Forum - View topicI have some questions about creating an independent anime.
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Autistic Lucario
 Posts: 4 |
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Long story short: Does anyone know where I should start looking to find 2D animators? From Japan?
I heard the 2D anime industry is starting to look a bit troubling in Japan, partly to do with the low wages. Upon reading this, the thought crossed my mind of hiring 2D animators who actually come from Japan. Before you laugh at this idea, I want you to know that I am serious about going forward with this independent anime I have already made progress towards making. It's called Uniques United. Before I explain the anime itself, I want to explain my position as it stands right now. I am the creator of Uniques United. I write the story, the scripts, and currently draw the concept art. I am also a sound designer. I mix and record sound effects. I have discussed the ideas within this anime with friends and even total strangers and I can tell you, they're excited to see what comes of it. I want to see it through into a reality. I have a team of 11 people right now, most of which come from an independent game development team without a name. All we need to start making our first episodes are voice actors and 2D animators, especially those that can mimic the Japanese style (the animators, not the voice actors) The problem is that I come from England and contacting the Japanese is easier said than done. Our team is also multinational, meaning we come from different countries around the world. I want to point out that this anime is different, both in creative ideas and how the team is organized. We do our work entirely over the internet, so anyone from Japan that has access to the internet can easily reach us (even though our time zones are vastly different). The problem is finding anyone from Japan, so I decided to join ANN to see if I can get some info from you guys. One of the things I would like to do in the process of making this anime is revive the 2D animation industry and prove that the internet is a great opportunity for anyone who is struggling to find some work. I call it the TV of tomorrow. This may sound very challenging, and it will be, but I have my goals and I will do whatever is necessary to achieve them. But I am always open to advice and constructive criticism, but what I don't like is mockery, and I can easily tell the difference between the two. You may be wondering "how are you going to pay those animators over in Japan?" Well, the situation is complicated, but in the case of Japan, theoretically, it'll actually work in favor of anyone that uses the Yen, since the payment will be in dollars. What I'm about to say next is very important. The money does not come upfront as a salary. It comes from a share of the profits made from Uniques United, mainly through the sales of the individual seasons. This may sound laughable at first, but this anime and the ideas behind it have the potential to become extremely popular and, as a result, well-funded. The anime itself will not be just a one-shot project. It will have entire seasons, but right now, I need people who are willing to wait until we have something we can sell, before they get the money. Bear with me on this. It is my belief that 2D anime students may be particularly interested in this opportunity. Now, I will share a bit about the anime itself. Uniques United features six mice, all with some sort of disorder or disability. These range from autism to ADD to Bipolar Disorder to several others and they have a direct effect on the characters' personalities and behavior. They live on a world called Cubia, which has a modern-day society and frequently travel to a secret twin planet called Jipto, which has a medieval fantasy culture. The six mice do their best to keep the existence of Jipto a secret, for fear of intrusive investigation and worldwide media coverage. Their names are Neil, Daniel, Andrew, Stanley, Simon, and Miranda. All six of them are siblings, and their disorders are real (which I have done research on). The moral of the story is to turn one's weaknesses into strengths and raise awareness of these disorders as well. On top of their internal challenges, they are vassals to a king named Roland, where they carry out missions for him and his kingdom that require a lot of careful thinking, stealth, and sometimes brute force. Each one is different. They travel between the two worlds through a stone portal in a secret room, located in their house, which Simon uses as his laboratory. They get back home much in the same way, through the same portal, but the portal appears when they complete the mission on their return trip home. From lost civilizations to underground caverns to haunted castles to nobles' affairs, there is always a complicated situation waiting to be solved with each mission. Now, let me give you an honest background of myself: 1: I am 19 years old. 2: This is my first time running a business. 3: I have Asperger's Syndrome myself. 4: I have no college education. However, that will not stop me from going through with this. Now that you know what this whole thing is about, I would really appreciate any help finding 2D animators to help make this anime a reality. I hope I've made a step in the right direction by coming here with these questions. Have a good day, everyone. Sincerely, Autistic Lucario Creator of Uniques United |
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ggqt
 Posts: 149 |
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One in one-hundred children are born with autism.
Learn more at http://www.autismspeaks.org/ |
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V1046-R
Posts: 172 |
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I have no clue but wanted to say good luck with your project. I think it is cool you are trying to make original work. Don't let haters get you down, and keep the fires burning!
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Autistic Lucario
Posts: 4 |
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Thanks for the encouragement.
 It means a lot.
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Well man, I certainly applaud you for coming up with an original idea. I see a lot of these "I'm going to make an anime" topics and by and large the ideas are just terrible and generic. Yours actually sounds pretty cool though. If it was an anime, I'd watch it. That said, there are some things you really need to understand here:
The sad reality is that you will in all likelihood get nowhere without money. Animation is insanely expensive and time consuming to create. It is not the kind of thing a few people can make in their spare time. It takes dozens and dozens of people working full time. That's just not something people are willing to do (or can afford to do for that matter) for free. I'm not saying you should give up but you need to be realistic. You're not just going to find a bunch of animators who will make your project for you because you promise them a share of the eventual profits. You should consider another way of funding it. Not that there are any great other options mind you. Like I said, realistically you're going to have a hell of a time getting this project to work if you don't have any money to put into it. I think the kind of business model you're proposing is the least plausible though. Also, I would recommend you just forget about Japan. I don't really see any reason you need to work with the Japanese for this project. I'm sure you like anime and want to emulate it but there's no reason it needs to be an "anime". Japan is hardly the only country with talented animators. By trying to recruit from Japan all you're really doing is making an already immense challenge even more difficult. I mean, you don't speak Japanese do you? I think you'd have to learn in order to recruit (let alone work with) Japanese people. Why don't you try to get this project off the ground as a western/English animation project instead? That seems like it would be a lot more plausible (if also still quite difficult). Also, you should try taking some writing courses and/or reading up on screenwriting if you haven't already. I'm not saying you're a bad writer. Again, I like your idea. But having an idea is easy. Actually turning that into a well written, fully developed screenplay is vastly more complicated. In fact, I would advise you to go ahead and do that first before anything else. Asking people to commit their time and effort to a project based solely on an idea is a tall order. If you do your part first and put the time into developing it completely then you'll have both proof of your commitment to the project as well as something much more tangible to show people to get them on board. Finally, just throwing this out there: If all else fails, you could consider switching mediums. Realistically, the chances of making this project happen as an animated series are infinitesimal but it is quite plausible that you could turn it into a web comic or something like that. I mean, that is easily something you could do with just the 11 people you have right now. |
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Autistic Lucario
Posts: 4 |
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I'll take your advice on the Japanese animator situation. I agree, that's quite unrealistic. I already have the script for the first episode written and finalized, and I am working on the second. As for raising money, I already have a few opportunities to raise some, which I will be making use of. I'm also writing an e-book which will help out iron out some of the costs as well. The book is very close to completion, so I'll be able to publish it online soon.
A friend of mine on the team recommended that I start sketching backdrops of the first episode, which is wise indeed. I have an artist on the team who can fill out the details. Also, thanks for the webcomic suggestion. I never thought of that. That's another opportunity for the team. That could also attract the animators I need, by starting small. Something that can be done in a relatively short amount of time, compared with the animations that could take months to make.
Any additional information you can give me would be much appreciated. |
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11440 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Welcome to the forums. As a tip, please try to refrain from excessive quoting. If your reply is going to appear directly underneath the corresponding user, there's no need to quote the entire thing. If you're replying to a specific part of that person's text or to a user further up or on another page, then it's more suitable to quote or to simply put "@user" so we know who's talking to who. It's not a rule, per se, but I'm a bit of a stickler for forum aesthetics and don't like looking a bunch of the white space that comes with quotes.
Anyway, your project certainly seems ambitious and a lot more serious than I've seen others try to present. As ikillchicken has said, though, money is what you'll really need to get things off the ground. Maybe you could consider some small-scale jobs or something on the side of your big project to either get more experience in the business world or earn a little money for collateral should an investment opportunity come up that's related to your field of expertise. And after you save enough money, you can submit your ideas to someone who might be interested and get lucky enough that they make something out of it. From what I've seen, a lot of people who end up creating their own cartoons usually end up where they are through years of either film school or just working in the industry and meeting the right people who eventually give them a shot. Again, you're only 19 and you're this accomplished already. Just try your hand at various venues and I'm sure you'll get an opportunity from somebody somewhere out there. |
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nobahn
Subscriber Posts: 5146 |
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I would, if I may, like to suggest making a five-minute short, a la She and Her Cat
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EireformContinent
 Posts: 977 Location: Łódź/Poland (The Promised Land) |
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Yes, short can be a great advertisement and catch an eye of the real producer. Oban Star Racers started this way, but it took author several years to finish the project.
You might be interested in this independent animation movie. Author made a great faq about the development form the idea to finished cartoon and you might find her advices useful. Last edited by EireformContinent on Wed May 02, 2012 12:59 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Bento-Box
 Posts: 1049 Location: Florida |
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I like your ideas.
I've had these kinds of thoughts from time to time. So, here's a little advice from someone who's tried and is still trying to make things. Be prepared for a long wait. Regardless of what you are capable of investing financially and how fast you can find people to help bring your concept to life, it's going to be a while. It definitely sounds like you are passionate and that's key. If you weren't passionate about what you're trying to make, then it would probably not turn out well, if at all. During the waiting period, try to take things one step at a time. Try not to get too far ahead of yourself - it is VERY easy to do. Start small. I can't stress this enough. I started with an epic story (or at least what I perceived as something that was epic and awesome). My end goal was to have an anime series made based off the "manga". I revised said story repeatedly over the course of 4 years until I was happy with it. During that time, I attempted to learn animation. Then I spent 6 months turning chapter 1 of the written material into a "manga". By the time I had finished the first chapter, I was completely burnt out. The book (which was a whopping 12 pages) wasn't selling and the art looked like crap. (To my defense, I did sell 8 copies total. LOL) The project was too big to continue tackling. And, for my skill level, time/monetary investment, and sanity at the time, it just wasn't feasible to continue making it - ever. It was later that I tried to get my husband to read it and he couldn't stand the script or the plot. It was terrible. Really terrible. My suggestion? Try starting with a little project, a short story perhaps. See if you can get that done and then pursue something a little larger. Don't get me wrong, I learned a whole lot from my mistakes with that first book but I wish I had started smaller. Which brings me to the next piece of advice: don't give up. Learn from your mistakes and keep going. That's what's really hard. It really sucks to have to look at something you've tried your hardest to create and realize that it is a pile of crap. Just evaluate what you can do better in the future and move on. When I encountered the failure that was my first "manga", I spent a lot of time soul searching and revamping my art style. I did a WHOLE LOT OF RESEARCH. I still do a whole lot of research. The next time I sat down to make a graphic novel, I realized it was about money, time, patience, and marketing. Calling it a "manga" wasn't going to get me anywhere with an American audience. I wanted to appeal to people here in the States. What I produced is by no means perfect. Heck, I made the mistake of not doing enough proof-reading and had the first edition printed with a spelling error!  What I did learn is that getting that professional look was a lot more time consuming that I thought. Everything was more expensive because of countless reprints and attempts to get things the way I wanted them to look. The latest one is marketed as a "graphic novel", it's 82 pages long, and only took me 3 months to create. (That's with a full time day job, holidays, and my own wedding!) Just be prepared for the unexpected. Doing a lot of research ahead of time will give you some foresight, but it won't give you the experience of doing it. Again, this is why I would strongly recommend starting small and building - something I wish I had done originally.
Money. You're gonna need it. Like I said, I work a full time day job. I also clean houses on my Fridays off. I don't make a lot of money (that's what my husband does) but everything that goes into my work is money I've earned. I don't rely on my husband to pay the bill for me and I don't do any kind of fundraising. I just want to do what I love for a living. I think every artist wants that. That being said, you're going to be kinda hard-pressed to find people who are willing to work for you without pay during the course of the project or without up front compensation. I do think that your method gives good incentive. However, that could be considered a bonus. I know that, given my current art schedule, I could not spare the time to work for someone else and maintain my graphic novel. Finish the script first. I don't have a set script for my latest graphic novel and oh do I wish I did. I have outlines of each chapter, specific details about certain monster encounters and such. But, as I go along, I get stuck. Get everything written down first, then consider illustrating various scenes, then move on to something more complicated. Keep business strictly business. The more people you get involved, the more you're going to have to deal with. People bring drama. I tried working with one of my boyfriends years ago and that did not turn out well. Involving friends can just get really sticky. People get their feelings hurt, they take things personally, and you can risk losing friends over work-related stuff (yes, this will become work to you after a while). Some people are able to separate the two. Others can't. Just keep this in mind and don't be surprised if someone gets pissy. Remember that this is your project and no one is ever going to take as much interest in it as you do. That's one reason it's essential that you're willing to take constructive criticism, bounce ideas off people, and share your script for proof-reading. Sometimes we get so involved in things we love that we forget some essentials (in my case, creating something too big to manage and then creating something manageable with typos! ). Other people don't have those blinders that we have. They will be able to help you find plot holes, typos, and other nuances. Likewise, they are not going to want to spend all of their time working on your project unless they are personally or monetarily motivated. Eventually, work is still work, even if it's fun work. And the purpose of work is self-fulfillment and to earn a living. As I've recently learned, some people don't need the self-fulfillment from work (I do though!). Like others have said, I think going with a Japanese crew would be difficult - especially if you don't know the language. Try working with local people or at least people who share the same language. I think this will help with the marketing aspect as well. Labeling it "anime" will group it into a category in most people's minds. That's the reason I stopped calling my work "manga". It's not "manga" anyways. If you want it to sell, it needs to have some kind of appeal to the market here - preferably not just one subculture. 
Hope this helps. Sorry it was a bit long. I've learned a lot of stuff over the past 6 years |
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Zin5ki
 Posts: 6680 Location: London, UK |
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If you have not explored such avenues previously, you may consider pitching this proposal to The Japan Foundation, the Japan Society or even the Japanese Embassy on Piccadilly. The last of these seem at least nominally interested in the British emulation of anime and manga, as shown by their annual Manga Jiman competitions. If you particularly wish to network, there may be more specialised information to obtain through contacting Japanese societies within larger students' unions. Even though this project is grander in scope than what their standard activities accommodate, sending an email to the knowledgeable Japanophiles therein cannot hurt.
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Autistic Lucario
Posts: 4 |
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@ Bento-Box
I see you've had quite a hard time. I hope you find your niche soon. Thanks for all the information. I took the time to read through it carefully. I'm still keeping my project, but I think I'll start switching priorities towards something smaller. I've already started working on a webcomic with another artist.
I'm always on the lookout for opportunities to raise money. Zazzle is a website that lets you design your own merchandise and sell it. After the initial base cost of the item (which the company takes from the sales), any additional cost added to the item goes to you as royalty, which you get to set. As an artist, I'd look into that website if I were you. You might find an opportunity there yourself.
@ Zin5ki - Thank you for the references. For now, I shall start with some smaller projects. Ones that a few people can manage. Once I have enough money, I'll start hiring others with upfront payments. Your information will be valuable, I'm sure. |
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Bento-Box
Posts: 1049 Location: Florida |
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I've had a difficult time, yes. But it was totally worth it. And, I have definitely found my niche. My latest graphic novel sold out at Megacon. So, I would definitely say I'm producing something that people want, is in their price range, and can fit with my busy schedule. I'm also the featured artist of one of Alter Ego Comics for Free Comic Book Day here in Jacksonville. I'd say I'm doin' alright.
I hope you find much success as well. Just remember, if you're not having a good time doing it, it probably isn't worth it. |
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