Guru Studio is doing exciting work. Originally a commercial shop, Guru evolved into a TV powerhouse with hits like Justin Time and their work on Spinmaster’s Patrol. Recent productions like True and the Rainbow Kingdom and the upcoming Blue look great and really reaffirm their place in the TV market. Last year, Guru worked on the Breadwinner, with Cartoon Saloon and Aircraft Pictures. This was a very significant step into features, and I think it’s safe to assume that they’ve got some serious aspirations in that sector.
Another signal that Guru is trying new things is the success of Space Between Stars, the first release from an internal short film program that Guru recently unveiled. Created and directed by Sam Bradley, one of my favourite talented humans, this thing looks awesome. Here’s the trailer.
SPACE BETWEEN STARS ★ TRAILER from space between stars on Vimeo.
From the Guru Facebook page:
We’re thrilled to announce that Space Between Stars has officially been accepted into a number of world-renowned film festivals, including Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) and SIGGRAPH Conferences Computer Animation Festival. The film will have its North American and Canadian premieres this weekend at Animation Block Party and Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal.
Two years ago we launched a short film program to support internal talent creating their own original film. We’re so proud of the many talented artists at Guru who helped bring Space Between Stars to life.
Go see this. Guru is doing really interesting work, support it.
We should support a company known for claiming ownership over their employees ideas?
Hi Anon,
We try to keep commentary here civil, which is why I think we don’t get much. I’m not deleting your comment, as you presented it reasonably and didn’t resort to profanity or namecalling (we actually really appreciate that), but you are lobbing a pretty strong accusation without offering any kind of support. It’s easy to do that anonymously, it’s the internet, I get it, and it’s the kind of statement that gets thrown around a lot in our industry, but it’s a pretty serious charge. Claiming ownership over an employee’s idea is a pretty nebulous accusation. For this film in particular, I’ve heard nothing but praise from the creator for having the opportunity to work on a project of their own creation without any real economic upside to the company. And if a company is paying you to work on your idea, if they’re footing the bill, then I’m going to assume the creator has made a deal with them that I really hope they’re happy with. If a company is claiming they created something, and not crediting the creator, that’s different. Again, it might be in the specifics of the deal they’ve made. It’s not a deal I’d sign, but I can’t speak for others. Most companies/studios these days have pretty straightforward deals they make when optioning or purchasing Intellectual Property. And that’s where “ownership” comes into play. Sam Bradley’s name is all over this project, there’s no lack of credit being given. The same is true of Brandon Scott and Justin Time, and Gyimah Gariba’s show, the Big Blue. Ownership is something very different, and that’s between the studio and the creator. So while I totally welcome any input you might have, I urge you to consider the statement and offer some support for it.