The Adventure Zone Animatic - This is it

The Adventure Zone: www.maximumfun.org/shows/adven...
Griffin's Soundcloud: / griffinmcelroy
My Tumblr: / avafaidian
This sure got away from me at the end there.
I wanna say a HUGE thanks to everyone who came down to the Adventure Zone meetup at Afest in August! I received a ton of signatures for a special thanks, and though a few folks were left off because some names I couldn't quite make out and didn't want to misspell, I still appreciate everybody's support nonetheless!
I also mentioned compiling everyone's names when I brought up animating the ending--though due to a lot of schedule interference with other projects I'm keeping on top of, that's something I don't believe I'll ultimately have time for. So I placed everyone's thanks here, and spruced this animatic up because it's likely the last of TAZ I'll be animating (aside from their new TAZ-related experiments because I sense those will be ripe veins haha)
Until then, thanks everybody for the unfathomable love and support! TAZ got me places I don't think I couldn't have achieved on my own and I met so many cool folks through it. Sorry this took forever but you can count on more from me soon.

[@Avafaid]

My goal animating this: to make folks cry What the comments tell me: I succeeded

[@bean9786]

I read this comment, scoffed, then suddenly burst into tears when Lucretia said 'this is it' goDDAMMIT

[@bluejorts]

YE P WELL DONE ON THAT IM SOBBING LIKE A BABY

[@funkypink5098]

YOU SUCCEEDED RATHER TREMENDOUSLY. I CANT STOP CRYING AND HAVING CHILLS. I'm on a goddamn train rn. People are staring. It looks like I just saw a picture of my lost dog being found with puppies or some shit AAAA

[@Sneakysneaky88]

Can't you fan animators hurry up and combine together all sentai robo-like and make a full Adventure Zone animated movie already? Fund it. FUUUNNNNNDDD IIIIIIITTTTT~

[@Avafaid]

Making a kickstarter as we speak

[@JT_Jag]

Putting Davenport's mental breakdown at the start of the video is illegal, it's against the law for an animation to whiplash to something that sad that fast, and you're going to prison

[@jonthecary]

Real talk, though: Griffin's ability to turn a funny gag about a guy only saying his own name Pokemon-style into one of the most tragic revelations in the Balance Arc is both brilliant and a direct assault on my tear ducts.

[@StarrChild.]

"That was the last conversation you ever had with your sister." Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[@Itacuz]

“I’m Davenport! I’m... Davenport...”

[@magiv4205]

Itacuz "Davenport... Davenport..?"

[@sycastells1212]

... who?

[@ihappy1]

God Merle's "You've got faith, it's faith in you" line hits me so hard, because in the moment it was a fun goofy scene between the two and I'm sure Clint said it as just a nice encouraging thing to say, but with the perspective we learned later about what Lucretia had to do, it's the perfect way to sum up her character.

[@sigh824]

"That was the last conversation you ever had with your sister." That's.....wow. That *hurt*.

[@BrooklynJackBlue]

This is why Merle rocked. SAME with Lucretia, but Merle...simple Merle. The boundless generosity and faith.

[@DracoVictorious]

Wow, 2 people were crying so hard they hit the wrong thumb

[@caseybeasley-bennett6851]

That's one of the best of these types of comments I've seen, honestly.

[@happyhognose4878]

make that 14 people

[@sawnoel5848]

Now add 19

[@annwynbeneaththewaves]

maybe they just didnt like the video.. these comments arent funny anymore theyre just annoying

[@sarcasticrobot1058]

Now its 40

[@BaconBot360games]

Me: well, I'm gonna start my first d&d campaign tomorrow! Better listen to some TAZ. *watches TAZ animations and listens to old episodes* Me: There is a 0% chance that I will ever top this campaign ever.

[@Avafaid]

As long as you're having fun! :D

[@BaconBot360games]

Turns out the first meet is actually on Tuesday lol rip me

[@YeetSpace]

@@BaconBot360games well, how did it go

[@justyourfriendlyneighbourh860]

@@BaconBot360games has your campaign been fun? I'm actually planning to start a monster of the week campaign with some friends after getting hooked on amnesty :)

[@phantasmal_detective]

How'd the campaign go? (Edit: yeah this comment is really late, i kinda didn't think it through. Still, i'd love to hear how it went!)

[@asherbasher09]

My heart broke at 3:12 where her expression suddenly changed as Magnus didn't come back

[@juniperstokes1908]

THE TRANSITION TO COLOR AT THE END THO HOLY S H I T

[@antikinetic]

The face Lucretia makes at 2:14 when she accidentally says "we're getting so close..." FUCK dude. I don't even think Griffin intended that to be a slip when he said it, but it absolutely became one when the story was fully told...and you captured it perfectly in that one frame. Wrecked me. Bravo.

[@emilyaw3831]

I never considered Lucretia being the one to say the final "This is it" as opposed to just Griffin narrating, but I love this animatic

[@caterinagerbasi4237]

this video kicked my ass

[@alexandersowa4106]

Contrasting the spa scene with the more recent content is fucking genius, and gets me every single time

[@darmocat]

Jesus...this scene never fails to give me total body goosebumps (the hairs on my arms are all standing up and my face feels tingly and numb) I love the twist you put on this moment, by making it be Lucretia who is saying "This is it". Makes a whole new super impactful feeling to the events. Also, have fucking loved your representations of the Tres Horny Boys ever since Jenkins and the Rockport Limited :D Thank you!!!

[@birdieshot96]

So I watched this a few years ago before I ever even listed to the podcast and I teared up at the "that was the last conversation you ever had with your sister" line. Now, after just recently finishing the Balance arc, I'm able to appreciate this video so much more. The way you managed to take clips from different episodes and put them together so that they built on one another is amazing (also the animation is gorgeous)!

[@shuttergirl7]

I like how you did Davenport, most people make him old.

[@jamdeluxe7456]

"that is a baller cookie"

[@CaribouGirlMeat]

HOT DIGGITY SHIT!

[@BluesMoth64]

This is fuckin POWERFUL like when the Color suddenly Happens and then the end when Lucretia says, *"This is it."* for Griffin??? Fucking chills, my dude

[@chaonerd180]

Man you've got my favorite character designs for the Adventure Zone. The clean, simplistic style really fits the tone of the story, especially now that you've done a more dramatic sequence.

[@Cocad12]

I love when the color comes in at the end, and this is fantastic, 10/10

[@emmylouowo9895]

The fucking static gets me EVERY TIME! It doesn't matter if I'm watching our listening, but just hearing that static makes me ugly cry. I fucking love this and you should be VERY proud!! I had to rewatch it because I couldn't see shit with all the tears in my eyes!

[@sunsetsynth]

I really wasn't expecting the rush of emotions when you juxtaposed Lucretia introducing herself at the conference to when she introduces herself (again) to THB for the first time in the BoB. It was just so powerful to see how far she'd come and yet still had to stay so heartbreakingly far away and wow would you look at that I'm in tears

[@jobisTheWorst]

I like how it shows what seems to be very proud moments for them, then their fall. The lup one hit hard, griffins little “that was the last conversation you had with your sister” that hurt me

[@alohalyon6643]

I actually cheered at the end when Lucrecia said "This is it!" Great job!

[@AgosTwL2]

Your "welcome to the rockport " video is what convinced me to start listening to TAZ, I fell in love with your style and how fluid and full of perosnality the characters design are... and im so glad you animated this part too!!! Thank you ! Excelent job!

[@wayverleesoulsong]

The “This is it!” Griffin says at the end of The Stolen Century gives me shivers every time It hit my heartstrings in a way few pieces of media have done

[@colestofflet5975]

This monologue and this video still, years later, make me cry.

[@SweetlilAngel]

*CRINKLE TINKLES MY DUDE! AHHH* Congrats! you achieved your goal! please take this chalice and drink my salty ass tears of joy and pain. Your art style is adorable and your colours make me happy! the shapes are like cookies to my eyes beautiful! thank you!

[@Niyla_STOLEURMANZZS]

.......ok?

[@13LuckyWishes]

This is so good! I love the art style, and honestly the ending gave me chills. A++

[@johnsonjohnson3261]

This is just incredible. This is exactly what I imagined it should like at the end. This is the animatic I've been waiting for someone to do since I discovered these kinds of videos on KZbin. This is... well... THIS IS IT!!!

[@emilyd4469]

"That was the last conversation you ever had with your sister" Griffin McElroy is a monster

[@k.whatever9046]

ok now that ive sat here long enough for the tears to have stopped can i just say??? ur art is PHENOMENAL. ur style and direction is just the best thing ever

[@RanCossack]

Geeze, opening with one of the biggest gut-punches: Davenport. Fantastic work with this. Came out quite exceptional.

[@Jesscapade]

you fuckin murdered me with the expression Lucretia had when they returned the animus bell ghfhgfn

[@turntechgodbeheaded]

Me: (literally 2 seconds in) Me: (already incredibly hurt)

[@azikenamorous8920]

I....d-dude I-I don’t even know the context to any of this and I’m about to cry

[@repletesphinx21]

I'm trying to find the original "You don't understand how people in this world feel about me" and when I look it up it brings me here, I really enjoy the video though I don't understand it. And I also didn't find what I'm looking for, but thanks anyways.

[@razy7609]

I think it’s from a different epsiode

[@forganforge]

It’s from TAZ amnesty, I dunno which ep tho

[@Duck-mn8xp]

Was that Indrid? I think?? Could be Barclay too maybe

[@w1tchysounds207]

hOLY SHIT THAT WAS AMAZING I love your designs and just the way they move its so great

[@dare2bawesome]

brb crying. amazing!

[@foxl0res]

This video came into my room at 3 am and stole my water

[@MichaelWacht]

This is an exceptional edit. Not often are the animatics composed of multiple scenes edited together like this. More than just a summary, you've built upon their work to make a cohesive narrative.

[@edwinpoole257]

ooof...years later and just finding this and still got some tears out of me. Well done

[@432neptune]

Thank you for making this! These were some of my favorite moments from the finale.

[@TheStringsOfChaos]

wow congrats on perfectly animating the clips THAT ALREADY MADE ME CRY

[@LeaBeans]

Your Rockport Limited animations is one of my absolute favorite taz animations. You crushed it again with this one! Awesome job, the transitions broke my heart. Great job!!!!

[@RainbowDj7]

Me starting this: aw sweet! 0:27 : ABORT ABORT ABORT

[@Xentrafer]

That ending though.... WOW. This is hella good. Love your style of drawing and colouring. And the switching of scenes really emphasised everything. Loved it!!

[@stackthedecktiktok]

AHHHHHHHHHH SO EPIC!!!!!! THOSE TRANSITIONS!!! THAT COLOR!!!! THAT CHARACTER DESIGN!!! THIS EVERYTHING!!!!!!

[@SongWitch]

Fuck me running, that was incredible.

[@TheClairesable]

I will never not cry when I see comparisons between when they were friends and when their memories were wiped. It's so sad.

[@TaliaTheHybrid]

I am so glad I found TAZ, its such a good podcast and the Bureau of Balance arc made me laugh a lot while I listened at work and so many times especially near the end I had to try to hold back tears, I couldnt hold them back with the Harley and Sloane part though when they became the tree together

[@magicoA]

Griffin always knows how to craft a story and you did that so well in your order of animation,and the adding of color at the end,great job man! Really adds to the experience.

[@allegra4974]

Wow, this is AMAZING! I love the different scenes you chose! And the sudden color at the end makes it so much more powerful! Great job!

[@Luximus17]

Honestly, this video was what got me into TAZ. I got super curious about the whole thing just from watching this beautifully made animatic. Very nice job, thank you so much! :D

[@DuskArgentum]

Incredible video! The art is really great, the clips you used were perfect, the seamless transitions from one scene to the next, and the final product is just amazing! Thank you for this video!

[@somethinglikethisorthat273]

"We're all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?" After all this time, keep coming back to TAZ Balance

[@Saturnzreal36]

This is absolutely fantastic. Thank you for this wonderful creation!

[@xKingsQueens]

I remember listening to this on my way back home from work and when Griffin says this is it at the last second I was SHOOK!

[@donnervogel1229]

This gives me hella chills

[@keiduu6731]

I absolutely love this animation. The change from animatic to animation, colorless to colored feels so natural and yet so good

[@SteamPwerd]

I was sobbing by the end of this- thank you so much

[@lorddestrustor8828]

Damnit, I just can't *not* cry at these amazing moments of that amazing show.

[@endocix]

I have so much emotional attachment to this series

[@heatheranderson9794]

this entire video gave me such vivid chills that it was like i was listening for the first time all over again. good job!

[@stephaniehanrahan9296]

"That was the last conversation you ever had with your sister." destroys me EVERY TIME.

[@lewismartin3430]

it must have broke lucretias heart to see them again

[@MooksMookin]

ohmygosh this was so amazing and i absolutely LOVED the transition to color and animation you did at the very end and at the beginning with putting things together and just!!!! wow!!!!! amazing amazing job i loved it so much!!!!!

[@awfulgood8696]

Ohhhhh man. You've outdone yourself. This is so great.

[@ivydignity6894]

I've seen this video so many times in my recommended and I kept avoiding it because I haven't listened to taz yet but now I have and I am so glad to be able to finally watch this. i love everything about this video. the style is awesome. those little moments of fluid animation and when colour started to appear on lucretia at the end there. i accidentally mirrored her saying This is it at the end and that was amazing. Thank you for making this

[@orchestra99]

that transition from black and white to color was so beautiful. i loved how even the outlines disappeared and became these fully fleshed out images. This whole video was stunning

[@abbyluvspie2]

The transition into color made me feel ALIVE. Absolutely amazing!

[@MegaOtaku777]

I've watched this more times than i can remember and that ends gives me chills every single time. And the "im Davenport" scene? Guaranteed tears. A+++ 10 stars

[@rdnry]

Holy fuckle that's some good video-ing. You really know how to make the viewer involved. I can really see you improved between the rockport animation and this one, that's awesome work!

[@moonjellymusic]

Oh man. I just listened to this episode yesterday and watching this animatic I got chills all down my arms... such good editing and scene illustration....

[@Twisterfoot]

I TEARED UP AND GOT CHILLS, 10/10

[@liraelgirl8]

I got goosebumps from this! Amazing work!

[@goosegoose9379]

Gooooddd gOD this is incredible! The animation, your style, how you put this all together was so good that I had to keep rewinding at some parts because i liked it so much. You did such of an amazing job

[@soap-kid]

this honestly never ceases to give me chills at the end

[@elizabethb2847]

Aaaaah!!! This was so well done!

[@jcs6387]

I love your designs for the grand relics

[@gonchuits]

The back half of this series gets so real. Having just finished the balance arc, I can say with the upmost certainty that The Adventure Zone has grown to something incredibly profound. It may have started with 4 guys messing around in a DnD game, but it grew to so much more than that. It became a grand tale of characters I was genuinely invested in, with amazing messages that left an impact on me that I can't describe. It could be Griffin's incredible world building, or how seriously the others took their character development, but this series will now and forever stick out in my mind as an inspired and monumental tale.

[@kukuibuss]

That was amazingly crafted!! Thank you for this gift!!!

[@hunterscheck3060]

literal tears running down my face

[@MissXHiem]

i sobbedddd thank you for making this its so perfect

[@creepinNinja413]

this scene always gives me chills and this is a fan-fucking-tastic lucretia at the end nailed it

[@savemeaspoon6310]

Damn it now I need to listen to the last four episodes again thanks. Absolutely stunning work, I'm completely covered in goosebumps

[@hachi9404]

I love the lup in your style so much. Also. Why you making me cry God damn

[@v.v365]

All these years later and those lines still give me chills

[@whispechoes]

That was incredibly well done!

[@kelpfusion]

Hot Diggity Shit that is a Baller Animatic

[@taylorii8664]

THE HYPE HAS PAID OFF

[@natewardle]

That training siting from lines to full color is fffFFUCKIN MENTAL

[@hukilaupico923]

This is it. The tax animatic that is making relisten to the whole podcast

[@Syndropss]

Hot diggity shit. That was a baller animatic! Amazing job you nearly got me to cry there!

[@jameswilcox511]

Damn you for making this. And bless you.

[@bikerboyfriend]

THIS MADE ME SO EMOTIONAL THANK YOU SM

[@Wargames50]

An amazing done animation! That ending tugged my heart strings ;_;

[@marsisgay936]

Ok well now I’m crying God I love your animation

[@joshuabradley6110]

Dang I just finished TAZ and I already want to go back and listen to the whole thing again.