Animation

The link takes me to the Rooster Fighter video, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh.

Thanks for catching that, Maurice Vaughan, I fixed it.

You're welcome, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. Thanks. I just watched the Redline pilot. WOW! I have to check out the full movie!

You definitely should Maurice Vaughan. It’s one of those movies you just never get tired of, and they did it entirely for the art so I respect it that much more.

Great tips! Thanks for sharing the video, Kevin Jackson.

It all depends on the circumstances, but a solid principle for sure.

Hi Kevin,

Thank you so much for sharing these tips. This is incredibly helpful, especially for beginners trying to understand timing and spacing in a practical way. Watching animation frame by frame or at slower speeds is such a smart exercise.

I may not be an animator myself, but I deeply appreciate animation and the craft behind it. Insights like this really highlight how much intention goes into every movement.

Grateful you’re sharing your knowledge with the community!!

So many principles overlap to make for good animation. Timing and spacing as shown here need to be combined with the use of pose-to-pose animation.

Most amateur mistakes I see come from the artist drawing straight ahead instead of drawing keyframes and then backing up with in-betweens. Starting with the keys then gives you the opportunity to plan your timing/spacing afterwards.

I understand why some people and companies would use AI to skip steps in the animated process, Laquan Copeland, but sometimes those steps are where great ideas happen at. And like you said, "Those were the roles that allowed emerging talent to fail, iterate, and grow before stepping into leadership or showrunning positions."

If early pipeline roles are automated, I think the next generation of animation storytellers will come from them teaching themselves/finding mentors themselves and making their own movies, shows, etc.

My observation is that AI will destroy the studio pipeline as we know it. Those who worked in the system in pipeline-level jobs represent a small percentage of those who animate and tell stories outside the system.

Many are also foregoing learning via traditional animation schools and programs and are learning via online classes and YouTube.

Artists need to learn to be independent of the studio system, and those who are earnest and innovative will forge careers as content creators and build audiences where the studio system will need them.

Hey, Dwayne Williams 2. Happy IYW! Dragon Ball Z.

hey there, Dwayne Williams 2 happy IYW.

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh Hi Banafsheh, I am still playing catch-up, after losing January due to health problems.

I’m currently working on a concept ad for my animated series, with Stage 32 members in Buenos Aires and the UK. It’s going a lot slower than I would like, but I’ll press on till it’s completed.

Hi, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. Congratulations on what you got done this month! I like animation that blends styles. Danganronpa looks interesting. It reminds me of fighting games I played growing up.

I'm doing great this month. I worked on other projects, networked, redid pitch material for my scripts, and pitched projects. I consider all of these wins. I also got interest in my Sci-Fi Thriller short script. I also did some work on my Sci-Fi Drama TV series outline, but I put that aside because it needs A LOT of research and planning. It's the kind of project that needs my full attention. I've also been getting more rest this month.

Thanks for the insight, Cyrus Sales. I remember using clay in art class. It definitely takes patience.

Hi Maurice,

This post totally brought me back to my childhood. I remember watching Chicken Run in theaters too, and ClayFighter was such a specific era of fun.

I love working with clay as an artist myself, but claymation has always felt like a whole other level of magic and patience. There’s something so tactile and nostalgic about it.

Thank you for sparking this memory and starting such a fun conversation.

Hi, Sydney S. You're welcome. What do you make with clay? And did you see Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget? I still need to watch it.

Hi Maurice! I actually made an incense holder recently and a mug too, lol. Haven’t seen Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget yet - sounds fun!

That's cool, Sydney S. I think I made a mug in middle school art class. I'm looking forward to seeing Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget! I want to write a Claymation script one day.

Hi, Cheryl Chase. Hope you're having a great week! Thanks for letting us know about the lab. I write animated scripts. I've written a feature script, turned that into a short script, turned a live-action short script into an animated short script, and written an animated TV series.

Thanks for the recommendation Cheryl Chase

Cheryl Chase That sounds awesome! I haven’t taken Evan’s class yet, but it’s great to hear how structured and useful it is animation bibles and pitch decks are such a crucial part of selling a project. For me, I work in animation and audio so story, character design, and sound are my main focus and I totally agree that Stage 32 has some incredible resources for expanding skills in every part of the creative process.

I’d love to hear more about tips for putting together a strong animation bible, especially for an adult audience!

Cheryl Chase I am also creating adult animated content. I have been in the industry for 25 years, working for companies like Cartoon Network, Disney TV, DreamWorks TV, and have done everything from animating, storyboarding, directing, writing, and producing.

Hi Cheryl,

This absolutely made my day. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this. It truly means a lot.

I’m going to pass this along to Evan right away. He is going to be so thrilled to read your words. We’re incredibly lucky to have Evan Anglin leading this lab, and hearing that it’s making such a real impact on your animation bible and pilot is exactly why we do what we do.

And what an amazing full circle moment. The voice of Angelica Pickles on Rugrats developing an adult animated series and building an animation bible is incredible. I love that you are expanding into writing and creating your own world. That kind of creative evolution is inspiring.

Your excitement about the education, the labs, and the webinars is exactly the energy we hope to foster. Curiosity, growth, and community.

Thank you again for sharing this and for being such a vibrant part of the animation community here. It truly means so much :)

My condolences to their families, friends, and fans, Kevin Jackson. I loved watching Sesame Street, Looney Tunes, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Beauty and the Beast, KaBlam!, and Courage the Cowardly Dog growing up!

Kevin Jackson Such a sad moment for the animation community. Jane Shattuck Takamoto Baer, Enid Denbo Wizig, and Marie Poe were true pioneers whose creativity and vision paved the way for so many of us. Their work and legacy will continue to inspire generations of animators.

Very disheartening.

My Condolences to the decease family.

Prayers & My Condolences <3

Hey Sam Rivera,

To be truthful, this is both heartbreaking and incredibly familiar—especially hearing that Sony Pictures Animation decided not to move forward with Matt Braly’s Thai-inspired film after two years because it was judged as “not commercial enough.”

When a story rooted in something personal and culturally meaningful gets set aside for that reason, it really highlights the tension between creative truth and market forecasting. Some of the most impactful stories aren’t the ones that look predictable on paper—they’re the ones that bring something authentic and different.

I have a lot of respect for what Matt Braly and Rebecca Sugar were attempting, especially exploring chronic illness through spiritual and cultural mythology. That kind of storytelling has the potential to resonate deeply because it comes from a real and vulnerable place.

And as you mentioned, a pass from one studio doesn’t mean the end. Many powerful projects eventually find the right home—often where the vision is understood, not just evaluated commercially.

Thank you for sharing this. It’s an important reminder for all of us creating original stories to keep building and believing in the worlds we’re bringing forward.

Oof. This one hurts, Sam Rivera. A Thai-inspired animated film about a teen navigating chronic illness through the lens of Thai spirits... That’s the kind of specific, emotionally textured storytelling that should be what animation is championing. Hearing it was considered “not commercial enough” after two years of development is such a stark reminder of how heavily forecasting and perceived market safety drive decisions.

And we’ve already seen how that kind of thinking can backfire.

K-Pop Demon Hunters is a perfect example. A project that didn’t fit a traditional studio mold, that easily could’ve been dismissed as niche or risky, ended up becoming a hit elsewhere. That’s the danger of only measuring potential against old templates. Sometimes the “not commercial” story is simply one that doesn’t look like the last three successes.

I also can’t help thinking about Arcane. One of the most ambitious, emotionally mature animated series of the last several years. It’s stunning, narratively bold, and deeply character-driven. It’s hard to imagine a legacy studio handing that level of creative freedom, budget, and tonal risk to an unproven game studio and a first-time showrunner. Netflix did. And the result wasn’t just good animation. It was one of the best series made in recent years, animated or not.

Are studios protecting themselves from failure… or protecting themselves from surprise?

What would be interesting is if they could take the IP from this and turn parts of it into verticals so we could enjoy at least parts of the story. Wonder if Sony would do that.

I am really hoping this can be reconsidered.

Sony seemed to be on track with its animation, but ever since it delayed the Spider-Verse sequel, it appears discombobulated.

It's great that Netflix continues investing in Adult Animation as a core lane, Ashley Renée Smith. Adult Animation is hilarious! I tried to turn my short script into an Adult Animation series because the story works as an Adult Animation and heightened absurdity, but Adult Animation isn't my thing as a writer (right now). Adult Animation is becoming safer. I've been seeing more Adult Animation shows being announced, made, and released.

I definitely feel like animation lends itself much better to freedom of movement and experimentation that just isn't possible with live action. I know if Iron Rain ever got a live action version, some of its elements would look really strange (such as Hokuto's ghostly appearance and Ranmaru's exorcist abilities). Not to mention it's quite important that my characters look like how I described them (particularly since many of these characters appear in Seed; Iron Rain is the prequel, so unsurprisingly several characters have plot armour).

I'm glad there's more varied adult animation being made, as an anime enjoyer I always knew it was a missed opportunity to only use it for animation. Some of the most mature storylines I've enjoyed are from anime.

Ashley Renée Smith I think what makes adult animation “necessary” is a combination of tonal freedom and visual world-building. Animation allows stories, absurdity, and ideas that would be impossible or prohibitively expensive in live action. You can heighten reality, bend physics, and explore character archetypes in ways that feel fresh and unfiltered.

As for the market, I’d say adult animation is becoming more strategic than risky. Platforms like Netflix are clearly carving specific lanes workplace comedy, genre hybrids, niche audiences so creators have to understand not just the story they want to tell, but who they’re telling it for and where it fits in the slate. The upside is huge if you get that alignment right.

I am now only doing adult animation. It is my expression of my comedy. I love the freedom of doing satire and nonsensical ideas. Adult animation can get away with a lot more political incorrectness than live-action. South Park should've been canceled long ago. Although I'm not going that route, I am creating content that can cause some discomfort. Also, I like using naughty words.

Cool insight, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh! Seinen is definitely where I land, too. It’s what I love to watch and what I love to create. I was deep into shounen for years, but once I discovered seinen, that storytelling depth hooked me. I really admire when the younger‑targeted anime can still appeal to older audiences. Pulling that off is an amazing skill.

Thanks Dwayne Williams 2, I agree, for example Sailor Moon is the quintessential shoujo and yet it reached every possible demographic (and is still insanely popular), even grew up with its initial young girl audience with Crystal now appealing to them as grown women. I personally love how shoujo can encompass many different genres but at its core it's about interpersonal drama, and josei is the same but more mature. It's always a plus when younger-targetted anime and manga can reach the youth in all of us in addition to letting its opposite sex counterpart enjoy the work, too.

Great post Banafsheh Esmailzadeh - I’d say it’s probably seinen. Growing up, it leaned more toward shounen, but I think as I’ve matured, my tastes have shifted toward seinen.

Thanks Cyrus Sales, that makes sense. I don't consume a lot of seinen stuff but I've noticed there's some surprisingly wholesome offerings like "Chi's Sweet Home." I think the Ryu ga Gotoku/Yakuza series is my favourite seinen. It helps that it's equally serious and whimsical, a combination that's extremely hard to pull off.

I guess in regard to Anime, i wold pick seinen - Chainsaw Man is my jam!