90% sure Disney buys Pixar...

[cpnichols]

On the news it looks like the deal is all but signed.. for 7 billion...

Also on the news it appears there is a backlash among animators many of which are ex-disney people who promised they would never work for Disney again.

My rhetorical questiosn are...

What will happen to those animator and their followers?

If they leave, what will happen to the quality of Pixars work?

And here is another big one that does effect the rendering world...
What will happen to Renderman

I really don't think Disney is interested in Renderman

[jacksc02]

money makes the world goes round! 7 billion is a huge sum.
very sad for pixar though

[BlueShift]

Pixar has always made great movies, I hope they continue to.

As for RM, I don't think much will happen - it is after all Pixars flagship raytracer and there is a lot of demand for it in the market. Its an integral part of what makes their movies so good - that and the tremendous talent of the artists at Pixar.

I see this going two ways, either the engineers and coders behind RM will stay at Pixar and continue working on RM or leave to find either better jobs or to start up their own Software house. What ever happens I hope they continue to help push the CG envelope that much farther, it would be a shame and a great loss to the CG community to lose a great product like RM.


/BlueShift

[cpnichols]

Pixar has always made great movies, I hope they continue to.

As for RM, I don't think much will happen - it is after all Pixars flagship raytracer and there is a lot of demand for it in the market. Its an integral part of what makes their movies so good - that and the tremendous talent of the artists at Pixar.

I see this going two ways, either the engineers and coders behind RM will stay at Pixar and continue working on RM or leave to find either better jobs or to start up their own Software house. What ever happens I hope they continue to help push the CG envelope that much farther, it would be a shame and a great loss to the CG community to lose a great product like RM.


/BlueShift

First off... renderman is not really a raytracer, it has only introduced raytracing in the last 3 years. Second, I don't really think Disney is interested in Renderman, so who know where that will go. But Renderman is a one of the oldest and most used rendering engines. Been around since the 80s running on a VAX machine. Used on many features. Dixar may try to sell it off... that is my speculation... lets see... who would buy Renderman... hmmmmmm.... a large company that wants to monopolize the 3d market maybe?

[rpc212]

Only if Carol Bartz can make another 57 million on stock options! Also got to consider the temperate feelings of the financial analysts pulling the strings at Autodesk.

[BlueShift]

I don't really think Disney is interested in Renderman

Its not whether Disney is interested in RM as a product for sale or not, its what your artists are more comfortable/experienced with. I think its more than fare to say that they make more off their movies than they ever will from RM sales - which would make it more profitable to keep RM.

Also having the source to a render engine makes it easier to build custom tools that run more efficient, which large studios tend to need. It also means you can influence the design of tools and get features that your studio needs into the product quickly and without much hassle. Look at Blue Sky studios, they have their own rendering software (CGI Studio) to fit their needs.

Seeing Autodesk buy out RM would be sick, it would mean they will have completely cornered the 3D market.


/BlueShift

[cpnichols]

Also having the source to a render engine makes it easier to build custom tools that run more efficient, which large studios tend to need. It also means you can influence the design of tools and get features that your studio needs into the product quickly and without much hassle. Look at Blue Sky studios, they have their own rendering software (CGI Studio) to fit their needs.

Sure... many studios have their own rendering engines. R&H has their own, PDI, BlueSky, Sony,... I just don't see Disney doing it... But I guess it will be a very different kind of Disney. Steve jobs now has 3 times more stock then anyone else in the company.

Seeing Autodesk buy out RM would be sick, it would mean they will have completely cornered the 3D market.

It would be interesting.... but the more I think about it, the more I think that will not happen. Maybe Apple will take it over.

[Dynedain]

It would be interesting.... but the more I think about it, the more I think that will not happen. Maybe Apple will take it over.

Doubtful. Jobs has been head of both Pixar and Apple for quite some time now.

[DaForce]

man.. he has 60million shares in Pixar... @ $58 a share.. or thereabouts.. = WOW

hahah crazy world.. but should bring some interesting movies!!!

[Morbid Angel]

good thing you stick around for vray chirs :P now with vray for maya its all going to come around real fast

[paulison]

I bet after the buyout the core of pixar form their own company and within a couple of years build it back up to where it was before with the aid of that 7 billion + good brains. Wonder if disney will survive in the long run?

[thablanch]

I bet after the buyout the core of pixar form their own company and within a couple of years build it back up to where it was before with the aid of that 7 billion + good brains. Wonder if disney will survive in the long run?

I'm sure Disney's lawyers thaught about this one, and it is probably in their contract that they can not do that (start their own compagny) for so many years.
I do not know about laws in the states, but here, by law, if somebody starts it's own compagny, He would not be able to "ask" people from his previous work to come with him for one year, and that's is for regular labour, and if it is overhead/overqualified people, or many people, laws adapts and "sabotage" laws applies.
On the other hand, I guess he has some money to get some really good lawyers

[tricky]

Been around since the 80s running on a VAX machine

So that's why its so good - you can run it on Vaccuum cleaners!

[BBullo]

The constant that Dixar will have is that Ed Catmull is still the president. Wasn't it Catmul that wrote RM while working for Lucas in '79? Jobs and Catmull joined in the mid 80's and continued to develop RM into what it is today.
Do you think there is any sentimental connection there?
I just don't see Catmull selling off his "baby" to autodesk. When it will have to be replaced with something else.