The Change Mariner

Disney closes Orlando studio as digital animation takes over

Sun Sentiel (Florida):

The Walt Disney Co. is shuttering its Orlando-based animation studio, cutting 258 jobs, as the company shifts from hand-drawn animated films to computer-generated features and videos. Some of the employees will be offered jobs in Burbank, Calif., Disney said Monday in announcing the move.

The company has been steadily trimming its animation department for the past few years, from a peak of 2,200 employees in 1999 to 600, all based in Burbank after Monday's announcement.

The closing of the Orlando studio comes after Disney has closed animation outposts in Paris and Tokyo, which were opened during a boom in hand-drawn animation.

Over the past few years as computer-generated 3-D films proved far more successful at the box office than traditional 2-D films, Disney shifted from having a large number of animators on staff to hiring on a per-film basis.

The move resulted in layoffs and major salary cuts and an emphasis on producing less costly 2-D films. The 2002 success Lilo & Stitch, for instance, was produced for about $80 million compared with $140 million for the box-office flop Treasure Planet, released the same year.