ADV Films
So, I started with ADV itself, of course, once Gmail popped back up. The two e-mail addresses I had on hand-- including the one that sent me the press release this morning --both bounced back immediately. The phone numbers I had handy all resulted in "your call could not be connected" messages after a couple of rings, as did any number I was able to dig up online. During this process I noticed that ADV's website, ADVfilms.com, was also down.
It was at this point I left a message for Griffin Vance, the former ADV lawyer under whose name the new companies are registered (excepting AEsir Holding)...then I noticed that Robert, of Robert's Corner Anime Store, was able to get through to former ADV employee Mike Bailiff, who's working at Section 23 Films (SXION 23 LLC) now. He says that this company has acquired ALL of ADV's former licenses and most of the staff, including Chris Oarr, and will publish and distribute all the former ADV titles, which will remain available, etc. He DID note that John Ledford, co-founder of ADV, is NOT a part of Section 23, though we don't know now if he's involved in any of the other companies at this time.
So those of you who speculated that this change isn't much of a change at all, well done! And those of you who were freakin' out...chill. Don't take it from me, take it from The Anime Network, whose Rai also adds that they've always been run separately from ADV and aren't going anywhere. "Take 10 CC's of chillaxophyl" is Rai's command. Sounds like a plan!
Maybe it's the whole business with Disney buying Marvel, but a buyout of ADV doesn't seem that bad of a deal, especially when it's NOT FUNimation. It's just the splitting up of the company instead of an all-in-one buyout that is scaring people. As long as ADV's staff stays employed and keeps releasing titles, this should be fine.
ADV was always a PAIN to get ahold of from a customer service end from their store. After email and phone calls, and even snail mail attempts, I never received a single reply. Then 2 weeks later, I received a dvd order that was mailed to the wrong address. This order had like 3 box sets in it, plus some odds and ends in the merchandise spectrum. I tried repeatedly to contact them again, to see how they wanted to handle it, as I'm sure the original recipient wanted their goody. But after several good faith attempts, and no response after 3 months, I said forget it, and just took the misdelivered package for my own.
My next order with them was a few months later, when I had ordered some Princess Tutu volumes I was missing, what I received were not official product, but sample product with the barcode destroyed, and the case also damaged (from them destroying the barcode). Essentially I'd paid money for a DVD that if I had ever wanted to resell it (like I bought the box set and wanted trade in value for the singles), any legitimate business couldn't take it. And even if I didn't want to resell it, the covers were reversible, and because they'd destroyed the area of the barcode, they'd ruined the art >_< not to mention put a hole in the plastic case.
When I worked as con staff and needed to contact them, it was like pulling teeth. You just couldn't get anyone to respond. I've always found them a pain to work with, and when I went by their booth one time in the dealer's room at a convention, they seemed genuinely shocked that girls watched anime... well they certainly last an unfavorable lasting impression.
Back in my days when I did DVD/CD/Film reviews for a paper, as well as lfiestyles and entertainment articles and interviews, I couldn't get any response out of them when I wanted interviews, or content to review. Sure I get that takes time and you can't necessarily accomodate everyone, but a simple and polite reply along those lines and an answer is far more professional. Especially when I could get the producers for Star Trek Voyager to call me at my dorm, or line up interviews with world class athletes and olympians, as well as bands, but ADV couldn't be bothered with anything.
Sure they've had shows I've loved, and may have done a good job on the dubbing of it and the other production work that goes into such things, but I've had too many unfaovrable experiences with them personally as a fan.
I wonder if this restructuring, also has to do with name changing for strategical business reasons, i.e. their old name while known in the fan community, may have been mud with some of their business partners?
@John_Martone: Yes, it is vaguely shady and contrary to common sense.
Hooray for the "miracle" of modern corporatism, where you can change legal entity names and 'sell' assets to yourself, and thereby absolve yourself of all debts and obligations and start over.
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There is at least one debt they can't shrug off. Either the deal was done with this 'senior secured' lender's tacit approval -- or at their direction.
Other debts & obligations, tho -- little things like employee paychecks, DVDs paid for but not yet shipped, back rent (if owed) -- may slip through the cracks. We'll see how the new companies perform.
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