×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
NEWS: New Generation Pictures Opens Shanghai Studio


Goto page Previous  1, 2

Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
khryoleoz



Joined: 21 Apr 2005
Posts: 158
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:33 pm Reply with quote
Actually, what studios should prepare for is the move from DVD to Blu-ray. Given that we share the same region code as Japan, wouldn't that change title acquisition dynamics entirely? I don't really know how this works. But it seems to me that studios would function only to produce English subs and dubs and licensors only to physically move bilingual Japanese releases to North America.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SharinganEye



Joined: 01 Feb 2005
Posts: 402
Location: Les Etats-Unis d'Amérique
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:39 pm Reply with quote
Same region?

I don't how episode packaging and the price would work on Blu-Ray or HD-DVD.

Are we going to see large amounts of wasted space or more episodes at an even higher price?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Richard J.



Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis.
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:43 pm Reply with quote
snl67 wrote:
Its a cost saving measure, yet you can fly VA's to China? How does that save money? I'm skeptical, to say the least.
My guess is that most of the money they'll be saving will come from lower property taxes and staff costs.

It's kind of like the deal with an IT company I read about. They could hire 1 highschool graduate in the US or they could hire 10 university graduates in India, most of whom had graduated from our universities. The costs were the same but, well, you can guess which they thought was a better deal.

Plus they'll save a fortune building overseas anyway, because laws in the US mandate that buidlings be constructed with certain expensive extras. (Elevators, handicap ramps and bars, etc.)

The frightening truth is they'll probably save money even if they have to fly every single VA in from the US.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
khryoleoz



Joined: 21 Apr 2005
Posts: 158
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:48 pm Reply with quote
Well we're not going to get DVD material on Blu-ray media. Even if we get the same episode counts as we get on most DVDs, HD content (with uncompressed 1080p video and uncompressed multi-channel PCM audio) would easily fill 25-50GB discs. The price will certainly increase, but that's the nature of the HD format right now until it becomes a commodity the way DVD did.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SharinganEye



Joined: 01 Feb 2005
Posts: 402
Location: Les Etats-Unis d'Amérique
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:56 pm Reply with quote
khryoleoz wrote:
Well we're not going to get DVD material on Blu-ray media. Even if we get the same episode counts as we get on most DVDs, HD content (with uncompressed 1080p video and uncompressed multi-channel PCM audio) would easily fill 25-50GB discs. The price will certainly increase, but that's the nature of the HD format right now until it becomes a commodity the way DVD did.
Well, I think I'll wait out this tiring format war.

DVD's fine enough for me.

Though if I remember correctly, the 3rd season of House on Blu-Ray is about $10 cheaper than the DVD boxset.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
khryoleoz



Joined: 21 Apr 2005
Posts: 158
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:21 pm Reply with quote
Richard J. wrote:
snl67 wrote:
Its a cost saving measure, yet you can fly VA's to China? How does that save money? I'm skeptical, to say the least.
My guess is that most of the money they'll be saving will come from lower property taxes and staff costs.

It's kind of like the deal with an IT company I read about. They could hire 1 highschool graduate in the US or they could hire 10 university graduates in India, most of whom had graduated from our universities. The costs were the same but, well, you can guess which they thought was a better deal.

Plus they'll save a fortune building overseas anyway, because laws in the US mandate that buidlings be constructed with certain expensive extras. (Elevators, handicap ramps and bars, etc.)

The frightening truth is they'll probably save money even if they have to fly every single VA in from the US.


Then what we must change are the tax laws that overburden domestic operations.

It sounds to me that most of the acting pool will come locally from Shangai, and only a small number of higher profile (meaning familiar named) actors would be flown to the studio. Otherwise, a more preferrable move is to build a studio at another state where operational costs are substantially less and travel costs would be proportionate. The "flying actors" bit is an empty statement to appease objectors of their legitimate concerns. I like many dubs. Even when I don't I like to have the option. If New Gen cannot undo this course of action, then I just hope that they are the lone studio to outsource ADR work. May Bang Zoom continue to live well and prosper...in LA!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dargonxtc



Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 4463
Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:32 pm Reply with quote
khryoleoz wrote:
[Then what we must change are the tax laws that overburden domestic operations.


Thats a whole other can of worms, and one that would be especially difficult to accomplish in LA, let alone just about everywhere else. i.e. Changing laws like that prove to be difficult and quite maddening.

Otherwise I agree with you, but it ain't gonna happen. Sorry. Especially on the account of some anime dubbing outfit, when in the grand scheme of the city is minute.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
gary leeman



Joined: 24 Nov 2006
Posts: 70
Location: The Big Apple
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:51 pm Reply with quote
It's clear that this is a reactionary response to what is happening in the industry. New Gen wants to cash in on the production of cheaper dubs. If they are losing money in LA, why not make it up by "outsource/expansion" into China?

It won't be long before we see other American companies follow suit, as much as they don't want to. And it's not like these companies don't like us fans, but in the end, it's a business, and you have to make money. Sadly, we all suffer from less quality dubs, and the well known voice actors work less.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
khryoleoz



Joined: 21 Apr 2005
Posts: 158
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 3:33 pm Reply with quote
It's not as if the tax laws need to change for the sake of one small niche market. The burden of weighty taxes affect all industries. The irony is that they simply go overseas in order to avoid paying them. And when they're not paying them, the consumer does in some form or another. It's better to just make them go away, though I'm not prepared to describe a way how.

The market will determine the venture's success. If the sub/dub quality is bad, then they can expect to lose money regardless. They explain that the writing staff will likely be the same American writers. So their script and direction are probably not going to suffer. Main characters will probably feature the American voice talent, and the Shanghai pool will fill secondary characters. So we're likely not going to see much of a difference.

However, another industry that is ALSO in business to make a buck is the recording studio that they go to to record the dub. Why do THEY get the shaft? Sound engineering is hard enough work with long hours and scarce jobs depending on where one is in that industry. Can New Gen explain to me how they get to eat and pay their rent? We have talented resources here that go into their industry with the highest investment in their abilities to produce the quality work that they do. Of course this comes at a certain price. So how dare we even entertain the notion that we will risk reduction in quality however minute at the expense of the revenue that should be going to these talents!

So long as the venture is indeed an expansion, then cool. They've opened up new opportunities for themselves by having presence in that part of the world that is indeed expanding. But please, let's pay OUR people that which is their due, not by mere entitlement upon the dictates of politics, but for the simple fact that they'll do the job better than any foreign establishment all the time if given the chance.


Last edited by khryoleoz on Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:01 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
inthebiz



Joined: 19 Jan 2007
Posts: 34
Location: Burbank, CA
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:24 pm Reply with quote
There doesn't appear to be any logic in flying L.A. voice actors all the way over to Shanghai.
Why not just record them in LA?

But if you really want to take them over there to stand in front of a mike,
even cheapo airfare cost's about $2000, round trip. (incl. tax, security fees, etc)
Plus accommodations, which, in 2007 Shanghai are at least $100/night.
(unless you want to live an a bug infested dump)
Plus per diem$$: food etc
AND, you gotta pay them their LA rate, since they are the LA actors that you want.
For EACH actor, it will end up costing at least $3000.

This is supposed to be a cost-saving venture??

Over the past 4 months, off and on, I worked in Shanghai, sub-contracted to a major EU ad agency.
The English voice talent pool there is pathetic. 99% of VO actors do it as a hobby, and it shows.

At one point, we were reduced to auditioning ex-pat financial sector workers for voice overs.
I guess if you want bankers and accountants doing your anime voices that's ok

How can you possibly be serious about this?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
chrisb
Subscriber



Joined: 07 May 2006
Posts: 613
Location: USA
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:41 pm Reply with quote
There actually are alot of good English voice actors in China, sometimes even American or Canadian ones. One that comes to mind is Maggie Blue O'Hara (dub of Tomoyo Cardcaptors and Arjuna in Arjuna), ok you may not like the personality changes of the characters but the acting was done well so I'm not fearing any new bad dubs.

I doubt they'll be sending American actors over to China, if they do, only a select few. They're probably just outsourcing most of the anime dub jobs and only handling a few here in America. It's not cost effective to send American actors to China.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
bglassbrook



Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Posts: 1243
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
PostPosted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 2:21 pm Reply with quote
Like many of the others, I hope this turns out well, and is actually warranted due to the still-American prices found in middle-of-nowhere-middle-America.

Then again ...

Quote:
It would very much be like a paid working vacation. [...] This will be a great opportunity for so many incredibly talented voice actors and directors to visit such a unique and exciting international city as Shanghai.


... anything with that much spin on it reeks of trouble.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
rg4619



Joined: 30 Jun 2007
Posts: 163
PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 1:36 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Okay, shows are expensive to dub. So what? Isn't that why I paid $20K for all 761 of my domestic anime titles? I don't think that this move will result in lower shelf pricing by any licensor who picks New Gen for the dub.


It's all about profitability here.

The problem is that while you might spend a lot of money on anime DVDs, many others aren't picking up the slack.

Quote:
I doubt they'll be sending American actors over to China, if they do, only a select few. They're probably just outsourcing most of the anime dub jobs and only handling a few here in America. It's not cost effective to send American actors to China.


Yep, they might fly over one or two stars for a particular recording. However, the main idea is to utilize actors living in Shanghai.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14746
PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 9:45 pm Reply with quote
Ironically, as the anime industry grows in North America, license fees from Japan have been going up and eating a larger portion of the production budget, so dub budgets are going down.

They can no longer afford Coastal, Animaze, Ocean Westwood, etc. I suspect more dubbing studios will disappear on the anime landscape, leaving only a few - with a smaller pool of VAs doing all the voices again and again.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
darkchibi07



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 5459
PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 7:09 am Reply with quote
The guys from Dub Reviewdid an interview with Jonathan Klein in Anime Vegas that talks about this new venture:

http://www.dubreview.com/podcasts/voxcast032-jkinterview.mp3

Hopefully this will clear up some misconceptions about this. At this point, it really more of a wait and see though I am curious what will these dubs from Shanghai will be like. I really hope this will lead other companies to consider them for English dubs so they don't have to go forth the sub-only route (unless the situation doesn't allow them to due to having missing BGMs and sound effects).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address My Anime My Manga
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2
Page 2 of 2

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group