05/03/06 The iSteve Cometh

[Chuck Oberleitner]

this business of show

The iSteve Cometh
May 3, 2006

Any day now, the Walt Disney Company will close on its deal to acquire partner Pixar Animation Studios. Since the deal was first announced last January, speculation has run high as to what role Pixar CEO Steve Jobs will play at the new Disney-Pixar Mouse House.

More HERE

Your thoughts...

[RenMan]

Chuck, you don't say anything more about John Lasseter in this whole discussion of the dual "creative/business leadership" of the Disney Company. While I don't envision him becoming chairman of the board, is it not possible that he will provide some of that creative leadership?

Jim Hill, in a January article, describes Pixar as becoming a huge success not because of Jobs, but in spite of him. He credits Lasseter as being the motivator of the company's creative boom.

I know that we MiceChatters have practically canonized Lasseter as a saint because he's "one of us" and "get's it". We might be going too far, but you do have to admit that it's a very hopeful sign when Iger is willing to bring in creative leadership and let them do their job.

What I'm saying is, maybe there won't be just one head creative honcho. Maybe the various divisions (theme parks, feature film, animation, imagineering etc.) will be given distributed creative leadership. Or perhaps as we've already seen, someone like Lasseter will be given creative power within several divisions (animation and WDI) and serve as "cross-pollinator." Kevin Yee already alluded to that in his Feb 9 article.

[InspiredByWalt]

Maybe I'm missing something, but has Jobs given any hint of being interested in a more full-time role at Disney? It seems that his heart and soul is over at Apple and that is where he spends his time with business leadership/creative energy. As far as I can tell, Jobs in more interested in Disney's content and what that would mean to Apple. Witness iTunes and the video iPod. Marry that to Disney's content and look out!

[RenMan]

Well, the point of Chuck's article was that Jobs has been known to say he's not interested in something and then take it on later.

[cellarhound]

I actually like Chuck's Parallel between NeXT - Apple and Pixar - Disney...

We know that Roy has been wanting Jobs on the executive team... We also know that Jobs likes Iger and the executive team currently in place...

I really do think Jobs has positioned to take over Chairman of the Board... And I really do think that is all he has time to do currently...

And the article really does have nothing to do with Lassiter... Nor should it... However, the idea that he or even Ed isn't given a shot at President may make sense if Jobs takes on that role... It would be politically undesireable if a Pixar exec did get that promotion... It would slap other execs in the face...

If you ask me, it should go to Cook... Get him out of the studio and bring in someone from outside disney to replace him... sort of a Katsenberg type with some key relationships with a fresh set of directors/artists/producers...

[Dustysage]

Originally Posted by cellarhound

I really do think Jobs has positioned to take over Chairman of the Board... And I really do think that is all he has time to do currently...

I feel the same way. It would be a mistake for Steve not to make a play for the Chairmanship of the Disney Board. However, beyond that, he doesn't have time to serve as a executive at Disney. His role will be a guidance one, not a daily operating role.

Steve may also be looking at a potential Apple deal. Apple is a target and aside from its growing iPod business, isn't a major hardware player. Steve is not a man of robust health and may seek to find a business deal which would strengthen Apple, in much the same way that the Disney deal strengthens and protects Pixar, should he no longer be around to run it. My guess would be Google or a major entertainment company. I have a very strong feeling that it wasn't just Pixar that Steve was willing to part with.

[ALIASd]

Originally Posted by cellarhound

If you ask me, it should go to Cook... Get him out of the studio and bring in someone from outside disney to replace him... sort of a Katsenberg type with some key relationships with a fresh set of directors/artists/producers...

Do you think they still have Joe Roth's number, his time'll be freed up now that he's shuttering Revolution Studios over at Sony...

[cellarhound]

Originally Posted by RenMan

Jim Hill, in a January article, describes Pixar as becoming a huge success not because of Jobs, but in spite of him. He credits Lasseter as being the motivator of the company's creative boom.

I am going to rain on Mr. Hill's parade... He is, like everyone else, thinking that Disney is only about Animation and Hospitality/Theme Parks.

Ever since Walt decided to distribute his own films, I think we forget Disney is about Media Content and Distribution... Now that we are in a digital age where piracy is prevolant, Lassiter doesn't really have the technical skills an know how to innovate the distribution content and package it direct to the consumer like Steve Jobs...

That is a HUGE differance... Pixar deal wasn't just about adding creative execs to the animation table... But about Iger's call for finding new revinue streams through use of digital technology. Why do you think Jobs likes Iger so much? Because he feels Iger "gets it" about digital convergence... Eisner obviously didn't, just look at what happened to InfoSeek.

iPod has revolutionised content distribution of music, in a way that the Movie and Televison industry MUST pay attention to... If you co-oped Jobs now, large media companies will likely not get hurt in the process of media becoming ever the more digital friendly...

Even Eisner knows this when he went on to invest heavily in a Digital Content Software Company recently...

If you notice, Media Companies are positioning themselves now, and it is not just Disney - we only post the news about Disney but the other companies are following closely... Having Jobs as Chairman puts Disney in a position move at warp speed...

[RenMan]

I don't know if it's correct to say that Eisner didn't "get it" at all about content creation and distribution. He was slow to adapt, maybe, and made a bad choice with go.com, but why else did Disney purchase ABC? I think he deserves a little credit for trying to get on the distribution bandwagon.

[shadow]

Well, doesn't that just sound nifty. Personally I can't wait to see what happens...as long as it's for the better. Being a shareholder of that magnitude should prove interesting.

[cellarhound]

Originally Posted by RenMan

I don't know if it's correct to say that Eisner didn't "get it" at all about content creation and distribution. He was slow to adapt, maybe, and made a bad choice with go.com, but why else did Disney purchase ABC? I think he deserves a little credit for trying to get on the distribution bandwagon.

That isn't what I said... What I said was Eisner didn't "get it" when it came to digital convergence... He was too busy researching disposable DVD's, MovieBeam, gutting InfoSeak, and fighting with Steve Jobs over his computer applications in congress.

Disney purchasing ABC has nothing to do with digital convergence... Eisner already had the Disney Channel out there on cable and had access to the distribution media... And ABC already had a long standing contract (over 50 years) with ABC regarding content distribution. Duh!!!! Eisner was bailing out one of Disney's historical meal tickets.

[Elcapitan Man]

Originally Posted by RenMan

I don't know if it's correct to say that Eisner didn't "get it" at all about content creation and distribution. He was slow to adapt, maybe, and made a bad choice with go.com, but why else did Disney purchase ABC? I think he deserves a little credit for trying to get on the distribution bandwagon.

Don't worry Eisner took enough credit already. If you don't believe me watch "Conversations with Michael Eisner" on MSNBC. The show seems to be more about him then his guests.