Animation is in Serious Trouble

The future of the animation industry is in serious trouble. While Hollywood's actors and writers are striking for better working conditions, the animation guild is unable to strike while studios continue to neglect artists, cancel original projects and focus all of their efforts on reboots for easy money. Just how dire are things at the moment? Let's find out.
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[@douglasbullet6456]

Even in Japan, animators are struggling to get by. Animation is an art form and should not be mistreated like this

[@watchforever1724]

Yeah

[@peanutbutter2586]

I wouldn't live in Japan if given the chance, a lot of workers dont have the same "luxuries" -if you could call it that- and are given unrealistic expectations for about any job. Most employers scoop up kids right out the door, and there is hardly any work for people in their mid-life. D:

[@watchforever1724]

@@peanutbutter2586 yeah

[@reverseshin]

Yeah. So the people doing animation are mistreated world wide.

[@watchforever1724]

@@reverseshin yeah

[@ilikeceral3]

Animators should strike in 2024. The way they’ve been treated is unacceptable.

[@gablit-gt8kk]

Only if movies, cartoons, toddler etc. all went on strike cuz you don't know if this is the end of animation if hasn't effected every studio

[@Nae_ex]

​@@gablit-gt8kk from where did that toddler came from?

[@Hihello_whatareyoudoinghere]

I think right now would be a good time too personally, with how the studios are acting, an animators strike would hit them pretty good with everything else and *maybe* even get them to fold, honestly idc if my favorite shows take longer to come out if it means the animators, actors, writers, ect, are treated fairly tbh

[@dumpsterbabies8453]

I hate these rich old men controlling all the money just trying to get money and ruin people lives now

[@hakimi_AH]

no, they should strike NOW.

[@Vailskibum]

This is an awesome summary of everything going on right now. I don't remember the last time in my life where everything's piled up like this to make animation feel completely hopeless. Indie cartoons are definitely one solution to the messes of Hollywood, but they're also still insanely more expensive and complicated than most people think. They also obviously can't get as much attention as something from a well established studio. I feel like the best future is one that has a mix of literally EVERYTHING - originals, reboots, big indie projects, episodic shows, story-driven shows. Things really suck now, but animation has been through horrible times before and always bounced back... eventually. This will pass, it's just a question of when 🤔

[@c.t.nelson4314]

100% Big fun of both y'all reporting Keep it up!

[@albertoromero5075]

oh look who's in the comments, the other idiot I'm mentioning!!!

[@kid10249595]

My concern is the turn to AI, in the short term companies will probably use it heavily given how cheap it is to use. Yet of course in the long term it will be extremely unhealthy, both economically and content wise. Which makes me think we'll probably be in the long ride with this one due to the unique circumstances. Unless lawmakers step in to try and control things or something horrible goes wrong with their AI productions.

[@albertoromero5075]

@@kid10249595 Seriously, where is my law to end this, these cringe people still don't shut up!!!!!!

[@shiguriyamamo6730]

Not really even sure if we can turn this one around with the existence of Ai. Stealing work for free and has the backing of people who absolutely don't care about other people's livelihoods. It practically counters any kinda strike. And of course we all know how spineless and greedy certain big company's can be, or more likely 90% of them today are. And probably won't care about the backlash since they have the money to spit at it. I mean it's a golden age for indie, but for professional workers it's a living hellscape.

[@Dtoons]

Animation won’t die, it’ll evolve. Into what, we’ll have to see. I hope indie animation will be embraced the same way indie games are.

[@albertoromero5075]

oh come on, you too!!!

[@tarazzzs]

I think in 20 years there will be not much of a choice but to watch indie projects. The big companies wil just have their films and series made by AI, with only handful teams to be as quality supervisors. It will be basically factories. There still will be market for human made projects, just like frozen pizzas havent erased my need to eat pizzas that made by human hand.

[@debeb5148]

​@@albertoromero5075nobody is talking to you. Get help, guy.

[@albertoromero5075]

@@tarazzzs Either that or you want me to freeze you like a frozen pizza if you ever mention "indie projects" again!

[@lexyshannon9428]

​@@albertoromero5075... what's wrong with "indie"?

[@SkaTuneNetwork]

Independent animation is the future. I have faith in people to support creatives without the exploitative companies.

[@SoK05]

Hope more people feel this way about indie cartoons. I started my own independent cartoon project (for practice, mostly), and seeing how the industry looks right now, I'll probably have to resort to this..

[@ActuallyGwengo]

As someone who wants to make their own independent cartoon i hope this happens

[@Achieme]

@@ActuallyGwengo Same here

[@Achieme]

We definitely need more Independent studios/animators that actually care about their projects, employees etc

[@BattleAxe-z8i]

I'd digress, their competition would be hard hitting, high budget movies and shorts that can be created within minutes, is the equivalent of trying to make kids content in youtube and being swarmed by content farm who can output dozens of videos in a week, the artistic industry is dead for the worker, just like how machines replaced most of the personnel in factories, is the end, and it would be better for everyone's finances if they accepted it now instead of later

[@Hyper-Boom]

I really do hope things change for the better. Animation doesn't deserve to be treated like this.

[@leonishikino6873]

Only goo goo gaa gaa babies watch cartoons which is why something like Family Guy shows why animation isn't just a kiddie thing

[@Rellobros]

Yeah I agree with you

[@kaylasilverstein4137]

@@leonishikino6873then why are you here LOL? Are you HOPING this video will be right??

[@Feurigel1806]

​@@leonishikino6873I don't understand what you are trying to say xD Family Guy is a cartoon ^^"

[@danielhayden6214]

I agree with you there

[@AngryDemonCat]

I don't want animation to die, it played a part in my childhood and still amazes me as a teenager. I hope that it gets better but I won't keep my hope up too high 😓

[@mrsnayarlhats4242]

Me neither I lost hope in everything a long time ago

[@skyesyd221]

@@mrsnayarlhats4242hm

[@mchxxch]

Same, for me as an adult I still admire animation and the stories it can tell for many audiences

[@gablit-gt8kk]

Animation will have to die we're not living like we're in the past anymore

[@gablit-gt8kk]

Technology can never stop evolution

[@IamSpacedad]

Lackadaisy crew member here - a lot of what you covered is stuff fans and young artists really need to hear. Thanks for the shoutout by the way! I will also say that there are lot of freelancers working in the Anime industry these days who have it even worse than many of us western animators do. I am hoping that there will be similar efforts with the anime fandom & anime artists to make fan-backed content that breaks out of the abusive cycle of the big media companies ripping off talented artists.

[@JustinObi54]

Eyy man, excited for season 1 of Lackadaisy, supporting that it goes well

[@watchforever1724]

Yeah

[@BokanProductions]

Is anyone in the Lackadaisy crew hiring?

[@yaxtheghost2249]

I have high hopes in Lackadaisy, it's the most authentic project I've seen in a while (specially for everything that's been mentioned here) and it warms my heart to see how much passion you put into it to make it look gorgeous ❤️ I definitely hope things get better for the animation industry 🙏

[@S7.0rm]

maybe so? I've recently been seeing a lot of indie anime shorts on twitter 🤔

[@furrymczplayer18]

Hear me out. They never should've cancelled Infinity Train. This arguably ALL started with the cancellation of Infinity Train. Imagine where we would be if shows like Infinity Train got more time to shine. Animation NEEDS more love, DESPERATELY.

[@batbat09]

INFINITY TRAIN WAS CANCELED?????

[@furrymczplayer18]

@@batbat09 basically, yeah. It was completely removed from Max and the soundtrack was removed from Spotify but was put back up later. Cartoon Network officially cancelled it awhile ago. People are hoping they eventually sell the rights to another studio that actually wants it, but no matter what, it was cancelled too soon.

[@Es_gee]

​​@@batbat09yeah. Apparently the execs at CN said that it was too mature for their channel so they decided to ax it

[@happythumbsgaming8606]

⁠​⁠@@Es_geeIts sad and the blame for that is execs and Christina Miller.

[@Es_gee]

@@happythumbsgaming8606 what sucks is that it was cancelled before it reached my country, so no one knows it existed

[@SpookySims]

Growing up with shows like Billy and Mandy and Courage The Cowardly Dog has made me a forever fan of cartoons. There’s just something special about cartoons. I hope things get easier in the future for these talented artists.

[@watchforever1724]

Yeah

[@RespectTheLogos3]

Animation will never die. CARTOONS FOREVER!

[@gablit-gt8kk]

What about preschool

[@eeveefennecfox]

@@gablit-gt8kk what does that have to do with animation?

[@stevenasidilla4140]

Here here

[@gablit-gt8kk]

All shows and movies animated changed

[@gablit-gt8kk]

Anything aimed for any age is what I call animated

[@Extreme2566]

"What these companies need to realize is that every successful franchise started out as an original idea." THANK YOU! I've been waiting for someone to say that. It's SO obvious,and no one had said it yet.

[@ToadetteTails6969]

I completely agree. Everything comes from an idea. Ideas are like seeds, seeds we plant into the ground which start to grow and flourish into something amazing! (like My Life as a Teenage Robot, Robotboy, Powerpuff Girls, Spongebob, etc.) Then, the people take those seeds... and uproot them, leaving the plants they've grown to become... die. Yeah, you know deforestation? Well, these people are just deforesting our favorite shows and throwing them into the vault, never to see the light of day again. "UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!!!!!" Earl of Lemongrab - Adventure Time

[@zoeanimations2186]

100% completely agree! Why do the big guys in charge completely forget about this!

[@watchforever1724]

Yeah I know

[@God_abandoned_us_all]

What all companies need to realise that there is a bottom line up to which they can sacrifice quality of their product/service and treatment of their own employees for profit and once that line is crossed, p*ssed people will go on them with forks and torches

[@soysource3218]

AHEM DISNEY

[@LeemajdoubSimp]

Dude the fact that animation is my dream job and this is happening right now to many animators right now is very much sad =(

[@alejandraalex5276]

Haha animation is bad

[@sonicfanboy3375]

​@@alejandraalex5276Stop posting these hate comments, if you hate animation just don't click on a video related to animation

[@debeb5148]

​@@alejandraalex5276The only one bad here is you and that other crazy guy in the comments telling people not to talk to him. I lobbed you in with the crazy guy. You should feel terrible about yourself

[@Playerdose]

Same...

[@Arthus850]

I wanted to be an actor. A friend of mine wanted to be a writer, and another friend is an animator. Looks like we all need to find new career paths now.

[@LittleGoldRose]

I’m glad to see Lackadaisy is gaining so much traction as it goes along. I’m also so happy we reached the first Stretch Goal, and I hope we can keep going for the 2 Million one. It gives me hope that Animation can survive, and that the Art Form we love can keep going forward into the future. Lackadaisy inspired me to return to my Passions, and one of them is Animation. I want to learn how to animate, especially so that after I get started on my own Webcomic I can bring it to life later on. I’m excited for the future, and I know for a fact if we all work together we can keep our passions alive. 💛🌹😸🌹💛

[@maduemeziafrancisxavier6125]

Hey, me too. I wanted to learn and assist the animators too. I'm even planning on resurrecting Svtfoe in form of a spin-off series called Svtfoc(Star vs. The Forces of Chaos.)

[@shilstone_arts]

I'm confident we'll see an indie animation renaissance in the next few years. I don't know if there is a role for massive studios in the future, it's hard to compete with all the new forms of free entertainment. Smaller communities and teams will drive the next wave of original content. Im optimistic for the future!

[@MarsNeptune-pi9nw]

We adults who love animation are a dying breed especially during the writers and actors strike. I hope the animators writers and actors get the paychecks they deserve. I hope the unemployed animators get jobs at studios who value their talents and hard work.

[@TheTrueAdept]

The problem is that we're in an era that, simply put, has the human is superfluous to practically everything. Period. We're the horse in the car vs horse analogy. That is something that many people would rather ignore.

[@japanesejackalope]

Are we though? Animation is timeless, when our generation of animation lovers disappears there will be more. There are so many that grow up watching cartoons that I don’t think that it’s a dying breed at all, it’s just that we’re seeing an increase of greed from the corporate side of things.

[@TheTrueAdept]

@@japanesejackalope here's the thing, AI has completely changed the game. Period. We're the horse in the car analogy, and we know where that went.

[@japanesejackalope]

@@TheTrueAdept I won’t lie and say AI hasn’t changed things but I can’t honestly see it replacing people as a whole. It’s just not going to work in the long run. In some situations yes it can maybe work but not for all aspects of animation.

[@TheTrueAdept]

@@japanesejackalope nope, it is going to replace practically everyone. We're just seeing the initial, very hobbled steps now. Your assumption is, sadly, wrong on all accounts. We've seen where machinery slashing the required workforce went, and it's happening again.

[@TheTrytix]

Writers and animators: "Alright, we've made this new interesting and cool show." Company CEOs: "Hu? Okay... Will it give us money though?" Writers and animators: "Well, it's a possibility..." Company CEOs: "So it's no guarantee? Okay, scrap it. Here, work on rebooting this show instead." Writers and animators: "Uhm... Oh-Okay... But, what if we are wasting a promising project that can earn us millions?" Company CEOs: "Doesn't matter. It's not a recognizable IP, meaning people won't check it out. That is why we have to make reboots, shows people reckognize. We can't afford to take risks." Writers and animators: "Now that you mention it, pay HAS been rather small recently... Guess you're right." Company CEOs: "Of course we are right. Hu? Oh! Finally." Writers and animators: "What's that?" Company CEOs: "Oh, that was just the purchase of my newest 300 million dollar private yacht, it finally got trough." Writers and animators: "You can afford that? I thought you said we couldn't afford taking risks!" Company CEOs: "Uh, well, we can't! Or, rather YOU can't. YOU need the money, I already get enough to do whatever I want. So keep slaving away and earn me more money." Writers and animators: "But then we DO have money! We CAN afford to take risks! Let us greenlight this new project!" Company CEOs: "Are you crazy? I could loose money! I need to survive too, you know." Writers and animators: "You earn enough as it is if you can easily afford a 300 million dollar private yacht. So we say, do it. Take the risk." Company CEOs: "No. I don't like the way you are talking. Go back to work and make me more money. That's all that matters." Writers and animators: "Can we at least get a raise? We are already underpayed for this." Company CEOs: "HAHAHA! No. I need the money more than you. Back to work." Writers and animators: "You know what? No. We'll pass. How about you pay us what we are worth, or we'll go on strike!" Company CEOs: "HAHA! Yeah, okay. TRY it. You need money to survive, you won't even last a week on strike!" Writers and animators: "We shall see." *leaves* Company CEOs: "Well, at least it'll cost me less... HEY YOU! Stop working on storyboards and start animating." Storyboard artist: "So, I'm an animator now? Do I get payed like an animator then?" Company CEOs: "What? Of course not, silly. You are still a storyboard artist, and you'll get payed the exact same, now animate this whole process!"

[@xxflowergurlboiixx]

The most truthful thing that I ever seen

[@BennyPlayer-du2je]

Angry animation fans: Let's tear down those greedy companies that ruined our beloved shows down! they outlived their usefulness!

[@avidagamegerl1081]

Company CEOs, two weeks after making their workers release another boring reboot: "Guys! Why is everybody hating on our shows!?" Writers and animators, slumped over their desks with massive bags under their eyes, surviving solely on coffee and crisps: "Oh, we dunno, really. If only you'd greenlit that _fun, interesting, new, original show_ we had in mind earlier instead of insisting on making _mindless garbage from beloved IPs._ Wouldn't help with the bankruptcy _you_ inflicted on your own company with _your frivolous spending habits,_ but it would have helped with public reception. Probably."

[@omnomandnugget2494]

This is something I could see in a Company Ball comic

[@soysource3218]

@@BennyPlayer-du2je Also some animation fans. "UGHHGH why is it taking so long." "OMFG why does the CG look like that. This older studio which adapted source material was way better"

[@untitleduntitled4740]

They better find a way to resolve all this, or else the film and tv industry is gonna be in deep trouble.

[@anthony_universe2920]

They're big company so I'm pretty sure they wouldn't care about the problem that's going on and since their big company and all they want is money I'm pretty sure they're going to use AI to continue voice acting if the voice actor is no longer here

[@alejandraalex5276]

No

[@PrideEepy64]

At this point We’re not gonna see animations anymore EDIT: the reason I didn’t say video games is because it’s coding, sure it’s writing but that’s barely Cartoon Type

[@anthony_universe2920]

@@PrideEepy64 doesn't AI make animation?

[@PrideEepy64]

@@anthony_universe2920 NO HUMANS NEED TO MAKE THE CARTOON Not the AI with the Voices, The Drawings, The Music the anything

[@umibozu1983]

It is good that Helluva Boss, Murder Drones, and Lackadaisy (and some others) are doing so well. The fact that those 3 shows (and likely some others) are better than most, if not almost all animation from big companies really proves that like you said, we dont need the big companies

[@arthas640]

Looking at what they can make on a limited budget really shows how much waste there is and how much of the pie the studio takes. People dont really care for filler and some shows have half or more of their seasons as mindless filler, which means double the work for animators all just to crank out more content.

[@flowerbloom5782]

Don’t forget Monkey Wrench. Please people check it out!

[@swoozie]

Dude this video has so much win in it! Great post!

[@StarmisYTP]

A surprise to see you here, but a welcomed one.

[@orenges]

SWOOZIE?!!?!?!?!

[@crowmaster9652]

Hang in there swoozie its been tough I gave you a like dont force yourself

[@Robo0w0]

It is absolutely horrifying to be an young animator right now. I’m currently in college, about to shoot my shot for art school and have basically made my art my whole life since I was 8. Seeing how inhumanly the world I love has been treated only is fanning the flames of why I am so adamant on perusing my dream. I will die before I let this industry disappear. Even if we as a community have to rebuild it ourselves I know others like me will succeed in the end. Long live animation.

[@robertweltonsworldofanimat4525]

Well said. I am about to go to college to learn more about animation too. One day, I want to use animation to portray my original ideas and stories.

[@debeb5148]

Really trying not to be a pessimistic asshole because there's people like you who are very aspiring, but we have been letting this shit happen for too long for it to be so easily achieved by a strike. The only thing that's gonna solve anything in this country is a revolution. Whether it be violent or non violent

[@maduemeziafrancisxavier6125]

Oh yes I understand how you feel. I have a friend of my who wanted to be an animator and artist and I wanted to help her in achieving her desires. I'm even planning on working alongside with her and my so-called friends.

[@StayCalm_DoArt123]

That’s why I’m going to be more independent than work for a studio, you’re more likely to be treated better

[@xXSquidGirlXx]

@@robertweltonsworldofanimat4525 I'm in the exact position as you too. I'm going to school and ambitiously wanting to learn animation within my major. One day being able to show the world your idea through that specific medium is so exciting yet scary due to everything that is going on at the moment.

[@TreyMcDonaldAnimator]

This is why indie animation is just so much better. Making and creating your own content on KZbin, TikTok, Insta has a far better chance at not only finances but notoriety. I kept applying to jobs like CN, Nick, even Netflix, but it feels like more of a sign that the way I've been going is just the way to go.

[@onehardtosolvekase6670]

I’ve been watching more animated shorts creators on KZbin these days than anything greenlit for tv

[@BattleAxe-z8i]

Just wait until those "indie wholesome spaces" get swarmed by AI animations that can be created faster and more efficiently, barely anyone would be able to compete with the content farms

[@cloudynguyen6527]

@@BattleAxe-z8i AI can mimic static image but even so their capabilities are limited by few choices of angles and few style of shading. I have used AI to create art. The process was even more boring than actually drawing because you barely have any control on its process unless you understand the tech jargons in its advance setting. Now, making AI animation is even more difficult because the AI does not understand, or does not gather the knowledge of animating (for its database), so it gives animation with weird ass interpolation. I don't think AI will take over the whole process, but it will allow people to cut corner here and there. The big KZbinr with huge staffs and resource will utilize this more than the copy-paste ones, or at least, they can hide it better than the smaller channels.

[@JamesTDG]

@@cloudynguyen6527 Honestly, this. In order for AI to truly replace the job of an animator, work would need to be done completely from scratch. Animation requires a strict understanding of how anatomy works and how things should move organically, but so long as you are training a machine with only the results rather than the process, it will never learn to become better.

[@avgirlaustintx]

@@BattleAxe-z8i AI animation from content farms sucks and everyone knows it. No one wants to watch that shizz besides dumb babies who don't know any better.

[@andreas.2494]

Seeing Murder Drones get mentioned really warms my heart that Kevin/SMG4 and Glitch has really came so far. Animation for ever!

[@7473R]

Luke is SMG4 silly

[@kittylikemebluejay9723]

I remember watching Meta Runner and Sunset Paradise

[@Cubeytheawesome]

Yeah, I’m glad the funny Mario animations are appreciated. The only way they can get better is if Bob from smg4 gets his own series. That way I can get a show with 100% bob and none of the others.

[@skyesyd221]

@@Cubeytheawesomehm

[@Cubeytheawesome]

@@skyesyd221dude a bob series would be a extreme win. Bob is the main reason smg4 got popular. To have a show starring him as the main character without the other losers would be genius.

[@Nidhiflix]

I used to dream about working at a studio but now I dream about getting my Pilot finished. Thanks for showing the dark side of what is happening in the animation industry without forgetting the light that is indie animation.

[@candeez_art]

As a young artist trying to get into this industry, it saddens me that rich CEOs and other people in control of these major companies are just trying to make a quick buck, rather than letting creatives shine with new and unique ideas that could become just as popular as other well loved media. It’s especially troubling that these big companies are including AI into the creative process, as this is an non conscious piece of equipment that has no soul or passion into what people are telling them to create. I hope creatives in the animation industry, and the entertainment industry in general, get the respect and payroll that they rightfully deserve because it’s extremely sad that unique and creative people aren’t being valued for the incredible work that they produce.

[@Achieme]

as a person who is trying to get a career in the industry that's how big companies are they care about Money so they can buy expensive stuff and give very little to the people that work their asses off. and why wouldn't they use AI, they doesn't complain, they don't need to get paid, and they're do what they're told so of course they'll go the simple and easy route and not go out of their way to hire and pay people with creative projects. And when they need a project they can't help but reboot classic shows we love because they know people are stupid enough to watch something that lacked what made the OG special. Don't worry about the entertainment industry because we have Independent creators that'll push and not be like greed corporates that make IP just for money.

[@candeez_art]

@@Achieme Speaking facts! Big corporations are heartless and only care for that green paper. I’m glad a lot more independent creators are being recognized and that a lot of people are taking the risk to create their own thing. Those people give me hope for this industry.

[@funwithchristina563]

SIIICK OF *WAAAIIITIIING* for these execs to realize how much their greed has hurt the industry.

[@Cubeytheawesome]

@@Orbity5490 exactly

[@15_heidune72]

We need a new industry studio that shakes things up.

[@bigguy952]

They need a lottery winner to invest in their indie studios to help provide better payments to the workers

[@kid10249595]

They would get squashed rapidly if they even began to compete with current studios, Disney especially has a ton of power and sway when it comes to the animation and film industry, and they would stamp out any competition almost instantly. Heck its how their getting away with not having any writers or actors currently, they have so much money that they can just use AI to generate what they need. Now of course AI content is more than likely not going to be quality content, and I wonder if a lot of direct to Disney plus releases were written or created by AI due to how bad they've been. Given AI seems to struggle hard with continuity and straying from the PG theme Disney follows, given in peter pan and Wendy, captain hook straight up stabs and kills peter on screen and causes him to fall to his death. Along with there was other elements of the film that made it seem like it was AI written with how jumbled up it was and how little sense some scenes made in comparison to the pervious films or source material. What I think is ultimately going to happen is a deal or law is going to be made to limit companies abelites to use AI to generate content and ETC. to keep writers and actors from literally becoming obsolete and killing millions of jobs. Given that is the current direction that is going to be taken, which will be great for compares given its far cheaper for AI to generate content in the short term. Yet bad for all creators involved in the film making and animation processes given it will render them obsolete, and eventually could irreparably damage the film and animation industries permanently as AI just isn't good at creating quality content so far. It's good for generating cheap content, but as for quality content not so much.

[@prismopatterson]

I wish I could found my own studio but I have no resources, credentials, organization or experience; I’ve always wanted to make my own shows and have my own animation studio since I was little :(

[@seddtgesnowmsn]

@@prismopatterson Oh, I can help you with that. small steps.

[@regulate.artificer_g23.mdctlsk]

Preferably a cooperation; a *worker-owned* company.

[@mali-cat]

It warms my heart that Lackadaisy raised over $1m. That show deserves the positive buzz.

[@Fazkrueger]

We should boost the Lackadaisy team!

[@ellanimation816]

@@Fazkruegeryeah!

[@watchforever1724]

That will be successful

[@SamWeltzin]

I didn't even like the pilot, and I'm glad they're getting the funding they need just out of principle.

[@watchforever1724]

@@SamWeltzin wow surprised you didn’t

[@anvithequarsonist]

Meanwhile, indie animation has been rising and having an absolute blast. Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, Wolfwalkers, Lackadaisy, RWBY, Murder Drones, Meta Runner, there's probably more that i'm missing, the list goes on. Which makes sense, not being tied to a major studio means that you have more freedom to tell the nuanced and young-adult stories that you normally wouldn't be able to. Seeing how shitty the industry is now it gives hope to see so many creators looking to indie. Budgets are the only problem. But no matter what? we'll fight for animation.

[@AngrySinn]

This era is a depressing one. The amount of rage and sorrow I have is immeasurable... Almost suffocating. I won't lose hope but you HAVE to admit that it's looking pretty grim.

[@arthas640]

Things dont look good for the near term but the good news is animation is a cyclical industry with "renaissances" and "dark ages". Look at animation in the 40s, 50s, and 60s: it was pretty good with a lot of famous characters, series, and movies all being made and its when Disney and Warner Bros made their names. Then we hit a dark age in the 70s where budgets were rock bottom and quality was equally bad, and since TV animation often affects movie animation we saw both hard hit. Then the 80s came along and the budget problem was solved with merchandising (look at all the shows made based off toys, or how famous shows and movies spawned mountains of merch), that helped spark the Disney renaissance of the late 80s and 90s. Things were hit hard again in the 2000s with the writers strike and the economic crash of 08 and thats when Cartoon Network even dropped animation for awhile, then we got some shows like Adventure Time that were both good quality but had great elements like suddenly including LGBTQ+ characters, touching on subject matter rarely shown on cartoons, and it helped inspire similar series like the Owl House and Stephen Universe while we also saw a resurgence of adult animation with stuff like Bojack and Rick & Morty. Animation kind of goes in cycles like that and unlike most media it seems like its mainly the studios causing changes rather than anything else. It's impossible to predict but in the past these drops have lasted for a matter of years. The good news is we're already seeing some creators making shows independently like Channel Frederator, Lackadaisy, and Helluva Boss. Patreon and Kickstarter have made it way easier for independent development of cartoons too. As major studios drive away skilled animators and others in the animation industry we may see even more people moving to indie development which means less executive meddling and more input from fans. Also since indie sources are often the inspiration for new franchsies in the main stream anyways and since they cant afford to just buy existing franchises to exploit it means more creativity and experimentation. That's also what helped create the New Hollywood movement that spawned creators like Spielberg and Kubrick. I'd be willing to bet we'll see major studios making less cartoons and lower quality at that but the independent niche is already starting to grow so they'll likely fill at least part of the gap for the next 5-10 years until studios start to lament the lost revenue and decide to take a radical approach like "paying people fair wages" and "not making 50 seasons of shows for a single franchise character" and "actually making something new every once in awhile".

[@crowmaster9652]

want me to tell you something depressing? American oligarch funds the cartoon company so if they want a show cancelled they have to pay twice the entire show budget. The company makes money the oligarch gets rid of cartoons that do not align with their perspective and the show gets cancelled.

[@comicszoneuniverse]

exactly ... it's not just animation... everything is going to shit ... while boomers are living happy with their retirements and all the money they have accumulated, they let their adult childs die without any hope of buy a house or even reproduce. fuck this era, it's all bullshit.

[@jacksonvoet8312]

Indie animators, rise up! With Hollywood starting to decay, people will want animated projects, and you guys can deliver! Please, I’m hoping for something good to watch!

[@alejandraalex5276]

Good

[@MrCAnimations69]

You can leave it to us! If i’m able to start up a studio that is.

[@jacksonvoet8312]

@@MrCAnimations69 Hey man, if it’s good, and I get a bank account, I’ll pitch in.

[@MrCAnimations69]

@@jacksonvoet8312 Sweet!!

[@Playerdose]

Since I can't really work at Cartoon Network since the conditions that animators are going through, I guess I might as well be an independent animator.

[@deviantgazer4626]

I can only hope for the best for everyone that was a part of the Cartoon Network Studios family and Cartoon Network itself. As well as animation everywhere.

[@mayracordero382]

I agree and cartoon network really brings animation to our hearts!

[@Howaboutyes11]

We just need a new generation because no one has original shows anymore

[@skyesyd221]

@@Howaboutyes11hm

[@albertoromero5075]

if you see me again hope, I send you to the sea with cement on your feet!!!

[@cartoonfanatic]

@@Howaboutyes11 Despite what this video states, there actually are lot of original shows in the works, even Netflix has a few original animation in the works.

[@jomyd6903]

I’m a young aspiring animator and show runner and it’s really discouraging to see all this animation problems. I hope that when I start my independent project it’ll be better then working with a company 🙁😕

[@the_realbwkool]

Same here. Best of luck to you

[@Scarlynnette]

Good luck! I have similar dreams to you

[@boshwa20]

Just go to the Japan! You're only going to be worked to death over there

[@morbidmacaroni]

Same, good luck with everything 💖

[@dekumidoriya2928]

Same, hopefully all of our projects could be done by the time the industry gets it shit together

[@beritori]

as an animation professional i'm so thankful for this video. it puts in perspective everything that has been going on in our industry in a linear way that's easy to understand, it's exactly what we need in order to bring awareness to the shitstorm that's been going on. here's to hoping it'll get better before we all have to either leave the industry or starve to death : (

[@dtlegacy2495]

I love animation and I really hate how the animators are being mistreated. Regardless if you're a fan of animation or not animation deserves just as much respect as live action. The studios and the companies who make animated projects need to show some more respect to the artist.

[@padawantongirl5635]

As a person who is going to a university to learn animation and who wants to eventually be apart of animation studios i am very worried. I believe that there needs to be laws about AI. They also need to expand locations where people can work

[@adampkalb]

Exactly! Unfair one-sided deals, unstable working conditions and corporate greed are where careers go to die. Why would it be a dead career? Because following that career makes you a failure on arrival when you get no reward for your work. It is like trying to defend Donald Trump in a court of law and pretending everybody else going after him was the bad guy. Rudy Giuliani is very good at that job.

[@Peachyaxolotol]

Same, I barely going to college to study animation now I feel like switching majors and I don’t even know what I want to study outside of animation due to the problem with Ai. I Hope things get better man 😞😞

[@robproductions2599]

well i can't do animaton even tho i tryed for 6 fucking years im here for AI LONG LIVE AI! LONG LIVE PROGRESS! OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW!

[@padawantongirl5635]

@@adampkalb you said it dude

[@padawantongirl5635]

@@Peachyaxolotol we gotta pray about it, fight back, do what we can. Just don’t give up!

[@kevklub]

TW: venting I'm on the animator voice actors and writers side and it also makes me really really concerned for my future, i really really want to make a cartoon myself and hearing about all of this... is making me really depressed, like I have no future

[@micjimster4845]

Don't give up! there's no way animations dying as long as we continuously fight for animation to survive I don't think dying anytime soon.

[@kevklub]

@@micjimster4845 Thanks, this helps

[@teddyfurstman1997]

Support the Writers and Actors Strikes as well as the Animation Guild. P.S. I Donated to Lackadaisy Backerkit too. Backer 1,512.

[@kevklub]

SAME

[@tamirbrown4581]

Second👍

[@okjeffy6581]

Support the film actors guild.

[@teddyfurstman1997]

@@okjeffy6581 👍

[@tamirbrown4581]

@@okjeffy6581 you have my support too.

[@Riu-bw4bl]

I feel like I’m in a alternate timeline where everything that once was is falling/fell apart and I might be in hell But this can be a era where people stand up and start making there own art independent of society ruining corporations. Workers unionize and stand up!

[@strawberrymage]

I always forget how good this channel is. Thank you for expressing every painful thought I’ve had about animation lately. Super DUPER depressed about the state of things right now.

[@strawberrymage]

Sorry let me clarify. Super depressed about the state of things for COMPANIES. Indie animation is a tiny light of hope 😭

[@mattman15]

Movie companies are so corrupt. In the unlikely event the CEO of one of you companies read this comment, just give the writers and actors what they want, Disney, HBO, any studio. Using AI will only give you more flopped projects. Reusing popular stuff will just make them not popular anymore. JUST GIVE THE WRITERS AND ACTORS WHAT THEY WANT!

[@Cubeytheawesome]

They don’t have moral compass. They can’t even read. Bunch of morons.

[@endcaps1917]

They ain't simply gonna do that

[@lk_3099]

I fear all they see is Mt. Everest sized bags of money. If they're willing to wait out the strikes until the writers and actors are homeless, then they don't care for humanity.

[@darkdest6664]

greed kills

[@elemomnialpha]

Some of those demands are objectively stupid though, like a mandatory writer number minimum (regardless of how many would actually be necessary for a project) And even then it's just going to make things worse as they further cut back on new unproven ideas as risks would become WAY more risky and potential failure hit that much harder as budgets balloon to pay everyone involved and meet all of these demands or the companies go under and then everyone is unemployed Simply put Hollywood needs to fully collapse and be rebuilt from the ground up in order for anything to get better, collapsing under it's own weight and hubris

[@sansbazinga9821]

The two big issues in animation and entertainment today is money and eyeballs. Animated projects require a large budget because they take longer and require larger teams than most live action productions. The only way these massive corporations invest in more original works is they can be made on smaller budgets leaving more room for losses, then if the project proves successful they can increase the budget on future projects from that franchise because they are now more secure investments. Secondly, social media and the internet means there are more competitors for viewers than ever before, and this is impacting everything from animation to live sports. Kids now have a million different Twitch, TikTok and KZbin channels vying for their attention. Meaning its harder for legacy media networks to get kids attention and thus justify making content for them at risk of a loss in returns. Adults (mainly millennials) who grew up with these legacy networks will stick to them but kids, not so much. So unless we can find ways to make cheaper animated content that has mass appeal, original works are sadly going out the window for large corporations.

[@alejandraalex5276]

All is meme

[@noahbossier1131]

I’ve actually heard that the reason reboots are made are not to target kids but parents to help distinguish parents from the thousands of KZbin channels.

[@gojira_guy]

@@alejandraalex5276ok why does my ass keep seein you everywhere man you’ve got to be memein cuz not even a person who hates animation knows that spamming ain’t gonna work in a KZbin video.... About how animation is fucked Literally no one else agrees with you

[@maduemeziafrancisxavier6125]

Hmm, you do have a point.

[@one-upfilmz6649]

This is why we need a trust system in company's and corporations. Cause CEO's nowadays don't care about trust value or equality anymore, all they do is make horrible excuses to save money. WBD is in shambles and Netflix needs to get their crap together and Disney has fallen off hard. A trust system to rely on better board directors to fix the situation and the problems and not the yes-men of the company and do their jobs by making sure if the executives and CEO's are actually doing their job or being unprofessional for the company should get the boot. Cause their is no room for capitalism here, corporate greed must end. All of this is burning Hollywood to the ground.

[@Cubeytheawesome]

Yeah. We also need that trust system for tech companies too because Reddit just gave us all the finger 2 months ago.

[@devonjeffers5898]

A trust system? Many people will think you're joking about it and call it a stupid idea. We're better off turning Hollywood into another Chernobyl.

[@thealolanprofessor5992]

This is such a frustrating situation. I’m about to graduate college and am going for work in pre-production and animation, so hearing this is both saddening and pisses me off. Animation is a wonderful medium to express emotionally, engaging storytelling. Indie studios, apart from major studios like Disney or Paramount, always have my support because of their unique voice in animation. Things need to change. The sooner, the better. Redoing the same idea instead of creating an original series/movie hurts creativity and recycles the same concept over and over. Animators, scriptwriters, storyboard artists, character designers, etc. deserve to be treated better because they are the people who bring life to animated characters and worlds. I would encourage supporting independent artists and indie studios who strive to evolve the animation medium forward in an innovative way. AI, though complex in areas of science and medical studies, shouldn’t touch something like animation and art in general. Like the video says, AI is inhuman. Art is, to me, the most personal and human thing to ever exist.

[@Darth_Sithis]

Sad and dark days ahead for animation. There should be a strike, there should be more push and backlash from fans. The corporations still have an outdated view on animation. Which is wild as hell when you only have to look over seas to see how massively successful it can be.

[@paolocalapatia6401]

From saying "Animation is Just for Kids" to VA's being disrespected no matter how they are notable...twas a matter of time. This is definitely An On Strike that I can get behind I just hope NOT ONLY they succeed BUT ALSO that as Their Great Battle rages on, said Battle won't directly or indirectly hurt innocents that might get caught in the crossfire

[@arthas640]

its kind of crazy how little some famous voice actors get, and many dont even have their names appearing on the shows credits in a meaningful way so its hard to even recognize them sometimes. Some like Tara Strong have decades in the industry with hundreds of roles but you may not even know she worked on a show you're watching, and the same goes for some like Brian Murray who are famous even outside of animation, I recognized his voice but dont ever remember seeing his name on shows like Spongebob or the Marvelous Misadventure of Flapjack.

[@harriyanna]

they wanna give animation workers low wages but force them to live in/near los angeles BYE

[@MatsuyoRific]

I actually do highly reccomend Hailey's On It. It's a really fun show, and while it might not be super heavy on being story driven, there IS an over arching plot to follow. The characters are also really fun, and while there IS shipping, it doesn't overpower the rest of the story, and doesn't even appear in every episode.

[@noahbossier1131]

A few notes that are important Disney TVa is still greenlighting orginals on the vein of TOH of amphibia but for Disney plus because teenagers and family’s watch shows on streaming. A few shows are in development(Fantasy Sports, Neon Galaxy, and Witchverse). They should be announced some this year or next year. They do better on streaming. DTVA is developing young adult teen shows but for streaming where they do much better The reason many channel shows are skewering younger is because of advertisers. Because the biggest toy market is 4-6. They want the 6-11 shows to be safe for 4 year olds to watch. Also disney channel is like the only group still green lighting orginal shows for 6-11 year olds. Many places are only greenlighting preschool

[@noahbossier1131]

also a24 and annapurna are still greenlighting orginals. Titmouse is making some orginals. These 3 are all indie studios technically. More orginals will be greenlit. Even preschool suffered to an extant. Netflix only wants IP. Warner is going through being dismantled. DTVA is doing older skewering family comedies too also on plus I’ve heard apple is doing something.

[@noahbossier1131]

Also many shows especially in preschool are now outsourcing pre production to overseas vendor studios. This is a main reason artists are unplowed

[@alexa_doodles]

Hey that’s my tweet! My bf was watching this vid, turned to me and said I was on the youtube lmao Thanks for sharing! I’m glad it’s been helpful in giving folks a glimpse into what’s been going on in the industry. I’m an artist working in animation and I’ve done BG paint, storyboard revisions, designs, and layout full-time for studios in Canada since 2020. I wish I could tell people more about what artists are having to deal with. You’ve got outright abuse, expected unpaid overtime, ai integration BY STUDIOS, ‘vendor studios’ politics, removal of supervisor roles, zero residuals AND MORE! It’s beyond exhausting..

[@alexa_doodles]

I’m beyond lucky right now to have a full time position until summer ‘24. And that sentiment is shared with my entire team that got hired for this project. We’re terrified to disappoint because there’s so few positions available industry-wide. My bf is also in animation as a 2D FX animator and he got laid off because there’s just no more shows in production..It’s scary. We’re just thankful we aren’t located in Vancouver or Toronto, where rent is $2,100+ a month for a closet🫠🫠

[@therubyminecart5291]

@@alexa_doodles: Me I’m an amateur writer who writes on wattpad but has stopped due to writers block and lack of inspiration but I still watch anime and animated shows heck someday if I had the courage I would pitch a story I’m currently writing to be animated and made to show people my ideas without feeling like I’m going to be judged for what I’m writing

[@jackspiracy3431]

I just hope there's a light at the end of the tunnel for animation. I just want things to be back to normal.

[@alejandraalex5276]

No

[@sonicfanboy3375]

​@@alejandraalex5276Why are you watching the video😂

[@tomboyjessie1352]

@@alejandraalex5276 Depressing much?

[@xxvskrunkle]

​@@alejandraalex5276yes

[@Bautista_Fam._y_Co.]

​@@alejandraalex5276No, for corporate animation. and for indie, there never was a crisis in the first place

[@derrickman6304]

I feel like AI should NOT be used by exploitative companies, but for actual independent creatives, it could be used as as a tool to help produce indie projects. By cutting the the amount of time you need to spend on a project using AI as a tool to enhance originality rather than replace it. Artists have the one thing those companies cannot replicate: Creativity.

[@erichfiedler1481]

The only place I'm 100% okay with for A.I. is for it to be used to help upscale old animated works

[@marshmallowloaf]

Big no lol. Ai can only replicate and mimic, at the end of the day it still needs to steal content to produce anything. Indie projects are given the respect due to keeping their creative vision and soul.

[@headphonesaxolotl]

@@marshmallowloaf What this person is saying is to use it for inspiration and ideas. What you're saying makes no sense because nothing is "unique" anymore, everything is inspired by something else. Some examples (games just bc that's my area) -Pizza Tower is inspired by Wario Land for gameplay and Ren and Stimpy for visuals -Freedom Planet's gameplay is inspired by Sonic games and the visuals are inspired by East Asian art and architecture. -Cuphead is inspired by rubberhose style cartoons, and Shovel Knight's gameplay is reminiscent of Mega Man. All of these are indie games (they didn't use AI afaik) but draw clear inspiration from other things. So in your eyes, they stole ideas.

[@corpsenymph4644]

There should actually be a law against it, seriously it’s going to kill a huge portion of the creative industry…

[@BloppTheIraeBlob]

@@erichfiedler1481 ....

[@Anamainiac]

As an adult going to college, renovating a house, and raising a kid currently, I don't have time to watch as much cinema as before. However, Cartoon Network was a big shaper of my childhood and personality. I remember staying up and secretly watching Adult Swim. It's something I look upon so fondly. I started watching anime because of Toonami and because of highschool social groups. I'm not a fan of live action or actors, and highly prefer animation. Seeing this happen to CNN is like seeing someone shred your most prized childhood toy, it is heartbreaking. I wish I could see amazing new shows come out and watch them with my child as they air, and I'm saddened they won't get the same experience. There are things that can only be done via animation, so I'd say try to get into anime at this point and rewatch old favorites of cartoons cause we probably aren't getting many anymore. At least not at the same rate and quality.

[@Mr-Prasguerman]

The end of Hollywood is far from the end of cinema , much less the end of an entire art form , foreign animation and Indie exemplify this well

[@lk_3099]

This is really making me consider saving up for an indie animation team, as well as make connections as these years go on. I've been very interested in the idea of making an adaptation of my novel series once it reaches a specific point.

[@onepresence9460]

It’s super depressing to see such an amazing medium as animation getting disrespected and being tossed aside like nothing. However, luckily indie online animation is proving to these studios that we love this medium and we want to see creative and interesting stuff with this art form. Animators, artists and everyone who work on the animation industry deserve better.

[@cnnickanddisneyfanboy9523]

Animation was doing fine from the 1900’s to the 2010’s, but in the 2020’s, it completely changed and doesn’t have a bright future right now.

[@kootunesscrewy]

Actually, the animation industry did started to decline around 2019. But yeah, after 2021, it was all over the place in a bad way.

[@RB01.10]

Elemental was legit a fantastic gem though, in fact it’s now at $397 million worldwide. In fact it’s the highest grossing post pandemic film from Pixar Owl House was a gem too, and yeah it would’ve been interesting to see it run longer but at least it still got a proper ending

[@hybridvenom9]

i need to get this out of the way the story board artist were that animation that looks so good i love it in a reminds me of rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles the fight scenes those are so good it needs to get picked up for season 3 nickelodeon please

[@artpenguinharry]

There was "The Dark Age of Animation" that lasted for a couple of decades until late 1980's, but otherwise, yeah, I agree with you.

[@kootunesscrewy]

@@artpenguinharry Yeah. Tho, at least animation was still treated somewhat better during the Dark Age. Compared to the current "Streaming Age of Animation".

[@JoaoPereiraCriacoes]

That's what happens when you're greedy across the board and just wanna play safe, not to mention forced politics in every project I'm so glad to see indies like Lackadaisy getting this absurd fast feedback to make it go on. Hopefully we'll see more gems like this soon.

[@alejandraalex5276]

Not 🎉🎉

[@angelgarcia4641]

​@@alejandraalex5276 what makes you say that? You do realize indie projects aren't bound by studio cancelations, right? And they are becoming more popular while animation in the actual film industry is dying. Its only a matter of time until we rely on indie projects as entertainment. Your delusional if your 100% sure there won't be any more "gems" like lackadaisy

[@cultural_marxism_fan]

i'm srry but what does forced politics even mean here bc so many seem to think it means "when theres a queer or non white character" even when its clear its not just pandering

[@layzeejay1674]

@@cultural_marxism_fanvelma. The key example thats it.

[@Toastcat890]

No one complained about “forced politics” in the 90’s when LGBTQ and POC were sidekicks apparently neither of those groups are supposed to be the lead outside of books that are easily ignored.

[@jesseseale2558]

I have dreams and aspirations of working in the animation industry and tried to be a PA for these studios but end up getting rejected or no call backs because of how so competitive it has become. If or when the Animation Guild goes on strike, I’m definitely going to be supporting to the best of my ability.

[@KevinMcLean]

I'm so glad you ended on a good note because I was actually starting to consider giving up. Currently I'm in school for animation (I know a lot of people say don't go to school for it, but due to my very blessed and lucky situation this path works for me. Plus I'm going to a college with a very unique program that I think will sharpen a variety of marketable skills for myself.) Point being, this stuff is scary man

[@RagedContinuum]

can you double major? A professional degree would at least provide a backup. I took media at university and work in a hellhole of an industrial plant for a pretty good paycheck. It's not what I want but the money and potential for an early retirement helps me cope

[@KennyFromPH07]

Animation needs to live forever, please don't let the Animation die folks!

[@sonicfanboy3375]

Yes!

[@watchforever1724]

Yeah I know

[@eegernades]

It won't. Anime carrying the whole industry. Just need to treat their workers better tho.

[@watchforever1724]

@@eegernades yeah

[@bingleblorp993]

A bunch of writers and animators should come together and make their own TV network :)

[@deondrex18k]

We can only pray

[@joshuabautch8936]

And maybe eventually Cartoon Network can rebel and be an indie cartoon service

[@omnomandnugget2494]

The only wall they will hit if they do this is money. And with prices going up, it will be hard unless people are willing to donate

[@PickleRicksFATASSCOUSIN]

@@omnomandnugget2494 basically networks like PBS for example

[@AwesomeEJ505]

If only it was that simple.

[@adampkalb]

This is insane! Never give up on original projects. This is why people making original animated film properties should not have neglected pitching them to Paramount+ just because they already had their staple brands of Spongebob and TMNT. The things that studios want to reboot for easy money began a long time ago when they were not-so-easy money. That was why the Back to the Future trilogy and Spongebob Squarepants were so successful when they were not a sure thing in the beginning. Thanks to them (no relation to that episode of The Owl House), Thomas F. Wilson has a record of acting in the sixth highest-grossing films at least three times; in 1990, 2004 and 2015. The other two Back to the Future films were the first highest-grossing film of 1985 beating two Sylvester Stallone action sequels in the top three, and the third highest-grossing film of 1989. Back to the Future's writers and directors were so good at making loads of money on a little budget, even for the 1980s, because they probably knew it was possible to sell that many tickets with any A-list actors like Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Woody Allen or Diane Keaton. All they really needed to carry their film were the comedic talents of one of the main actors of Taxi and Family Ties. All of the film work and television work that Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Thomas F. Wilson had after 1990 have set a good precedent for me to see that any actor can play main characters in movies on the big screen and television shows on the little screen, as long as they can make time for both commitments. Usually, they would not work on both acting jobs simultaneously like Michael J. Fox had to do during Seasons 3 and 7 of Family Ties.

[@Cubeytheawesome]

Honestly if you got a pilot rejected what’s stopping you from releasing it on KZbin? I feel like the creators of final space and infinity train could do that since wbd wants nothing to do with them.

[@alejandraalex5276]

Good

[@alejandraalex5276]

No

[@lastmonarchistproduction_253]

well, elemental and ruby were original films and people reject it for the same presence or the lore was leaked in the trailer

[@watchforever1724]

@@lastmonarchistproduction_253 those movies also lacked marketing

[@yoshispongegirl]

As someone who plans to become an animator, this is very helpful to hear. It certainly shouldn't be treated so poorly. 😔

[@featherlikescartoons5098]

The idea of animation dying is kind of horrifying. Imagine the next generation growing up with little to no, or even worse, AI GENERATED cartoons nope, nope, nope, nopidy nope NOPE! This is too terrible to ever conceive of, I refuse to acknowledge this as a possibility (Okay, but in all seriousness, I view artists as having the same will as a cockroach. You may knock us down, leave us beaten up and bruised, and try to crush us in every way you can think of, but we always come back. Even if the current industry collapses, I have high hopes that animators and animation fans will fight through it and create a new industry, having now obtained the history to know what went wrong Something as comparatively new as the animation industry was bound to fall at some point, all empires do, but new ones always replace them)

[@strikerwott1222]

The current state of animation and entertainment in general makes me absolutely sad and infuriated. It's absolutely upsetting seeing these big companies not even care about creatives, and there NEEDS to be a change in the industry. Also, while I do love shows such as Hailey's On It and Kiff, I can definitely understand where you're coming from, since there should also be shows that gear towards people who like more story-driven and/or darker stuff. Original IPs also need to be given a chance, rebooting and spinning off the same IPs over and over is getting very tiring. Like you said, all these popular IPs ALSO started out as original ideas in the first place. That being said, I'm definitely gonna keep on supporting indie animation and pretty much animation as a whole, these original projects deserve to shine without them being cut short.

[@Pumpkinheadedman]

good streaming service/film studio idea: - shows are free to watch or about 1 dollar an episode or 20 a season - puts a priority on original ideas, allowing unlimited seasons to finish the story arch, about 1 reboots and/or movies - gives customers the option to donate to them and pay the creators of the content a little extra.

[@nonexistent9277]

As someone who’s hoping to go into the animation industry I hope becoming unemployed dosent become my future. Really disappointing when something I want as my future isn’t taking seriously

[@brave2425]

If it comes to that point you should move out of America since there’s ALOT of demand, Animation is awesome, but best bet for now is to out source, for example Smg4 the KZbinr is from Australia and demand is low and his channel GLITCH Productions made murder drones and a new upcoming show called “The Amazing Digital Circus”

[@azurekutella3812]

Billionaires ruining our whole way of life; buying up houses to rent, jacking up prices on food and goods, strangling entertainment, and lobbying politicians to act against our best interests.

[@Mr-atom55]

The higher ups at Disney, Cartoon network, nick, etc need to stop looking at animation like it's only for kids. There is a reason anime is taking over.

[@theanimeunderworld8338]

So true I review anime on my channel and it is not for kids. You think parents aren't okay with lgb material on Disney and Nick shows, I've seen people get cut in half, the F word spout out like nothing, boob grabbing, dirty jokes, on screen death Themes of maturing, death, loss, happiness, etc Anime might be animated but there are shows not meant for kids

[@pandaragons6388]

I really hope that the animation industry gets better, not only because I love cartoons but also because I myself really want to become an animator :( My dad said that maybe someday I can work with Disney but nah fuck that 💀 I'll probably earn more money working on indie projects seeing how it is right now..

[@maduemeziafrancisxavier6125]

NOOOOO?! I won't let you work for Disney until they lose everything they've owned and worked for turned to waste😡😡🤬🤬.

[@10101funday]

Animation is miserable big mistake

[@toon4thought]

The more these studios crack down on creatives, especially in the animation world, the more I want Hollywood to just completely crumble and hard reset itself. A revolution is so needed and they'll need people like us to help make that a reality. Thanks very much for using your platform to spread these injustices.

[@alejandraalex5276]

Good

[@devonjeffers5898]

Same here man. You know what, bomb the whole damn place! It doesn't deserve to thrive anymore, we should turn it into another Chernobyl!

[@leonishikino6873]

Okay but live action is the real reason Hollywood is so good, noone gives a damn about some baby movie you guys gush over for a week and then forget about

[@devonjeffers5898]

@@leonishikino6873 Live -action has its problems too, which is also a part of the reason why the strikes are happening, ala the Actors Strike. But yeah, it's not just animation that's in trouble.

[@tariqgarmony2149]

I plan on studying media and film for my second year in college and I feel scared about the future of TV and movies. Writers and actor deserve to be paid fairly. They're a huge part of the entertainment industry.

[@maduemeziafrancisxavier6125]

I will support you to achieve your dreams. I promise you.

[@RagedContinuum]

Media studies is one of the worst performing majors there is.. Not trying to be a downer but it results in failure for most

[@danielhayden6214]

Seriously, I really hope things get brighter after this, because I really can’t stand animation being treated like this…

[@OmegaChase1002]

Western media is so fucking dead, dude. Because these corporations won't just pay their employees, and wanna just reboot everything instead of making anything new, we're about to hit a dead end. We're gonna run out of new shit to watch. Sooooo many people are about to switch to tokusatsu and anime. At least until Japan starts striking too because those guys get so overworked that they actually die sometimes.

[@darkreflection9087]

I really hope animation doesn’t die

[@mylesjude233]

American Animation you mean.

[@anthony_universe2920]

Doesn't AI do animations?

[@kevklub]

Same

[@TheRealLegoDocOck]

@@anthony_universe2920 Don’t do that, ai looks nightmarish

[@DisasterEnby]

@@anthony_universe2920 ew, an ai fan

[@christopherrichards2350]

I’m not giving up my love for animation

[@xxxtentacionreed1732]

Neither are we.

[@watchforever1724]

Me neither

[@minertwinsilver6185]

As someone who has goals of becoming a voice actor in the future, I pray for the writers and Actors get the justice that’s is needed

[@AllenTheAnimator004]

AI: *can now make their own animation and replace animators* AI 50 years later: *replaces humans*

[@andrewwinans2821]

I love the independent animation scene, after the past year seeing what's been happening to the animation industry while in college working towards hopefully being an animator it was and still is disheartening. Since then I'm grateful to have had the opportunity for my school to fund my animation giving me the tools to make what I wanted. I think that if we want to stand up to studios, we support independent animation, we fund the projects we like and take all the power away from the studios. The main problem with that is course is the general consumer wouldn't likely be on our side immediately. Independent film and especially animation is fairly niche still and for new consumers to be introduced into the market of independent animation there would most likely need to be an easier to navigate system (as a whole) to make it easier to connect viewers to films they'd wanna watch. Otherwise the trouble of finding something would outweigh the worth of watching it.

[@wizard_ofbread4085]

You know, I think that maybe one day in future, all of the big you tube animation creators like Lackadaisy, Hazbin hotel, Murder drones, Metal Family , and many others creators can build their one studio that’s will be a home for a new shows and cartoons, I know that it just a dream but I think it would be kinda awesome !

[@alejandraalex5276]

Haha no

[@Hulk1566]

What's even more upsetting over all of this is that David Zaslav just admitted that on the 2Q of the year that because they left the writers and actors on strike and not pay them at all, Warner Bros. Discovery earned $100 million. This is literally evil and I hope he will burn for all of this.

[@YazyNazy]

we can only hope (and also pray because why not) that david zaslav will get fired for what the HELL he did to my good'o childhood cartoon network

[@Cubeytheawesome]

I hope someone does the thing the cia did to jfk, but with zaslav.

[@andreafraustoz]

He took maomao and my child OK KO, this is unforgivable 😢😢

[@TipToey]

Just graduated with a degree in animation last summer. Man I might be screwed

[@eeveefennecfox]

make animations on youtube,don't let this discourage you

[@maskedgamerjoker6148]

Pateron and social media is the only way

[@gojira_guy]

@@eeveefennecfoxyes great idea (Not being sarcastic had this happened to me once where someone thought I was being sarcastic)

[@kodokunayuki2232]

It feels like Animation is gonna go the same way of videogames where we finally enter some dark age, and then eventually indie studios start making high quality shows on youtube, and just slowly go to larger companies or become their own thing due to the large fan base and support

[@NikoKun]

AI is just another step in mankind's technological progress. And some futurists have been predicting it would reach this level around now, for decades. I don't see it ever going away, or being used for anything less than it's currently being used. It will only keep improving, and end up being used for more and more. And unfortunately, individual strikes aren't going to change anything about the big picture of this issue. Because the implications of AI are so huge, they necessitate core changes to how our economy works, as it changes the very justifications for how we've been valuing individuals and distributing resources. We're at a point where AI will soon be capable of out-competing a significant chunk of white collar workers. And if human technology has reached that point, how can we expect most people to compete for traditional "jobs" to justify their survival, in the continuously shrinking pool of jobs businesses will be willing to pay humans for? I don't see automated cognition creating anywhere near enough new jobs to replace all those that'll soon be displaced. AI exists thanks to years of data and content, created by all of us, collected and scraped from all of us, and used to train AI. It is a creation of society, and it's implications demand it belong to society. As companies automate away their human workforce with AI, there should probably be taxes on AI, which can be used to fund an AI Dividend for all, or even a Unconditional Basic Income. Properly setup, an AI Dividend or UBI could keep people from losing everything, while they figure out what's next, as they adapt to the changes AI brings. It'd give people time to reskill, or time to focus on family or community. People could use it to spend the time they need to turn a favorite hobby into a small business, or sustain an otherwise unsustainable seasonable small business. Or just as a supplemental income so they can reduce the hours they have to work, without changing much else. Either way, AI should benefit everyone.

[@JSA24laker]

Animation is such a collaborative process with so many different elements of art coming together to make one project, and that’s what makes it so unique and why I chose to get my Bachelors in animation. I’m scared to see where the industry will go, especially since I’m trying to break into the industry myself. But let’s hope there’s a resurgence and respect to the medium that’s changed so many people’s live for the better. I wish it was as cheap and easy to make animated projects as it is to make certain live action independent projects.

[@OpticalSorcerer]

This is all about taking animation seriously. Their films break records and their shows are iconic, yet animation film companies (ie Fisney and Dreamworks) jump back and forth between making amazing films and making middling ones, while TV animation companies crave nostalgia-driven reboots for children while many animated shows for for young adults/adults are cancelled or overlooked. Nevermind the fact that adult/young adult animated films aren't usually sucessful unless they're derived from a tv show. Animation won't go away, but it has a long way to go to get respect. Companies need to give make it quality entertainment on a consistent basis.

[@standardhuman8675]

alright yall, heres some info on how to support the strikes!! feel free to add your own methods and ideas: dont watch anything thats been made after the strike. if something comes out after the strike but was announced before (example- the fnaf movie), its ok. but if it was announced after the strike, just dont touch it. let the folks in charge know that they need to show their writers and actors more respect. treat everything new like we did morbius- make sure they lose money. we can do this yall, do not let these bastards win

[@green_plad]

Talking about the reboot section, I agree with everything except tmnt lol. That IP has been doing that reboot stuff for over 3 decades, it's kind of the brand. New movies and shows will always come out, but I do want original stuff. Just specifically tmnt can get off the hook imo

[@feedfancier]

6:50 THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO LIVE IN CALIFORNIA FOR THEIR CAREER. Spoken like a true Californian zoned out on Grass. There are artists outside of California making a living off of their art. If they can do it, there's no reason LA artists and animators have to deal with this shit. I'm seeing this fear mongering over evil studios and righteous strikers and all I'm seeing is opportunity. We live in a world of lumbering dinosaurs living on borrowed time. Every animator has access to the entire world through social media like Twitter and KZbin and well as direct ways to sell to customers through Paypal, Payoneer, Gumroad,Etsy and direct fans support like KOFI, Patreon, Boosty, SubscribStar. There's no reason to deal with corporate horse manure anymore.

[@twisted584]

hopefully animators get payed what they deserve they work so hard to give everyone cartoons just to have a deadlines

[@CheeseMcDude]

I think that indie projects, especially animation, are going to see a huge rise in popularity, while corporate-owned projects are going to tank for a while, but will inevitably recover. I'm super excited for this, as a current highschool student who wants to tell stories in the mediums of animation and comics independently, but I'm a bit fearful of the effects this rapid gaining of popularity will have on indie storytelling spaces and culture, and if it will make it easier, or harder to fund one's own projects, as I could see it going either way.

[@MatsuyoRific]

About Moon Girl, I've seen even Marvel fans say they don't watch it because it's not a carbon copy of the comic. But like, neither were Static Shock, Teen Titans, Justice League Unlimited, or Batman The Animated Series, but those were all great shows too. I know those are DC, but point still made.

[@afluffymugcake3763]

things are pretty horrible right now. especially with ai on the rise. but with knowledge of how history tends to play out and the persistence of humanity, i firmly believe animation is going to eventually get through these dark times and come out better than ever. with all these big corporations ruining what animated content they have left, indie animation is likely to have a revolution. and although yes, it is a given that people will repeat history eventually and start the cycle all over again(indie animators starting up their own companies, rising to the same fame of disney, cn, dreamworks, etc, then possibly burning it all to the ground like them), we will hopefully learn our lesson for long enough for the period of bliss to last even longer than the first. or at least that's what i prefer to believe to keep the depression away.

[@glimmerstantroop46321]

Young aspiring animator/showrunner here, I honestly feel for all of you animators, Screw the guys on top, this cannot go on

[@zacharycalgher3978]

The Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) has two lists with one showing things that won’t be worked on during the strike and the other showing what will be worked on during the strike. Animation is on the will work on list.

[@PullStar05]

With the case of Disney TVA, I would say that there were 3 integral shows that REALLY made the channel worth it for all ages. - Amphibia - Paul Rudish’s Mickey Mouse Cartoons - The Owl House One was a slice of life series about a planet of frog people, turned to a lore rich world with characters you want to root for. Another revived one of America’s greatest icons of animation, giving him a new lease on life, a zany new personality, which before he didn’t really have much of one, along with cultural relevancy with young audiences of which he hasn’t had in 60 years. And the third? Well, it shook the very core of its viewers with its plot and world design, and showed that just because it has “Disney” as its network, it doesn’t have to playcate to a Disney audience.

[@alejandraalex5276]

No this shows is bad

[@triggerhappy4199]

Gravity falls you can’t forget about one of the greatest animated shows of the last decade

[@jackystarboi3152]

AT LEAST DTVA still makes ORIGINAL IPs like ghost and molly and then haileys on it, which this should all be talked about more

[@nyanbonecrush]

Animation is a cinema. Cartooning shall never die. Unleash the power creativity. I shall be next to follow you in making these stories. -Me, University major directing in film and animation

[@raineterni2219]

Animation will never really disappear. It may go away from television, but as long as there is a platform for us artist to post, we won't stop doing what we love. No matter if it can't pay our bills. That's the nature of creatives. It's more about the stories we want to tell, less about profit. Otherwise the industry would die out long time ago with how terribly is this system treating visual artists.

[@ZarctheCelestialDuelist]

I hope mainstream companies could learn from inde animators and hire them to do more original works