The Addams Family: Should You Watch It? (VIDEO SCRIPT)

Alright

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Readers, while I’m definitely interested AND READY to see a new take on the Addams Family, I’m...cautiously optimistic about this one.

It has nothing to do with the tone or the cast mind you, let me get that out the way right now.

Because number 1: The cast looks great!

/You got Oscar Isaac as Gomez, Charlize Theron as Morticia, Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley, Chloe Grace Mortez as Wednesday/

And Bette Midler is playing Grandma Addams. Winifred from Hocus Pocus is playing Grandma Addams. That is not type casting, that is PERFECT casting.

And the tone looks pretty dope.

True, it’s not the live-action movies we grew up with like the original movie or Addams Family Values

/But given the antics seen in the trailer, it definitely reminds me of the animated series Hanna-Barbera made in the 90’s after the first live-action movie, and I used to watch the fuck out of it back in the day./

Now, I know what you’re thinking: But La’Ron, if its not the tone or the cast, then why are you being cautiously optimistic about the new animated Addams Family movie?

Well, it’s like I said in one of the last episodes I did of What I Miss before Patreon-A-Thon

The animation studio behind this animated Addams Family movie is Nitrogen Studios, the animation studio that also made Sausage Party

Fortunately it’s Conrad Vernon that’s directing the film, who was the more reasonable of the two heads to work with according to testimonies. Greg Tiernan, the OTHER head over there, just made life a living hell for their animators

I went more in depth about what all the animators had to go through in a video I made about it when the news initially broke up, but the gest of it was poor working conditions, underpaid and unpaid overtime, petty-ass firings, j-just a lot of shit...

Now I know a few individuals might be turned off of the new Addams Family movie because of this information, especially if you’re like me in this regard.

I wanna support it because I’m getting an animated Addams Family movie with the tone and feel of the animated series and with an awesome-ass cast

But I also wanna make sure that one of the key factors responsible for this movie being made are being treated fairly and paid adequately for what we’re about to watch; you don’t want to knowingly or accidentally support a sweatshop.

Well if that’s the case, then we need to take into consideration some news that’s happened SINCE the controversy

One thing being that Nitrogen Studios has since been bought by the British visual effects and animation studio Cinesite in March 2017, /and that they’re gonna be working with the Nitrogen senior team on a strategy to help fast-track the company to a standard suitable to Cinesite./ Nitrogen - Hollywood Reporter

And there’s also the fact that just last month in March of 2019

/The Vancouver animators that worked on Sausage Party won a lawsuit against Nitrogen Studios, and are to be awarded their rightfully earned overtime pay according to the British Columbia Employment Standards Branch/ https://www.cartoonbrew.com/artist-rights/vancouver-animators-win-overtime-pay-in-sausage-party-pay-dispute-171836.html

Now we still don’t know if Greg Tiernan is still PART of Nitrogen Studios after the buyout

/And there’s also the fact that Cinesite tried to fight the lawsuit after acquiring Nitrogen Studios by saying the animators weren’t entitled to the overtime pay they were seeking because of the Employment Standards Act in the province in question/ Nitrogen - Cartoon Brew

Which upon finding that tidbit of information out about Cinesite, told me quite a lot, actually

You just bought a company you KNEW was involved in a controversy regarding the treatment of its animators almost exactly 2 years ago

The same animators you may have to utilize again in the future

And your first decision ISN’T to settle and give them what they want so they can at least feel that the company that screwed them over is in better hands, but to try and fight the lawsuit?

Just to save a few bucks NOW at the risk completely ruining whatever relationship you would had with possibly returning animators and make more money? What kind of Ebenezer Scrooge-ass logic is that?

Sorry, I just... I just have issues with people and companies deciding that keeping their coin is more important than keeping their common sense.

Unfortunately Readers, there’s no clear yes or no answer regarding whether the new Addams Family movie should be given our time of day in regards to the new information we have about Nitrogen Studios

On the surface, it looks like because of the acquisition, things may be better for the current and future animators that the company works with, so maybe it’ll be okay to show support

But when you dig a bit, you find out that there’s a possibility that not even some of the surface level problems have been addressed, and that the new company that owns the company in question cares more about holding on to whatever money they have, as opposed to first and foremost making things right with the individuals that can make them even more money later on down the line.

So it’s like I said at the beginning of this video about being cautiously optimistic; as fun as this movie looks, I’m still debating whether or not I’m going to see this.

While I’m happy that the non-problematic Sausage Party head is directing it, the news about how Cinesite tried to fight the lawsuit after buying Nitrogen Studios kinda troubled me.

It pretty much negated the majority of me thinking that the studio is in better hands than it was before, so now I’m back at 50/50 real talk

At this point, the only thing that can help me feel comfortable with seeing this movie is if I hear from the animators themselves. I need to know if their experiences were adequate, and if they felt they were treated and paid fairly while working on the project

Because if you’re genuinely torn whether or not to do or act on something based on morals, principles, info and ethics alone, then take the information you’re initially given, continue to do your own research on top of it, and then go from there

Do as much research as you can on the matter, become as informed as you can on the matter, and then let the info you found play a factor into how you properly make your decision

There’s no need to be brash, there’s no need to immediately jump to conclusions, and you can take as long as you need

Because when it comes to making rational, emotional, and well-informed decisions, not only do you owe it to yourself, you owe it to whoever it is it affects.

And in this case, it’s an entire animation team

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Anyway Readers, your homework assignment for the day

Write in the comment section either what you thought of the trailer for the Addams Family animated movie, or whether or not you’ll see it considering the circumstances.

Either way, I’d love to know your thoughts.

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