境的动画工作室。因此,卡姆尔在这里来评估他们所面临的挑战规模。
Catmull turns to the Facilities Manager. You know, at Pixar, everybody gets to personalize their workspace. They're full of family photos, toys, knickknacks. The Facilities Manager shrugs. And folks, different strokes, I guess. Catmull isn't so sure. This is supposed to be a place of creativity, a dream factory where animators bring stories to life to delight moviegoers.
Catmull对着设施经理说,你知道,在皮克斯,每个人都可以个性化他们的工作空间。它们充满了家庭照片,玩具,小饰品。设施经理耸耸肩。我想每个人都有不同的想法吧。但是Catmull不确定。这应该是一个创造力的地方,一个梦想工厂,动画师们通过他们的故事来让观众感到快乐。
Instead, this place feels lifeless. He presses the Facilities Manager again. Oh, come on, you're telling me the animators here don't want to personalize their desks? No way. Is there some policy against it? The Facilities Manager looks embarrassed. There's no policy against it. It's...look, the truth is everyone was told to clear their desks ahead of your visit to make you...well, I don't know. You know, make a good impression.
相反的,这里感觉毫无生气。他再次向设施经理施压。哦,别这样,你是在告诉我这里的动画师不想个性化他们的桌子吗?不可能。有什么政策反对吗?设施经理显得有些尴尬。没有任何政策反对。实际上,事实是在你造访之前,大家都被告知要清空他们的桌子,这样可以...嗯,我不知道。你懂的,给你留下好印象。
Catmull isn't reassured. To him, this attempt to impress reveals that Disney Animation is a studio driven by fear. They're so terrified of making mistakes that they're worried what will happen if their new boss hates the decor. Catmull suspects this play at safe culture is suffocating creativity, and the reason why Disney is making animated movies that leave audiences...unmoved.
Catmull 不感到放心。在他看来,这种试图打动人的举动展示了迪士尼动画是一个由恐惧驱动的工作室。他们如此害怕犯错误,以至于担心他们的新老板会讨厌装饰。Catmull 怀疑这种玩安全的文化会扼杀创造力,并是迪士尼制作没有感染力的动画电影的原因。
As Catmull continues his tour, he sees more and more signs of cultural decay at Disney Animation. Low-appressive ceilings, secretarial cubicles arrange like barricades in front of the executive suite, and regime where senior executives constantly second-guess every creative decision. But Catmull believes he and Lasseter can fix Disney's stricken studio. And if they can, DreamWorks is going to need more help than Shrek to keep up with the House of Mouse.
当 Catmull 继续参观时,他发现迪士尼动画公司有越来越多文化衰退的迹象。房顶低,秘书办公室像壁垒一样排列在执行套房前面,高级主管经常对每个创意决策进行反复商议的管理。但是 Catmull 认为他和 Lasseter 可以修复迪士尼遭受打击的工作室。如果他们能够做到,梦工厂将需要比仅仅依靠《史瑞克》更多的帮助,才能跟上这个老鼠之家的步伐。
Hi, I'm Sarah Haggy, co-host of Wonderree's podcast Scample Inswers. In our recent two-part series, Three Weddings and a Funeral, we dive into the story of a German con man who built an entire life on fake names, lies, and schemes, and the unlikely true-kind twist that brought this decades-long charade crashing down. Listen to Scample Inswers on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
嗨,我是Sarah Haggy,Wonderree播客Scample Inswers的联合主持人。在我们最近的两集系列节目“Three Weddings and a Funeral”中,我们深入探讨了一个德国骗子的故事,他用假名字、谎言和阴谋建造了整个生活,以及那个不大可能的真正良善的转折点,将这几十年的骗局带向了崩溃的边缘。在Amazon Music或你获取播客的地方收听Scample Inswers。
From Wonderree, I'm David Brown and this is Business Wars. From the last episode, Disney and DreamWorks went all in on computer animation. Disney bought Pixar and the stock market punished DreamWorks for its overblown sales projections. Now, Pixar's Ed Catmull and John Lasseter are out to resuscitate Disney animation and amp up the competitive pressure on DreamWorks. And that means DreamWorks needs some new moves to stay in contention.
我是David Brown,来自Wonderree节目,这里是商战。在上一集中,迪士尼与梦工厂均推崇计算机动画技术。迪士尼收购了皮克斯,但因为梦工厂夸大的销售预测,股市惩罚了他们。现在,皮克斯的Ed Catmull与John Lasseter准备重振迪士尼动画并加大对梦工厂的竞争压力。这意味着梦工厂需要一些新动作才能保持竞争力。
This is Episode 4, Onward and Upward.
这是第四集,继续向前走。
Fall 2006, Disney Animation Studios, California. Disney picks our co-director, John Lasseter, strolled into the meeting room. He's wearing a Hawaiian shirt covered in cartoon dogs and clutching a cup of coffee.
2006年秋天,迪士尼动画工作室在加利福尼亚。迪士尼挑选了我们的联合导演约翰·拉西特,他漫步进入会议室。他穿着印有卡通狗的夏威夷衬衫,手握一杯咖啡。
Morning, everyone. How are you all doing? Oh, hi, John. I love pretty good things. Nice shirt, John. The Disney staff in the room smile at Lasseter. Most of them belong to the team working on Disney's upcoming movie, American Dog.
大家早上好,你们都好吗?噢,你好,约翰。我喜欢漂亮的东西。你的衬衫很漂亮,约翰。迪士尼的员工在房间里微笑着对拉西特表示欢迎。他们大部分人都是参与迪士尼即将上映的电影《美国狗》的团队。
But behind their smiles, they're braced for a bruising. American Dog will be the first test of whether Pixar can rejuvenate Disney animation. But at its most recent test screening, the audience gave the movie a big thumbs down.
虽然他们面带微笑,但内心却做好了准备迎接挫折。《美国狗》将是皮克斯重振迪士尼动画的首次考验。但在最近的试映中,观众却对这部电影表现出了极大的不满。
So, Lasseter's called in Disney Animation's most experienced filmmakers to help the American dog team review the movie and figure out ways to make it better. Pixar's used this approach for years. The theory is that these candid meetings help the filmmakers solve problems with their movies.
拉瑟特召集了迪士尼动画公司最有经验的电影制片人来协助美国的狗队审查这部电影,并找出改进的方法。皮克斯多年来一直采用这种方法。理论是这样的坦诚会议可以帮助电影制作人解决电影中的问题。
At Pixar, this advisory group is called the Brain Trust. At Disney, they're calling it the Story Trust. Lasseter sits down and sips his coffee. He wants to ease the Disney crew into the unfamiliar Story Trust process. So he starts sugarcoding the situation.
在Pixar,这个顾问小组被称为“Brain Trust”,而在迪士尼,他们被称为“Story Trust”。拉瑟特(Lasseter)坐下来品尝了一口咖啡,他想要缓和迪士尼的团队进入这个陌生的“Story Trust”(故事信托)流程。因此,他开始将该情况进行美化陈述。
OK, the test screening wasn't great. But there are positives. The core idea of a dog that doesn't realize he's a TV show actor. So he believes his on-screen superpowers are real. That's neat, right? That's your emotional depth right there. He has to discover who he really is after discovering his whole world was alive, right? The Disney team exchanges glances. They're confused. They know that their movie sucks, so why is Lasseter telling them it doesn't?
好的,试映感觉不太好。但是还是有一些积极的地方。核心的想法是一只狗狗不知道自己是电视节目演员,因此他相信屏幕上的超能力是真实的。这是挺有趣的吧?这就是你们的情感深度了。他必须在发现整个世界都是真实的之后发现自己真正的身份,对吧?迪士尼团队互相交换了一下眼神。他们感到困惑。他们知道自己的电影烂透了,那么为什么拉塞特告诉他们不是呢?
Lasseter sips his coffee again. He's got thoughts on how to fix American dog, but he doesn't want to issue orders. The Story Trust is supposed to be about the team figuring out the solutions themselves. He looks at the team. So what do you all think? Can we make this movie better? The team doesn't know what to say. They thought American dog needed major changes, but Lasseter seems to think it's OK. And none of them want to challenge his assessment.
拉瑟特再次喝一口咖啡。他有关于如何改善《美国狗》的想法,但他不想发号施令。故事团队应该是团队自己想出解决方案。他看着团队。那么,你们都认为可以让这部电影更好吗?团队不知道该说什么。他们认为《美国狗》需要进行重大改变,但拉瑟特似乎认为它还可以。而且他们都不想挑战他的评估。
After all, Disney just paid several billion dollars for Pixar, in large part, so it could get Lasseter to shake up Disney animation. The Disney employees offer superficial suggestions. Lasseter leaves the meeting, disappointed. He thought the Story Trust approach would ignite change at Disney, but after years of being overruled by senior executives, Disney's animators are wary of voicing their own opinions. And changing that culture will take time.
毕竟,迪士尼为了能够让拉瑟特振兴迪士尼动画,付了几十亿美元收购皮克斯。然而,在会议上,迪士尼的员工只是提供了一些表面的建议。拉瑟特离开了会议,感到失望。他原以为Story Trust方法能够点燃迪士尼的变革,但在多年被高层领导否决的经历之后,迪士尼的动画师们对于表达自己的观点感到谨慎。要改变那种文化需要时间。
Time American dog doesn't have. Disney's already inked promotional and merchandising deals worth tens of millions of dollars based on American dog being released in fall 2008, delaying the movie isn't an option. So with the clock ticking, Lasseter seizes control and orders a total reboot of the movie. It'll now be called Bolt, and will be rebuilt from scratch in just 18 months. And almost nothing from the original version will survive.
迪士尼为《美国狗》的推出签署了价值数千万美元的促销和商品化协议,推迟电影的上映时间并不是一种可选方案。因此,随着时间的紧迫,拉塞特接管了控制权,并下令彻底重启电影。现在,它将被称为《闪电狗》,并将在短短18个月内从头开始重新制作。原始版本中几乎没有什么会幸存下来。
But Bolt's not the only project causing concern inside Disney. June 27, 2007. The Carmike 15 movie theater, rally North Carolina. In the foyer, a Disney researcher checks her watch. It reads 8.48 pm. She turns to her colleagues. Movie's almost over. It's show time. She and her team fan out across the foyer.
不过,博尔特并不是在迪士尼内部引起关注的唯一项目。2007年6月27日,在北卡罗来纳聚集的卡迈克15影院里,一个迪士尼的研究员在前厅查看手表。时间是晚上8点48分,她转向同事。电影快要结束了,开始表演时间到了。她和团队在前厅四处张开。
There are grid clipboards and ready to record the views of the moviegoers who just watched an early screening of Pixar's latest movie, Radatouille. Radatouille goes nationwide in two days time, and Disney's sweating bullets about it. The film cost $150 million to make, but movies about rats have a poor track record.
这里有格栅夹板准备记录最新的皮克斯电影《料理鼠王》的观众看法。《料理鼠王》即将在两天内全国上映,迪士尼非常担心。这部电影制作成本高达1.5亿美元,但以老鼠为主题的电影的票房记录并不好。
Last fall, Dreamworks released its own rat movie, Flushed Away, and watched $106 million disappears down the drain. But the rats, not the only problem. Most Americans are unfamiliar with the French dish that gave Radatouille its name. So much so, the Disney's having to use the movie's posters to teach people how to pronounce it.
去年秋天,梦工厂发布了自己的老鼠电影《驱动奔腾》,但只赚了1.06亿美元。不过,老鼠并不是唯一的问题。大多数美国人不熟悉这个给《料理鼠王》命名的法国菜品。以至于迪士尼不得不使用电影海报来教导人们如何发音。
The merchandising strategy is the engruble too. Pixar's last movie, Cars, delivered billions of dollars in toy sales. But Radatouille doesn't lend itself to merchandising deals. This plan to sell Radatouille branded wine fell apart after accusations that it would encourage underage drinking. And if that wasn't bad enough, Dreamworks Shrek III came out last month, and audiences are still packing cinemas to see it.
销售策略也是一个难题。Pixar 的最新电影《赛车总动员》在玩具销售方面获得了数十亿美元的收益。但是,电影《料理鼠王》并不适合进行商品推销。一项销售鼠王品牌葡萄酒的计划因被指会鼓励未成年饮酒而崩溃了。而且,上个月梦工厂的《史瑞克三》上映了,观众们仍然涌向电影院观看它,这让情况变得更糟。
So Disney's resorted to hosting hundreds of advanced screenings of Radatouille across the nation. And an attempt to build some buzz about Pixar's story of a rat that cooks. The screen doors open, and people pour into the foyer. Among them? Two parents, a couple of kids in tow. That was great. I know. Who'd have thought you could make a rat cute?
迪士尼开始在全国范围内举办数百场《料理鼠王》的高级别放映,试图为皮克斯讲述一只料理老鼠的故事制造话题。屏幕门打开,人们涌入门厅。其中有两位父母,带着几个孩子。太棒了,我知道,谁能想到一只老鼠也可以这么可爱呢?
The Disney researcher steps forward clipboard at the ready. Um, excuse me. I'm doing research for Disney. Could you spare a moment to share your thoughts on Radatouille? Well, only if it's quick. You know, it's past bedtime for these little ones. Just two questions. First, on a scale of one to ten, how much did you enjoy the movie? Uh, I'd say a nine. And would you recommend Radatouille to your friends and family? A hundred percent. In fact, I'd like to see it again.
迪士尼的研究员拿着剪贴板走过来。抱歉打扰了,我正在为迪士尼进行研究。你能花一点时间分享一下你对《料理鼠王》的想法吗?只有很短的时间。你知道,这些小家伙该去睡觉了。只有两个问题。第一个,你在十分满分制下给这部电影打几分?我会给它九分。你会向你的朋友和家人推荐《料理鼠王》吗?绝对百分之百。事实上,我想再看一遍。
The researcher smiles. It seems like the advanced screening plan might just work. But it's still tough sledding for Radatouille.
研究员微笑着说道。看起来先进的筛选计划可能会奏效。但对于Ratatouille来说仍然是艰难的前路。
Despite critical acclaim, its opening weekend haul of $47 million is the lowest for a Pixar movie since a bug's life nine years earlier. But while America struggles with Radatouille, the rest of the world embraces it.
尽管备受好评,但《料理鼠王》的首映周末收入仅有4700万美元,是自9年前的《虫虫危机》以来皮克斯电影中最低的。然而,虽然美国观众对《料理鼠王》尚存争议,但全球其他地区都热情欢迎它。
By the end of its worldwide box office run, Radatouille will have out-earned both Monsters Inc. and The Incredibles.. But that's not enough to beat Dreamworks.
到全球票房销售结束时,《美食总动员》的总收入将会超过《怪物电力公司》和《超人总动员》。但这还不足以超过Dreamworks。
For the past three years, Dreamworks animated movies have grossed more than Disney and Pixar combined. That's not about to change. In 2007, Dreamworks releases two animated features. Shrek the Third and D-movie. Together, they generate box office revenues of $1.1 billion. The Pixar ends the year $300 million behind.
在过去的三年中,梦工厂的动画电影的总票房收入超过了迪士尼和皮克斯的总和。这种情况不会改变。2007年,梦工厂推出了两部动画电影,分别是《史瑞克三》和《D电影》。两部电影共计创造了11亿美元的票房收入,而皮克斯仅有3亿美元的票房收入。
But Disney hopes 2008 will turn the tide. In June, Dreamworks and Pixar go head-to-head for box office glory. Dreamworks throws the first punch with help from an unlikely hero. I'm coming! Oh, the Kung Fu Panda.
但迪士尼希望2008年扭转局势。在6月份,梦工厂和皮克斯将会在票房上一决高下。梦工厂率先发起攻势,并得到了一个意想不到的英雄的帮助。我来啦!噢,就是《功夫熊猫》。
Stairs. Jack Black. Go ahead, Panda. Show us what you can do. Um, are they gonna watch or should I just wait until I get back to work or something? Just hit it. Hit ready to feel the thunder. Come out of the crazy feet. What you gonna do about crazy feet? I'm a blur. I'm a blur. You never seen bare style. Would you hit it? How's that? Yeah. Everybody was cold.
楼梯。杰克·布莱克。来吧,熊猫,展示一下你的本事。嗯,他们会看着还是我等会回去工作再表演?只管上吧,准备感受那闪电。疯狂脚步出现了。你打算怎么对付这疯狂的脚步?我速度极快,你从未见过这样的赤脚。你上吧,状态如何?没问题。每个人都被惊到了。
Are you ready? I was born red. Kung Fu Panda hits hard. Earning $60 million in its opening weekend. But three weeks later, Pixar strikes back with its robot romcom. Wally. Wally wins the critics vote and narrowly beats Kung Fu Panda's opening hall.
你准备好了吗?我出生时是红色的。《功夫熊猫》打得很猛。在首周赚了6,000万美元。但三周后,皮克斯回击了,推出了机器人浪漫喜剧电影《机器人总动员》。《机器人总动员》赢得了评论家的青睐,但仅以微弱优势击败了《功夫熊猫》的首周票房。
But as the summer continues, Kung Fu Panda pulls ahead, eventually earning $130 million more than Wally at the global box office. At Thanksgiving, the two rivals get back in the ring.
但随着夏季的继续,功夫熊猫超过了瓦利,在全球票房上最终赚了1.3亿美元。在感恩节,这两个竞争对手又回到了比赛中。
Dreamworks rolls out in second Madagascar movie. Disney fires back with Bolt, the superhero dog tale originally known as American Dog. But it's a one-sided fight. Madagascar Escape to Africa is a box office beast that generates more than three times the money Bolt does. Dreamworks ends 2008 as the box office champ for the fifth year running.
梦工厂推出了第二部《马达加斯加》电影。迪士尼以《超级英雄狗》,最初被称为美国狗的故事回应,但这是一场单方面的战斗。《马达加斯加2:逃离非洲》是一个票房猛兽,产生的收益超过《超级英雄狗》的三倍。梦工厂连续五年成为票房冠军,结束了2008年的年终。
But while it's on top right now, Dreamworks is worried about the future. Late 2008, Dreamworks Studio, Flendale, California. In the screening room, Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg watches as a group of movie theater executives put on heavy plastic glasses. They're all about to get a preview of Dreamworks' next movie, Monsters vs. Aliens.
但是尽管它目前处于领先地位,梦工厂仍然担心未来。2008年末,位于加利福尼亚州弗伦代尔的梦工厂影城里,梦工厂首席执行官杰弗里·卡茨伯格看着一群电影院高管戴上厚重的塑料眼镜。他们即将预览梦工厂的下一部电影《怪兽大战外星人》。
What they're really here for is to see what Dreamworks can do with the tech that Katzenberg believes will transform the future of film. 3D. On the screen, a board worker at a UFO monitoring station plays with a paddle ball. The movie theater executives recoil as the worker wax the ball so that it pops out of the screen towards them. Soon after, they're wowed by the side of a secret government facility that seems to stretch for miles into the distance. And then gasp as the movie's 400-foot tall hero Susan towers over them.
他们真正来这里的目的是看看梦工厂能够用卡芝伯格认为将改变电影未来的技术- 3D 做些什么。 在屏幕上,一个UFO监测站的工人在玩儿球拍球。电影院的高管们看到他将球打得那么好,以至于球从屏幕上弹向他们,他们都惊呆了。不久之后,他们被一个长度看似延伸至数英里的秘密政府设施所震惊。然后,电影的主人公-高达400英尺的苏珊之景象让他们倒抽一口气。
Katzenberg smiles at their reactions. His latest strategy depends on them being impressed. Through the preview, Katzenberg stands in front of the screen and paints a vision of 3D movies as the future.
卡岑伯格对他们的反应微笑。他最新的策略依赖于他们的印象。通过预览,卡岑伯格站在屏幕前,描绘了3D电影作为未来的愿景。
Until now, filmmakers have only been able to affect the audience using two of the five senses, hearing and sight. 3D changes that. This will be as transformative as cinemas move from silence to sound and from black and white to color.
直到现在,电影制片人只能用五种感官中的听觉和视觉来影响观众。3D技术改变了这一点。这将与电影从无声到发出声音,从黑白到彩色的变革一样具有变革性。
Some of the older executives look doubtful. They've experienced two short-lived 3D movie fads already. But Katzenberg is ready to back up his claims with a compelling business case.
一些年长的高管们似乎表示怀疑。他们已经经历过两次短暂的3D电影热潮。但是卡岑伯格已准备好用一个有力的商业案例支持自己的主张。
Our industry needs 3D. In the past decade, movie admissions fell 9%. How many of your theaters will survive if that continues? No one responds. They know the long-term outlook for cinemas isn't great. The internet is moving entertainment of all kinds into homes and into pockets.
我们的产业需要3D技术。过去十年,电影的入场人数下降了9%。如果这种趋势继续下去,你们的电影院中有多少能够存活下来呢?没有人回答。他们都知道电影院的长期前景并不是很乐观。因为互联网将各种类型的娱乐带入了家庭和口袋里。
And as more people gain access to movies on demand at home, well it's only going to get harder to pack the multiplexes. Katzenberg moves to pitch 3D as the solution.
随着越来越多的人在家中获得随需而变的电影,把多个电影院挤满人就越来越难了。卡岑伯格将3D推销成解决方案。
My belief is 3D will bring people back to the theaters and allow you to charge more a ticket. Upgrading to 3D isn't cheap. To justify the cost, we need a robust supply of big 3D movies. Yes, and that's why starting with Monsters vs Aliens, all Dreamworks movies will be 3D.
我相信3D技术会吸引观众回到电影院,同时也可以提高电影票价。当然,升级到3D不是很便宜,所以我们需要大量的高质量3D电影来证明这个成本是值得的。所以,从怪兽大战外星人开始,所有梦工厂的电影都将采用3D技术。
And other studios are following our lead. Disney Pixar is also now committed to 3D. The movies are coming. It's time for you to get ready to show them.
还有其他的电影工作室也在效仿我们的做法。迪士尼皮克斯也承诺要制作3D电影。这些电影即将上映。现在该是你准备好展示它们的时候了。
The executives leave feeling warmer about the idea of investing in 3D tech. But Katzenberg needs them to move fast. DVD sales are collapsing and Dreamworks needs a new income stream to make up that shortfall.
执行官们对于投资3D技术的想法有了更加温暖的感觉。但是卡岑伯格需要他们行动迅速。DVD销售正在崩溃,梦工厂需要一个新的收入来源来弥补这一不足。
Unlike Disney, it doesn't have TV channels or theme parks to fall back on if its animated features fail to thrive. So Katzenberg hopes his early embrace of 3D to shore up Dreamworks profits. But it also means that Monsters vs Aliens will be the first big test of whether moviegoers will pay extra for 3D. And if it fails to fail seats, Dreamworks will be heading for monstrous losses.
和迪斯尼不同,梦工厂没有电视频道或者主题公园可以依靠,如果它的动画电影不能成功的话。所以,卡岑伯格希望早期采用3D技术来提高梦工厂的利润。但这也意味着《怪兽大战外星人》将是是否电影观众会为3D付费的第一次大考验。如果它无法吸引观众,梦工厂将会面临巨大的损失。
Hey, I'm Mike Corey, the host of Wanderies Against the Odds. In our next season, 3 friends backcountry skiing in Alaska disturb a hibernating bear and she attacks. The skiers must wait for help to arrive before one of them succumbs to his injuries. Listen to Against the Odds on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
嘿,我是迈克·科里,是《逆境中的漫游》的主持人。在我们即将播出的下一季中,三位好朋友在阿拉斯加进行越野滑雪时惊扰了一只冬眠中的熊,她发起了攻击。滑雪者们必须等待援助的到来,以免其中一人因伤势过重而不治。在亚马逊音乐或任何你获取播客的地方收听《逆境中的漫游》。
It's March 2009 and Dreamworks Monsters vs Aliens is about to become the first big budget 3D movie to reach theaters. On March 27th. Guys, we're a team now who's with me? I'm in! The first movie has an alien power. We're going to take that alien down. Seriously? And a monster solution. Excuse me! Kevin Thurl! Whoa, that was cool! Get ready for a 3D comedy event. I got him, you guys! I got a monster proportion. Wow! Don't worry, I will let go! I'm wearing him down! Dreamworks Monsters vs Aliens March 27th.
现在是2009年3月,Dreamworks的《怪物大战外星人》即将成为第一部大预算的3D电影进入院线。在3月27日。伙计们,我们现在是一只团队,谁跟我一起走?我跟!这部电影有一个外星人的能力。我们要把那个外星人打倒。认真的吗?还有一个怪物的解决方案。对不起!凯文·特尔!哇,那太棒了!准备好参加3D喜剧活动。我抓住他了,你们!我有一个怪物般的比例。哇!不用担心,我会放手的!我把他磨烦了!Dreamworks的《怪物大战外星人》将于3月27日上映。
Wait a BG. Dreamworks spent $175 million creating Monsters vs Aliens, making it the studio's most expensive production yet. But the company's confident that it will match Kung Fu Panda's performance and make 60 million over its first weekend. But Dreamworks distributor Paramount isn't so sure.
等一下,BG。梦工厂花了1.75亿美元制作《怪物大战外星人》,使其成为该工作室迄今为止最昂贵的制作。但该公司相信它将与《功夫熊猫》的表现相匹配,并在第一个周末内获得6千万美元的票房。但是梦工厂的分销商派拉蒙公司并不那么确定。
Paramount's executives predict the movie will only manage $50 million. After all, there are only 2003D ready screens in America's movie theaters. And now, the moment of truth is here.
派拉蒙公司的高管们预测这部电影只会赚到五千万美元。毕竟,在美国电影院中只有2003D准备就绪的屏幕。现在,真相的时刻到了。
Monsters vs Aliens scores big from the get-go. In its first weekend, it generates $59 million in ticket sales and takes the record for the highest grossing 3D movie so far. But it's time on top is brief. Two months later Pixar releases its first 3D movie, Up, and Shatters Dreamworks record with an opening weekend take of $68 million.
《怪物大战外星人》从一开始就赢得了大成功。在第一个周末,它创造了5,900万美元的票房收入,并获得了迄今为止3D电影票房最高纪录。但它的领先时间很短。两个月后,Pixar的第一部3D电影《飞屋环游记》上映了,以6800万美元的首周票房成绩打破了梦工厂的记录。
And as the summer continues, Up only extends its lead as Monsters vs Aliens' mad magazine-style humor struggles to connect with audiences outside America. By the time both movies leave the cinemas, Up's made almost three times more money than Monsters vs Aliens, and become Pixar's biggest hit since Finding Nemo.
随着夏季的持续,Up越来越领先,而《怪兽大战外星人》的疯狂杂志风格幽默则难以赢得美国以外的观众。两部电影离开电影院时,Up的票房收入几乎比《怪兽大战外星人》多了三倍,成为自《海底总动员》以来Pixar最成功的电影。
And since Dreamworks has no other movies ready for release in 2009, Disney Pixar reclaims its status as Hollywood's animation champ.
由于梦工厂在2009年没有其他电影准备好发布,因此迪士尼皮克斯重新夺回了好莱坞动画冠军的宝座。
At fall, Disney looks set to ram home its advantage with the first Disney animation feature the creative chief John Lasseter's overseen from start to finish.
在秋季,迪士尼似乎打算把它的优势发挥到极致,推出首部迪士尼动画电影,由创意总监约翰·拉赛特从头到尾监督。
This Friday, experience the motion-fictured Time Magazine calls a start to finish the light. People says the princess and the frog dazzle. It's beautiful, funny, Disney's done it again. One more time, it's the best Disney movies since the Lion King. And is did classic, Disney's the princess and the frog.
这个星期五,体验这部被Time杂志称为从头到尾都光彩夺目的电影。《人物》杂志说公主和青蛙令人眼花缭乱。这部电影是美丽而有趣的,迪斯尼又创造了一个杰作。这是自《狮子王》以来最好的迪斯尼电影。而这部经典之作,就是迪斯尼的《公主和青蛙》。
The princess and the frog is built as Disney animations come back. It introduces Disney's first black princess, Tiana, and revives the hand-drawn musical style that powered the studio's 90s heyday. But instead of thriving, it croaks in theaters. On its first weekend, the princess and the frog earns just $25 million. Just one of the weakest openings of a major animated feature in years.
《王女与青蛙》是迪士尼重新回归的动画作品。它推出了迪士尼第一个黑人公主蒂阿娜,并重拾了在90年代迪士尼电影中掀起高潮的手绘音乐风格。但它在电影院里并未获得成功,反而走了下坡路。在首个周末,它只获得了2500万美元的票房,成为多年以来主要动画片中开场最弱的之一。
And one week later, James Cameron's blockbuster avatar rolls into theaters and everyone forgets about Disney's new animated feature. Early 2010, Disney Animation Studios, Burbank, California. In a meeting room, a post mortem on what went wrong with the princess and the frog is underway. The movie was supposed to restore Disney Animation to its former glory.
一周后,詹姆斯·卡梅隆的大片《阿凡达》上映了,每个人都忘记了迪斯尼的新动画电影。2010年初,迪斯尼动画工作室位于加州伯班克,正在一间会议室里召开《公主与青蛙》的后评会。这部电影本应将迪斯尼动画恢复到其昔日的辉煌。
Instead, it only scraped a profit thanks to tight cost control. It's also proof that four years on from buying Pixar, Disney Animations Turnaround still has a ways to go. A Disney marketing executive shares his take on what went wrong. We said this before release, putting the word princess in the title narrowed the appeal. For adults and young boys, it says the movie's only for little girls.
相反,它只是通过严格控制成本才获得盈利。这也证明了自从收购皮克斯四年后,迪士尼动画的转型仍有一段路要走。一个迪士尼营销主管分享了他对出了什么问题的看法。我们在发布之前就说过,将“公主”这个词放在标题中会限制吸引力。对于成年人和年轻男孩来说,它表明这部电影只适合小女孩。
Disney picks our co-directors Ed Catmull and John Lasseter. Look humbled. They ignored the marketing team's warning and insisted that a quality movie was all that was needed to attract a broad audience. Catmull responds. Yeah, in retrospect, that was a mistake. The marketing executive looks pleased.
迪士尼选择了我们的联合导演埃德·卡特米尔和约翰·拉塞特。我们很谦逊地接受了此任命。我们无视了营销团队的警告,并坚持认为只有优质电影才能吸引广大观众。卡特米尔回应道,回过头来看,那是一个错误。营销主管看起来很满意。
Disney Animations next movie will be Rapunzel Unbreeded and marketing wants it renamed so young boys aren't put off. So can we change the name from Rapunzel Unbreeded to Tangled? Lasseter nods. Yeah, Tangled it is. Another member of the team asks a question. Do we think making the princess and the frog a musical was a problem? Animated features rarely do that anymore. It was a little bit 90s.
迪士尼动画的下一部电影将是《长发姑娘解救记》,而市场部希望将其改名,以免男孩们被排斥。我们能改把《长发姑娘解救记》改名为《魔发奇缘》吗?拉瑟特点了点头。好的,就叫《魔发奇缘》吧。团队中的另一位成员提出了一个问题。我们觉得把《公主与青蛙》变成音乐剧是一个问题吗?现在动画特效很少这样做了。这有点90年代的感觉。
No, I think animated musicals can still work. Disney Animation General Manager Andrew Milstein interjects. Yes, I agree, but I do think using hand draw to animation was a mistake. Lasseter and Catmull glance at each other. They were the ones who reversed Disney's decision to abandon traditional animation. At Pixar, they might have pioneered animations move into the computer age, but they never wanted to make hand drawn animation obsolete.
不,我认为动画音乐仍然有用。迪士尼动画总经理安德鲁·米尔斯坦插话道。是的,我同意,但我认为使用手绘动画是一个错误。拉塞特和卡姆尔相视而笑。他们是那些逆转迪士尼放弃传统动画决定的人。在皮克斯,他们可能引领了动画走向计算机时代,但他们从未想过要让手绘动画过时。
They both believed Disney struggles were entirely about the quality of the stories, not what animation technique it used. Milstein presses home his point. This dual approach is confusing the studio. Our people don't know if Disney Animation is about hand drawn or computer animation. Catmull leans forward. Can it be both? Milstein shakes his head.
他们俩都认为迪斯尼的挣扎完全是因为故事的质量,而不是它使用的动画技术。米尔斯坦强调了他的观点。这种双重方法让工作室感到困惑。我们的人不知道迪斯尼动画是关于手绘还是计算机动画。卡特穆尔向前倾身。它可以是两个都吗?米尔斯坦摇头。
I don't think so. Our animators want to make CGI movies. They want to use the latest techniques. They don't want to live in the past. They want to build on the heritage of Disney Animation, not be a tribute act to the heyday of Walt Disney. Catmull and Lasseter nods slowly as the cold hard truth sinks in.
我不这样认为。我们的动画师想要制作CGI电影。他们想要使用最新的技术。他们不想过去生活。他们想要在迪士尼动画的遗产上建立,而不是要成为沃尔特·迪士尼黄金时期的致敬。卡特木尔和拉瑟特缓缓点头,真相开始浸淀下来。
The princess and the frog was supposed to restore a traditional animation at Disney. Instead, it's just confirmed that the world's moved on. It's time the studio stopped looking to the past and embraced the future. But while Disney refocuses, the pressures growing on Dreamworks define some way to keep pace with its larger rival.
《公主与青蛙》本应恢复迪士尼的传统动画,但现实证明,世界已经前进了。现在是时候让工作室停止回顾过去,拥抱未来了。然而,尽管迪士尼正在重心调整,压力仍在加大,梦工厂需要找到一种方式来跟上其更大的竞争对手。
It's February 2012 and outside the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown LA, several hundred people are protesting against the Chinese government suppression of people in Tibet. The man they want to hear their protest is China's vice president Xi Jinping. But he's deep inside the hotel, attending a luncheon thrown in his honor by Californian politicians and US vice president Joe Biden.
现在是2012年2月,在洛杉矶市中心的JW万豪酒店外,有几百人在抗议中国政府镇压藏人。他们希望能让中国副主席习近平听到他们的抗议声。可他深深地藏在酒店里,参加加利福尼亚政客和美国副总统乔·拜登举办的午宴。
Xi's in the US to discuss various trade disagreements. And today there's a breakthrough to announce. After years of diplomatic dueling, China's agreed to allow more US movies to be shown in the country and to give Hollywood studios a larger cut of ticket sales. Xi stands before the big wigs attending luncheon and smiles, proclaiming his visit of big success and pledges that China will accept imports from the US.
Xi在美国讨论各种贸易分歧。今天有一个突破性的消息要宣布。在多年的外交交锋后,中国同意允许更多美国电影在国内上映,并给好莱坞工作室更多的票房收益。Xi站在出席午餐会议的大佬们面前微笑着,宣布他的访问取得了重大成功,并承诺中国将接受来自美国的进口货物。
The audience claps. Hollywood's chopping at the bit to get into China. The Chinese box office might only be worth $2.1 billion, but it's growing fast and on track to one day replace America as the world's number one movie market. But the man said to be China's next leader also has another deal to unveil.
听众鼓掌了。好莱坞迫不及待地想进入中国市场。中国电影市场可能只有21亿美元,但是增长速度快,有望有一天取代美国成为世界第一大电影市场。但是据称是中国未来领导人的那个人还要揭开另一项协议。
He announces the creation of Oriental Dreamworks, a joint venture between Dreamworks and three state controlled Chinese companies. As part of the deal Oriental Dreamworks will build a studio in Shanghai to create movies for China and the rest of the world. As Xi praises the deal, audience members glance over to where Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is sitting and smiling.
他宣布成立东方梦工厂,这是梦工厂和三家中国国有企业的合资公司。作为协议的一部分,东方梦工厂将在上海建造一个电影工作室,为中国和世界其他地区制作电影。当习近平赞扬这个交易时,观众们瞥了一眼坐在那里并微笑的梦工厂CEO杰弗里·卡茨伯格。
He spent years engineering the $330 million deal to form Oriental Dreamworks and it's set to give Dreamworks a major edge in China. Because while its rivals will still need to convince the Chinese government to release their movies, Oriental Dreamworks will enjoy the same favorable treatment that China's own filmmakers get.
他花了数年的时间来策划这个价值3.3亿美元的交易,这将使得梦工厂在中国市场上获得主要优势。因为,尽管其他公司仍需要说服中国政府发布他们的电影,东方梦工厂将享受到和中国本土电影一样的优待待遇。
And Katzenberg needs that access. His bet on 3D movies hasn't paid off. The novelty of 3D is already wearing off and Disney picks our neutralized Dreamworks first to market advantage by filling theaters with 3D enhanced versions of Toy Story and the Lion King. So he's hunting high and low for new revenue streams to help Dreamworks hold its own against Disney's sprawling media empire.
卡岗伯格需要那种渠道。他对3D电影的赌注没有得到回报。3D电影的新颖性已经开始消失,迪士尼则先声夺人,通过在影院中放映3D增强版的《玩具总动员》和《狮子王》,削弱了我们的梦工厂先发优势。因此,他正四处搜寻新的收入来源,以帮助梦工厂在迪士尼壮大的媒体帝国面前占据一席之地。
In the months that follow, Katzenberg strikes deal after deal in an attempt to strengthen Dreamworks position. He secures a more favorable distribution deal. Then, Dreamworks steps up production so it can release 5 movies every 2 years and get an edge over Disney picks our which produces 4.
在接下来的几个月里,卡岑伯格要签订一项项交易,以加强梦工厂的地位。他成功取得了更有利的分销协议。梦工厂也加快了制作速度,以在每两年内发行5部电影,并超越迪士尼的4部电影。
Next, the company pays 155 million to buy classic media, the owner of hundreds of family TV shows including Mr. Peebody and Sherman, Lassie and Casper the Friendly Ghost. After that, Dreamworks buys YouTube content creator awesomeness TV and starts making cartoons for Netflix.
接下来,公司支付了1.55亿美元收购经典传媒,该公司拥有数百个家庭电视节目的所有权,包括皮博迪先生和谢尔曼、莱西和友善鬼卡斯帕等。在此之后,梦工厂还收购了YouTube内容创作者awesomeness TV,并开始为Netflix制作卡通动画片。
But with Katzenberg's stretched thin making deals and the studio working flat out to produce more animations than ever, Dreamworks starts to deliver as many misses as it does hit. In November 2012, its movie Rise of the Guardians flops and forces an $87 million write down. In February 2013, the studio cancels work on a movie called Me and My Shadow leading to layoffs and another $54 million loss. Then in summer 2013, Dreamworks releases Turbo. And its tale of a super fast snail gets squished by Pixar's Monsters University and Universal and Illumination's Despicable Me Too.
但是,由于卡岑伯的身体力行不断地做生意,以及工作室为了生产比以往更多的动画片而全力以赴,梦工厂开始推出的失败作品不少于成功作品。2012年11月,其电影《守护者联盟》砸了,迫使其亏损8700万美元。2013年2月,该工作室取消了一部名为《我和我的影子》的电影的制作,导致裁员和另外5400万美元的损失。接着在2013年夏天,梦工厂推出了《超级蜗牛》。但这部以超级快蜗牛为主角的故事在皮克斯的《怪兽大学》和环球和照明的《神偷奶爸2》面前受挫。
Turbo becomes Dreamworks' lowest earning movie since 2006's Flushed Away and leaves the company $16 million poorer. And its problems are about to intensify. Because over in Burbank, the efforts to restore Disney animation studios are finally about to pay off. And when it does, Dreamworks will feel the chill.
Turbo成为自2006年的《小情人》以来梦工厂收益最低的电影,使公司亏损了1600万美元。而且它的问题很快就会加剧。因为在伯班克,恢复迪士尼动画工作室的努力终于即将取得成果。一旦它成功了,梦工厂将感受到寒意。
It's late 2013 and it feels like the entire world's singing the same song. And that song is Let It Go. It's the lead song from Disney Animation's new movie Frozen and there's no escape. Every minute, more and more videos of people belting out Let It Go flood the internet. The Let It Go sing along craze began two weeks after Frozen's release when Disney's marketing team posted the entire scene featuring the song on YouTube. And with every new viral video, more and more tickets to see Frozen are sold.
现在已经是2013年末了,感觉全世界都在唱同一首歌。这首歌叫做"放心去吧(Let It Go)",它是迪士尼动画新电影《冰雪奇缘》的主题曲,简直无处不在。每时每刻,越来越多的人唱着"放心去吧"的视频在网络上涌现。这股"放心去吧"合唱的热潮开始于影片上映两周后,迪士尼的市场部门在 YouTube 上发布了这首歌的完整演唱场面。随着每一个新的病毒式视频的出现,越来越多的《冰雪奇缘》电影票被销售出去。
In January 2014, Frozen replaces the Lion King as Disney's highest earning animated movie. And the buzz is still growing. March 2014, Burbank, California. In the Disney animation building, it's party time for the studio's 800 employees. Yesterday, Frozen's box office earnings passed the billion dollar mark. A few hours later, the movie clinches two Oscars, best animated feature and best song.
2014年1月,冰雪奇缘超越狮子王成为迪士尼最赚钱的动画电影。而且它的名声还在不断扩大。2014年3月,加利福尼亚州伯班克,在迪士尼动画大楼里,工作室的800名员工正在庆祝。昨天,冰雪奇缘的票房收入突破了十亿美元。几小时后,这部电影赢得了两个奥斯卡奖,最佳动画特效和最佳歌曲。
As the employees wash down their snow cones with champagne and beer, the studio's leadership team takes the stage. Disney Pixar creative chief John Lasseter grabs the microphone and his smile is a mile wide.
当员工们用香槟和啤酒清洗他们的雪花冰之际,工作室领导团队上台。迪士尼皮克斯公司的创意负责人约翰·拉塞特拿起麦克风,微笑着面露喜悦。
You know, when Disney bought Pixar eight years ago and put Add and I in charge of Disney animation, there was talk of closing this place. But we said not at our watch and I bet right now they're glad that we did. Lasseter passes the mic to Disney animation general manager Andrew Milstein.
你知道的,8年前Disney收购了Pixar,并让Add和我负责Disney动画,当时有传言说要关闭这个地方。但我们说,这不是我们的错,现在他们肯定很高兴我们这么说。Lasseter将话筒递给Disney动画的总经理安德鲁·米尔斯汀。
I remember that. We weren't in a good place then. The fear was that maybe we were just too broken to fix. Well, we weren't. We put our trust in you, our animators, our artists, our people. And you proved that that was the right call.
我记得那个时候我们处境并不好,我们担心我们可能已经太破碎了无法修复。但是,我们没有。我们把信任放在你们身上,我们的动画师,艺术家,人们。你们证明了这是正确的选择。
The employees cheer. Then the woman of the hour, Jennifer Lee, the co-director of Frozen takes the mic. You know, there's a line in the song, Fixer Upper, from the movie that sums up the journey we've all been on together far better than I can. People make bad choices if they're mad or scared or stressed. Throw a little love their way and you'll bring out their best. That's what happened at our studio. It definitely brought out our best. The room roars it's a proof.
员工欢呼了。然后,Frozen的联合导演珍妮弗·李用麦克风讲话了。你知道吗,电影里Fixer Upper这首歌里有一句话,比我能形容我们一起走过的旅程更好。如果人们发疯、害怕或压力大,他们会做出糟糕的选择。向他们表达关爱,你会激发他们的最佳状态。这正是我们工作室所发生的。它确实激发了我们的最佳状态。房间里的人们齐声欢呼,这是证明。
For the first time since Jeffrey Katzenberg got ousted in 1994, Disney animation is firing on all cylinders. By summer 2014, Frozen will have earned $1.2 billion at the box office and become the highest grossing animated feature ever made. But while Disney animation's on the rise, the two rivals that threaten to make it obsolete are on the slide. Pixar's movie for 2014 was supposed to be the Good Dinosaur, but it's in big trouble.
自从杰弗里·卡岑伯格1994年被解雇以来,迪斯尼动画首次全面崛起。到2014年夏天,电影《冰雪奇缘》已经在票房上赚了12亿美元,并成为有史以来最卖座的动画电影。但是,尽管迪斯尼动画正在崛起,但威胁使其过时的两个竞争对手正在下滑。皮克斯2014年的电影原本应该是《好朋友》,但它面临着巨大的麻烦。
That story isn't up to snuff, but with Lasseter now credited as the genius behind Pixar's unbroken record of success and the resurrection of Disney animation. No one within Pixar dared to tell him. And by the time Lasseter woke up to the Good Dinosaur's flaws, the only answer was to delay its release until late 2015, so the team could fix it.
那个故事没达到要求,但是现在认为拉西特是Pixar成功不断的天才,还让迪士尼动画复活。Pixar内部没有人敢告诉他。当拉西特发现《赛车总动员2》的缺陷时,唯一的答案是将其推迟到2015年底,以便团队可以解决问题。
But 2015 only brings more bad news for Pixar. In June 2015, Inside Out becomes the first Pixar picture not to top the box office rankings. Then, just before Thanksgiving, the good dinosaur finally lumbars into cinemas and is met with lukewarm reviews and soft ticket sales. Its Pixar's first flop.
然而,对于皮克斯工作室来说,2015年只带来了更多的坏消息。在六月份,他们的电影《头脑特工队》成为第一部未能获得票房冠军的皮克斯电影。然后,在感恩节前夕,无可救药的《赛车总动员2》终于登上了荧幕,然而其受到了褒贬不一的评价和乏力的票房表现。这是皮克斯工作室第一次失败。
But Dreamworks has troubles too. April 2016, Los Angeles, California. In his Tesla Model S, Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg cruises slowly down the traffic clog streets towards Hollywood. The light ahead turns red. The 65-year-old media mogul groans in frustration at the stoplight. He's busy negotiating what is set to be the biggest deal of his life and he doesn't want to waste time sitting in traffic.
但Dreamworks也有麻烦。在2016年4月,位于加利福尼亚州洛杉矶的Dreamworks首席执行官Jeffrey Katzenberg开着他的特斯拉Model S慢慢穿过交通拥堵的街道前往好莱坞。前方的红灯亮起。这位65岁的媒体大亨对红灯感到失望和沮丧。他正在忙于谈判可能是他一生中最大的交易,他不想浪费时间坐在交通堵塞中。
The light turns green. Katzenberg accelerates, but as he and the rest of the traffic crawl towards the next junction, the lights turn red again. But then his phone rings. He checks the large touchscreen display in the middle of his Tesla's dashboard to see who's calling. It's Brian Roberts, the boss of Comcast, the cable giant that owns NBC Universal.
红灯变绿了。卡岑伯格加速,但当他和其他车辆缓慢向下一个交叉路口爬行时,红灯再次亮起。但是,然后他的手机响了。他检查了他特斯拉的仪表板中央的大触摸屏显示器,看是谁在打电话。是康卡斯特的老板布莱恩·罗伯茨,这家拥有NBC环球的巨型有线电视公司。
Katzenberg answers. Hey, Brian, I'm driving so I can't talk for long. What can I do for you? It's not just me, Steve Berks also on the line. Katzenberg arches an eyebrow. Berks the CEO of NBC Universal. And NBC Universal is a competitor. It owns elimination. The animation studio that's challenging both Dreamworks and Disney Pixar with its despicable me-series.
嘿,布莱恩,我正在开车,不能长时间说话。有什么我能帮到你的吗?不只是我,史蒂夫伯克斯也在电话上。卡岑伯格挑起一根眉毛。伯克斯是NBC环球的CEO。NBC环球是一家竞争对手。它拥有一个名为Elimination的动画工作室,这个工作室正通过其《神偷奶爸》系列挑战梦工厂和迪士尼皮克斯。
Huh. Hey, Steve. So, yeah, what can I do for you guys? Roberts replies. We're hearing rumors that you're about to sell Dreamworks to some Chinese investors. That's true. It is. Katzenberg's been trying to sell Dreamworks for two years. And that's because Dreamworks isn't just battling Disney Pixar anymore.
“嗯? 嘿,斯蒂夫,那么,你们有什么需要我做的吗?” 罗伯茨回答道。我们听说你们即将将梦工厂卖给一些中国投资者。这是真的吗? 是的,确实如此。卡茨伯格已经试图出售梦工厂两年了。这是因为梦工厂不再仅仅是与迪士尼皮克斯竞争。
NBC Universal, Sony, Fox, Warner and Paramount are also chasing the billions to be made from animated movies. This year alone, Dreamworks movies must hold their own against eight competing features from the Big Hollywood studios. And all these rivals are conglomerates with diverse business interests. They can shrug off a box office bomb like the Good Dinosaur. Dreamworks can't. So Katzenberg is looking to sell to a buyer who can strengthen its hand.
NBC环球、索尼、福克斯、华纳和派拉蒙也在追逐动画电影带来的数十亿收益。仅今年,梦工厂电影必须与来自好莱坞各大电影公司的八部竞争影片一争高下。而所有这些竞争对手都是拥有多元化业务利益的企业集团。他们可以轻松摆脱像《恐龙当家》这样的票房炸弹,但梦工厂却无法。所以卡岑伯格正在寻找一个能增强其实力的买家进行出售。
Katzenberg feels his deal-maker instincts kick in. This call could be a golden opportunity. Out the rumors true, Roberts doesn't skip a beat. So you open the counter-offers? Well, you pay more than the Chinese? Well, we'll pay well above Dreamworks stock price. But you'll have to relinquish control. I know that's been a deal-breaker for you in the past, but not having control is a deal-breaker for me.
卡岑伯格感到自己的成交技巧在发挥作用。这个电话可能是一个黄金机会。如果这些谣言是真的,罗伯茨没有犹豫。那么你来开出反价吗?你愿意比中国人多出钱吗?我们会付出远高于梦工厂的股价。但你必须放弃控制权。我知道过去这是你的破局点,但是失去控制权对我来说是无法接受的。
Katzenberg smiled. Okay, for the right price, I'll see control. Okay, well then, my team and I will fly to LA tomorrow. Let's spend the weekend talking and see if we make this happen. That weekend, Comcast and Dreamworks top executives shuddle from hotel suites to law offices to Dreamworks Studio Complex to Katzenberg's Beverly Hills Mansion to hammer out a deal. And seven days later, they've got one. The Cast will pay $3.8 billion to make Dreamworks, the second animation studio owned by NBC Universal.
卡岑伯格笑了。好的,只要价格合适,我就会掌握控制权。好的,那么,我的团队和我明天就会飞到洛杉矶。让我们花个周末谈谈,看看我们是否能成功。那个周末,康卡斯特和梦工厂的高管们从酒店套房到法律办公室再到梦工厂的工作室,最后到卡岑伯格的比佛利山庄的豪宅,商定了一项交易。七天后,他们达成了协议。康卡斯特将支付38亿美元,使梦工厂成为NBC环球公司拥有的第二个动画工作室。
For Katzenberg, it's a $400 million payday and ends his 30-year run as power player in animation. During that time, Katzenberg was a defining force in animated movies. He led Disney animation into its 90s pomp, gave Pixar its big break and used Dreamworks to shatter Disney's iron grip on the animated movie market. But the deal also means Disney's no longer fighting for animated movie glory against an independent studio. It's now up against an equal.
对于卡茨伯格来说,这是一笔价值4亿美元的巨额薪资,结束了他在动画领域30年的权力之旅。在此期间,卡茨伯格是动画电影的决定性力量。他领导迪斯尼动画进入了90年代的鼎盛期,为皮克斯提供了重大机遇,并利用梦工厂打破了迪斯尼对动画电影市场的铁腕控制。但是这笔交易也意味着迪斯尼不再与独立制片厂争夺动画电影的荣耀。它现在面对的是一个平等的对手。
A media conglomerate that, just like Disney, owns TV channels, theme parks, and more. And now, just like Disney, NBC Universal's got two world-class animation houses under its wing. Dreamworks and illumination. And as 2017 draws to a close, there's more bad news for Disney on its way.
有一个媒体巨头,就像迪士尼一样,拥有电视频道、主题公园等。现在,就像迪士尼一样,NBC环球公司旗下有两家世界级动画公司。梦工厂和照明公司。随着2017年的结束,迪士尼即将迎来更多坏消息。
Well, he is the genius behind blockbuster films like Toy Story and Frozen. Now, Pixar Chief John Lasseter is apologizing for sexual misconduct. The analysis taken a leave of absence. KPI X5 Susie Stimell at Pixar headquarters in Emoryville for us tonight. Well, Alan, women told the Hollywood Reporter that they used to look out for John Lasseter's hugs. They said if you didn't turn your head away at the right time, he would end up kissing you on the lips.
好的,约翰·拉赛特是制作了《玩具总动员》和《冰雪奇缘》等大片的天才。现在,Pixar首席执行官约翰·拉赛特因性行为不当而谢罪。分析师休假了。今晚,KPI X5苏茜·斯蒂梅尔在皮克斯总部的Emoryville为我们报道。好的,艾伦,女性告诉好莱坞记者,她们曾经盼望约翰·拉赛特能拥抱她们。她们说,如果你没有在适当的时候转过头,他就会在你的嘴唇上亲吻你。
The 60-year-old Lasseter is one of the most important. The reports of unwanted touching and Lasseter's time at Disney Pixar. After internal investigations into the reports, Disney's CEO Robert Eiger concludes that Lasseter cannot return.
60岁的拉赛特是最重要的人之一。有关他在迪士尼皮克斯的不受欢迎的触摸的报道引起人们关注。经过对这些报道的内部调查后,迪士尼的CEO罗伯特·艾格得出结论,拉赛特不能回来了。
Lasseter provided the creative spark that transformed Pixar from a technology company into a movie studio and helped lead Disney animation back into another golden age. But now, he's left in disgrace. And after Pixar's 73-year-old co-founder Ed Catmull announces, he's retiring at the end of 2018. In the wake of the departures, Disney picks Monster Zinc director Pete Doctor to become Pixar's new chief creative officer. And Frozen co-director Jennifer Lee becomes creative chief at Disney animation.
拉瑟特是一名有创造力的人,他将皮克斯从科技公司变成了一家电影制片厂,并帮助迪斯尼动画重返黄金时期。但现在他却因为不名誉而离开了。而在皮克斯的共同创始人73岁的艾德·卡特梅尔宣布于2018年末退休后,迪斯尼选择了《怪兽电力公司》的导演皮特·道特成为皮克斯的新首席创意官。而《冰雪奇缘》的联合导演詹妮弗·李则成为迪斯尼动画的创意总监。
It's the end of the era. The founding fathers of computer animated movies are gone. But the legacy of Jeffrey Katzenberg, Ed Catmull, John Lasseter, and Steve Jobs remains. Together, they drag animated pictures into the computer age and spawn movie franchises from Toy Story and Shrek to Frozen and Kung Fu Panda that have imprinted themselves on the childhood memories of entire generations.
这是一个时代的结束。计算机动画电影的创始人们已经离去。但Jeffrey Katzenberg、Ed Catmull、John Lasseter和Steve Jobs的遗产仍然存在。他们共同将动画电影带入计算机时代,并创造了从《玩具总动员》和《史瑞克》到《冰雪奇缘》和《功夫熊猫》等电影系列,这些电影已经深深印象在整个一代人的童年记忆中。
Next time on Business Wars, we're bringing the animation world to life with entertainment journalist Patrona Rodelovic of Polygon and former Disney animation exec Andrew Milstein, who was behind some of Disney's biggest hits of the 2010s. But don't miss it.
下一集的商战节目,我们请来了Polygon娱乐记者Patrona Rodelovic和前迪士尼动画高管Andrew Milstein,他参与了迪士尼在2010年代最成功的动画制作。别错过啊!
From Wondery, this is episode 4, a Disney Pixar vs Dreamworks for Business Wars. A quick note about recreations you've been hearing in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, those scenes are dramatizations, but they're based on historical research.
从Wondery,这是第4集“商战:迪士尼皮克斯与梦工厂”。关于重现场景,需要注意的是,在大多数情况下,我们无法确定确切的说话内容,这些场景是戏剧性的再现,但它们基于历史研究。
If you'd like to read more about Pixar, we recommend Creativity Incorporated by Ed Catmull. I'm your host David Brown, Tristan Donovan of Yellow Ant Media wrote this story. Karen Lo is our Senior Producer and Editor, edited and produced by Emily Frost, sound designed by Kyle Randall, voice acting by Michelle Philippi. Our Senior Managing Producer is Tanya Thigpen, our Managing Producer is Matt Gant, our Producer is Dave Shelly, our Executive Producer's our Jenny Lauer Beckman and Marshall Louis, created by Ernon Lopez for Wondery.
如果你想更多地了解皮克斯,我们推荐阅读《创意公司》(Ed Catmull著)。我是你的主持人David Brown,这篇文章是由Yellow Ant Media的Tristan Donovan撰写的。Karen Lo是我们的高级制片人和编辑,由Emily Frost编辑和制作,音效设计由Kyle Randall完成,Michelle Philippi献声。我们的高级管理制片人是Tanya Thigpen,管理制片人是Matt Gant,制片人是Dave Shelly,我们的执行制作人是Jenny Lauer Beckman和Marshall Louis,由Ernon Lopez为Wondery创建。