View Single Post
Old 2011-02-18, 20:02   Link #76
TJR
Senior Member
 
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Quote:
Originally Posted by Klashikari View Post
This comparison might look unfair but... I don't understand why they just can't dish out the budget for a movie like UBW, while ufotable could do that for Kara no Kyoukai. To begin with F/SN is arguably much more popular than KnK due to the original material vintage, and yet not only Deen doesn't try, but falls flat, whereas ufotable manages to make an impressive performance SEVEN times with SEVEN directors.
Deen knew they could sell with that movie considering the fanbase of F/Sn (and they surely did quite a bit considering the blu ray sales), but they really didn't try and simply expected the fans to take the bait.
Deen has nothing to gain from splurging on most productions, hence the continual cost cutting. It's common knowledge that the money a studio receives from the production committee is inadequate to cover costs.

If a studio doesn't invest in a project's production, the result is like this:
Anime is a massive flop = $0 profit, no loss if production is on budget, net less if there are budget overruns
Anime is a massive hit = $0 profit, no loss if production is on budget (rare since it takes extra money to make something nice), net loss if there are budget overruns

They animate Fate/Stay Night as a work for hire contractor with no share of the pie (that was the deal they made for the TV series, and it carried over to the movie). If they were to go overbudget to make something extra impressive, they'd take a net loss even if a million DVDs were sold. In fact, it'd be even better if they produced something under the allotted budget since they'd pocket the remainder, so long as they produce enough hits to lock down future contracts.

The studios that would allow overruns are those who're afraid that lacklustre quality might affect future business (that would probably be most companies) or are betting that improved production values might open up more opportunities. However, Deen has no shortage of work, so......

Naturally, it's a different matter if a studio invests in the production, just as ufotable did (Madhouse and Gonzo did this a lot, and they got into big trouble because of it). The result would be like this:

Anime is a massive flop = significant net loss, especially if they pay a lot out of their own pockets to make the anime really good
Anime is a massive hit = significant net profit, even if they risk a lot of money in the short term

In short, Deen is sticking with a bad business model. However, they're evidently able to cut corners to reduce/prevent overruns and still secure a lot of work.
TJR is offline   Reply With Quote