Instead of groaning over Disney's live-action remakes, support independent animations.
(Note: I once posted a now-deleted blog post about the same topic. This is a revision based on my proofreaders' suggestions.)
I have seen a lot of people groaning about Disney’s live-action remakes and lamenting how 2D animation is “dead” in the West, especially in light of Sean Bailey’s announcement of a live action The Lion King saga. Most of these complaints are about Disney prioritizing remakes instead of animated works, or worse, trying to kill off 2D animation. The thing is, the world doesn’t need to rely on the Walt Disney Studios for innovation in hand drawn animation. Even if the animation industry in the western hemisphere is marginalized, there are animators who want to rebuild this industry from the ground up. Before you buy a ticket for the next live action Disney remake, consider backing some of the following crowdfunding campaigns for independent animation projects. Yes, some of these crowdfunding campaigns are for 3D animations as well, but compared to mainstream 3D works, these feel rather personal and humble.
These are the projects that are currently looking for funding as of June 8th, 2023.
BOXTOWN: THE PRODUCTION CROWDFUND
Help Boxtown (an indie animated noir comedy starring Alex Hirsch and Tara Strong) fund our pilot! | Check out 'BOXTOWN: THE PRODUCTION CROWD
Boxtown is an indie animated noir buddy comedy about a con man detective (played by Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls and voice of Bill Cipher, Grunkle Stan and Hooty) who teams up with an innocent, true-crime-obsessed orphan with a hidden murderous side (played by Tara Strong, known as the voice of Twilight Sparkle, Timmy Turner, Miss Minutes in Loki, and Ben 10).
Funding due date: July 2nd, 2023, 4PM EST
The first I heard about Boxtown was through TikTok videos where Charlie P. Gavin, the series’s creator, asked voice actors to audition their characters by stitching their submission to the casting call video. The way Bandit Mill Animation’s production team casted this project showed me the importance of transparency and having their supporters and followers participate in their process. This project has brought in animation industry veterans, top voice-acting talents, and up-and-comers to create a new kind of neo-noir comedy animated series. I want to know more about where this project is heading considering how much the creators have put their passion into it.
CHEW GUM: An Animated Musical Series
CHEW GUM is an adult animated musical series created by Shane Curry, based on characters he's been animating for many years. Early incarnations of the characters have garnered over 28,000,000 (twenty-eight million) views on TikTok alone, and this series is the culmination of years of animation development, songwriting and voice acting all rolled into one weird ball of gum.
Funding due date: June 30th, 2023, 4PM EST
Similar to Boxtown, I came across CHEW GUM while searching “independent animation” on TikTok. A day later, I encountered the producer of this series and the main organizer of the crowdfunding campaign at the underground animation screening held in Brooklyn. On the way home, we talked together about the state of independent animation, some advice regarding crowdfunding, and I shared my own works with her. That night, I watched the series and I found them rather adorable. If you’re looking for an easy-to-watch 3D steam that feels pleasant, this series is for you.
Constancy Roa OVA
Constancy Roa is an OVA (Original Video Animation) brought to you by the creative minds at InfinityArk, an up and coming animation company. It does not have a specific genre, instead opting for the more melting pot approach of the 90s to early 2000s OVA anime series. Which means it has action, drama, romance, adult situations, graphic violence, and dark comedy. At its core, it's a war story between Cygens and Humanity. Approximately, five minutes of the hour-long pilot contained scenes with adult content. It is inspired by works like the Bubblegum Crisis OVAs, Project A-ko, and the game series Megaman X. We hope to make a series that will bridge the gap between current anime and "retro" anime of the past. This OVA is about Cygens, which have been unleashed and the world will never be the same. A new melting pot style OVA series that bridges the old and new.
Funding due date: 07/06/2023 8:00 AM EDT
This is a throwback to the late 90s/early 2000s OVA anime, when visuals are grungy and animation reflects as such. The style reminds me of those OVAs that Manga entertainment used to promote on their home videos with KMFDM’s music in the background. In fact, I wanted animated works that tried to replicate the feel of the older media, much like how the movies The Lighthouse or Pearl did. My twitter friend Shakyra Dunn is involved in this as the voice for the character Natasha Gifford. She is very much excited about this project.
Jades Diary Season 2
An animated mini-series following the adventures of Jade Raven.
An animated mini-series following the adventures of Jade Raven.
Funding due date: June 18th, 2023, 3PM EST
Like Chew Gum, I came across Jade's Diary through the TikTok discover page. It is an independent animation crowdfunding campaign that’s still going on and only has a handful of supporters. I haven’t seen the first season of the series. But I loved the animation style so much that I really wanted this campaign to succeed. It was almost like our homegrown Studio Trigger project.
Sunnyside Magic High: Animated Short
An animated short introducing you to four magical, unstable royals and their prestigious academy. | Check out 'Sunnyside Magic High: Animate
Sunnyside Magic High is an indie animated coming-of-age action-adventure pilot set inside the high fantasy world of Cora. It follows four magical royals who attend a prestigious academy where they hone their magic and prepare to one day rule their own kingdoms. An animated short introducing you to four magical, unstable royals and their prestigious academy.
Funding due date: July 22, 2023
I am writing this while New York City is stuck under the Quebec wildfire smoke apocalypse. I need something wholesome to get my own doomer feeling out of my mind while surviving this smoke-filled apocalypse. And this series could uplift my downer mood in recent days (or years). It seems like this targets people who are nostalgic toward the Renaissance period of the Walt Disney Studios where they produce animated musicals with coming-of-age themes. Not only that, the series could fill up the empty space in every Harry Potter’s fans’ heart after they were disappointed by its author’s bigotry.
