Brian Henson comments indepth on the various company sales

[Drtooth]

I said it before... they have a lot of vision but they lack focus. They try to do too many things, and only some of it managed to stick. Out of all the projects they've been trying, I think only Sid the Science Kid was the one that actually managed to get some money into it. Puppet Up NEEDS to take a cue from Disney and make virals. Get a couple of the puppeteers, a couple of random old puppets and just mess around with the camera in public. That, if nothing else.

 

[Luke]

I said it before... they have a lot of vision but they lack focus. They try to do too many things, and only some of it managed to stick. Out of all the projects they've been trying, I think only Sid the Science Kid was the one that actually managed to get some money into it. Puppet Up NEEDS to take a cue from Disney and make virals. Get a couple of the puppeteers, a couple of random old puppets and just mess around with the camera in public. That, if nothing else.

I agree - they have all these little projects that never have enough focus or backing. They need to just concentrate on a few things in a few defined areas - leave the rest, leave anything web related. Partner with some decent people and do a sci fi or fantasy film or launch a kids series that is good enough to be a big success.

At least having the Muppets they always had a main thing to focus on. They oughta try do something similar to Farscape again.

 

[Mupp]

I said it before... they have a lot of vision but they lack focus. They try to do too many things, and only some of it managed to stick. Out of all the projects they've been trying, I think only Sid the Science Kid was the one that actually managed to get some money into it.

Yeah.
And Pajanimals also comes to mind for me. I remeber hearing that they had some toys and plush in store, but I haven't seen any of that.
I've looked on amazon.com and they have soundtracks and a DVD, but that's about it.

 

[frogboy4]

Of course I have no real internal knowledge of the inner-workings of the Henson Company, but this is what I would have done post-Disney sale.

Focus on the brands people know and love first.

License Labyrinth as an RPG video game to a company with a good track record.

Dust off the Fraggles and create a web campaign through YouTube like Disney did with the Muppets. Hire some of the performers for the conventions to attract licensors to the Fraggle brand.

Release Mirrormask through the Sci-Fi Channel rather than a theatrical release. Better for them to foot the bill to get the Henson name back out there with that experimental piece.

Bring reruns of the Hoobs and Mopatop's Shop to BBC America's morning lineup.

Most of this poses little risk and helps get the Henson Company cash, exposure and cred. But it's probably much more complicated.

 

[RedPiggy]

*coughplugcough*

Yes, I agree: Labyrinth shoulda been turned into a video game, maybe even a franchise.

 

[McFraggle]

It's a good article. Does anyone think they will ever sell FR and the other family stuff (like Christmas Toy, etc.) to Disney?

 

[D'Snowth]

I know everybody keeps telling me that's I'm just being a negative pessimist about this situation, but I still say it's the opposite - I'm being REALISTIC, while you guys are following "blind faith".

Sure, Disney himself gave us a lot of joy, but that doesn't necessarily mean his COMPANY, post-his death, is responsible for a lot of joy either.

The thing of it is, Walt said himself - NEVER SELL ANYTHING THAT YOU CREATE! I know Brian didn't actually create the Muppets, his father did, but for him to sell his father's creations like that is pretty much the same thing. Perhaps programming these days are mostly controlled and produced by the networks and the channels that broadcast them, but there's still such a thing as independence; granted, you can get into a lot of trouble (especially finacially), but that way, you can make sure that you're always in control of your own work.

I know some people here have said it's good they sold the company because they have other projects to work on... that's no excuse, really. Some companies work on SEVERAL different projects at the same time, and yes, it can get hectic, and yes it can be draining, but it can be done.

And it's sad to me reading that Brian seems to be in the dark about the alleged new movie coming out. I would seriously hate to be out of the loop like that if someone else was handling my work for me like that, not knowing what direction they're taking them in, or what they plan on doing with them as far storyflow and character development and interaction is concerned.

And not only that, but Walt himself also warned of people like this taking your name away from you and trying to pass it off as their own (as people here have pointed out the recent "DISNEY'S A Christmas Carol", when it really should be "Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol". I foresee Jim Henson's name slowly disappearing from anything Muppet related in the future and pretty much becoming "Disney's Muppets".

So go ahead, keep slapping me with "pessimist" and "negative" labels, I don't care... I'm not in this business as a professional at the moment, but I am working my way into the business, and I've taken the time to do my research and homework to get the basic idea of how things like this work, not to mention that other people who have more experience at this than I actually have said to me to NOT sell anything I create, and to ALWAYS put my name on my work, and to take the credit for my work. And I don't ever plan on selling my creations, no matter how "trustworthy" or big-name the company is, or no matter how much they're offering me.

Just because a company has a good name doesn't mean they have good practices.

 

[theprawncracker]

I know everybody keeps telling me that's I'm just being a negative pessimist about this situation, but I still say it's the opposite - I'm being REALISTIC, while you guys are following "blind faith".

It's not blind faith at all, Snowthy. There has been so much proof as of late that Disney knows exactly what they're doing with the Muppets and they took their time for a reason. I direct you to "Bohemian Rhapsody," Muppets.com, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Give a Day. Get a Disney Day., and countless other instances from 2009 alone.

The thing of it is, Walt said himself - NEVER SELL ANYTHING THAT YOU CREATE! I know Brian didn't actually create the Muppets, his father did, but for him to sell his father's creations like that is pretty much the same thing. Perhaps programming these days are mostly controlled and produced by the networks and the channels that broadcast them, but there's still such a thing as independence; granted, you can get into a lot of trouble (especially finacially), but that way, you can make sure that you're always in control of your own work.

That's the thing... the Muppets were going nowhere under JHC. They lost their footing and they are largely responsible (along with EM.TV) for the reason the Muppets became hollowed out shells in the late '90's early '00's. The fact of the matter is that JHC is NOT a big company, but the Muppets ARE a big property. The company itself consists of, I think read one time, twelve people. Twelve people can not run the Muppet empire. Kermit and the gang are bigger than that. THAT is why they sold to Disney, a company known for proper treatment of their characters and a marketing force unrivaled by nothing else in the industry.

I know some people here have said it's good they sold the company because they have other projects to work on... that's no excuse, really. Some companies work on SEVERAL different projects at the same time, and yes, it can get hectic, and yes it can be draining, but it can be done.

Right, but, like I said, JHC is not big enough to handle all the Muppets can offer. Nor do they have enough focus to. They seem more focused on Creature Shop driven projects and strange animated puppetry shows. You may say they're focusing on this because they don't own the Muppets anymore, but I disagree.

And it's sad to me reading that Brian seems to be in the dark about the alleged new movie coming out. I would seriously hate to be out of the loop like that if someone else was handling my work for me like that, not knowing what direction they're taking them in, or what they plan on doing with them as far story flow and character development and interaction is concerned.

But that was part of the contract agreement. Disney would handle the characters and their future exploits. It's not like they're running with random Disney cast members, either. They're working with well-known Muppet veterans such as Jim Lewis and Kirk Thatcher. Yes, they are starting to bring in fresh blood for major projects, but there is obviously a good reason for that: attracting skeptic viewers and creating the best possible project they can.

Besides, if Brian wanted to be involved more there is absolutely no reason he couldn't be. He could still come perform Sal and Dr. van Neuter, but he doesn't. He has a company to run and that is not the direction they're trying to take it. Look at Puppet Up! and Sid the Science Kid. The focus of JHC is on adult entertainment and the forefront of puppetry technology.

I won't label you a pessimist my friend, I know you do your research and you know what you're talking about. There are just some very important elements that you overlooked.

 

[frogboy4]

I don't see your ideas as pessimistic. That's the wrong term. I see you as concerned and I think we all are. Some more than others.

Jim was selling the Muppets at the time of his death and that says something. I look at that as his form of retirement. He could still be as much of a workaholic as he always reportedly was, but he'd be able to focus on the fun stuff rather than have to keep pitching his ideas to studios. That's kind of the dream.

Once Jim left there was enough young talent in the family to keep things going without Disney, but few people on the planet have Jim's perseverance. Even Jim seemed to be losing some of it in his final days.

Ideally, the thing the Disney sale provides is this - the Muppets will be able to make quality projects without a hassle. Now that Disney is noticing the brand, we'll see what happens. It's been hit-or-miss at best thus far. The tide seems to be turning.

Think of the Muppets’ fate if they’d stayed at Henson. We’d see about as much of them as their new Dark Crystal movie. It’s a much harder road for the Muppet brand over at JHC and they now get to explore other things knowing that Kermit and the gang have a home.

 

[dwmckim]

Both of you have very valid outlooks.

The thing to remember when discussing not just a large company but indeed a major corporation like Disney is that it's made up of a dizzying array of departments and people.

Thankfully (after a couple false starts), the Muppet brand in particular is under capable leadership as its own subentity and has strong support from the top brass (which doesn't seem to have been affected by Dick Cook's vacancy). Things are very sunny on the Muppet front and we're seeing the best of what we hoped would happen. However, management changes or corporate 180s could always interfere - if Lyelle Breier got replaced with someone less capable, devoted, or productive or if Disney's Upper Management Staff changes to those who don't want to devote such strong support to the Muppet division could hit the Muppets' current stability like a hurricane. There are no guarantees despite the place of power they've struggled to earn.

Disney as a company - especially an entertainment company - will be largely made up of people (both involved with the Muppets and all the other areas) dedicated to those goals of "singing and dancing and making people happy" - many of whom were probably drawn to Disney for that purpose. Other employees are of the more bean-counter, anything-for-profits variety and are drawn to Disney because of its power. Disney in particular is such an interesting case study as far as major corporations go since it alternately has a branding reputation as The Happiest Place on Earth and as one of the most vicious corporate sharks you don't want to mess with. (Two of the scariest words in the English language being "Disney Lawyer") There are those in the company dedicated to the Henson philosophy of leaving the world a better place and who are responsible for Disney's iniatives on public volunteerism and climate change with the Give a Day and Friends for Change promotions. Disney was also one of the first major corporations to extend benefits to gay employees' partners. Concurrently there are those in the company that carry the outlook and business practices associated with the idea of EEEVIL Disney (such as those keeping Kermit from appearing on dvd releases of Emmet and Christmas Toy).

There's a large mixture of the extreme good and the extreme bad and depending on who's where and how healthy individual departments and the overall company is can either mean smooth sailing or sudden floods. We can hope for the former but must always be aware the latter can happen at any time.