The Industry - Lifestyle and Wages

[Akito Kinomoto]

Hrm, strange. I actually don't have an older post ITT where I made my adorable naivety and enthusiasm apparent (though I can probably drudge it up from around here if I weren't lazy). But hey, at least I'm still living a nichijou. Although now I empathize more and more with some of the older dinosaurs when I look at the industry and go "it's not you, it's me"

[Archon_Wing]

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

And if I do watch the few anime I do (the last few 2 years I haven't even managed 10 shows per year to even do a top 10 list really)... well lets just say my preferences have "degraded" because I'm almost never in the mood for "smart" or "intellectual" shows anymore. The shows I watch on a weekly basis are now ... Dragonball Super and Aikatsu Stars. One's a mainstream shonen show which I can just turn my brain off and enjoy Goku and co be idiots and stuff (DBS is much more akin to the Dragonball than DBZ where theres heaps of goofing around and tournament based rather than DBZ's SRS BZN) and the other is ... well ... at first it was a guilty pleasure but I'm pretty sure that isn't the case anymore because one does not simply watch something 220+ episodes of a franchise for guilty pleasure reasons. Everything else I haven't started or are behind... some series VERY behind.

But, but what about New Game !!? (Damn series naming)

And as for Aikatsu/DBS, I would say they're definitely doing something right if you've gotten so far. It's good you're not one of those people that watches a show every week to bash it.

Funny enough, although I'm not into Love Live the franchise or anime that much, I'm in a discord server where a lot of Love Live fanart (and Idolmaster) gets spammed... and let's just say a lot of is good eye candy

O.... I wish I could have gotten into Love Live too, character designs look nice, but you know what they say about eating too much sweets

[AnimeFan188]

Film Critic Responds to Netflix's Rise in Japan:

"There is a big paradigm shift happening in the entertainment industry now. Until now,
people making films and anime in Japan have suffered their lives in poverty. Suddenly
people with ten or twenty times the budget appeared, and it is becoming a world where
they say, 'it's okay to make it no matter how much money it takes.'

In addition, Machiyama commented that works that might not receive an "OK" under
other circumstances or that film companies would not be able to screen can get approval
through Netflix. He thinks that a "full-blown war" with Netflix will start in the media
world in Japan, and it will look like "an invasion of the former American military." He
advised careful consideration for people involved with Japanese media companies."

See:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.cc/inter...-japan/.119931


Will the coming Netflix-induced shakeup make things better for those underpaid
animators?

[Tanuki.]

Originally Posted by AnimeFan188

Will the coming Netflix-induced shakeup make things better for those underpaid
animators?

Right now there seems to be no indication that something like this is happening.

https://twitter.com/Yuyucow/status/896043551712325632

[Marcus H.]

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Manga Creator Says He Receives No Profit From Anime

Well, that's some fucked up news.

[Tanuki.]

Well, anime is a high-risk endeavour and most shows wouldn't be made at all if it wasn't for the advertising effect. Most anime don't make a profit to begin with, so I guess it's kinda understandable that the money goes to the people carrying the risk.

That being said, I'm pretty sure there are mangaka that get royalties for the anime adaptions. I think there were several other articles like that one stating that mangaka receive not a lot. I remember something like ~10000 yen per episode (or maybe a bit more), though I'm not sure if this was really the number. But it was pretty low.

But in any case, the mangaka of Saiki K. does profit from the anime because it boosts the manga sales. We don't even know if the people who produced the show profited from it, and I'm sure he is in a better position than many of the people working on the adaptions of the media based on his works.

[gdpetti]

From the way I understand it, unless your work is like Naruto, the anime is mostly just to help sell the manga... like a video for a song.... never heard of any musician/artist being paid for the video.. never thought of it before... as it's marketing for their real product, their song... same for doing interviews.... they may get 'scale' for legal reasons, but most shows aren't paying them to show up, which is why they only do so to sell their work, a new song/album or tv show or film, book, magazine etc.

I wonder about shows like Sakura Quest, original anime works... are they given a better time slot? primetime? as it isn't designed to sell any manga... not that most of them don't issue one afterwards/during.... is there a site that lists the timeslots?

[SeijiSensei]

Here's one for starters: http://anichart.net/airing

Traditionally, anime-original programming relied more on BD/DVD sales to make back their costs. The first installment of Sakura Quest sold about 1,400 copies, decent but hardly gang-busters. I suspect streaming revenues from the West and China play an ever-larger role in financing anime originals. Last season saw at least three original productions on Amazon Strike: Re:Creators, Bahamut Virgin Soul, and Princess Principal. I doubt that was by chance.

[IceHism]

http://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/nl/article...1/news004.html

Cool Netflix interview
Summary

Netflix is specifically challenging the production model depicted in Shirobako with the following changes to standard industrial practices:

• Huge budget (reportedly 10x typical budget)
• High quality works (4K HDR. If the work doesn't meet expected quality the release will be delayed for improvement.)
• High autonomy for studios
• Aiming for works with impact of 10 years
• No pandering to BD sales (Measuring performance only by watch time, not view count, not subscriber count)

Anyone with basic knowledge about anime production knows the current production model (cf. Shirobako) is extremely unhealthy and unsustainable. I expect only good things will come out of this move by Netflix.

I don't know whether binge watching vs weekly is better but this type of schedule prob works for some studios over others and it'd be nice to see how they work out.
Also Netflix gonna Invest a lot of money for 30 new animes next year
I just hope it's not slapping a Netflix original on things they license and would have released with or without them.

[AnimeFan188]

How Will Netflix Producing Anime Change the Industry?:

"The Hollywood Reporter ran a story wondering if Netflix's huge budgets -- easily besting
what normally gets spent on anime production -- would finally mean relief for anime
production companies and the animators they employ, both of which have been
squeezed hard by the production committee system. While Netflix is likely including
some buyouts of shows already in production, it's suggested that Netflix plans on
bypassing the production committees entirely."

See:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ans...-11-01/.123445

[Marcus H.]

I still don't trust them.

First off, exclusivity. You can only watch their shows on Netflix, obviously.
Second, regional restrictions. They haven't done anything to change geoblocking, so expect your region to not get ALL the shows they are airing.
Third, pushing their own ideas to the pros. Despite having the money, they won't invest them on shows that they think won't earn "a lot".

If anything, Netflix (and Amazon) entering the anime market will further restrict the accessibility of anime.

[gdpetti]

Well, here's another look at the Netflix equation: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-0...re-are-numbers

This is all being done in the current environment of 'free money'.... or very cheap money... as they and their peers burn through cash... Amazon is cash positive, but still isn't making a profit.... and as long as their stock price keep rising, no one really cares.... same globally... one worldwide ponzi scheme... like any House of Cards is destined to crash... and once their share prices start taking a hit back to reality... this debt issue will really start hurting them... all of them.. as all the markets are based in debt.

As for the anime industry, like these subscription networks which require a net connection already, if they are using the animes mostly to sell other product, why not setup a separate network online like Youtube for the anime industry? Subscription based... Netflix and Amazon are shooting darts essentially, but all of Hollywood does that... hoping for the next big thing, or more of the last big thing.. .franchise... and all its merchandise like Star Wars... 'milk it'... over and over and over... and sell it in ancillary markets... like their theme parks. I still don't understand why the anime industry hasn't already done this.. with everything going digital, BD/DVD sales will continue to fall.... like record sales etc.... they could release an entire cour when ready, as one anime did last season... which I liked actually.... It is typical for the old guys controlling the industry to want to keep things the same... no change... no disruption to their share of the pie etc.... if they are mostly like music videos, then the primary profit would be in their primary products; the manga, music, LNs etc... original programs would be the odd man out... but with a subscription type AnimeTube site, this too can be utilized. Don't they have anime based networks in Japan? You would think that one indie station network would've been setup long ago, no? Or is it just like here in the States... nothing changes until forced to do so?

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by gdpetti

why not setup a separate network online like Youtube for the anime industry?

You mean like Crunchyroll, funimation.com, and HIDIVE?

[0cean]

No, like the half assed Daisuki which they terminated earlier this year and probably only ran to show that it can't work, seeing how badly they fucked this up.

[SeijiSensei]

I once thought that the studios or publishers like Kadokawa might set up a single streaming site. However they may well prefer the model where companies like CR license shows from them and thus assume the risks. I agree that the manga/anime industry is not very innovative, but managing their own streaming might not be the best choice for the production committees. Preferring cash up front from licensors over assuming the risks of streaming themselves may well be a better strategy. Also they transfer the costs of activities like translation to the distributors rather than having to maintain a staff of translators themselves. CR now produces subs in half-a-dozen languages. I'd imagine it's easier to find a Japanese speaker in Brazil than a Portuguese speaker in Japan.

[gdpetti]

So Crunchyroll, Funimation etc operate in Japan? I was under the impression it was NAmerica only? If so, this makes sense to centralize the distribution of a product of limited market potential, since these animes are essentially like music videos here in the States, right? This whole profit on product problem reminds me of the problems on the internet... how to financialize the social media, Youtube etc... as there was an example (I could look it up over on Zerohedge) of a major US advertiser like P&G or whatever that dropped their internet marketing and it had no effect... or very minimal, so it showed them that they were wa sting their money on Facebook (which lies about their numbers all the time) and other sites... which is going to spell major declines in ad revenue for net advertising... this market model really isn't working, but those company lies have worked in the past... going forward is the problem... same with Netflix etc... as that business model is based on conscriptioons increasing as their debt for product increases... demand needs to increase to pay for increased supply costs.... as I linked, it doesn't look to be working well, which is common for the internet since it began... Amazon is different in it doesn't make a profit and doesn't need to since it's 'angel investors' are based in govt operators like the CIA, which is invested in most of the major companies and sites... which is why their business does so well from the beginning... like Wall Street, they can always get bailed out from the Fed.... same in Europe... Germany isn't bailing out Greece, they are bailing out their own banks that made those bad loans... this has been going on since Reagan in recent times.

Ok, I'm looking at CR's wikipedia site...

Crunchyroll is an American distributor, publisher, licensing company and international online community focused on video streaming East Asian media including anime, manga, drama, music, electronic entertainment, and content. Crunchyroll offers over 800 anime shows,[2] more than 200 Asian dramas to users, and 50 manga titles, although not all programming is available worldwide due to licensing restrictions./... In February 2017, Crunchyroll passed one million paid subscribers. ...Crunchyroll is the exclusive worldwide (excluding Asia) digital distributor for Kadokawa anime titles and publishing in the United States.[6] Crunchyroll also has long-term partnership agreements with Funimation and NBCUniversal.[7][8]

So, the process is in the works, just not complete yet... osis..... Hmmmm... since the vertical distribution breakup of the Hollywood studios in the late 50s? some theatres closed, especially in small cap markets... but most of the non "A" films went to tv anyway... all the westerns, cartoons etc... except the biggest "A" products... so essentially the studios shared the theatres... which was done in the small cap markets already, but the larger cap markets could now select their product as well... mostly? Any 'library' of past product isn't really available .... it has/is going to on-demand services, but even they don't cover "older" products... as their viewers/customers age out or die off... making the product 'ancient' and unprofitable... and it hasn't gone online to the net yet that I know of... not being seen as profitable.... and this is one aspect similar to anime, in that older product can be kept on servers without much cost.... but they only go back so far... unless there is some demand... which is rare, right? This was seen in the Hollywood industry as the need to preserve the older product... but who would pay for it? as the old stuff was fragile, most of it was in decay being on acetate or whatever.... so it's slowly disappearing and not many care.... as the times change and the old product, like silent films, just aren't 'in demand'... like any cultural product.... it either changes, or dies out... but most anime isn't that old really, right? from the 80s and up?... outside of "Sanae"... wasn't that the name of it? and it's still on... wow!

So, the internet is a boom and a bust for everyone... most of the industries are controlled by those that haven't kept up with the times.... except for their 'new' product which is mostly in a different market, thus a different dept... reminds me of that anime on making a new dictionary.... the dictionaries have gone to the net which you can access faster and more efficiently because of word association... as long as you get close to the spelling... and it can be merged with the old encyclopedia for pictures/diagrams like on Wikipedia... which like Amazon, with free money from 'angel' investors like the CIA/WallStreet etc, doesn't have to worry about making money, so they can continue to focus on expansion... like WalMart did a couple decades back.... crowding out the 'mom&pop' stores..... getting sweetheart deals from local govts to put up stores... etc... like the movie "You Got Mail"... only that industry has aged out... the bookstores have gone online.. tv and even film is starting to do the same... and the storytelling industry has to adapt to the change in form.... the stories remain... just the format is changing.. same problem govts have... militaries, religions etc.

How is CR, Funimation et al? I remember trying CR a few times in the past, but it was a public form, so I guess you had to deal with the ads etc.... not that the 'others' don't, but it's easier to ignore etc. Is the subscription worth it? Do you think it's working for the anime industry? Sometimes, it might work for the 'distributor' but not the production team making the product.. sort of like how the real money is always 'downstream'... famers aren't known to getting rich unless they are corporations that have access to that 'free' or 'cheap' govt money... tax breaks etc... and given that Japan has been essentially ruled by the same team since the War ended, they are very slow to changing anything no matter how much they talk about making changes, nothing changes.. like our foreign policy of regime change here in the American Empire and our Axis of Evil club.... nothing changes until forced to do so.

All that said... if anime is mostly small market and a by product in terms of being like music videos here in the States... I'm not surprised they don't make money, as music videos don't either... .they aren't designed to.. they are advertising, which cost money.... I don't think any music video makes money.... unless released as a film.. concert type..Do I have it wrong? I'm curious.. probably mostly because it's different in some respects... but some is profitable, like Naruto... some maintain 'primetime' status... is/was that anichart.net for one station or one city like Tokyo? obviously all the anime isn't on there... .most of the 'late night' stuff isn't listed... Friday is busy... is it our Saturday? the start of their weekend?

[Cosmic Eagle]

JPs use mainly Nico Nico for streaming.

[gdpetti]

No indie station in the major cities that run anime? I would've thought that back in the 80s, 90s etc, some indie station would've been setup for the anime industry there.... before everything went online. Even now, I'd think that some cable/sat station would've been setup for it by the same producers... the manga/music industries... to sell their product, like Youtube.

[ArrowSmith]

https://myanimelist.net/news/53391039

23 years old and already retiring due to 'health concerns'. WTF does the Japanese pop/anime industry do to people?

[gdpetti]

There was an article somewhere the other day on the 'Hollywood casting couch' aspects in JPop circles, agencies, which fits in with other High School call girl rings... preying on the wannabes etc.... don't know if she fell into that trap given her early success, winning that contest etc.... this could just be as stated, overwork of a popular singer/actress/VA? don't know her here, so hard to tell.... another aspect you see in the last couple of decades is 'retiring' to get out of a contract etc... then once the legal time period is up, resign with another agencies or whatever...

Hard to tell... sometimes people, especially kids, get into things without realizing what's required of the job/position etc... and those already in positions of power exploit them, as they were exploited themselves... the circle of exploitation etc.... that can easily be abusive... etc.

But hard to tell here with so little data to go on.