Commission me to send you a custom audio clip from any character I voice of your choosing! It can be a message for a friend, a voicemail message - whatever you want! Just let me know the type of message, which character(s) you'd like...
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Spencer Rothbell
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FOR THOSE KEEPING SCORE:
☻ WGA has stopped picketing
☻ WGA is still on strike pending the deal (congrats!!)
☻ SAG-AFTRA is still striking
☻ SAG-AFTRA is still picketing
☻ The Animation Guild contract expires July 31, 2024
Yet board artists and writers on these shows don't make any residuals..."We feel that animation writers' work quality does not equate to that of live action work levels." -Carol Lombardini, AMPTP
Loved working on mapping out a serialized season of Victor and Valentino designed for streaming to have that whole series unceremoniously deleted from HBOmax
Because the amazing Alex and Lindsay Small-Butera worked on it!!! were guest animators for all the insomnia hallucination sequences in that episode 🌟 🍃 🐷 twitter.com/trisandwich/st
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I think about this all the time. The profit they make off our ideas = HUGE. Me/Stephen Neary/Tiffany Ford came up w the Fart Cactus shirt. CN sold them. We didn't make a cent from them. I'm sure it wasn't their biggest seller ever but imagine people who work on shows like Ben10!
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"We ARE the content. It is OUR ideas that fill the theme parks and the toy stores, our characters on the lunchboxes and the Halloween costumes. We are the national resource from which the product is made, and we are tired of being stripmined." ~ Tony Gilroy @WGAEast twitter.com/DEADLINE/statu…
🥲 was like a weird class reunion / wedding haha
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WGA - everything you're fighting for, TAG needs x 1000...if we get to where you are, I hope you back us up. I was astonished the first time I learned that WGA writers get residuals every time a character they created shows up! TAG writers/board artists don't get any residuals!
As an animation writer, I always try to consider that I’m the “first domino” in the pipeline, meaning my work or lack thereof impacts every other person who has to draw, storyboard, animate what I wrote. Meaning - it’s my job to make their job as clear & easy as possible!
Animators, pay attention. TAG members, pay attention. Our contract is up next year ✊✊✊✊
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A few animators for ‘ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE’ have came out about unsustainable working conditions that caused approx 100 artists to leave the film
These included demands to redo finished work 5X + potential 11hrs a day for 7 day working weeks.
(Source: bit.ly/3JsuirM)
By the way, animation makes studios
💰💰💰BILLIONS💰💰💰 of dollars -
-if anything, the general perception of animation as "kids stuff" helps keep the studios' pockets lined while the workers are underpaid compared with our live action counterparts: linkedin.com/pulse/why-anim
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FOR THOSE KEEPING SCORE:
☻ WGA has stopped picketing
☻ WGA is still on strike pending the deal (congrats!!)
☻ SAG-AFTRA is still striking
☻ SAG-AFTRA is still picketing
☻ The Animation Guild contract expires July 31, 2024
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The studios will sit down with the WGA on Friday to try and put an end to the writers strike
(via @DEADLINE)
With Clarence being taken down from HBOmax (again) - and the 10th anniversary coming next year, it would be the perfect time for a complete series DVD/Blu-ray set! I wonder if would be interested in producing a full series one?
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Don't forget that we CARRIED THE INDUSTRY during lockdown when nobody could film anything. They owe us big time and continue to act like animation is second tier disposable kids fare instead of the skilled artform (and cash cow for them!!) that it is.
Was lucky to work on Clarence, Victor and Valentino, and Cartoon Network Journeys VR here! ✌️ RIP to these buildings - Thanks ❤️
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animation makes them tons of money, animation workers work just as hard as anyone else, animation CARRIED THE INDUSTRY during covid lockdown
how will it top this shocker? variety.com/2016/film/news
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Seth Rogen says the ‘SAUSAGE PARTY’ sequel series will be “unbelievably shocking.”
(Source: empireonline.com/tv/news/the-bo)
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Please think about all the trans animation students, colleagues and fans who you are letting down right now. 🏳️⚧️
Clarence is gone from HBOmax in the US
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Met a guy last night at a bar wearing the CNS crew jacket - asked what show he worked on - he got it at a thrift store for $10 😂 said he usually makes up a story abt working there which I found so funny I gave him a tip abt what to say - godspeed stolen valor toon town scammer🫡
FIXED IT: Facing greedy CEOs and major studios, writers and performers for the first time in six decades are forced to strike to survive. The studios refuse to negotiate at the worst possible time. When will the studios lead Hollywood out of its labor mistreatment nightmare?
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Facing a double strike of writers and performers for the first time in six decades, the major studios are staring down a #hotlaborsummer at the worst possible time. Who will lead Hollywood out of its labor nightmare?
#writersstrike #wga #sagstrike
latimes.com/entertainment-
Seeing a lot of disheartened and negative reactions to this - it’s understandable but I hope this could also serve as motivation to try to make things better ❤️ ✊🪧
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Loved writing on 130 Clarence episodes to also have them scheduled to be removed from HBOmax
Don't forget to leave a warm Diet Coke and a copy of The Fountainhead out tonight for Mug Shot Eve
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I'm lucky I've done some voiceover and get the occasional SAG residual check but not every TAG writer has that extra padding
It’s worth fighting for residuals for TAG writers AND storyboard artists alike! I don’t care if it’s “board driven” or “script driven” because anyone who’s worked on animated TV knows those labels don’t indicate the amount of writing done by writers or board artists.
"Why doesn't WGA simply absorb all TAG writers?" Why indeed! The way I understand it (correct me if I'm wrong): TAG's current deal is already horrible compared to the current deal for WGA - no writing residuals, character creation residuals, etc. 🧵
Come by! Will be here until 1pm!
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If the idea is good, I think it could work, but would have to really fit the tone, be really funny, and justifiable to produce. I think that as much as we all loved working on Clarence it’s a nice time capsule of a specific era for all of us & I’m afraid of tainting that
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CB Exclusive: 'CLARENCE' Head of Story & voice of Clarence @srothbell would like to do a movie or a special.
"If the idea is good enough, I think it could work, but it would have to really fit the tone of the series"
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Thanks for all the love on this - if you wanna support striking workers consider donating to any of these funds: mashable.com/article/how-to #SolidaritySummer
Please sign this petition - I work as a voice actor and animation writer and have seen firsthand how production workers in animation are treated as less than compared to the rest of us. They are equally important parts of the crew and deserve to be treated as such!
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I just signed a @theactionnet petition: Support Production, Office and IT Workers at Disney/20th TV Animation working on #TheSimpsons #AmericanDad #FamilyGuy & #SolarOpposites! Sign here: actionnetwork.org/petitions/supp
This would literally change my life - WGA writers get residuals, TAG writers do not. I sincerely hope follows suit 🙏
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This is massive !!! Yes please!!! —- East Coast WGA Members Promise To Add Animation Writers To Their Ranks After Strike Is Resolved cartoonbrew.com/artist-rights/
POST YOUR PAY!! Hey Bob, this is disturbing to me!
Let’s start a new trend.. #postyourpay #SAGAFTRA #wgastrike #amptp #SAGAFTRAstrong
lmao im in TAG and have been joining pickets when I can gtfo of here if you’re calling TAG ppl scabs just because the studios put our contract on a diff schedule so we can’t all strike at once
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Replying to @SmittyScribbles
Animation in LA is unionized as an IATSE chapter. We are under contract until 2024 & cannot join the WGA-SAG strike. All weekend ppl on twitter have been telling us that we're scabs for not joining the strike while not taking literally 10 seconds to google how this actually works
Hey animation industry people. How's everyone feeling? Idk about y'all but it's been rough out there lately. Gonna post a couple things to maybe help you out... if you happen to also be in SAG-AFTRA, you can apply to Emergency Financial Assistance:
via “All the storyboards from the 6-part Clarence special. Too many to fit in one pitch room!”
Congrats to !! She’s always been a delight to be around / work with and I’m so thrilled to see her shining ✨
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I know it feels scary for some TAG ppl for whatever reason but it's okay to stand up for ourselves. Please look to SAG and WGA for inspiration - I've been on the picket lines and the solidarity is so empowering. I hope that we can feel this way too.
Looking forward to seeing the terms of the contract and how this impacts SAG-AFTRA as well! Hope that if TAG strikes next year we receive the same support ❤️
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Bottom line is it's not sustainable - on top of this, a lot of major TV studios butter their bread by exploiting young animators fresh out of college who don't know any better & are happy to be there at all. I wish I knew what my title/pay should have been early on in my 20s.
💯- important to hire people you trust and empower them to make creative choices, always makes the end goal better & everyone will be excited to be there!
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I don’t think enough supervisors realize the importance of letting your team cook.
If you don’t trust them to creatively produce what you’re asking them to, why did you hire them? Let ‘em cook!
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lmaooo looks like shit! open your miiiiiiind 🤚
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The opening credits of ‘SECRET INVASION’ are made by A.I.
(Source: polygon.com/23767640/ai-mc)
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I'm lucky that I've done some voiceover and get occasional SAG-AFTRA residuals, honestly it's barely supplemental as it is, but most people who write/board for TAG don't have that luxury. A lot of TAG friends have many side hustles to make ends meet - lots of friends w day jobs
What types of bonus features would you like to see in a Clarence DVD set?
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With Clarence being taken down from HBOmax (again) - and the 10th anniversary coming next year, it would be the perfect time for a complete series DVD/Blu-ray set! I wonder if @warnerbros @cartoonnetwork @ShoutFactory would be interested in producing a full series one?
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Link to submit your own review here:
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I remember asking a CN exec which show was their most successful, thinking maybe it was Adventure Time at the time. Perhaps critically but they told me it was Ben10. Why? Because it SOLD the most TOYS! Of course!
AMPTP are speaking this way because they are SCARED which means the strike is WORKING. Don't fall for their BS scare tactics - stand strong. #WGAStrong
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Replying to @slack2thefuture
I’m sure the AMPTP bosses would love to break our union. But they love their jobs more. They love money more. They can’t make that money without us.
And they know it.
Ignore the trades, walk the line, stand together, and win. #WGAStrong
I don’t want to hear excuses or blame I want to hear solidarity and confidence ✊🪧 I’d rather focus on how we can improve things for the animation industry ❤️❤️❤️
maybe they'll bring it back 2 weeks later again 😂🥲
thankful for cool fans
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You got it! Hopefully WGA gets a good deal and SAG-AFTRA & TAG can point to it as an example for what they want too
Happy #PortfolioDay !! My name is Spencer - I’m a Story Editor, Writer, and I do voiceover! I was the head writer on Clarence and titular voice, and more recently I was Story Editor on Victor and Valentino! Hire me to make all your dreams come true ❤️ srothbell.com/work
Happy Citizen Kane day! Today's the only day you can post this!
✊✊✊✊✊✊✊ I'm in The Animation Guild & SAG-AFTRA and I've been showing up to support the WGA strike. If SAG-AFTRA decides to strike, even more of us will all show up. #solidarityforever #animationguild #WGA
if you're a person who follows me with a lot of followers please RT this! thanks thanks
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We need your help! #Disney refuses to recognize #animation production workers in their effort to #unionize. Show your support and sign the petition at iatse.net/online-action/
#WDASProductionstrong #UnionStrong #ProductionStrong #AnimationGuild @IATSE
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also we carried the industry in lockdown and animation makes these companies tons of 💰💰but it’s treated less than because our culture associates it with something infantile and disposable - even though it’s an incredible art form & every big movie/series is animated now
as time passes i get more resentful of rent as a concept / landlords. should be illegal and the government should fund everyone’s living expenses - capitalism is a scam
mini clarence reunion on the picket 🪧
but also jonniphillips.com/store/the-truth
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Replying to @srothbell
Don't forget that we CARRIED THE INDUSTRY during lockdown when nobody could film anything. They owe us big time and continue to act like animation is second tier disposable kids fare instead of the skilled artform (and cash cow for them!!) that it is.
My full answer:
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CB Exclusive: 'CLARENCE' Head of Story & voice of Clarence @srothbell revealed a scrapped episode 'Clarence the Friendly Ghost'.
"Clarence hitting his head on a rock after falling from a treehouse (something which actually happened to me as a kid) and dying and becoming a ghost"
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In TV that was learning things like - how to be economical, “do we already have a similar location or character to this one designed? change it to that one instead” “is there a major story issue here which the board artists and directors will have to fix? try to fix it now!”
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"I'm here to support the WGA and SAG and the Animation Guild... We have to win"- Stephen Colbert tells Deadline at the WGA animation rally in NYC today #WritersStrike #SAGAFTRAStrike
TAG friends - keep talking about labor conditions, the word spreads! I’ve been getting quoted in articles… #SolidaritySummer
QRT w four projects you’ve worked on
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QRT w four projects you've worked on
this is my entire career lol twitter.com/duck_twacy/sta…
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I would cite the similar landmark case Finders v Keepers
oh no he was so likable until this
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Bill Maher has opted to be a scab and bring back his talk show ‘REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER’ despite his writers still being on strike whilst the studio refuse to pay them fairly.
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TAG needs to fight for a good deal bc we are impacted by all the same issues - residuals, pay minimum, room minimums, ***AI***!! WGA took on TAG writers on the east coast, no small feat, BUT there are far less TAG shows in NY than LA.
RE: TAG striking…ppl saying “But this is what’s always happened in the past” - have you been paying attention to the last 5 months? What about the last 5 years?? Is anything happening how it used to happen?! We make stories for a living, let’s write our own narrative!
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😂 I remember for clarence they’d be like “yeah they can’t air this one overseas” and we’d be like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - I’ve seen cuts of episodes where it’s cut down to like 7-8 mins from 11min
i’ve BEEN team grim - when I was in middle school I made an animation about dancing grimaces in 3D Studio Max and screened it for my class 😂🤓also this magnet has been on my fridge and i went to the mcdonald’s museum to meet grim way before mr grimbus bday drink
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I just want to acknowledge @srothbell who has been rocking the Grimace avi for a long time and is a true blue... er, purple fan! No false valor here, my friends.
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showrunners go to therapy and take manager classes before your show starts challenge
💔 When I was a kid I dressed as Pee-wee and did the tequila dance for a school talent show. I helped my ex put on a Pee-wee themed art show at Meltdown. I’ve seen Pee-wee’s Big Adventure more times than any other film and have practically memorized it.
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I want a sustainable career for everyone in TAG, I think that all storyboard artists and writers in animation should get writing credits and residuals across the board, make it simple and easy. BUT - it's not WGA's fault, it's the studios and the separation of TAG writers.
i remember this one being kinda popular
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what is y’all most liked tweet?
Some Juneteenth reading recs for animation twitter (I think Birth of an Industry should be required reading for anyone in animation) #juneteenth #animation
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It’s a collective bargaining agreement, similar to what WGA has with the AMPTP and what SAG-AFTRA has with the AMPTP. We are on a different schedule so we cannot negotiate a new one or potentially strike until our current one is up! animationguild.org/contracts-wage
lol i have all the clarence episodes on a HD from itunes eps i bought and ripped the drm off - and also on that amazing fan made blu-ray set - bc zaslav took it off hbomax or max or iMax or whatever it is now
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Cal arts film video kids with access to all the equipment we needed in the computer lab to make dubs off media that we couldn’t find in the world anymore onto whatever we could copy that stuff onto, that’s who I’m turning back into… 
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all this to say - everyone in animation is overworked and underpaid and actually doing like 5 jobs in 1 and we should all get paid more and residuals and more benefits ✊✊✊✊
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Something fans don't realize is we do NOT own the shows we work on. The networks/studios own them. Technically most contracts say ANYTHING you make at the studio, they own it. It's wild!