Making Of A Chirpmail!

As I worked on my last chirpmail, I would record short video clips on my phone about what I did each day. I thought I could eventually use this footage to potentially create a ‘making-of-video’, which is what this ended up being. I actually had a lot of fun making this - hope you enjoy!
The chirpmail: • A Call For Help | CHIR...
If you're interested in submitting a voicemail for me to potentially animate, please fill out the following form (a gmail account is necessary):
forms.gle/45sbZLUeCDkwLGjj8
If you want to support my animation side projects, consider buying me a coffee :)
ko-fi.com/garrettanimates
I appreciate youuuuu!
Merch 🐦
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[@BritBllt]

My grandfather called pretty much everything after 4pm "tonight," so that just made it even more nostalgic. Thank you for all your amazing Chirpmails, and this glimpse behind them!

[@garrettanimates]

Yeah! A bunch of folks commenting have made me realize that him saying 'tonight' despite it still being bright outside might add to the humor a bit. It definitely rings true that some older people's definition of 'tonight' can be a lot earlier haha

[@kristyw89]

​@@garrettanimates lol it definitely made it funnier for me because I was like "wow he's really just giving up on the kitchen for like 16 hours because he didn't want anyone to bother coming over at 6pm" 😂

[@opalpersonal]

i was about to say the same thing! i thought it was perfect ^^

[@CrimsonMey]

Dude! Don't stress yourself too much about making it perfect. The chirpmails are freaking awesome!!! Appreciate all the hard work you put into it.

[@garrettanimates]

Haha thank you! There's definitely a fine line between trying my best vs. being overly/unhealthily obsessive and comments like this are a good reminder 😁

[@governor_explosion]

@@garrettanimatesI have the same problem, so I empathize. I’m currently only doing art as a hobby, but I put the same amount of pressure on myself as if I was doing a professional job for a company. My friends have been instrumental in getting me to dial it back and not treat a joke post or personal piece with that amount of stress.

[@garrettanimates]

@@governor_explosion That sounds like a super healthy approach honestly

[@SandCoffeeRocks]

I thought the flat disc eyes were part of your artistic style! I think they're really cool like that; it makes them more expressive and pop more! Also, thank you for all of this work, I really enjoy watching your Chirpmails.

[@garrettanimates]

Totally! For what it's worth, I want to keep the flat-shaded aspect of the eyes, but add some control to allow the shape to bend a bit in angles where it would benefit (like 3/4 angles). Right now its super cheated (still works but it's a bit derpy)

[@15BubblesOrigami]

@@garrettanimates We love the derp.

[@Lee-wf4kr]

I love chirpmail with all of my heart

[@Jay2646]

This was amazing! I didn't even notice that it wasn't nighttime outside. You have so much character in your animations, and they've come such a long way from the earlier ones you had on this channel!

[@mclovin5961]

i've always wondered how you matched the birdie's movement and the door closing since i thought it was a real birdcage. now i know that you created it yourself, it amazes me (even more) how much you put so much effort into this animation. i hope you had a lot of rest after finishing this! :)

[@cocoahere875]

It's crazy how animated he manages to look in real life when he's planning the movements out

[@titadogelo5090]

Hey, every single artist notices many many many more mistakes than the audience, some of which wouldn’t even be considered mistakes if they did find it, so don’t worry about perfection! Thanks for making these :)

[@PirateFrodoPotter]

This was so neat, thank you for sharing!! When I watched the video originally, I made up a head cannon about it being summer and sunset is at, like, 9:30, but because he’s a grandpa, he goes to bed at 7 regardless of the time of year 😅

[@Thelittlethingsoflife]

I am always excited when there is a new Chirpmail. Getting to see the behind the scenes work brings on a whole new level of appreciation for them. For the night thing, depending on where our pigeon friend lives, we could pretend he's in one of those areas where it stays daylight at night for certain times of the year. :) Keep up the wonderful work and enjoy the puppy.

[@daiyadoggo]

Considering it's a voicemail, I wouldn't be surprised if it was just that by the time the voicemail is heard, it would be night due to work time constraints or something similar. Saying tonight and it being daylight never crossed my mind when watching it.

[@OliPutland]

Can totally relate to the endless ‘Second Guessing’ one does when animating comedy, since it takes so bloody long. By the time you’ve actually finished the shot, you wonder if it ever was funny in the first place! Gorgeous work. Lovely balletic neck movements there.

[@tippytoe9523]

That "night" line wasn't a mistake! The person he's calling just lives in a different time zone obviously 😂❤

[@SquiggyT]

"It's kind of a pain, and I'm over it." The exact moment in my intro to animation class that made me realize I needed to change my major. Being a 3D animator was fa r too tedious and repetitive for me. Big respect to you for the dedication and hard work you put in! The results are wonderful and a joy to get to experience.

[@SezShares]

It’s daylight savings time where I am, so “tonight” made complete sense to me 😉 Thanks for the insight into your process. Look forward to more Chirpmail when you have the time.

[@Atlas-Struggled]

I always look forward to your chirpmail! Thank you so much for bringing us beautiful animation❤

[@DonoVideoProductions]

Thank you! So often, the viewer has NO idea the work it takes to do even the simplest of animation, or how long it takes. And this is not simple at all. Great work!

[@tic857]

"Tonight" can be anywhere from 3pm to 7am in the morning for my grandma Because 3pm is when the grandkids come home. Its fine.😂

[@SpecialSalads]

In the South Island of New Zealand, the summer sun sets around 10pm, so I didn't notice the daylight problem when he said "tonight" because night is typically from 7pm onwards when it is still light in summer.

[@Thisisabucketboi]

Pigeons are amazing, and I’m glad there’s someone out there creating these wholesome animations!

[@wispeon]

Absolutely love seeing other artists' work processes, so this is a treat! Thanks for putting in so much work to make funny animations for us

[@elevatorface]

The way you approach these projects despite doing animation for a living is inspiring. Sometimes, I wonder what it must be like to be that talented. Thank you for your work. This mini behind the scenes video was educational and added a lot to the hilarious and beautiful short you created. I hope you keep doing them.

[@SuperDude69]

In the summer it can be full of sunlight at night (especially in northern latitudes), so I don't think that detail is an issue

[@AlphaSajza]

I did notice the daylight outside, but I thought it was part of a subtle joke that he's so afraid of spiders that the only person he can think call when scared out of his wits is someone in a completely different time zone.

[@evemorrey799]

These animations are literally so freaking cute!!! I've watched them over and over again. Thank you for adding some joy to the KZbin community!

[@MayliSong]

You know what, I never actually noticed the disconnect between the daylight outside the window and him saying "tonight." Like it genuinely just went COMPLETELY over my head. I guess its just the thing with how everyone breaks up the day differently. I tend to consider evening as starting a lot later than most people for example.

[@UzzyWorks]

The fact that it's still light out makes it so much better that he doesn't want any more calls tonight 😂 love your videos!!

[@chelnahtheegghead]

I am in absolute awe of what you do, dude; I'm just grateful you make these at all (especially now considering the amount of time it takes)! :)

[@elissahunt]

I love these. Thank you for making Chirpmail, and for showing the process behind them. P.S. I just figured the grandpa wasn't expecting a call before evening, and so said "tonight" even though it was still day.

[@faizamhabib]

to do this kind of work after full time work is another level of motivation. the details are amazing. had no idea birdcage isnt real 🙌

[@MF99K]

as an animator myself this entire video is such a mood

[@torakunoichi]

Bro these are so cute and adorable and I love the expressions on the birds

[@rockinrootbeer1795]

Thanks for making this video! It was really interesting, especially seeing the rough animation and brainstorming process. When I first saw this animation, I thought the gray shape in the pigeon mouth was cartoon-like teeth or a small tongue. I had no idea it was clipping. Also, I didn't even notice it was day time when it was technically supposed to be night time. I was too busy being entranced by the funny and smooth movements of the pigeon to even notice. It's completely understandable losing motivation to work on a personal project or hobbies that has to do with a computer because you work on a computer all day. I provide technical support for my job, and it can be an absolute mood killer if a game I look forward to playing when I get home doesn't work the first time I launch it. The last thing I want to do is troubleshoot my own stuff off the clock.

[@kathleenramirez2379]

Funny I noticed the daylight issue when I first watched this, but the animation was so funny and altogether so good, I couldn't have cared less that it was daylight. Thanks for all of your heart and dedication!

[@derekdexheimer3070]

Thanks for giving us a look into your process. I used to do video post and understand how arduous even the simplest looking things can be.

[@bobloblaw4361]

I'd say all that work paid off spectacularly!

[@moopoo987]

I didn't even notice the "tonight" aspect of it. I enjoyed every second of it!

[@jed0321]

amazing

[@luannzipp6337]

My kids and I LOVE Chirp Mail! We all gathered around like Neanderthals around a fire when your new one came out. Like my music teacher told us, no one knows you've made a mistake, until you draw attention to it. I NEVER would have caught those "mistskes", they're wonderful!

[@dcornect53]

I love these animations so much. The animation fits really well with the irl setting. It's so pleasing to the eye, each one is a real masterpiece.

[@lostinpencils4254]

As a tv show animator, I just can't imagine spending this much time planning haha the shot came out amazing though so it was obviously worth it.

[@JZStudios2]

The fact its daytime and he mentions tonight, just adds to the comedy.

[@isabella-a-a-a]

I love you Garrett (btw this was my favorite Chirpmail yet). I totally thought him saying “tonight” while it’s still daylight was a purposeful gag!

[@VeryRGOTI]

I like this video! Helps me understand abit more in planning for animations, since i have a bad habit of going straight ahead as a 2D animator with minimal planning. Keep it up, i love Chirpmail!

[@JF-um3wz]

I honestly didn’t even notice the “tonight” discrepancy until you mentioned it. You’re not alone!

[@mangokiwiorange]

Super interesting to see the behind-the-scenes like this! And appreciate the honesty about the time it took and effort and motivation over time. Glad you persevered because the final cut was HILARIOUS & heartwarming all at once :-) Thank you for sharing your talent 😊

[@oa4895]

These animations are so, so good and I watch them over and over again. They bring me a lot of joy, so thanks for all your hard work!

[@capnjacksparroww]

i can watch your grandpa voicemail video over and over and will laugh every time

[@RachelBubbles]

These are genuinely my favorite videos on youtube. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into them. They truly bring me so much joy!

[@80_cake]

Oh plz keep making these! They’re delightful to the layman & inspirational to the artist. I love it!❤

[@Just_A_Wandering_Star]

Came for the Chirpmail, stayed for the amazing behind the scenes explanation! I love your work! Can't wait to see more! Subbed! 😄

[@Audrey.SmilingSticks]

It could be summer and this pigeon could live in Michigan - explaining the bright nighttime 😂

[@Warrigt]

Hey man. It's me, a fan. Listen, keep "always" doing. After all the doubting, you have a ton of fans! I would know, I'm over 10% of a ton! SIDENOTE: old people thank 4pm is midnight. you're good on the lighting.

[@valeriebumblebee7607]

I love this! Not sure how much work this is for you, but I would be very happy if you did this for all the upcoming chirp mails. I knew that it is way more work than it looks like, but I was not aware that it is that time consuming.

[@beans1557]

Bro we need more bird voicemails these are hilarious

[@CybrMyth]

Bro the amount of work you put into these short clips is insane. props to you 👍

[@frag2]

the walking back into the cage animation was so well done, nice work!

[@almondjoy123]

so cute!!!! Please make more!

[@80_cake]

I have an idea of how much work you put into this as an artist & want to thank u so much for taking the time to share ur talent and all the insight. I love this! ❤

[@usagi32211]

I appreciate every second you put into these! Seeing that a new one has been posted is like a perfect little gift I wasn't even expecting.

[@funtimefreddy3272]

I absolutely love Chirpmail 💖

[@onedova2298]

This gives me motivation to do ANYTHING the fact great things take a really long time

[@marinakukso]

how were you more committed to making this animation than i am to anything i've ever done in my entire life??

[@heyryanisonx3141]

these always make my day, thank you so much for all the effort you put into them!

[@Cathiina]

You are so talented and I am so delighted we were blessed with another of your funny animations!

[@JPKloess]

Thanks for all your effort; I've watched each of these voicemails more than three times each.

[@BritneyT.]

1:51 You were right about the hair, it was a great touch!

[@kharma327]

These are so good, honestly. I think if you had started this project with a team or worked with a studio, you would not be able to achieve this level of creativity. The combination of subject matter, timing, audio, and good animation make these incredibly funny👏❤

[@Drummerchef13]

I found your channel tonight and im instantly in love! Great work! We are often our own harshest critics but awedome work!

[@maiaracarvalho6573]

That was super cool to see, thanks for sharing! I honestly didn’t even noticed the tonight thing, it came out great!

[@tnguyen710]

This is so inspiring! Hopefully you'll make more of these process videos in the future. It's so fascinating watching how animators work their craft.

[@RaspBerryPies]

Dude I rewatch these over and over again they make me so happy! So nice to see how you do it!!

[@lizard3755]

This video was absolutely amazing. I just recently found Chirp Mail and it was really cool getting to see some of the process of how it gets made and just how much works go into the videos.

[@bootsybadger]

Thank you! What a load of work behind the scenes. I really enjoy your videos. X

[@lorinrocksalot118]

Just came across your channel. Really love the animations you make! Cant get enough!

[@PineCellar]

As a solo filmmaker who draws storyboards and agonizes over shots (as well as learning Blender so I can render sets that b-roll and stock footage can't cover alone), this was an awesome video. Love your videos but I loved seeing your process even more!

[@Whalen101]

I am so happy you make these videos! I love them, thank you 😊

[@SamRK-1000]

Thank you for this video! I was always curious what you used to make it and I like the merging of live action set, 3D character model, and 2D character design style. Chirp mail is very fun and we all appreciate your hard work! I’m going into CGI Game Design, so I understand the pain of losing time for personal projects.

[@ktmal1681]

Aw man, i love your animations. I find them to be cute and sweet (compliment). You also put so much life into these little birds. Thank you for sharing these wonderful videos with all of us!

[@cadenphillips4235]

i love that you made an explanation video and i was easily able to understand what you where talking about because of how you presented it! also good luck with the dog training is a pain for some breeds.

[@cherishreallove8990]

I can’t wait to see more videos of yours! Truly inspiring. ❤

[@unicornpupart]

thats okay garrett who cares if it's not perfect it still looks perfect to me and is awesome take a break if you want and play with your pup. don't stress so much on the animation. keep your real life healthy and same as your animating time. im so glad you are continuing to do this! love you garrett!

[@llamawolf]

This fully reminds me of Creature Comforts~

[@caittails]

I think we’re all willing to give the benefit of the doubt that it’s 8pm in the summer. 😉 And man, that birdcage…I had been legitimately wondering what movie magic you did to make it close like that. I would never have suspected it was animated. Great work!

[@reeddunnagan]

This was amazing! These chirpmails are so fluid i just am so glad you make these!!

[@ariesandenvy]

Love these and had to subscribe. They're very cool and the work put in really shows.

[@nineteenfortyeight6762]

They are the perfect mix of pigeony and humany

[@neko-chan6145]

This was excellent. I really appreciate you describing the work and challenges that go into a 30 second shot. It was so insightful. You are right. Showing it is better than being perfect. I did not even notice the daylight issue because sometimes it is late after 9pm and the sun is still up, so I just went with it. Thank you for sharing.

[@asifallintonothingne]

So cool, thanks for sharing the process!

[@SoapyCilantro]

Amazing! So cool to see your creative process

[@TheJhinkaQueen]

These are amazing and i like that youve done this behind the scenes type video as well because i like knowig how things are done, i am really excited for more of these ❤😊

[@gracebohler4380]

You've managed to inject so much personality into these. Thanks for sharing your work!

[@unfortunatedisgrace246]

you are an amazing artist! i didn't notice the night time thing because i was so invested in the story through your animation!

[@faevara]

Thanks for this video. It’s a nice reminder to never give up. And to finish projects. Those minor details make for a major impression on the audience. Can’t wait to see what else you create!

[@smileyp4535]

Lol I noticed the "tonight" thing told but absolutely as you said better to be done than perfect

[@fsemblert]

This is an amazing work, and the result is a joy to watch!

[@defvent]

I love these. You're doing a great job

[@mdnnickb]

Man, that's so cool. Really awesome dedication.

[@discohirsch]

I really love your work!

[@godminete]

These videos make me happy. Thank you for showing us the creation process :)

[@silverpearlz444]

This was so much fun to watch! Thank you for posting!