Is Making an Animated Series Worth it?

I've been working on an animated pilot Stormfellers for years now- so what's going on? Is it ever coming out? And what's it like to, do that? And other questions involving Procreate Dreams, release dates, and the voice of a certain little green guy? So glad you asked.
Get Biko's Backpack and Personalized Critiques on Patreon:
/ bageldenizen
Take the Learn Character Design Course: learncharacterdesign.com
Become a Better Artist in 3 Minutes a Week: brookeseggleston.com/sign-up
Check out the Shop: brookeseggleston.com/shop
Instagram:
/ bageldenizen

[@markguyton2868]

I know someone who is a solo animator and I can say that yes, it does take a lot of time and effort to get even a one minute animation done.

[@Hvfgjkuopp]

Hi i am also a Solo Animation and i Need Sole advice because i am new can you pls Connect me to that Solo Animator ?

[@markguyton2868]

@@Hvfgjkuopp Apologies, I don't want to say the name since he is rather busy most of the time and I don't think he would like me advertising him for art advice. Brookes does have an art advice setup for his first Patreon level if you need help, I would suggest that. I do wish you luck on your animation journey though.

[@sylvanshroom]

Louie Zong as Biko is such a dream collab moment I can hardly believe it Truly legends working with legends

[@tridek1949]

I love the dusky near-night vibes in this video. Very chill.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

I hope the crickets werent too loud 😆

[@Lobstro]

Agreed! I liked the evening to night transition. Made the video feel like a cozy campfire conversation (alliteration not intended)

[@possibilitybutton]

Make sure you take a moment to just remember how awesome it is that you're pursuing this at all, let alone how far you've come in actually making some good freaking art. It takes so much work to put anything out there that is worth putting out there, and you are doing exceptionally well. God bless man ❤❤❤

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Hehe thank you!

[@Justin-kz9nh]

Woah!! Louie Zong's voicing Biko? I've never been so excited!! It's so good seeing progress too! Definitely take as long as you need, I'll wait patiently (but also eagerly) for the pilot!

[@oversalt4713]

We're just starting out with the concepts for our animated series, and it's so good to see other's in a similar space but further along. All the best to you and the team!

[@thatartemi]

I'm SO hyped! I used to watch your channel al lot (which by the way, helped improve my art a lot) and seen these lil guys all the time. I had no idea you were working on a pilot and just... I don't know, something about seeing these guys in action makes me really happy. Best of luck with this project!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

I'm so glad! There’s a few other videos ahead of this one taking more about the story and preproduction!

[@AWE-Nessy]

Louie is a great voice for biko, i can’t wait to see the pilot

[@Lobstro]

As someone who hopes to someday make his own animated series, I am watching your project, and other indi-projects, with great interest

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Sweeeet thank you!

[@KogawaYuri-ENVtuber]

Same! I plan to make one too I just need to improve my art a lot cuz I plan on doing it in anime style which complicated so… wish me luck 🥲

[@bananimate]

Thanks for being so relatable! I always find your videos encouraging/inspirational and almost always directly mirroring my own victories/battles in art/animation! Keep it up and I can’t wait to see your show! :DDD

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Much appreciated!

[@journey-man_official]

Yes, yes it is worth it It's definitely going to take a lot of time and patience but as long as you're passionate, I think it's worth it

[@arkanimation9833]

Don’t sweat it, there’s so much time and we get to see with the internet how long animations take. An animated short can take a year. At least that’s my experience. If you’re doing a full pilot that multiplied by how long the pilot is. Like standard short film is at max 5minutes. That’s with a full crew of animators (12-20), props, character design, compositing, and so much more. That’s just 2D so I can only assume it takes a bit longer just to make sure your rigs don’t break in 3d also sculpting and rigging the characters and ensuring they can interact with the environment. It’s not easy. I will say that the good thing about rigged characters you can use them in multiple other animations. Keep it up man I love indie animation because we know the only reason it won’t get renewed is because the animators and crew not because a corporation doesn’t want to pay royalties. I have faith this will be awesome!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Hugely appreciate that, I dont think everyone’s as insightful on understanding the process, thank you for your kind words!

[@arkanimation9833]

@@CharacterDesignForge yeah thank you for being such a huge influence on me realizing there is such a great art community on KZbin and you have really helped me as a source of secondary education to art as I pivoted from the military to civilian and learning to become an animator myself. I still use a lot of my more rough animations on here, but it’s because I am helping a lot of fun short films I care about. You have been good at helping me understand character design because for whatever reason if your focus is animation they are reluctant to teach character design as well!

[@jamescandyland]

Awesome video Brookes! Stormfellers is looking epic and that logo is so cool! It's also pretty sweet seeing the behind the scene Blender process!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Thanks James!

[@jamescandyland]

Yeah definitely! This is an awesome and inspiring project, I'm looking forward to the teaser! @@CharacterDesignForge

[@theinvisiblboom]

I’m so excited for you, dude! Stormfellers looks like it’s coming along great! And don’t worry about time on our account, I think it’s great that you’re prioritizing getting the pilot to where you want it first. The animation already looks really good, I love the idea of doing the affects in 2D. I’m really looking forward to watching! :)

[@lewisoliverleo]

Great new video from Buster!!

[@nanyabusinessxd881]

Young beginning animator here, I’ve been planning on making an animated show or atleast pilot for a while now, and was going through a bit of a crisis recently with several things involving my art. I never heard of this channel but found this channel and it fills me with hope for the future of not only animation but hopefully my own ideas. I’m struggling to improve and my art isn’t very professional but if you ever need an unpayed intern in your gal. Seriously, I don’t really care about money I need experience… XD Anyways, wish y’all the best of luck! ❤

[@CharacterDesignForge]

That makes me so glad to hear, and thanks for the offer!

[@nanyabusinessxd881]

@@CharacterDesignForge thank you!! I intend on keeping up with this channel to see the progress! ^^ I’m still trying to improve, atm I mostly work on 2d animation and I’m trying to figure out more stuff about it on my own. Projects like these give me hope!

[@klg9549]

I gotta say, despite the challenges along the way, you make the work on Stormfellers look so easy! I also hadn't thought about the openings for helping out - were there any voice acting spots (or still images needed) I'd have liked to have helped!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Send a voice reel, would love to have on file!

[@klg9549]

@@CharacterDesignForge Shoot, I'll have to get back to you on that! I don't have one yet.

[@animated_being]

Ahhh, exciting!! The animation is looking awesome so far! Really cool to hear more about the process - interesting to see the mix of 2D and 3D elements

[@deklanb.4992]

Oh my gosh we're getting FED Louie Zong is such an amazing choice I can't wait to hear him 😭 Also...Shackleton news..? Literally will lose my mind 😂

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Hehe nothing on Shackleton I’ll say that now! Focused on Stormfellers fully rn. But thank you so much!

[@deklanb.4992]

Dah, a boy can dream 😂 Still super excited for anything and everything stormfellers!! @@CharacterDesignForge

[@leethememerwolf]

the progress already looks great I love the way how animation works and the frames all the technical stuff I highly love

[@Santiago_geck0nix]

I'm SO ready to tell everyone to watch the Stormfellers pilot when it comes out!!!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Aw thank you!

[@CatLover-gk8uu]

Oh my excitement is growing soooo much!!!! I know the biggest thing for fans is the soft release date but also loved the little section about animation techniques. So much more to learn and thank you for continuing to share your Inspiring ambition with us all Brooks!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Thanks so much, im excited for everyone to see it too!

[@TangsTails]

So cool to see this series progress! Can’t wait to see it whenever its ready!

[@deklanb.4992]

I passed the job application along to a friend who is a foley artist. She's done animated short films before, so, could be a great fit!

[@StudioHannah]

I'd be glad to help with any graphic design for marketing or whatever! I've been in the design game for a long time.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Thanks Hannah, appreciate that!

[@Tutimon]

Wooo how exciting! Got to meet you at Lightbox Expo this weekend!! Keep up the awesome work!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Thanks so much for stopping by, great to meet you too!

[@ArtingWithRachu]

Holy COW its happening!!! I have chills, im SO excited!!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Your excitement is awesome, thank you!

[@mikoartz5006]

your videos are what really improved my character designing skills, i do anime style which is very different from the style you have. it still helped a giga ton cause it wasnt bias information based on art style but just in general what you should think about when designing a character my style of designing goes by giving them a unqiue hair style and silouette that follows the shape language, alkng with the eyes also pushing the shape language, the body and clothing expresses the characters story or personality. its mostly this way bc im not a fan of making characters the little shape of thier shaoe language so i compromised by using the hair and eyes stead ^-^

[@BlackPeerama]

Nice work man With Buster Good job man

[@nokostunes]

i'll be ready to share the pilot with all my friends :] also joined your patreon!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Thank you so much! That means a ton!

[@caravanlurker]

Woah, real cool!

[@leethememerwolf]

Ive just found the channel and This is awesome!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Welcome!!

[@notmaycody]

been waiting for this vid. tysm

[@askmutambuze5428]

A realtime workflow like Unreal Engine would really help speed things up for you and the team, even if you are working on a stylised style project. You will only have to focus on animation. Been working with it for a couple of months now and you can get upto 70-80% work done in the engine.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

That's interesting, but I'm not sure what specific ways it improves time? Would it also mean moving out of Blender?

[@disloqate8063]

Awesome!

[@ThatMelaninLife]

Thanks for sharing 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

[@bbloo3]

I’m working on an animated series too, keep going man!

[@A_Writers_Touch]

Congratulations!!!

[@aplanebagel]

I can help with music I'm still learning animation but I have pretty good grasp of music recording and production and all the tools. :) email sent :) you got this and you rock !

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Thank you! Email your stuff!

[@TheAnxiousOwl]

It is if you're passionate about your project. You may hit walls such as financial blocks but if you save up and strive towards a goal, it is worth it. 3D or not. I'm constantly making concepts both of characters, the world, and environments and I intend to continue building it up. I decided to make it a comic first so I can easily follow a storyboard from it.

[@GoodBloodGames]

So inspiring!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Thank you Javed!

[@aziebites]

LOUIE AS BIKO THIS IS SO AWESOME!!!!

[@jjadter8139]

I've been lurking in the animation community since about 2011 and the thing I've noticed that gives the most tell for if a series will be completed by a solo animator is the effort of the first episode. Specifically the lack of effort. I've seen so many projects with amazing first episodes die, but I've also seen series with a first episodes that could barely be called a storyboard, continue for many more. Even more so, as the artist gets better at drawing and animating, the series naturally looks better as more episodes get released. I trust that animators who previously worked in the professional industry / people who've worked on long projects know how to limit themselves, but for anyone who hasn't done a big project before, I implore you to start with a minimum viable product. Your art will improve as time goes on, and giving yourself rest/limits will enable you to create more.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

definitely something that I've advocated for in quite a few videos, if this is your first time on the channel. Did I give the impression that I'm giving advice to start with animated series? Perhaps the long journey towards this point for me is helpful context, and not every video is a recommended first step for any beginner.

[@jjadter8139]

@@CharacterDesignForge oh sorry, didn't realize it was something you'd been talking about in other videos. Your video itself didn't give that impression, but the title paired with the video gave me the implication that your level of animation was the goal for an animated series generally. I do like your work though, your characters looks cool and I like their designs a lot! I hope this project goes really well and it's so awesome to see all these indie animation projects!

[@FrootDeMoN]

I can't wait

[@christianr.5868]

I’m so excited for procreate dreams!

[@pinkinkNZ]

0:52 AG that's so cool!!! 2:30 ......that's sounds like a lot 0-0 6:15 awww yay! 8:15 oooooooo! 8:46 XD

[@aleksbenalleg1848]

true!

[@sylvanshroom]

Warlon finished his crowbar... he can finally take a nap

[@CharacterDesignForge]

The Sun sets on a grateful warthog guy

[@AZUREPHOENIX777]

Woo! (Soft) Release date!

[@CrocoCraze]

I wonder

[@coreyrobinson1900]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@martakyam]

I’m a sucker for beautiful logo design 🥰🥰✨

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Right?!

[@Allthepies]

Hey mate. First time seeing your channel. Will you be doing any YT videos on Dreams when it's released? Cheers.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

That's the plan!

[@Allthepies]

@@CharacterDesignForgeLooking forward to it mate. Best of luck with the series.

[@joellefine8521]

i volunteer my voice.

[@dragonnet289]

I want to make a animated series I don't know where to start ?

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Sure, theres a lot of different ways to pursue it- maybe a good idea for a future video!

[@Funslap]

Pitch this to Glitch it’ll be great

[@Allen__hydraxian]

I have been planning on making a movie when I turn 20

[@flipbomb406]

how did you deal with lag in blender?

[@CharacterDesignForge]

I dont experience it too much, other than in intensive processes- might be good to optimize in settings for your machine!

[@flipbomb406]

thanks@@CharacterDesignForge

[@4_seagull]

4

[@splitthecat]

You’re either a Stormfella or a Fart Smella

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Incredible

[@splitthecat]

@@CharacterDesignForge Thank you for storming the feller’s

[@NEOXXedits]

What equipment would use for making animations

[@AZUREPHOENIX777]

Another video next week about another big project? Guessing...Shackleton?

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Oh goodness different arena than giant indie project two weeks in a row im afraid- im not built THAT different 😆

[@AZUREPHOENIX777]

@@CharacterDesignForge Hehe, well I look forward to the next video regardless.

[@Francis_vca]

Firstly, good luck with your series! Secondly, will you go back to streaming on twitch? I'd love to be able to see you work in real time and be able to talk with you at the same time.

[@fledgeking]

I don't have the time or resources to make a full-on animated series, so I think I'm going to try to make a part animated/ part animatic with a silent-film type dialogue. It does make me nervous because I'm 100% certain it will fail on youtube, but it's kind of a passion project of mine, so I'll take it. 🫠

[@gillpanda]

out of the animated shows you displayed I tihnkyou mayhave forgotten A Fox In Space

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Fox in Space is great, impossible to mention everyone! Just mentioning some

[@poke4074]

I have a ton of characters for a game I wanna make, but I suck at making games of any kind sadly. Good luck on your show though!

[@SleepyHollowKnight]

I’m really weird. I like art and writing, so of course I should either make an animation or a comic or something along those lines right? Well I just have such a hard time blending those together. I’d love to make a movie of some sort, but animating SUCKS. It’s just not pleasant to do. I’m really stuck on what I should do for a living. What other options do you think I could do?

[@Nimbusdrifters]

I’m working on a zodiac animation series alone but I am looking for fellow animators to join me in the future:D