Rough Draft Studios, Inc. and the Animation Guild, Local 839 IATSE have reached agreement for a term contract covering animated features and television series created by the Glendale California studio. Rough Draft Studios (Glendale) is known for its work on “Futurama”, “The Simpsons Movie”, and a wide variety or animated television shows and commercials. Its sister studio, Rough Draft Studios (Korea) has been the production facility for “The Simpsons” for over two decades, also creating work for Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Television Animation, and Warner Bros., among numerous others.
“Our talks with Rough Draft were smooth and productive,” said Steve Hulett, the business representative of The Animation Guild, Local 839 IATSE, “and there were no major issues that slowed down our bargaining. I can tell you that we’re very pleased to come together on a deal. Rough Draft has been one of the premiere animation houses in Los Angeles for years, and reaching agreement on the studio’s future productions means a lot to the Guild and its members. Our officers and executive board members are very happy Rough Draft is signing a contract.”
The Animation Guild represents the lion’s share of animation work in Los Angeles County, with contracts covering Disney, Warner Bros. Animation. Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks Animation, and a number of smaller studios. The Guild has over three thousand members, most of them employed in L.A.’s ongoing animation boom.