Big Idea nearly gone

Randy came up to me today and asked if I knew if Greg Hardin was still at Big Idea. "I think so," I said. "Why?"

"Well, because his status on FaceBook sounds like he may have been let go."

"What?!?"

Sure enough, he was gone...along with about two-thirds of the rest of the crew. Big Idea is down to eleven people, with most of them in marketing, and only three on the creative crew.

This brings back unpleasant memories of the layoff that happened right before Christmas of 2002. The studio was already on edge after the round of layoffs that practically coincided with the theatrical release of Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie, and a bunch of folks losing their jobs right before the holidays didn't help. Layoffs at any time of year are a pain, but it tends to feel especially cold if it happens before Christmas. I'm not saying that it's a decision that anyone felt good about, either then or now. It's just really rare for a single company to have to dip into those particularly cold waters twice. My gut says that for those who are left who remember both dips, the lingering chill from the second submersion probably has a bit more bite.

My heart goes out to everyone involved: those who are no longer with the company who have to figure out what to do next, and those few who are still with the company...who also have to figure out what to do next.