Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross were both heavily involved in the development of RWBY and Kerry replaced Monty as director.Paragon Fury said:
Former RWBY Animator Shane Newille Releases Personal Account on RWBY's Production
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While do I get a feeling that the original plot could have not been a tournament in the third season and the team splitting up by the end of it?
I always saw Monty has its own thing inside Rooster Teeth, even Bungie has more to do with the foundation of Rooster Teeth then Monty.Paragon Fury said:
Yeah, I always kinda saw Monty as a guy that was "helping out". Not as a favor, of course - I knew he was probably commissioned or contracted - but it never truly dawned on me that he was "part" of Roosterteeth until, oddly enough, RWBY's first trailer came out. And even then, that felt more like a thank you than an obligation (which is one of the major reasons this news kinda sucks no matter what full truths end up coming to light).josemlopes said:
Before then, RT were doing independent shorts, skits and partner stuff with Achievement Hunter before Monty showed up. They were steadily rising by the time they got there.
He did contribute to "Roosterteeth Animations" pretty hard, however.
Sounds like a fairly typical example of company life. Whether the network effect of centralising all that stuff outweighs the terrible grock of their crap setup.... -shrug- Maybe yes, maybe no. Expanding teams is pretty darned expensive to individual productivity in any case - so if you can keep something local, that's generally the way to go.
So, I can't read all this. 35 pages is too much, but from what I have managed to read and from all the TL;DRs I've seen, I'm pretty much gonna have to call bullshit on a lot of this. Like, honestly, I could write an entire essay myself about all the things in this letter that either flat out make no sense, contradict previous interviews given by Monty himself, or are things which Shane rages against but actually make complete sense as the right thing to do.
To me, this looks like a guy who lost someone very dear to him, and over a year later still isn't dealing with it very well. Honestly, more than anything, the impression I'm getting from this is that Shane needs therapy, really really badly. And I'm not saying that as an insult or something to be ashamed of. Losing someone so close to you HURTS, and not everyone deals with it right away, or well. But you also can't let it eat at you forever either, and it sounds like he is simply not recovering from the loss on his own. And when you're grieving non-stop for so long, it has serious, negative impacts on your life. And, let's be honest here, people do not like to acknowledge when they're in the wrong. It's not even intentional most of the time. People have a natural tendency to make themselves out as a victim, even in their own head, which then colours your world view.
To me, this looks like a guy who lost someone very dear to him, and over a year later still isn't dealing with it very well. Honestly, more than anything, the impression I'm getting from this is that Shane needs therapy, really really badly. And I'm not saying that as an insult or something to be ashamed of. Losing someone so close to you HURTS, and not everyone deals with it right away, or well. But you also can't let it eat at you forever either, and it sounds like he is simply not recovering from the loss on his own. And when you're grieving non-stop for so long, it has serious, negative impacts on your life. And, let's be honest here, people do not like to acknowledge when they're in the wrong. It's not even intentional most of the time. People have a natural tendency to make themselves out as a victim, even in their own head, which then colours your world view.
Very unlikely. Burnie has stated before on the RT podcast that when it comes to online controversy, the best thing to do is say nothing. Even trying to apologize will just make people angrier, because that's what "outrage culture" has become. Ignoring it may seem callous at first but unless it's a HUGE event, it allows things to smooth over quicker.BX3 said:
I agree. I fully sympathize with Shane, what happened to him sucks. I also support the business decisions RT made, because they make sense, even if they are cold. Sympathizing with Shane doesn't mean I have to demonize Rooster Teeth, and vice versa.
does anyone see the irony in all this from Volume 3 themes like this quote from Episode 09 "when the first shots are fired... who do you think you can trust?" the speech from the last Episode
spoiler to length how did I fell I don't care I just wish people would give this time to think and come down before they act.
A smaller, more honest soul... It's true that a simple spark can ignite hope, breathe fire in to the hearts of the weary... The ability to derive strength from hope is undoubtedly mankind's greatest attribute. Which is why... I will focus all of my power...
To snuff it out. How does it feel? Knowing that all of your time and effort has been for nothing? That your guardians have failed you? That everything you've built will be torn down before your very eyes? Your faith in humanity was not misplaced... When banded together, united by a common enemy, they are a noticeable threat. But divide them... Place doubt into their minds... And any semblance of power they had will wash away. Of course, they won't realize it at first. Like you they'll cling to their fleeting hope... Their aspirations... But this is merely the first move. So you send your guardians. Your huntsmen and huntresses. And when they fail and you turn to your smaller soul... know that you send her to the same pitiful demise. This is the beginning of the end, Ozpin. And I can't wait to watch you burn.
To snuff it out. How does it feel? Knowing that all of your time and effort has been for nothing? That your guardians have failed you? That everything you've built will be torn down before your very eyes? Your faith in humanity was not misplaced... When banded together, united by a common enemy, they are a noticeable threat. But divide them... Place doubt into their minds... And any semblance of power they had will wash away. Of course, they won't realize it at first. Like you they'll cling to their fleeting hope... Their aspirations... But this is merely the first move. So you send your guardians. Your huntsmen and huntresses. And when they fail and you turn to your smaller soul... know that you send her to the same pitiful demise. This is the beginning of the end, Ozpin. And I can't wait to watch you burn.
Judging by the fact that another guy that works on RWBY also retweeted this, we can at least assume that some if this is the truth; a very scummy truth.
As for the show, meh. I stopped watching after Season 2, because frankly, it just wasnt that good. It pretty much sparked my disliking for RTs content, as I have since dropped RvB, and I have unsubbed from Achievement Hunter. The only decent thing that RT has done in a while is 'Million Dollars But..', and give Funhaus enough funding to exist.
Also, poor Monty must be rolling in his grave right now, because RWBY Chibi is apparently a thing, and somehow I get the feeling that he didnt greenlight that. In my mind, it is still an April fools joke; a very long winded one.
As for the show, meh. I stopped watching after Season 2, because frankly, it just wasnt that good. It pretty much sparked my disliking for RTs content, as I have since dropped RvB, and I have unsubbed from Achievement Hunter. The only decent thing that RT has done in a while is 'Million Dollars But..', and give Funhaus enough funding to exist.
Also, poor Monty must be rolling in his grave right now, because RWBY Chibi is apparently a thing, and somehow I get the feeling that he didnt greenlight that. In my mind, it is still an April fools joke; a very long winded one.
I'm even worse- I came in here just to see if the OP bothered to explain to the layman what RWBY even stands for. I still have no idea!Elvis Starburst said:
Thus far it's been retweeted by 3 people who are all ex-Rooster Teeth. However, of the 3 people who retweeted it: One of them is Kathleen, who claims that everything in the letter is true, but Kathleen left Rooster Teeth 3 years ago, long before any of these events supposedly took place, and so she wouldn't actually have a clue if any of its true or not.Laggyteabag said:
A second person, JJ, who was specifically name-dropped as having been fired in Shane's letter, responded the opposite of Kathleen, saying that Shane's telling of events is incorrect.
Finally, the 3rd person is Sheena, who simply retweeted with no comment. That could be her saying it's completely true, or it could just be a general show of support without having done anything more than skimmed through it (because, let's be honest, MOST people have barely done more than skim it because it's way too long). Either way, until Sheena actually SAYS something herself (because she's a big girl who doesn't need Shane to speak on her behalf), a simple retweet shouldn't be taken as absolute proof that 'yes this totally happened 100%'.
So, having read more of it and read through a LOT of TL;DRs, one of the main animators for RWBY, Shane Neville was fired, claims that RT is an evil corporate machine corrupting Monty's perfect, complete vision of RWBY, and that ONLY he and Monty's wife truly understood Monty's vision. The whole thing reads more like the sad tale of a guy who idolized Monty to a genuinely unhealthy degree and couldn't get over his death, then turned his grief into an obsession with making RWBY the way he personally felt Monty would've wanted it to the point that both his family and work life fell apart and he had to be let go.Squilookle said:
The only part of the letter that genuinely looks bad on RT's part is that Shane makes it sound like they told Monty's wife Sheena to fuck off after he died. However, considering Shane's emotional state, the sheer amount of hyperbole laced throughout the entire letter, and the fact that some of the details have been denied by the only other ex-RT employee who was actually there (JJ, who has no involvement with RT at all anymore and has no reason to lie), odds are that even if RT did shut Sheena out, it likely wasn't as extreme or bad as he makes it out to be. Until somebody else from RT or Sheena herself actually speaks out, anything Shane says in the letter should be taken as a half-truth at best, if not a complete misunderstanding/misremembering of events.
RWBY is a 3D anime made by Rooster Teeth (of Red vs Blue fame), originally the brainchild of Monty Oum (of Dead Fantasy and Haloid fame), but also co-written and directed from the start by Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross, two Rooster Teeth employees. It stands for either Red, White, Black, and Yellow (the colors corresponding to the four main characters) or their names, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. It is pronounced "Ruby" in reference to the leader of the main characters, Ruby Rose (not the actress). The show takes a lot of elements from Grimm's fairy tales and other stories and blends them into a fantasy world where teams of Hunters/Huntresses defend civilization from monsters called the Creatures of Grimm, which take many forms. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang (Ruby's older sister) form team RWBY, and are huntresses in training at Beacon Academy, one of the major huntsmen academies of the world. The show has a lot of fans (and detractors, though it's hard to tell how many) and has even been exported by Warner Brothers to Japan. It also has a strong cosplay community due to the many unique and vibrant characters seen throughout the show. It recently finished its third season (or volume) earlier this year. Monty died tragically right after the second season ended due to an allergic reaction during a basic medical procedure.Squilookle said:
Hopefully that gets you all caught up.
It's money, basically ...DudeistBelieve said:
You start off doing it for the passion, it's something you enjoy doing and you put it out there for people to see, if they like it great but if they don't, so what?
Then it grows and grows, people start asking for more and more, then you realize "I can make a bunch of money off this ...". So you start making some money and it's great, you do something you love to do and you get paid for it? WIN, WIN!
So you quit your normal 9-5 'cos why would I do something I hate, when I can do something I love an earn the same or even more?
Then you get bored of doing it, like we all love gaming but we have all had that "well I can start a new run on A, B or C but I don't feel like it 'cos it has that one bit with the thing ... or I could finish of X, Y or Z but I don't want to play them genres etc", but if we don't do it then we don't eat or pay rent or anything like that and that's a downward spiral
Or you want to make more and more money, start trying to squeeze every penny out of every idea and then you sell to a corporation who don't care about fans or anything 'cos they have spread sheets and market research and focus groups, so now it's not for the passion it's for the cash. The heart and soul has been taken out and everybody can tell when that happens ... it's like with food, if you get a microwavable lasagne and the worlds best Italian chef to make you one, which one will taste better? The science experiment, all kinds of preservatives and additives combined with the cheapest ingredients to make the most cost effective piece of shit (probably has stuff in it to make you crave another one) OR the one made by somebody with a passion for Italian food, with the highest quality and freshest ingredients?
Personally, I think it's a mix of the two with RT ... I liked them near the start but as they have progressed, it has become more "plastic cheese". Especially since they "sold out" to whoever the fuck and joined up with funhaus (god, I hate them guys. Pewdiepie levels of comedy).
My concern is, I mean I'm trying to chase that "internet money", as they say on South Park, as well.omega 616 said:
It's just... this is where it ends up? Like no matter what, it ends up being this soulless corporate... whatever?
It's like one ends up becoming the very thing one was trying to avoid being in the first place, a drone.
Well, it can be avoided as long as you are cognizant of the possibility. Nobody WANTS to be a soulless drone, and anyone with the guts to start a company just to avoid it should be smart enough to keep that shit at bay as long as they have an eye out. On the other hand there are many issues you can fall into beyond money - one a small company I work for actually constantly struggles with.DudeistBelieve said:
The kind of person who chases their dream and found their own company is generally driven, generally intelligent and always extremely devoted to what they do. They also often have difficulties allowing others to take control or responsibility. And they often suck shit at personnel management.
As an example, far enough away from the real me to avoid culpability, a good doctor can absolutely start their own practice. They often do very well - doctors can typically operate with little help beyond their own skill and an office to see patients in. However, over time the doctor expands his practice and takes on nurses and maybe younger doctors to mentor. Now in addition to being a good doctor they have to be a good manager, a good accountant and a good mentor. None of these are necessarily related to doctorin' and unless they take training or read a damn book on it chances are they're gonna suck. If that doctor is too egotistical to seek further training or too controlling to pass out duties and responsibility they will either work them self to death trying and failing to keep up or much more likely end up running the practice into the ground. Its also possible they hire a manager and end up with a yes man or drive them off by micromanagement - only delaying the inevitable, while maintaining a thin veneer of the appearance of progress.
That I think is the far greater danger for a self started company. Most of us can only wear a couple hats, and trying to stack them up only leads to issues. But at the same time, nobody wants to let go of their baby and forcing it only makes it worse.
I get the feeling RT is more falling into this trap than simple greed. A bunch of creatives got together and made something great, but it grew out of their skills to control and they either won't let go or give control to people who don't know what to do with it. Just because you the creative had the smarts and personal management to grow a successful company doesn't mean all creatives do, and assuming such or falling for yes men leads to this kind of thing. People get fucked over and leave, get angry and leave, or can't take it and leave, and you stall out and flounder to death.
I love how people just want to believe this guy out of the gate just because he worked there.
https://beltravi.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/05132016-a-community-divided-opinions-on-rooster-teeth-rwby-and-shane/
I think this is a very good read and should be read. Shane seem to be very disturbed and needs some help in dealing with his depression. He made Monty look to be god-like when really, Monty was just human. I mean comeon, he talks about Monty is the only creator when there were two other, Miles and Kerry.
https://beltravi.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/05132016-a-community-divided-opinions-on-rooster-teeth-rwby-and-shane/
I think this is a very good read and should be read. Shane seem to be very disturbed and needs some help in dealing with his depression. He made Monty look to be god-like when really, Monty was just human. I mean comeon, he talks about Monty is the only creator when there were two other, Miles and Kerry.
It's a very fair read, but it still... Like hey, if you're running a company? Running a business? Be a fucking business then.Outcast107 said:
I'm only a passive casual fan of RT, but it's another one of those companies that paints themselves as a fun place to work and a family. Well does a family that knows it has a member of it suffering from deep depression fire that son of a ***** on a technicality? No, a family doesn't do that. A family looks out for each other and doesn't see a member of the team as a liability.
And that's the bone I take issue with. There is nothing wrong if firing a guy if you're about the bottom line, I love Atlas Shrugged as much as the next guy. But don't do that and then still wrap your company a banner that your one thing and then do another, ya know? Channel Awesome did the same thing, and honestly? Still kinda bitter I actually bought it, gullible that I am.
But we don't know what they did for him, or what kind of helped Shane tried to take. We were never there and never will be.I'm not saying RT isn't out of the blame, but we shouldn't take everything Shane said as face value. They could have gotten him helped, but he could have refused it.DudeistBelieve said:
Plus you can only do so much for someone before its time to let them go. Let the link says, it seem that it was Monty way and only Monty way for Shane. Anything else is a disservice or worst a insult to the man image. I hope Shane gets the help he needs cause it sounds like he is very lost and isn't handling it very well and its showing.
Anyways, all I say to this is while RT does sound like a fun place to work, they are still a company and they can only handle so much before the company is suffering. IF someone on the team refuses to be a part of it, and refuses all the help you try to give them, you have to get rid of them.