Lauren Faust has stepped down from being Executive Producer of the show, She is now the Consulting Producer. Luckily the rest of the team will remain intact, but it's still sad to see her leave. She really did bring us something amazing. Hopefully whoever takes her place is willing to stand up to Hasbro's marketing department so we don't end up with Pink Trucks in season two. I am praying that they realize how ridiculous it would be to ignore this massive side demographic.
You can find the journal below, on her DA page with all of the additional details.
Lauren Faust's DA Journal
Thanks to all 10 of you who emailed me :3
242 comments:
Well, Narf... Much as I'd like it to be otherwise, My bet's on a show cancel after season 2, probably and with luck at the start of s3.
ReplyDeleteThey seriously better not fuck it all up.
ReplyDelete...
ReplyDelete._________.
Let's just hope that the new executive producer has DA. Or the supervising director will get LOTS of tweets soon.
ReplyDeleteOh well, we at least had a good Season 1.
ReplyDelete... Also. Who narfs "liked" the post?
ReplyDeleteShe is still working on the show, just on overall concept and scripts instead of stuff like design as well, that is how I read it
ReplyDeleteNOOOOOOOOOO!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgI2ZQVyrBo
ReplyDeleteI hjave complete faith in Hasbro replacing faust with someone who worked on FIM in season 1 as a lesser producer or as a director. I have faith that her contemporary will understand and respect her vision. And I know that since the same writers and animators are in play, the series will be mostly the same. Worst case scenario, there's a little bit mote garring product placement that the writers take the chance to snark about.
ReplyDeleteLets carry on.
I pity the poor, poor soul that inherits her position.
ReplyDelete@Anu Aikan:
ReplyDeleteMy bet's on 3 seasons, 60-some episodes, as that's the 'magic' number for syndication. As for the quality of S2? I couldn't say- Lauren Faust has done some great work, and she's pretty much come out as the 'face' of the show...but there's still a whole team of animators/writers/actors who've really made the show great. With any luck, they'll keep up the good work.
Of course, I'm also a bit of an optimist, so my view's biased.
Well, that's a bit concerning. But hopefully the writers and directors she mentioned will contain a bit of control. If Hasbro gets their mits on some of the more important bits we're doomed. All we can do is cross our fingers and hope for the best. It was a great run Lauren. Fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI think the worst thing we could do is freak out and abandon the show over this. Lets reserve judgment for season 2 and remain optimistic.
ReplyDeleteConsulting Producer... she's still there at least.
ReplyDeleteAt least they she still has SOME control over the scripts left, hopefully the new executive producer is willing to defend this show to the fullest.
ReplyDelete(Or else SOMEPONY'S gonna face the full fledged wrath of the bronies!)
Oh noes... :'(
ReplyDeleteI'm really curious as to how much influence she really had on the overall thing.
ReplyDeleteWhile the first 3 episodes (which Lauren wrote) were quite good and created the fandom, the later episodes absolutely dwarfed them.
The BIGGEST worry people should be fearful of is the majority of episodes becoming "Look Before You Sleep", which is basically what all of gen 3 was.
Even if Season 2 is still good I cant help but worry that the FEEL of the show will not be right.
ReplyDelete>And you wonder why I drink.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, I have high hopes that the show will continue to be wonderful, I'm just sad that Lauren won't be involved, especially because she's been so receptive to the bronie community and has lent us a kind of legitimacy.
A toast to Lauren Faust, and the snowball effect this show has and will continue to have.
1. She's still on as "Quality Control" for the stories, so it won't all go to crap as soon as she leave.
ReplyDelete2. If the job was getting to be too much for her then it would be better for her too limit involvement to the important stuff then overreach herself and screw everything up.
Honestly im not too frazzled by this news. Less creative oversight does not mean a drastic makeover or change. As long as she holds oversight over conception and scripts, as she stated in her DA page, we can expect quality control.
ReplyDeleteThe directors and writers staying the same are also wonderful news that this show will not go the way of the dodo barring drastic Hasbro interventions or other incidents.
What it does mean however, could be a less fan orientated environment-depending on the new producer's tastes etc, on the downside, the whole idea of Derpy Doo and fan influenced characters or elements may disappear, on the other hand, the new producer may simply keep the relationship the same.
Only time will tell
Keep in mind, almost all of the season one writers will still be there. I am not too aware about how the production is run, but because there series has been successful among fringe and target audiences, it will likely not change.
ReplyDeleteI think this is the first challenge of the 'gap' in between seasons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9KyBdPeKHg&feature=player_detailpage#t=25s
ReplyDeleteDAMN IT! . . . So now Hasbro has decided to hire someone who will be more ready to insert CRAP into the series for the purposes of marketing. Get ready for season two to exceed disappointments.
ReplyDeleteOk, so maybe that was a little over the top. Yes, I'm a bit scared for the series now, just like you all are. Can you honestly blame me?
There's two likely ways that S2 might come out;
ReplyDeleteA) It gets dumbed down. Hasbro gets more hands-on with merchandise-accurate-show (instead of the inverse), and we're narfed.
B) Hasbro realizes they have a periphery demographic. They start to cater to us. Of course, Bronies as we are, we're not a perfect herdmind. Too much of a good thing gets stale. We're narfed.
I'm not saying the crew behind MLP are not good, 'cause I think we all agree they're awesome, but from seeing other places where a show/franchise gets its head chopped off and replaced by someone "more to the like" of the company, things may come out decent, but not really good.
I feel so conflicted...
ReplyDeleteOn one hand my two most favorite episodes are still in fact the pilot episodes- meaning the episodes that she had the most involvement in are my IDEAL feel for MLP:FiM...and without her the show just doesn't have that "spark".
On the other hand, the same writers and artists are sticking around, and they DID say that season 2 would knock our socks off, so it's possible that season 2 can still be good.
Honestly, I'm too busy feeling upset and confused. I know it's not her fault or anything, and I'd hate to make her feel WORSE about the situation, (and lets face it, it takes guts to actually tell us something like that) but I'm still sad and unsure about the future...
still, I'm going to wait and hear from other staff members seeing as how they have a tenancy to tell us stuff as well.
So many people are assuming that the serie will suck from now on? Just calm down and wait for the next season before cutting your wrists.
ReplyDeleteA sad and painful revelation, to be certain, but many franchises have gone on to successful lives even after the person who brought them to life stepped away. I'm not going to go all "The End is Nigh", at least until season 2 has a few episodes out. So, over half a year before I think we need to start pushing the panic button.
ReplyDeleteHonestly the only line that causes me any true concern is where she says:
"I’m certain the show will be as entertaining as ever, though perhaps in a slightly different way."
That sounds... well, too vague for my liking. But again, no need to jump to any conclusions as of yet. For now, just a little bit of a bittersweet feeling.
Thank you Lauren Faust for all you did. Best of luck to you and MLP:FiM going forward.
That is a damn shame, and when I first saw her journal I wondered if this would turn out to be like Dexter's Laboratory after Genndy had left.
ReplyDeleteBut.
We've had a lot of good news from people who work on the show. Flash seemed pretty jazzed about the next season being awesome, Glamourkat is on the staff now, and Kreoss posted a journal with some promising news in it:
http://kreoss.deviantart.com/journal/40422730/
With Season 1 having such a great impact, I 'm sure people will be expecting ALOT more for season 2. I hope Season 2 will live up to everyone's expectations. I've already seen 7 episodes of Season 2 and I have to say its looking pretty good. I know its been confirmed by Lauren Faust and all but yes, Luna will be back especially Derpy (Who has now became an official Character here. I wouldn't be surprised if she has her own character sheet/model with preset expressions). I've already seen the episode when Luna comes back and its pretty cool. Season 2 will introduce new characters and bring back some old familiar ones. I wish I could say more but I don't want to spoil too much.
So honestly? I'm disappointed and a bit sad that Lauren won't have as much of a hand in the show anymore, but I'm not too worried for next season.
This is concerning, but she is still a consulting producer, and most of the staff is staying. And even if season 2 sucks, we'll always have season 1.
ReplyDelete..Why would you do that? :(
ReplyDelete0.o I have a slight feeling of sadness and anticipation to see what the new season will be like... hope it's still pretty much the say. Well she did say she would be working with the script and helping the story line, I think it will be fine........ I hope
ReplyDelete@Lovecraft
ReplyDeleteWoah
That is news right there!
"Various circumstances with the production made it increasingly impossible for me to keep up the level of personal creative involvement and control that I had at the start of the series."
ReplyDeleteI'd sure like to know just what exactly that means :/ Corporate pressure?
@Lovecraft
ReplyDeleteThere may yet still be hope...
The title of this news piece made my heart skip a beat....;/ oh welp, i still remain confident that this will change nothing in the big picture, and that s2 will be just as awesome as s1
ReplyDeleteSuch a great show, I'm really hoping the show doesn't stoop down to the bs that you see in other modern children cartoons. One of the big things that I like about this show is that there are actually morals at the end of each adventure. You don't see a lot of educational value in cartoons nowadays, and I fear that it might not influence children very positively in the future. I might be just be oblivious to any good cartoons too.
ReplyDeleteI'm disappointed to see Lauren Faust go, but I wish her the best of luck in her career and future. Brohoof to all her and all the bronies out there.
She pretty much made this world that we've fallen in love with.
ReplyDeleteI hope those that follow her will show respect to that world.
SETH. DON'T SCARE PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
ReplyDeleteNearly gave me a heart attack! She's not "No longer working on MLP", she's just not the lead Producer anymore. And gratefully, she's still in charge of scripts, which means we won't have to worry about writing quality going down.
I for one think this has the potential to be a very good thing. Faust may be the creative personality behind MLP, but having her run the whole show probably stifles that creativity a bit. If we're lucky, the new Producer will be able to lift the weight of Hasbro some and give Faust the creative room she needs, and we'll see better more than different. As long as Faust is still concept and writing, we're good.
For now though, we just get to hold our breath and hope the new Producer has the same vision we do.
Everyone break out the lucky horseshoes.
Am I the only one thinking that we need to come together and give something back to Lauren? A huge thank you gift from the entire community? She far more than deserves it.
ReplyDeleteOH my god!
ReplyDeleteQuoting Lovecraft: Derpy (Who has now became an official Character here. I wouldn't be surprised if she has her own character sheet/model with preset expressions).
ReplyDeleteI'm good. My plans to annoy the world will still come to pass.
My face when I read her post: >:
ReplyDeleteMy face when I read the comments: :D
My face now: :|
Im not sure what to expect. Expect harsh judgement within 4 episodes of Season 2.
@Lovecraft
ReplyDeleteYour post has eliminated any doubt in my mind that season 2 is going to be just as awesome.
@D. Shadows Whatever they decide Derpy to be, it's going to step on A LOT of the bronies expectations.
ReplyDeleteI still have a bit of hope for S2. Let's also hope it's not misplaced.
Now what do we do?
ReplyDeleteFluttershy: Panic?
That's your answer for everything!
Well, it's not like she's abandoning the project entirely. She'll still be on for quality control, and hopefully, to ensure the new producer respects her vision. I have faith that they'll still be able to deliver an awesome season 2, as long as the animators/VAs/directors/etc...stay relatively the same.
ReplyDeleteHowever, she was the face of FiM, and this feels like quite a loss. So tonight, I toast to Lauren Faust and her beautiful vision. Even if Season 2 somehow does end up sucking, we'll still always have 26 episodes of pure awesome in season 1, and we have her to thank for it!
When I first heard this, I admit I panicked a bit. But after reading some rational-minded comments on ponychan and /co/, I'm back to the way I felt before this announcement, which was cautiously optimistic. I never get my hopes too high for a new season of any show I watch, but since all the animators, writers, directors, etc are still on the show I'm sure the next season will be great.
ReplyDeleteWell atleast the season2 has to be better though!
ReplyDelete@Adrian Brony
ReplyDeleteOh i sure hope it is..
I think my heart is actually cracking right now.
I herd Marty Isenberg ( Think Transformers Animated, The new GI Joe and Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles) Is going to be taking over.
ReplyDelete@Sethisto
ReplyDeleteYou should probably point this out in the news post to keep people from panicking and not reading this in the comments.
I am making a comic about this.
ReplyDeleteIt involves Pinkie, Ponies, and EXPLOSIONS.
I CAN point out the obvious idea with Doctor Who here, that while new seasons 1-4 was led by Russell T Davies and were very well recieved. Seasons 5 and 6 have been led by Steven Moffat and have currently been recieved even better.
ReplyDeleteWe are not sure who the next head director is yet, and there is a possibility it could become worse, but there is also the possibility of the show keeping consistent with it's Quality or even surpassing it. So... don't give up hope yet, give it time and we shall see.
@Bejoty
ReplyDeleteShe seems pretty happy just with all the general love from the community to her/the show. I think just doing all this fanstuff is kinda a giant present to her.
But sure, let's send her cupcakes.
@Gent
ReplyDeleteWell, she does say in her journal that she is no longer a part of the show.
"But here it is: I am no longer working on the show."
I'm guessing her work for season 2 is already all done with.
oh no... oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no! Oh no... I don't know what I would do if... I can't even express how scared i am right now, i'm basically having a mini heart attack...
ReplyDeleteWell, after recruiting hundreds of fans from the internet hate machine whoever takes over better not fucks this up.
ReplyDeleteConsequences would never be the same...
I think I'm missing something. What exactly was it she did as executive producer? Wikipedia says that they are more about the business side than the actual production.
ReplyDeleteWhat was it she did, exactly, besides write the first three episodes?
I mean, I know that we owe the existence of FiM to her, and I am sad to see her leaving, but will it really have that much of an effect?
@Sethisto
ReplyDeleteI know, right? Hah, I was surprised when I didn't see anything about it on here, figured you would've gotten a bunch of emails after he posted it.
@Adrian Brony
Glad I could help! Believe me, I had a lot of doubt as well, and I still have a little bit of concern for the future of the series.
Well, bronies... here's to hoping that the creative team will keep up mrs. Faust's excellent work, and will keep the execs from pushing too much "merchandise feed" in the pics.
ReplyDeleteUnless, of course, the merch turns out to be cartoon accurate pony action figures, including minor roles and support characters, pony stuff like, say, Pinkie's pinkocopter, and so on. THAT push, I wouldn't mind.
That's terrible. I know everyone hates to see Lauren go.
ReplyDeleteBut... This is a team effort. Lauren may have been the centerpiece, but she's far from the only one. As long as rest of the team are still there, the show will go on.
Here's to you, Team!
@Lovecraft
ReplyDelete:D Always good news! Cant wait till Season Two now. And hey Lauren is still going to be on the Production team just not that heavily involved. Just one person leaving wont destroy a show that takes hundred of people to make.In situations like this I like to think that we shouldn't worry and enjoy the moment. We cant see into the future so we wont know if it will be good or not. Lets enjoy what we have at the moment and let the future be what will be.
@Anonymous 1:17 To be honest I kind of doubt it. Marty is way to busy with many projects and I doubt Hasbro would make him split his time between GI joe and anything else. Though if it is true, I would love it if they some how got DJW on board to work on the show.
The "perhaps in a slightly different way" part has me very worried. Does that ever turn out well? Let's hope so.
ReplyDeleteOn the downside Lauren's no longer the head honcho, on the upside she's still a part of the show so she's not really going anywhere.
ReplyDeleteSo it's sad news but not that sad a news.
We're still getting season 2 made by the same guys that made S1 it just means she won't be as involved as she used to be.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteYou actually have a very valid point, and that's the reason most bronies aren't totally losing their shit over this news. My understanding was that she had final say over all the scripts and storyboards and whatnot, but after the first three episodes, was not too heavily involved in the actual creative process. The show still has the same writers and directors, so I have faith that they will be able to continue providing quality episodes.
This is certainly not to diminish what a huge role she had in the show, of course! She is the one responsible for this pony madness after all!
@Anu Aikan
ReplyDeleteYes well even if my expectations are crushed the plot to annoy the world will still be carried out because if expectations are ruined all the better for my plan... that might inevitably fail anyway. (Derpy better be a mail mare when the second season hits and only slightly bizarre)
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteWell, that's a relief.
I don't think we'll see any actual dip in quality, if the rest of the team is staying the same.
Honestly, while it is very saddening that Lauren won't be working on the show much longer, it certainly won't affect the show as much as, say, if the voice actors changed.
@Laurence Brown
ReplyDeleteI'm think it's best to assume that "working on the show" insinuates direct action over the show. Look here:
"you will see my credit changed from Executive Producer to Consulting Producer. My involvement in Season 2 ultimately does not reach far beyond story conception and scripts. A little more involved in the beginning, and a little less towards the end."
So from this we can gather that:
-She still has a job on the MLP team as a Consulting Producer
-She is still involved (at least somewhat) with writing and concepts
-She only consideres herself "a little less involved"
So she still has influence on the show, even if only with writing and concept. We can probably assume that her main role will be guiding the new director so that most everything stays consistent in style, ect.. But she's definitely still there, and she's definitely still a moving force in the show. which is super awesome.
I AM DREAMING. THIS IS JUST A HORRIBLE NIGHTMARE IS ONLY ONE OF THAT STUPID NIGHTMARES I HAVE. I AM GOING TO WAKE UP SOON. AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. FINE.
ReplyDeleteI give thanks to Lauren Faust for creating the fourth generation of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, a show that surprised and intrigued many of our lives and beyond; and especially the enthusiastic people who worked on the show that retained Lauren's vision, a vision that is realized and reacted so positively.
ReplyDeleteWith almost all the people still committed to working this show due to mind blowing praise, I have complete faith that the show will continue to reach new people and teach that friendship is truly magic.
BTW, the title sounds very misleading (I was very saddened first, until I read what's really going on). She simply stepped down her role from creating the world of Equestria, and it's aspects of what makes the show so good (as executive producer), to supervising the story concepts, and written scripts (as consulting producer).
*takes a shot of Big Macs special cider*
ReplyDeleteLike everyone, I remain optimistic until s2 rolls around. Like has been said, as big as she was with us, she still was one of a team, and all of them will still be around. So will she.
Let's just hope whoever they put in her place (if not someone from in the team already) is willing to interact with the brony community at large, or at least will let the rest of the team do so.
But still, this brings a tiny bit of heavy to a young man's heart.
*places his hat over his chest*
FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
ReplyDeleteThat's it man, game over. The ponies have left the building, everybody go home.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteTAKE ME WITH YOU
@Mexibrony
ReplyDeleteThe new G.I. Joe cartoon is actually shutting down because Hasbro supposedly wants to retool it. So he might be available to take over FiM.
Really though, it'd be weird for someone who primarily writes/produces action cartoons to take over a comedy cartoon.
BEST CASE SCENARIO: Due to the success of MLP, Lauren has been given the thumbs up to develop her OWN show (Galaxy Girls), and is taking a backseat to work on that. The current supervising director Jayson Thiessen--someone who is even more aware of the brony community than Lauren herself--takes over as showrunner.
ReplyDeletePersonally I'd really like for this to be true. And it might be, since so far we've had an animator, a layout artist and Jayson himself telling us how great season 2 is going to be, that derpy is an official character, etc etc. If Lauren had really stepped back due to creative differences or pressures from Hasbro I doubt they'd all be so eager about the upcoming season.
So, cautious optimism.
From the sounds of what she wrote it seems like she's not a part of the show anymore. She states that she is no longer working on it. The part after that explains her being a consultant seems to only refer to season 2. The tone indicates that she was partially there for season 2 to help wrap it up and from then on won't be a part of it. I hope that's not the case, but her post does clearly state she's not working on it anymore.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. That's... one hell of a shame.
ReplyDeleteAh well. She'll still have a bit of influence on script and story, so I'm hoping whatever spark she brought to the show will live on.
And I'm really hoping she gets a worthy successor.
Hasbro better not get too greedy and change the show or something. If they do, they're pretty stupid. Keep going the way Lauren intended it to go, and all will be well.
ReplyDeleteI'm not nervous. I'm sure Season 2 will be awesome.
I'm hoping that Executive Meddling wasn't the cause of this. As far as I am concerned MLP: FiM was a rare miracle and I don't want to see it ruined. As of now I am somewhat concerned about the shows future. I am reserving judgement until I see Season 2, though. *hugs Luna tight and prays*
ReplyDeletePlease change the title before more people have heart attacks
ReplyDelete>Lauren Faust Is No Longer Working on MLP
ReplyDeleteyou lie
PS: animators are excited about s2. directors are excited about s2. these are fellow bronies we are talking about here. have some faith.
@Pangolynn
ReplyDeleteBeing paid by hasbro, however. Would the show workers dare to bit the hand that feeds, even if S2 turned out to be horrible?
@aldariz
ReplyDeleteWhat did you think the animators and directors were going to say?
"Guys, season 2 is going to blow ass. Sorry, we tried our hardest!"
@Cottonmouth I can't believe I'm agreeing with you on anything. But you're right there.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the steam feed, Faust has already overseen the making of most of season 2.
ReplyDeleteStill looking for a source though.
this is pretty horrible news IMHO but I'll withhold judgment of the decision that was made by Faust or whatever pony made the decision to fire her. Though if the latter is the case we have finally seen someone more derpy then... well derpy.
ReplyDeleteIt's an unfortunate development, but this isn't really the end of the world.
ReplyDelete@Cottonmouth
ReplyDeleteActually, yes. FlashInThePan is a straight shooter, although he has yet to weight in on season 2. Both him and Jayson are on record about being very skeptical about the quality of the show when they were first hired on... I doubt they'd start sugarcoating their statements now.
Here's a quote from Jayson's spontaneous ponychan Q&A that puts Lauren's role in perspective: "i vowed to make sure the show was made properly entertaining... but i am not taking all the credit. its a collaborative effort. Lauren wrote great characters and created this world. the writers, storyboard artists, designers, layout, animators, music, score, sound fx, voice.. it has to all come together and become one. and everypony at every stage has put their love and blood sweat and tears into it."
Due to being very busy I didn't get a chance to watch the new episode until just now. And obviously I was avoiding this site and others till I had seen the episode to avoid spoilers.
ReplyDeleteSo now that I've seen the episode, and being hit with this news, and all the other news/tidbits about season 2, I have an extremely confusing mix of emotions - happiness, disappointment, excitement, depression... I've just been sitting here... pondering the future. I don't know what to expect. But as long as all you bronies are here everything will be fine, I know it.
Don't Panic: Stepping down was her decision.
ReplyDeleteor
Panic: Stepping down was not her decision.
@Infinity Dash
ReplyDelete>Confound these ponies, they drive me to ambivalence.
The beginning of the end.
ReplyDelete*cue Spike going 'NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!'*
ReplyDeleteI'll be fine if:
ReplyDelete1: Whoever ends up inheriting her position manages to keep the level of quality we are used to.
2: They keep in touch with the fan community.
3: The suits don't call the shots.
4: Lauren manages to exert a bit of control still from the sideline.
If the show gets turned into a product placement vehicle or starts to suck, I won't be surprised if massive backlash from the fans will be seen. And I will be part of it.
While it's certainly sad to see her go(or shrink her role), I'm not too worried. As has been said, Lauren created the world/characters, and the rest has been a team effort.
ReplyDeleteIn the vein of "franchises going on after the creator stepped down" as Laurence Brown said, and "entertaining as ever, but slightly different," Joel Hodgson/Mike Nelson and MST3K come to mind.
and maybe, just maybe lauren doesnt really like all the attention, and decided to take the back seat to drop the heat
ReplyDeleteWhile she may not hold her original position anymore, I think Lauren is saying she still a big part of the show and I don't think Hasbro is that much of an idiot to change the show to much in the direction it's going. I have faith that seasons 2 and 3 will be okay. Maybe not as awesome as season 1 but not enough to stop us all from our fandom.
ReplyDeleteAs i said on DA, the staff she's set up on the show will certainly take what she's given them and run with it. I think her presence on season 2 in the start is indicative of that, she's said herself she had alot of input at first, then not so much. It'd be like her saying 'ok, let's see how you do with this much rope. I'll tug if you screw up.' and i would imagine the tugging would stop and the rope would come off soon after. I mean really, the other staff, the director, etc etc all have an investment in the show too. You'd NEVER expect a production team to get as much attention from the audience as they are here.
ReplyDeletePlus we can't forget lauren still has the pony bible for them to refer to :)
@Old Kentucky Shark
ReplyDeleteBut look at what happened when Greg Weisman got pushed out for S3 of Gargoyles.
Oh my Celestia, it was bad.
I've spoken to Lauren, and she held off telling you guys so you wouldn't get all upset. She wants you guys to give the rest of her crew a chance. Basically, she didn't want to sabotage their efforts. They've been running the show for a while and I'm sure they're gonna do a bang up job.
ReplyDeleteI already knew they were running the show for a while, but that's exactly why I'm still apprehensive about season 2.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I WILL give it a chance, but until my worries are put to rest I'll continue to be, as I said, apprehensive.
Wait, does that mean that whatever explanations she gave to some of our questions aren't considered canon anymore (Prince Blueblood immediately comes to mind)?
ReplyDeleteBasically from what Lauren told me, the schedule was the biggest problem. We animators work under shorter and shorter schedules, and the demands placed on us intensify with every new episode. Directors work 7 days a week sometimes, under a lot of stress. And with budgets shrinking and writers changing their minds at the last minute it's amazing we can produce ANYTHING of quality.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, we got season one of MLP :} Don't worry. Everything will be fine.
wait Anon who are you?
ReplyDeletedo you work on the show or you just someone who knows her personally.
Assuming that Lauren really did talk to you, then yes, that's very reassuring :'3
ReplyDeleteI think I saw one of the Apocalypse Bronies today.
ReplyDelete^^^^
ReplyDeleteCan you proof yourself as legit?
No. I work on Family Guy. Lauren is an old friend from CalArts, the animation school we both attended back in the mid-90's. She told me about her leaving the show many many months ago.
ReplyDeleteAnd the last thing she wants is for ANY ponyfan to worry. She kept her departure a secret for months in order to keep you guys excited about the show. And it worked :} Up until tonight no one suspected a thing. So relax everypony.
Me personally, I can't wait to see what Lauren does next. This talented woman has made the rest of us Calartians proud. And who knows. Maybe her next project will be even BETTER than poni!
Just keep an eye on her DA page y'all. I know she's cookin up something.
Oh and for the record I try and sneak ponies into every episode of Family Guy/Cleveland Show I can. :D
ReplyDeleteWell I already had a feeling she wasn't doing as much work on the show as before, tbh..it's like the further she drifted from it the more the spark was snuffed out.
ReplyDeleteI'll still watch season 2, though.
@Anonymous You, good sir, are a WINNER.
ReplyDeleteThank you Fire Esper. The world needs more Poni crammed into every entertainment nook and cranny. And I've been telling other animators about how great the show is ( Although they don't quite know if I'm serious, because they're thinking about the 80's pony show...ugh )Once I link them to FIM, they tell me how impressed they are ( though I appear to be the only Brony on staff )
ReplyDeleteOr..the only one with balls big enough to have a pony on my office wall :D
When I found out,I vaguely felt like this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHMcoG_FmTw
@Anonymous Good. Let the friendship flow through you!
ReplyDeleteOh I'd also like to commend Metacritter, my good friend who organized the recent pony art auction that raised over 15,000 bucks for Japan. I've known him for years, and introduced him to the poni way back when. His enthusiasm, I believe, is what made those auctions so successful. 9 that and the fact that it's PONY! )
ReplyDeleteIt's a small world when you have poni, isn't it :}
Pretty sure I started crying when I read this.. In the most manly way of course.
ReplyDelete@Lovecraft
ReplyDeleteWho is Flash?
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteThat's total win, anonymous. I myself have an Evangelion unit using his AT Field to protect a G-3 pony from a Gundam and a Zaku in my studio.
Looks like one of the staff members of the show just dropped a few words on the Allspark forums, in response to both Lauren's and Kreoss's posts.
ReplyDeleteNayuki:
"I've known about this for a while now, was wondering when the news would finally break. Now before people go all gloom and doom, I'd like to point out that she is still doing a lot of what she did in season 1. She's still heavily involved in the pre-production of season 2 (story and scripts), she'll just be less involved in the post-production. This really won't have any impact on the production.
To clarify what Kreoss was talking about in his blog, no 7 episodes are not complete, he's talking about watching animatics, essentially storyboards with the recorded dialogue from the voice actors. Layout starts later this month, and animation starts next month, so it'll be a while yet before the season 2 episodes are ready. I've actually seen more of the animatics than he has at this point, and season 2 is shaping up to be AMAZING."
Damn right generic. Season Two is gonna be GREAT!
ReplyDelete@Darth Eqqus You da man-er-pon....er...brony.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteThanks :-D
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteBudgets shrinking? I thought the budget was increasing.
You people act like she's the only reason the show's any good. Even if her creative vision's no longer at the helm, it's still in the atmosphere; she's just at a lower rung on the ladder. And even if she was truly gone, the other writers and staff members have done a great job in all respects and I honestly doubt this will have such a major impact on the show's quality, negative or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteNo matter if she's in charge of the show or not, her spot is secure as the Godess of Bronies.
ReplyDeleteWell MY body sure wasn't prepared for this. She'll still be in my prayers and thoughts, though.
ReplyDeleteHope Laurens line about that she can not put the same control over the show doesn't mean that's because Hasbro want's more control... i begin seeing pink trucks everywhere
ReplyDeleteChill guys.
ReplyDeleteWell some of these comments (Assuming No-Troll) have put my fears down a few levels. Wish she'd been a little more clear in her post though.
ReplyDeleteIt's such a shame to see her step down, oh well.
ReplyDeleteWe've still got all the other great talent on the show, I'm sure season two will still be good.
My only concern is that this decision has come from Lauren due to more pressure from Hasbro Execs to make a bigger deal out of the merchandise angle.
ReplyDeleteIf so, then unless you have another strong-willed Exec Producer with a clear vision for the series, we are likely to see more toy-shoe ins and weaker overall direction with the series.
It's great to hear that the original team are still working on it, it will hopefully stay as funny and charming but perhaps lose a little of it's soul.
First thought after reading Lauren's DA Journal about her leaving (or lessen role). Wow what class! She waited until the end of the season so we wouldn't worry, she thanks us, and she was honest by telling us what had happened. She really cares about us fans, she's like the elements of harmony! Lauren is awesome, and I feel I owe her big heart warm thanks for her part in bringing us MLP FiM.
ReplyDeleteSecond thought, Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! (Spike style)
After reading Lovecraft's post about Derpy being official and the staff being excited about season 2, I felt better.
After reading the Anonymous Family Guy Animator's post.....I'm relaxed now.
Dear Princess Celestria, I learned today that the creator of MLP FiM really does believe friendship is magic. Also if you're uncertain of what the future may hold, you shouldn't let worries get the better of you....the future may turn out perfectly like it was going to anyways.
You know, there are a ton of characters and sets they could use from the actual show, if they were concerned about running out of toy ideas, instead of the current run of "Apoplejack's Truck/Twilight on a Scooter/Pink Celestia " randomness they're putting out now.
ReplyDelete@Sethisto- you should probably change the title, since Faust will still be consulting producer. Those that don't bother to click the link might get the wrong idea :C
ReplyDeleteFaust warms my little brony heart all the time. She opens her arms wide and embraces the kids, parents, and bronies alike :3
Whylauren.png
ReplyDeleteindeed why?
were losing something important here.
Well what ever happens we'll have season 1 and that's enough for me.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteI believe the Kenan and Kel Noooooo imitates mine and my brother's best.
I can't bear the thought of watching the first episode of S2 and it turns out to be some bad G1 MLP/Strawberry Shortcake 20 min commercial for Hasbro toys. Even if the others in the crew are good, without Lauren or some other strong central leader, these things tend to not go well.
ReplyDeleteWelp, I guess I'm watching just Adventure Time and Regular Show now.
You know the way I see it, it is just the nature of the beast that is TV. Since many of the directors, animators, and writers are still intact it should be too bad. We are approaching a situation that is similar to what happened with Doctor Who. People were uncertain when Russell T. Davies left but the Steven Moffat era has been able to continue where Russell left off.
ReplyDeleteLauren did a magnificent job laying the ground work for this show and I'm sure her crew will follow her example.
mfw season 2 > season 1
ReplyDeleteThe major concern seems to be that Hasbro will step in and demand products be placed in every other frame of the show. I find it hard to believe anything that dramatic would be feasible given the body of work (season 1) the show is now working off of. I get the impression the shift is more away from an advisory role of coordinating the various personnel on the production team to working on the story itself. To me that could mean many things, that thing I'd be most curious about would be the experience her replacement brings.
Also, Faust has been the key person it getting the show off the ground in the first place (to the best of my knowledge), and given her decision to continue work with the show, albeit in a different position, I presume she felt her efforts towards her desired goal were best accomplished with the change in position. I'd assume that she made the most logical decision based on the specifics of her situation, and given she's continuing work with the show, I can't really imagine she'd in any way intentionally allow the show to deteriorate.
I'm not too surprised. Personally, i think this project was a little too 'epic' for her, though she has contributed a lot to it. I believe her first love (and therefore priority) is to her Milky Way & the Galaxy Girls creation. I'm expecting to see a lot more of that now.
ReplyDeleteI'm kinda glad. I like MWatGG...
We have to stay optimistic. Lauren still has some input on the scripts and stories and the rest of the team is still intact. It is hard seeing her take on a lesser role as she was the face of he show and the main driving force behind it. We will just have to hope that her replacement, probably one of the other producers, will continue to campaign to keep the show from descending into the stereotypical depths of the past.
ReplyDeleteAre we ready for full-blown panic yet? That message said seemed to imply that even over the course of season one she had more control at the beginning than the end, and that's making me think that I wasn't imagining things when I kept thinking that the earlier episodes were better than the later ones. O_O
ReplyDeleteIts like Roddenberry leaving Star Trek, Tomino Leaving Gundam, ROWLING LEAVING HARRY POTTER.
ReplyDeleteI really hope it stays good but there's a big danger flag with her not being in charge anymore.
It's certainly unfortunate to hear that Lauren has left the show, but I don't think there is anything to worry about with people like Jayson Thiessen and Kreoss still working on the show; the implication is that the writing team is also largely the same, which again would be really important to the quality of the show.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, my main concern is that Hasboro will decide to take geater creative control. However, that concern also assumes that Lauren and the rest of the FiM team had to "stand up" to folks at Hasboro to make the show the way it is, which I've seen no evidence for.
So yeah, my attitude is "cautiously optimistic"; certainly losing the creator is not ideal (and might backfire in the long term ala Star Trek, with the Rick Berman era bringing DS9/most of TNG, but also bringing things like Nemesis and the reboot movie), but at the same time it's by no means a death knell.
Some part of my soul just died...
ReplyDeleteNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTHIS can't be posible!...that's like the worst thing ever! Lauren was the one who designed every character and the FIM bible, every part of that world...this is a sad day :(
Lauren is still on-call for the story concepts and scripting? Hmph, we're fine.
ReplyDeleteThat entire development team knows who their fan-base is and has undoubtedly been just as inspired as we all are by Lauren's efforts with this generation of MLP. I don't doubt in their abilities to keep the show on-track with Lauren's vision. Like some said above, for all we know the new Producer could be someone from the very same dev. Team which would probably change very little.
The posts about Season 2 already being positive is another reason not to worry so much.
Well, shit.
ReplyDeleteStill hopeful anyways, guess we'll have to wait and see. And count me in on the let's-send-her-cupcakes camp.
I'm not too worried. I'm seeing this like Matt Groening's role on The Simpsons. Still there to make sure everything is going accordingly, but not as active a hand as they used to be. There's a good team over there, they'll do alright. Here's to another great season.
ReplyDeleteFolks, settle down a little -- Hasbro doesn't make staffing decisions for Studio B. No matter who ends up in the big chair, we won't be looking at pink trucks any time soon.
ReplyDeleteNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO(GASP)OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
ReplyDeleteMy guess?
ReplyDeleteGalaxy Girls the Animated Series.
As always, we will see. But even if somepony else does drive the series into the dirt, I suspect that Lauren and/or any of the other creative forces at work would be perfectly capable of creating another epic franchise.
ReplyDeleteCue people over-reacting and coming up with crazy conspiracy theories that tear the fandom apart before season 2 even airs. Lauren is still on the team; I'm sure everything will be fine.
ReplyDeleteSETH change the title you're going to give people some heart attacks lmao.
ReplyDeleteKreoss on his DA confirmed that there will be more fanservice in s02. Starting from Derpy, then trollestia, then "dash lesbian", then "cupcakes".
ReplyDeleteIt will kill the show. I wish Lauren stayed at last for s02.
Spike: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Kreoss on his DA confirmed that there will be more fanservice in s02. Starting from Derpy, then trollestia, then "dash lesbian", then "cupcakes".
ReplyDeleteIt will kill the show. I wish Lauren stayed at last for s02.
Spike: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
At first, I was freaking out at that the new season wouldn't be as great since Lauren wasn't working with them anymore.
ReplyDeleteBut I guess I can feel okay thanks to the family guy animator up there.
Yeah, the title is VERY misleading. Not good journalism.
ReplyDeleteLauren didn't write all the episodes remember? She's still on the staff but she just gives story conception etc. I feel as though we will be in good hands still but anyways don't get your hopes up too high for season two. Anyways last thing we need to do is to think how season 2 will be.
ReplyDeleteWell, she's still working on the show, and I'm sure the rest of the crew are perfectly capable writers. That said, I'm a little saddened, because her past works were a big part of why I started watching MLP in the first place. Still, I'm optimistic about season 2.
ReplyDeleteOH FUCK
ReplyDeletethere gose the naberhood
While this is inherently sad news and I wish Lauren the best, I've seen just as many shows become better or keep the same level of quality due to a changing of the guard as have become worse. (And in video games, this happens all the time.)
ReplyDeleteThis means nothing until we see the final product. No show is made or broken by one entity--especially if the entire rest of the team is still around. I say we cheer them on!
And Lauren, thanks for getting the ball rolling!
I'm cautiously optimistic about the future of the show. If the rest of the team is still working on it and they say they're excited, I'll remain hopeful.
ReplyDeleteThis is just like what happened with calvin and hobbes!
ReplyDeleteMy heart cant take it twice!!!
Actually... Im still hopefull
Honestly, as much credit as I give Lauren for the original creation and direction of the show, I don't know how much of the stuff we loved was due directly to her influence. I always thought it was the work of the individual writers and animators that drew us in, and if all of those people are staying...I'm assuming that they won't intentionally deviate from her initial vision of the show.
ReplyDeleteThe only probably I can see is if Hasbro ups the requests to include toy plugs, and the new producer isn't as good at keeping the show's own identity and not letting it be entirely corrupted by the kind of ponies Hasbro wants to sell.
I always got the feeling that Lauren wasn't too enthusiastic about MLP...
ReplyDeleteI don't know why. I think she also resented it's popularity.
But why would we watch that stupid galaxy girls crap she works on all the time? Ponies forever.
when i heard about the news i was shocked and as i suspected everypony here is i really hope that season 2 will live up like the first one now that lauren steped out from executive im worried ive seen some shows that when they get a new executive or director it goes tumbling down thats whats worries me (and everypony out there) so lets keep our fingers crossed and hope that the new season wont be a big disapointment.
ReplyDeleteYou know it dawned on me that if Mrs. Faust does Comic Con again she is going to get inundated with cupcakes and muffins. I for one hope that her personal project Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls gets off the ground, apparently she has been working on it for years now.
ReplyDeleteI hope Lauren does do Comic Con I would go into bankruptcy to make the trip to San Diego and yes I would also present her with home made muffins and/or cupcakes.
It seems to me that Faust, while still being a big part of the studio, had less input in the later episodes. Given that all my favorite episodes were later in the series, I'm ok with this. I remain cautiously optimistic
ReplyDelete@Lovecraft
ReplyDelete<3<3<3x3/1
;_;
ReplyDelete~Scratch
Jeez, Seth. Way to pick the wrong headline. You really had me going there. I never thought you were one for sensational storytelling. Lauren Faust isn't leaving MLP, she's just stepping down from being the executive producer. She'll still be involved in the art and writing of the show and would still be credited as the creator.
ReplyDeleteFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
ReplyDeleteEVERYTHING IN THE GOD DAMN WORLD IS RUINED ;_;
ReplyDeleteI'm still getting depressed...
ReplyDeleteMost of you need to calm down be a little more positive about Season 2. I'm sure it'll be just as amazing, since the same people are still working on it.
ReplyDeleteDespite the sad news - I'm still excited and optimistic for the next season, hopefully it won't disappoint!
She's becoming a consulting producer, that means she'll still be involved to some degree. Plus, I have complete confident in all the amazing artists and writers who worked on the 1st season. I shall remain optimistic... for Pinkie Pie.
ReplyDeleteman that sucks! I hope season 2 dose not suck.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, scary!! But at least we still have the people who worked on season one there. I'm still really hopeful about season two because of what we heard about Luna and Derpy. We'll probably see differences being such big fans, but hopefully nothing will be bad. Let's try not to get too freaked out and look at season 2 with an open mind! :D If she was getting overwhelmed then it's probably good that she stepped down before the work started to get too much to the point that it showed in the episodes.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it'll decline in quality. All the people who brought season 1 will be there. It's not like what happened with Spongebob, where everybody except a few people left.
ReplyDelete*waits for season 2 with joy irregardless*
ReplyDeletei'm not that worried tbh. if faust is still involved in the production of the core story line and scripts, i have faith in season 2, especially if everybody looks at season 1 more as a template rather than a mirror.
ReplyDeletebut i don't want to think about season 3 :/
I don't understand why so many are complaining that the title was incorrect. Lauren stated in no uncertain terms: "I am no longer working on the show."
ReplyDeleteI took this to mean that she's already completed her work on season 2 in terms of story conception and scripts, and therefore is no longer contributing to the show.
Well folks, QUANTUM LEAP was gonna be cancelled twice and the fans saved it by flooding ABC with letters and phone calls....
ReplyDeleteHINT HINT.
I don't think that we need to start running for the hills yet. Lauren may not be executive producer but she will still be involved, if only in a diminished capacity. She will be involved with the story writing process, and it is the stories that got us hooked in the first place.
ReplyDeleteRemember the rest of the team from season 1 will be returning. We know that they loved working on the show and the world Faust created. The new Executive Producer will probably be one of the other producers, so it is safe bet that they will stay true to Lauren's vision.
They have seen some of the stories for season 2 and believe that it will be even better then season 1. We know that Luna will make a return and even Derpy will be made into an official character.
I also doubt that Hasbro will interferer too much. They know how much of a success the show has become beyond original expectations and even beyond its target demographic. Lauren proved "that "for girls" does not have to automatically equal "lame."" I think that they will keep to the old adage of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
I say let's wait and see what transpires.
Hasbro is a corporation. Filled with MBAs who think they can 'tweak' a piece of art to sell some goddamn toys.
ReplyDeleteDon't kid yourself. Lauren is what made MLP:FIM a godlike thing and a force for good... and Lauren's willingness to push back was what kept it good.
Where the hell do you think all of the "My Little Pony" namedrops came from?
It may not be too late. Make noise.
---------------
Dear [Hasbro Exec],
I have recently become aware that Lauren Faust is no longer on the My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic production team.
I am writing to tell you that I consider her involvement key to the amazing success of this series reboot, and to strongly encourage you get her back by any means necessary.
You have a property on your hands that could run for years and make you millions.
I call your attention to not only your own ratings and toy sales figures, but also to the recent MLP:FIM production art auctions which in which the sale of four of Ms. Faust's graphite sketches netted over $15,000, and to the fan sites http://equestriadaily.com (a news and art site which is rapidly approaching 5 million hits after only a few months of operation) and http://www.ponychan.net (a forum site which supports an incredible volume of 24hr conversation about the show.)
Please do the rational thing. Make whatever offers are necessary to win Ms. Faust's involvement back.
Sincerely,
[You]
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteFlashinthePan is one of the animators for the show, and he (very) occasionally hops onto /co/ and does Q/A's.
I think two of his Q/A's have been posted on here.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOh and Lauren might be able to get her Galaxy Girls project turned into a TV show, now that studios know the kind of work she can do in an executive position.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteSounds like Lauren's already moving on to other projects. She said she trusts her crew. I trust her judgment.
Seth, this is missing the label [Grimdark] remember?
ReplyDeleteUpdate from Lauren:
ReplyDelete"*clarification: Story concepts and writers' meetings were completed several weeks ago, so my role is complete. I am not currently working on this show in any capacity at this time. Sorry for the confusion. While I'm at it, folks are asking if I left to work on another show. This is not the case. I had no other projects in the works when I stepped down."
Well, that's a heartbreaker. *Goes to cry in corner*
ReplyDeleteNow to wait six months in a total state of panic as I work on this goddamn PHD.
here's a weird counter suggestion to the original news. Let's see how it goes:
ReplyDelete-faust wrote pilot 1 & 2 and ticket master. the pilots, I am assuming for this purpose, are all her work and ticket master was far less, and the rest even less.
pilots + ticket master are very "magical girl" - what if she wanted more episodes like the pilot? But never got it? and the reason the show is so much fun is because somebody else didn't let it turn into sailor moon with ponies?
how weird would that be!
Lauren only wrote the first two episodes. "Ticket Master" was co-written by Amy Keating Rogers and Lauren. I think it's obvious that the pilot episodes have a very different feel from the rest of the series, but it was necessary to introduce the characters and set up the world in which they live.
ReplyDeleteI think Lauren's main role was designing the characters and driving the show down a more mature, complex path, away from the typical girly fluff that passes for kids' entertainment. I love Lauren, and I think she's a great person, but honestly, now that the show is established, I think it can continue without her.
The show is established. The ENTIRE staff knows that they have a sizable and vocal audience. If the new exec producer doesn't want to talk and dumbs down the show hasbro is going to face the wrath of angry fans. The same writers are there and Lauren is going to have more time focusing on what really drives a show to greatness, the plot. The art direction is established so I have absolute faith in the second season.
ReplyDelete