| The animation world is really struggling as of late. A | | | | depth and better potential story-lines, which can easily |
| recent sign of times, A.D Vision who brought you | | | | be adapted to the big screen. Isn't it about time to give |
| famous titles like: Appleseed, Elfen Lied, and etc. have | | | | titles like Harry Potter, Watchmen, GI Joe, even Lord of |
| recently announced their closing the doors. That's right, | | | | the Rings a run for their money? |
| due to unfortunate sells in multiple titles they have been | | | | 3) Sales should come from merchandise, not from |
| forced to close down their doors for good, including | | | | direct dvd sales. Companies should sign onto such toy |
| other problems, which has lead other companies to | | | | industries and take examples of giants in the field: |
| pick up multiple titles like mentioned above. | | | | beanie babies, ninja turtles, the list can go on forever. |
| In addition, the economy has shown no grace towards | | | | 4) Video Games is a field there are slowly merging |
| anime specialist as companies like Geneon and Central | | | | with, however, this merger is always in favor of the |
| Park media has closed down their doors for good filing | | | | video game industry. The potential such animation titles |
| for bankruptcy. What is the main culprit of this | | | | can have you ask? Just look at the long video game |
| distress? It can be attributed towards different | | | | series, Dragon Ball Z, which was rated by most critics |
| aspects like, economic times, DVD sales, and finally | | | | as a horrible fighting game. What carried it? It's not |
| failures in marketing approaches. The biggest problem | | | | hard to figure out. |
| this industry is facing happens to deal directly with | | | | Animation companies need to find different ways to |
| copyright infringement. What exactly does this mean? | | | | make money off of their product. The main focus |
| There are multiple sites out there, who are distributing | | | | should be on offering free broadcast of their titles; the |
| free animation to users over the World Wide Web; | | | | main focus being on simply marketing their product. |
| however, these sites are failing to pay any royalties to | | | | The best way to accomplish this is by offering a free |
| any of the artist. What exactly does this mean? It | | | | animation cable channel. Inevitably, the chances of this |
| doesn't take someone with a PhD in economics to | | | | happening are slim to none. Nevertheless, such |
| figure out that when there is no demand for a product, | | | | fluctuations seen in past spending trends can be |
| there is no need for supply. In this case, their is no need | | | | matched towards past mass free distributions. |
| for supply but lots of demand. In truth, the same very | | | | Toonami, a popular animation series that ran on |
| loyal fans who love their industry are in fact killing it. | | | | Cartoon Network had a very successful launch on the |
| Even the big corporations who are the main supplies | | | | rating scale for simply a few animation titles. |
| of dubbed animation in the United States, like | | | | Consequently, at the time, no illegal animation streaming |
| Funimation, are feeling the effects. It's only a matter of | | | | sites were available through the World Wide Web, |
| time, at this rate, before animation is entirely gone from | | | | which can be directly attributed towards their success. |
| the United States. Japanese companies are quickly | | | | However, the old 'anime spending rush' can be directly |
| adapting to times by attempting to sign onto | | | | linked towards this event, otherwise known as the |
| established web agencies. Crunchy roll, one of the only | | | | anime baby boom. In short, animation companies need |
| legal streaming online companies who offer animation | | | | to stop relying on dvd sales, in fact, this should be |
| are, in fact, paying royalties to the artist. | | | | considered as their least form of income generation. |
| American animation companies need to quickly find | | | | They need to look at other markets, and learn how to |
| new ways to market their product. Times have | | | | incorporate this into money for them. |
| changed; the old method of selling DVD's has quickly | | | | In truth, the question really is will the animation industry |
| become outdated. Some recommendations I would | | | | learn to adapt. The Japanese show signs of life, but |
| wish this industry would incorporate: | | | | the Americans are slowly withering away. There are |
| 1) Official Streaming Sites from each company, | | | | still some promises out there for possible sparks of life. |
| followed with a monthly subscription fee. | | | | However, this is quickly sniffed out by some quick |
| 2) As the saying goes, "there's gold in them hills." United | | | | announcement of a failed trend. Will this industry ever |
| States is already eating up the marvel comic book | | | | recover? Only time will tell. |
| industry; yet, the animation industry has much more in | | | | |