The Annies, and the animation awards, hold a certain popularity within the niche. Yet, they utterly fall short in media coverage, especially when compared to the success of other shows from Nickelodeon, Universal, or even remnants of Great Britain with their stop-motion company Gromit, alongside Warner and Lux Animation. These studios are battling it out, head-to-head, across the awards categories, leading to an unexpected result that was just about to unfold.
Anne Hall, wearing a blue dress, carefully composed her thoughts as she was accompanied by Jim Gianopulos and Rachel, along with the nominated members of the series and productions in which they had taken lead roles or participated. Of course, Lux Animation competed in every field, boasting nominations in all categories and even securing two in some, which was simply overwhelming.
-We have a strong chance of winning, just like we did in '94 with Toy Story. We've got this in the bag, and next year is practically guaranteed, - Jim commented confidently.
The entry was photographed by a few people, but no one paid much attention to the figures behind the scenes. From there, it was clear that some heavyweights were present, but once again, they were forgotten. These were the people behind the curtain, the animators, producers, the most renowned—but still not the ones on stage.
-That would be fabulous, -replied to Anne, who was now covering for Billy at the Annie Awards. As CEO of the company, she was the most suitable to accept the award, although she wasn't entirely sure just how good the series they had produced was.
-True, even if we win, I’m hoping that Autodesk licenses get picked up for future projects, - Jim added.
-It would be beneficial. Autodesk has become unsustainable, - Anne replied, with a touch of unease. After all, they acquired Discreet Logic for $50 million and Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) for $23 million. Some even called it the Microsoft of computer software, specializing in creating computer programs. Billy now held 91% of the company in his hands after numerous injections of capital.
-We’ve got a lot on our plate in the coming days, - Jim noted, keeping his thoughts to himself.
-Everything is in place. We’ll talk with Bill Gates and go public to attract capital. Billy will give up 70% of his shares if they surpass $40. According to studies from Nasdaq, that price could easily be higher due to the revenue and contracts, potentially reaching up to $60 per share, - Anne remarked.
The sale of these shares cannot be underestimated. A major company will likely want to buy it all. A new sale is being arranged to acquire Apple in its entirety. If it goes through, the 70% share, which is made up of 220 million shares for $60 each, would amount to a staggering $1.3 billion.
-Let’s proceed, - Anne Hall said, surveying the elegant atmosphere of the small theater. It was a high-end venue within a sophisticated space designed for upscale media events.
The Anne Awards, as they were known, had a total of six general awards: 'Best Animated Feature,' 'Best Animated TV Program,' 'Best Animated Short Film,' 'Best Animated Production,' 'Best Animated Interactive Production,' and 'Best Animated Promotional Production,' along with seven individual achievement categories. These included outstanding achievements in production design, storyboarding, and character animation, making for a total of seven competitive categories for individual achievements that year.
-The award for Best Animated Feature goes to The Lion King! - Leon Frinch announced.
The competition included The Last King, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. This award, however, was diminished by the lackluster presentation of the four nominees. Disney's declining reputation marked Lux Animation's first victory. Anne stepped up with a smile that was more polite than genuine. She wasn’t entirely diplomatic, but her words about the hard work and dedication of Billy, the director, and the producer were heartfelt.
-The award for Best Animated TV Series goes to Train Souls! -shouted Leon Frinch. Another major win for Lux Animation. Anna Szymańska was in tears as she accepted the prize.
The following awards—Best TV Commercial, Best Storyboard, Best Script, and Best Voice Acting—all went to Lux Animation. Out of the 11 possible awards, they took home six, a staggering achievement for the company, which had even more series lined up for the next year, spanning multiple acquired studios, including Pixar and Lux Animation’s productions.
The newspapers wasted no time, one after another, exaggerating the downfall of Disney. Even The New York Times, known for avoiding sensationalism, congratulated Lux Animation for their "six out of eleven possible awards in the world of animation." They praised the success of The Lion King and its screenplay, crowning it as the best animated film of the year.
-I want to put things aside, but why do we still look like a failure to other companies? - Michael Eisner vented with utter disdain. This time, Joe Roth, the head of animation, stood in his crosshairs.
-They're outpacing us, boss. They’ve built an animation company solely focused on acquiring other animation studios, and unfortunately, we don't have a plan as well-structured... I believe their technology, their teams, their leadership, their scripts—everything points to a company with a clear direction. They’ve released three animated films in a single year, four in total. That means they’ve put out seven films within that timeframe... It's beyond my control. Our company has barely put out two films in recent years, while they’ve done seven. If they keep this pace, they'll be pushing two or three films annually, boss, - Joe Roth explained.
-We can't afford to falter. Double the projects. We need to put out at least two films a year, - Michael Eisner declared. Even if it meant buying out others' licenses and creating their teams, he would make it happen.
-I'm impressed! It's a logical decision, - Joe Roth responded, opening up to the idea. - But we'll need to do a lot of things if we’re going to form several teams. -
Michael Eisner brought his hands to his chin and looked at him like he was an idiot. He was, in fact, an idiot, and for that and many other reasons, Eisner slammed his fist on the table.
-You’ve got 800 animators under your command. The other company only has 200. If you keep talking about something so stupid, you're only showing me that you don't deserve to be director, - Eisner responded with a coldness that could freeze over ten thousand times.
Pressure! That was how Eisner always operated.
-I get it, but I need support from other departments—finance, operations—and I need to overhaul a system that's been in place for a long time. It’s not cheap... With the merger on the horizon, it could complicate things for everyone, -Joe explained.
The two sized each other up.