The D-Files Part 3: Disney the Killer of Dreams

Animation Blacklist

“Yes, Donald. There is an animation blacklist,” and one Disney artist finds himself on it and has not worked to this day. I have changed many of the “alleged” details regarding this incident to protect my sources.

As the activists began infiltrating the ranks of Disney Animation. One artist complained about how fast things were changing and openly questioned the direction “woke” storytelling was taking the particular project he was working on. The questions were not taken well, and this artist was placed on the s**t list. When he wondered why a newly hired “less-talented” female POC artist was getting the work that he used to get, he had to endure comments about the patriarchy, “knowing his place,” and his earnest pleas were met with severe repercussions.

With a decade of quality work done for Disney, his work was now being nitpicked to death with a fine tooth comb, criticized more harshly than his female counterparts, and all in an attempt to break his spirit. He described his treatment as “demoralizing and intensely passive-aggressive.” This artist kept his head down, shut his mouth, and continued to do his job to the best of his ability.

On one ominous day, one of his female co-workers felt slighted that he was no longer talking to her. The truth is he was talking to no one. To this narcissist, his silence was interpreted as a micro-aggression, and a #MeToo charge was trumped up against him (the real story is much more incendiary). The false claim was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and our protagonist resigned for the sake of his mental and physical health and walked out of Disney mouth taped under an iron-clad NDA. The incident never went public.

After months of recovery, the artist attempted to get work at other studios with nary a bite. A former colleague reached out to him and asked him if he knew he was on the “Animation Blacklist.” The artist had no idea this existed and asked if he could get more details…maybe see it. The colleague said no and dropped the subject.

“His silence was interpreted as a micro-aggression, and a #MeToo charge was trumped up against him…”

Unable to find work, the artist decided to go it alone and animate his own short film. A prestigious film festival accepted his short in its animated short program, and when the announcement of his festival inclusion went public, phone calls were made, and the festival quietly informed him they pulled his film with no explanation. Good luck with your future endeavors.

Eventually, the artist was able to find work at other studios, and in all cases, once word leaked that he was working again, he was instantly fired without cause and told, “We’re not going to work with you again.”

Does an Animation Blacklist exist, or is this the paranoid conspiracy of a scorned animator? Consider the infamous story of Chris Savino, the showrunner for Nickelodeon’s The Loud House. He was a target of a #MeToo campaign, as documented on the Samantha Bee show, Full Frontal. Savino was accused of inappropriate behavior, ranging from unwanted sexual advances to threats of industry blacklisting after the end of consensual relationships with co-workers.

When a Cartoon Brew exclusive came out with harassment accusations against Savino, Nickelodeon was forced to fire him. This was not enough for The Animators Guild, who held a mock trial to “litigate” Savino’s crimes. Savino was not allowed to confront his accusers’ testimonies. He was found guilty and sentenced to a five-year expulsion from the animation industry. Letters (a blacklist?) were sent to all the agents and animation studios in Hollywood, telling them that Savino could not work for them. After the five-year sentence, Savino went back to work…yeah, right…he’s gone.

I bring up the story not to exonerate Savino or call his accusers’ testimony into question. It could all be true for all I know. But it does show that in the wake of #MeToo, some kind of blacklist actually exists, and forces within the animation community and Animation Guild are managing an extensive list of animators intent on keeping them from ever working in the industry again. Innocent or guilty (Yes, many could be guilty), these artists do not know they are on the list, and when they find out, they have no way of clearing their name and reputation. Welcome to the world of animation.

Is Your Dream Dead?

These stories are not limited to Disney Animation. Those working at all the other animation studios have told us similar stories about how DEI is destroying the entire industry. It doesn’t stop there. These stories also come out of Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney theme parks. Fans and paying customers are no longer considered in the creative equation. As described in the WGA letters, stories are no longer about connecting with audiences but more about the messages that must be taught to the masses.

This article is dedicated to the youngster out there watching Disney, Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, or Warner Brothers cartoons, sitting in their rooms with a sketch pad and colored pens, and dreaming of one day becoming an animator. Work hard to fulfill your dream; just know that that dream as you envision it may not be where you are when you’re ready. The industry today will destroy you. Disney and the industry at large have broken spirits and killed the dreams of those who dedicated decades of their lives to building a once glorious legacy.

Not to end on a pessimistic note, but maybe becoming a Disney animator should not be your dream. Clearly, Disney (and the other studios) has become the destination for dreams to die with its toxic work environment, the move toward AI, and its eventual move outside the US.

For decades, Film Threat has always turned its readers on to an alternative diet of films and filmmaking. The indie route may be the fastest way to make your dream happen. The tools to become an independent animator are right there, off-the-shelf and at your fingertips. Spend your time today finding your style and telling your stories. Look for a mentor. Get in your ten thousand hours. Just know that working for the House of Mouse will not give you the validation you so richly deserve…that comes only from you.

In the next D-Files, I’ll show the current state of the animation industry, specifically at Disney, and how the art form of animation is dead, i.e., there are no jobs for you here. And check out the previous articles in The D-Files series. 

If you work in the industry and have a story to tell or something to add and would like to share your story, on or off the record, contact us.