Why I ACTUALLY left the production on KIPO

[@TonikoPantoja]

Just to let you all know, this is not to boycott a show like Kipo. I love the team and the production, and I think Kipo is a great show. If you love the show, you should still love the show. I enjoyed my brief time at Kipo, my reasoning is more of corporate/management side and visas; rather than the creative side, which is a totally different department.

[@Mazanity]

So Epic!! Also your animation of Mandu so good!!

[@Usernameblank9891]

Like everything open to investors in any modern industry, it drags-in suitmen. They are not interested in any way in any artistic medium, call it animation, cinema, videogames, or else. they re there just for the money.

[@guzzuanim]

Ah, of course. The corporate always the root of the problems tbh, but not always. We're happy to see that you found some meaningful experience from this situation though! Thank you for your hard work and your dedication as always man

[@FurlowT]

With how good you are and fact you've got experience in the field, I really hope your able to get a citizenship if that's what your going for. That way you won't have the shady trick of using your visa over your head for the employment. I say citizenship because that would stand even higher over then a greencard that can get taken away fairly easily.

[@Itsant33]

The writing still needed work though.

[@teneesh3376]

This is why we need a union. Animators and artists are so mistreated, and this kind of story is way too common

[@tronophono913]

insulted and mistreated by people that don't take part in creation of content. Being an HR or hiring manager and taking pride of a company known for animation is false pride.

[@flax72l.a13]

¿¡Hold up you 2, what do you boys mean: "1-This is why we need a union. Animators and artists are so mistreated, and this kind of story is way too common 2-insulted and mistreated by people that don't take part in creation of content. Being an HR or hiring manager and taking pride of a company known for animation is false pride.", why do you say that, since when you animators and artists are getting insulted and mistreated by people who don't take part in creation of content, blah-blah-blah and what people that don't take part in creation of content-etc.!?

[@_Iscream]

You’re assuming the unions wouldn’t treat you worse.

[@clemsyaf9627]

​@@_Iscream unions *can* be corrupt, as any organization can, but yeah, that's a safe assumption. All available evidence points to unions improving working conditions

[@flax72l.a13]

¿What the heaven's Angels are you talking about?

[@ryansimmons5056]

I worked at Dreamworks Feature animation 1999-2001 and when getting hired they know they have the upper hand. They know you really need a job and they have the big company name and prestige behind them. I was previously an assistant animator at Warner Bros and applied at DW for the same position. They offered me and "inbetweener" position, which is lower and claimed that all of their assistant positions are full. She promised me that when an Assistant position opened I could apply for it and probably get it. I asked "if the Assistant positions are all full, why would another one open?" I kind of caught her in her empty promise. She said "uh, that is a good question that I don't have the answer to." I worked there for two years and I realized that with a big company like that, you just end up a tiny cog in a giant machine. They don't care about your multiple talents or goals, they just want you to do what you are assigned to do and be grateful for it.

[@Ojo10]

That's really sad. People put way to much praise in studios for the work they put out, but they don't deserve any of it. All of the credit should go to the people who's talent and work made the show.

[@uninvincibleete]

"""""Animation director doesn't exist in the TV pipeline"""""""""????? The absolute gaslighting!!!! I've worked in only TV animation and we not only have animation directors, we sometimes even have episode-specific directors, what an absolutely transparent lie.

[@Ojo10]

Did he just expect him to forget every end credit he ever saw and be like "oh yeah silly me!" 🤪

[@dust.runner]

For real, nobody would say that if we were talking about live action, right? They probably just didn't want to pay more for listed higher level role and/or put those duties on multiple other people instead of a position to save money. Oof

[@uzelok_21]

I like this kind of content, I think there should be more useful videos about the experience of corporate / organizational life in the animation industry, and not just the creative side. We all know how to make cartoons, but how not to be thrown out of the country because of a visa is a completely different question...

[@_aiborie]

Agreed! Toniko had a video about working visas 2 years ago and that one was as illuminating as this one.

[@droidigan]

big agree!! i graduated in animation and my first internship was such a shock to me, a true reality check, that i became so daunted and don't know how to break into the animation industry anymore. I work as a cleaner atm but this shit sucks bro!! 😭

[@Matthimeo]

You occasionally see recruiters like that where the strategy is to intimidate people since so many animators are very introverted and non-confrontational people, but the moment people call their bluff and leave they switch tunes and act like they are your friend.

[@noseboop4354]

People who are bullies at school usually move on to become recruiters.

[@nathanhollow0]

God you're a big name in the art world and they still try to take advantage of you. Imagine the little ones 😰Working with higher ups that only think about maximum profit is so frustrating

[@rockon8174]

🙄🙄🙄

[@frozenspots928]

As an animator on a visa myself this enraged me... Your decision was absolutely valid

[@Drezyy]

i always wondered why the first episode of kipo was animated so well

[@Alphanubilus1]

Thank you for sharing. So many people are oblivious to the realities of this business. I remember when I first got into screenwriting. At first it was a whirlwind of blessings. I met an Aussie producer. He loved my work, but wasn’t in a position to produce anything, but instead helped me get an agent. We pitched a project to Universal Studios (Hour of Darkness) and our contact there loved the project and wanted to take it on… W/O paying me. Not even an option. My agent negotiated and they finally agreed. Went to sign the contract and it was a no show. My producer friend called them up and right at the last second they decided to NOT go forward with my script. Another company wanted me to adapt a book, but didn’t want to pay me until the project was in production. It was maddening to say the least.

[@coleydotmp4]

takes a LOT of courage to talk about this stuff in such a small industry. I applaud you for painting a realistic picture of the anim industry.

[@Splat654]

Well Kipo for me was one of those Netflix shows which shifted my perspective on animation. I used to think that animation shows with developing throughout the series plot is suppoused to be polished to a perfection. I was a huge ATLA fan, so maybe that was my origin of belief. What i noticed with Netflix's Shera, Kipo and Centaurworld cartoons, is that they all lacked something in writings. The start and few episodes would be great, but engings, and things like world building and something else would really lack logic or smth else. The shows are still great, and they have their strong sides. But when i was a beginer, i thought that this is impossible for new released animation shows to be aired without fixing all or at least major writing flaws. I was surprised to see in real time that not only regular viewers could simply not notice those flaws at all. But even with them being noticed, it doesnt affects show to be loved by fans. I was a very nasty toxic perfectionist to myself, but this opened my perspective and gave me drive and realisation, that, even if i end up making my own series with some flaws, it doesnt mean it wont have its viewers because of it. It wont have its viewers only if i dont make it at all, which my toxic perfectionism was leading me to. I hope this comment didnt turned out offensive.

[@Diamondfoxy-ot2wc]

Doesn't sound offensive to me at all! As a someone who constantly worries about making a show and asking muself"will it have big flaws??" "Are a lot of people going to think it's cringey, dumb, Could It ever be as good as I want it, will I disappoint myself?". As someone who struggles with keeping my perfectionism in check this comment resonates with me. Thanks for your two cents.

[@WhoAmIHmmm]

I really dislike the amount of forced conflict that is used to explain how did the world of kipo turned apocaliptic Legit, the army is literally non-existent before animals turned into magnimals, they would've probably dealt with the them relatively easy (or maybe it'd be hard but like, they got huge guns that could destroy the big magnimals with ease) Also, the high tech lab in which kipo's father and mother used to live doesn't even has some sort of high tech and powerful armor or weapon, the best thing they got for defense are crossbows 💀

[@Splat654]

@@WhoAmIHmmm yeah exactly, like those logic flaws remind me of Winx club, i havent watched it since i was 10 but i think it had a lot of wholes in its plot, they even remind me the Winx club by some of their unserious vibe. But to be honest, my own stories are similar to it, but bad example is also very needed to see, because you could look at it and learn how to not do it. I however understand thatm unfortunatelly i dont think i will be surely create something as great as ATLA, so making something similar to Netflix shows doesnt feel like as tragic to me as i thought in past. Because creators really need to create, even if the outcome could be like that. I am sure the author of Kipo will be only better with his plots and project in the future.

[@Splat654]

@@Diamondfoxy-ot2wc bro i am so happy to hear that, goof luck on your journey

[@WhoAmIHmmm]

@@Splat654 yeah, the army wouldn't even need to use nukes lol and yeah, there isn't even a proper explanation as to how the whole outbreak happened so I hope the creator of kipo improves with their writing skills in the future

[@chayadol]

I'm sorry for what you've experienced my dude, too bad that this things happen more than I can count. Some higher up (not all of them tho) love throwing shit to us, a lower rank workers. Every time when we asked for more raise, they always have excuse like the budget of the show is tight, but they ok with go back and forth with their production or hiring their friend who acted like they never work on any show before (even tho they have like 5+ years of experience) My friend who work on one very famous show, doing hand draw with 100+ frames a week of quotas, got way less money than me who work on 2D rig. He has to do a lot unpaid OT for hitting the deadline and they love his animation a lot, but once he asked for more raise (basically equal to what I got) they just down right guilt trip him, said those number are for higher up position which is not true at all lol So he basically burnt out and quiet after that. Don't know what he's doing rn tho. It's really tragic really put a bad taste in my mouth every time I see that show advertisement. Ps. Fun fact, if you look at the credit of the tv show, Disney never ever gave any people who work outside USA a credit, you'll see only a outsource studio name which suck for a lot my friend since they can't have the show name on IMDB page, Warner Brother used to do the same but they've changed to give more credit now. The one that gave everybody credit (from what I've seen so far) is Nickelodeon. I honestly don't know why it's so hard for them to give people outside USA a credit.

[@TonikoPantoja]

From what I heard (and don't quote me on this), its also a vendor studio thing - not just a USA system that refuses to credit animators in the said vendor studios. For example, an animation service studio not wanting other studios (or other service animation studios) to lure out and hire their current animators. Again, I'm not sure if this is 100% true, and it could be a case by case issue. I have just heard it multiple times.

[@chayadol]

@@TonikoPantoja That's actually make a lot of sense lol , also I heard somes said it's about tax things as well. It's just......... if Nickelodeon and now Warners can do it, why can't Disney-TV, :,( (Maybe they're too big to give one) From what I've checked so far, they're only one that have 100% rate of zero credit of other people outside USA. (I could missed some tho) Basically you can kissed your credit good bye if you work under an outsource studio under Disney TV, They seem to have more time to credit Lawyer and Accountant tho lol it's really a true mystery for everyone that I've talked with, right after how did the hand animation work, lol XD

[@dust.runner]

​@@TonikoPantoja that's not right.. regardless of other complications or their role/amount of time in the project I really believe anyone who had a hand in a work should be credited. And I never considered that would mean it wouldn't be possible for artists to list the work as a credit either. :/

[@BelBelle468]

One of the recent owl house episodes was special cuz it was the first time they credited the ppl who worked at the outsourced studio. They should just do it consistently now, they gain nothing from crediting ppl, but those ppl gain a lot.

[@DeadGuye1995]

@@TonikoPantoja hmm thats interesting in that, it could create a weird League of legends type problem. Imagine Disney hires all of Studio Ghibli. Good for Ca, bad for Japan. But the show will come out either way, its just who pays who and who takes what jobs. At the end of the pipeline Japan and USA both want the $1billion dollars from Spirited Away to go to them.

[@arachnidsLor]

it has to be horribly stressful to always have to worry about a visa when you just want to work on things. im sorry you had an experience like that! i watched kipo because of the short clips i saw on your channel and ended up loving it. your work shown here and overall is wonderful.

[@CalebYoder15]

Your experience with DWATV being weird and constantly lowballing is not uncommon. My salary nearly doubled after I left that studio. I think their reputation is catching up to them though. But now that artists don’t want to work for them, they’re just outsourcing entire shows overseas 🙄

[@noahbossier1131]

Makes sense

[@noahbossier1131]

Makes sense. Is that why the studio doesn’t want to greenlight any orginal shows and only IP stuff

[@CalebYoder15]

@@noahbossier1131 Not sure that’s the exact reason. Existing IPs tend to perform better and studios like to play it safe

[@noahbossier1131]

@@CalebYoder15 makes sense. But I hope their is more new IPs from indies and DTVA because DTVA really likes to balance new and old IPs

[@Dave102693]

That explains why companies want to bring in AI to replace animation staffs

[@NelsonStJames]

The more insider stories I hear about the workings of "the industry" I'm amazed so many beginning filmmakers and animators make working in Hollywood their ultimate goal, when it seems that independent studios are the only ways to go if the artistic and craft of cinema are what someone really wants to do. Why wait decades to get into the position to be able to tell your own stories -- especially now -- when you can probably reach that goal faster doing it on your own.

[@pooolB]

You're decision was 100% valid, that's some nasty business practice right there they straight up tried to gaslight you. With that and the weird hiring droughts as of late, I'm honestly not surprised there's a rise in animation industry people getting agents

[@misanthropiclusion]

It's very peculiar to me that they really do not distribute people based on the amount of talent (experience, practice and expertise they have) and what areas they have a strenght in but rather some arbitrary form that I can only assume is to cheapen costs of production and get whoever is at the top richer. It is SO common as you said to hire someone for backgrounds but then they have them do 3 other jobs that they did not get hired to do and you can't complain because then you "burn bridges" or get black listed.

[@ChristopherCricketWallace]

they were trying to take advantage of you and you caught the trick. Good on you for staying sharp. Keep your eyes open and protect your career at all costs. These companies will abuse you as much as you'll accept. Also, when you do join a union, run this story past them and ask them how they would have handled it. Do that for educational purposes to be better prepared in the future. Ask "what should I have done?" and "Why is that the best play" (legally and professionally).

[@jamwrightiam]

yeah what you're describing is a horrible problem in the industry, the corporate side of things is a nightmare to even get through, let alone have to depend on. I'm genuinely am glad you were able to make this video and explain this type of situation so well, it means a lot to others who are going though similar situations

[@Wyattoons]

Dang… I’m sorry to hear the negotiations soured like that. It really sucks.

[@calebditch8648]

Hey, you know, as a fellow inspired artist, I think that you getting to work on this show was a true blessing even if it was a certain amount of time, and I wish you luck on future projects like these you've shown❤❤

[@spinningpeanut]

Thanks for sharing. The industry side of animation is all hidden away under buzzwords like artistry, creativity, talented, and making history. Total transparency about industry practices helps prepare young or new animators and artists for the hellish landscape. My dreams of animation died a long time ago because of these kinds of practices and I stopped doing animation work for myself because I felt it pointless. I wanted to be a storyboard artist or character designer. I still do artwork, I still do my own designs for my Dungeons and Dragons characters, toon boom pro 2 was too much of a pain in the ass to work with and felt limiting so I haven't animated a thing, up until recently when I decided my skills were getting good enough to just go ahead and buy Clip Studio. It's still just a hobby for me, some chump change here and there from furries, but thanks to learning how my dream companies like Disney treat their artists I never wanted to work in the animation industry again. It's heart breaking. I genuinely hope these practices change.

[@LeBongFairy]

If your motions were in kipo..? Oh my goddd the show would be even better!!! I am envious of your ability to just... go with it, I always panic when my drawings suck too much and don't get very far

[@yunogasai1338]

I adore kipo and even bought the dvd. I'm sorry you had a rough time. I wish artists would be treated with more care. I appreciate your hard work and hope you get to enjoy your next project. This video has been very enlightening on the goings on in the animation industry.

[@frogthehuman258]

Honestly dude, thanks for sharing. This kind of information is helpful and informative. I wish more people shared their stories :)

[@brenolad]

I'm not surprised. DWA lowball like crazy, that's one reason why I left too. I have some immigration stories with DWA as well... oh boy!

[@aegisblze]

They really don't wanna pay people these days, sheesh. Sorry you had to go through that

[@greyscaleadaven]

I know this isn't really super correlated, but I have similar worries of these same things happening to me going into the game design industry. It's good to hear stories like yours because it helps many of us going into creative fields learn how things are and to do our research on rates so we can put our foot down when someone is slighting us. Ironically, the biggest thing I see with people in my industry is hubris. They think they're going to become the next Miyamoto when there are so many reasons why that is just not a realistic goal. Sadly, some professors even encourage this kind of thinking from an obvious perspective of "oh you can do anything if you just try" and it makes me feel bad for those who let it get to their heads. I could see many of those types of people ending up either dissatisfied with their job when they really get in the industry, or settling for something thinking it'll be a work up the chain kind of job. Neither mentalities are something I want to subscribe to, because both lead to burnout/financial ruin and with the average job life expectancy of game designers being 5 years it would be an inevitability at that point. Personally, I just want to work on games because I think they help people in a lot of ways, myself included. I get why people have such lofty goals and expectations for themselves, but in my personal experience they tend to crash and burn during production when they can't make a AAA game with 4-5 people in 3-6 months. I can't imagine juggling a visa with all that pressure though, that's a lot of extra legwork and I honestly commend anyone who deals with that. Great video that really highlights some major issues with industry professionals not respecting their workers.

[@jobarangan7714]

Dreamworks TV (management) does some shady things like this all the time from what I can understand. I looked at their job listings and they're offering 16.50 for their internships. Minimum wage? In LA? Pixar's offering 21.50 for their internship for reference!!

[@JoshRobertsonArt]

I feel for you Toniko. I experienced a LOT of what you talk about from some Canadian Animation studios. Side note, there are Animation Director/Supervisor roles on TV productions incase you didn't get that proper information. I hope things turn up for the better for you!

[@impagain]

Not me learning through this video that I'm being underpaid for my storyboard revisionist position... not by a lot, but it's good to know this info so I can negotiate better! I literally had no idea what to fight for, so thank you!

[@SorcererLance]

Ugh, they definitely were trying to cheat you so they could try to maximize their profits as much as possible. The team lost a massively talented artist/animator.

[@NicoleHam]

Keep posting man. Videos like these demystify the industry and lay bare what our biggest issues are/can be!!

[@MissWascallyWabbit]

Interesting story, and valuable food for thought for people entering the industry! It's incredible how unaligned upper management can be with the wishes of head creatives, not to mention shifty... Also it pains me that Kipo was almost done in my neck of the woods and that I could have hypothetically animated on it!!

[@cha0s.switch]

Man, that sounded real tough...I hope nothing else like that happens to you again. And, I have a question: is working in animation or character design possible in somewhere that isn't the USA? I'm from the UK, and really hoping there's a way I could work in my homeland-

[@Silver01Son]

I'm not in the UK, but I'm pretty sure there's some good opportunities there!

[@chairdog]

Animation as a career isn't exclusive to the usa, don't worry! Although the UK is a smaller country it still has tons of animation opportunities, just look at all the uk-made cartoons out there

[@amberbydreamsart5467]

I'm an american, and actually my first 2d animator job was in the UK! There's a lot of work there for pre-k style shows, I honestly was very tempted to go for citizenship considering the strength of the industry there, but COVID necessitated I move back stateside. Honestly, the USA is really weak for 2d character animation right now - most american studios outsource the animation to studios in places like canada, south korea, and ireland

[@amberbydreamsart5467]

that said - i'm speaking to 2d TV animation. Character design is sometimes part of the outsource studio, sometimes part of the parent studio, and is a much much more high skill niche job, a much more difficult position to pursue and something that I don't know much of anything about - I personally am not much of a designer so it's not a field that I look into much

[@Moodboard39]

​@@amberbydreamsart5467 how they outsource ?

[@LisaNaniOfficial]

The part about burning bridges is so dirty and gross... Corp reps always make threats over the phone because it's rarely on a recorded line and they can get away with their manipulation. Your talent will always shine through. I hope you continue to follow your animation dreams.

[@alvarotavares1966]

The more I hear what happens behind the curtain of the industry, the more firmly my animations skills get put into "hobby" territory. Definitely don't wanna deal with all that, it might just ruin the art for me.

[@chordsofsteel-i4j]

I always wanted to become a professional at animation but I'm scared now because of this stuff ;(

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

Same think happened to me with script writing. I now work in Stage Management since it’s still entertainment adjacent, but I don’t feel like my creative soul is being chewed on and spit out.

[@randommics]

Me too. Better work with something else that I also love and be paid, safe, healthy and use the free time to do it as a hobby.

[@Velossitee]

Dude. You deserve that rate up, your animations are smooth and jagged and I love it. I'm working on something myself. Hoping everyone will be able to see it soon..

[@dr.koupop880]

I'm glad you stood up for yourself, I wish you a bright future. And you're right, best to do your personal projects if studios are going to take too much control: promising you something different than what you got.

[@sarahdelgado3519]

Thanks so much! Your stories give us an insight we truly need. Just dont overwhelm yourself too much. 🤓👍

[@nutzeeer]

your kipo animation test looks cool!

[@SakuraKaay]

That is how corporate America works. That sounds like HR management in every job with big companies. Whether you're animator or not. It sucks but they will try to get the most out of you for the less money. And yes, you'll have responsibilities that were not in the job description. I'm just glad you know your worth :)

[@seekittycat]

I remember as a beginner and thinking how lucky I am to have joined a creative team full of nice people. Like wow all these nightmare stories and everyone in my team is so nice I'm so lucky. Little do I know if I ever needed to leave my artist bubble for important things like pay or help from HR that's where the problems lie.

[@TrikoVR]

I'm brand new to animating and the industry and see the reels is really cool I feel like I could learn a lot from you and your channel!!! also heavy insight into the industry

[@elenatheartistandgamer2001]

as an up-and-coming animator this is eye-opening.

[@bbludacious]

This was super interesting to watch! Personally I’m interested in starting my own animation studio if I could, but on my journey there I’ve been trying to get more info on the current animation industry so thanks for sharing!

[@ghostie7790]

I've heard similar things about the management at Dreamworks from friends who've worked there.

[@loftknight]

Good cautionary story expressed. Its good advice to know of some of the possible sleaze that can occur when interacting with the business aspect of animation. Lawyers was not something I expected that would come in handy, or needing to stand your ground lmao.

[@arkanimation9833]

I 1,000% believe that companies in this country pull that amateur bullshit on you as if you haven’t got credits under your belt because either the hiring agent or those who are budgeting for the project thought they’d save favor with higher ups if they messed you over. The fact companies pull this stuff on people working with visas or trying to get residencies they know most people don’t have leverage, I just hoped this kind of nonsense wouldn’t be a thing that happens even in animation. We need to improve our system for immigrants and immigration as a whole. It incentivizes poor treatment to those valuable workers in our industries who are in the process of getting citizenship or visa which as I’ve learned in recent years they don’t make it easy. Like the person might not know but you are an amazing artist and a true asset to the animation community. Your KZbin videos have been shown in college lectures due to how well you breakdown the process. Cheers to you and I hope that never happens to you again, only the best and hopefully one day we may work at the same studio.

[@theseusthestinker]

I enjoyed whatching Kipo so much. I literally whacted it 5 times over and over again

[@trevormckenzie7688]

YOU WERE ANIMATING KIPO?!??? KEWL I WATCHED IT ALL AND IT WAS a-m-a-z-i-n-g-!-!-!

[@jaywerner8415]

I LOVE Kipo and the Wonderbeasts. Really gives off that "Avatar The Last Airbender" vibes or something similar.

[@kadenharley8232]

I love Kipo❤️💕!! And I respect your decision ☺️

[@boomertiro1422]

"I ended up working on The Croods 2" I am so sorry to hear that. I hope you're doing better now.

[@TonikoPantoja]

the croods 2 was awesome. I enjoyed my time on it.

[@boomertiro1422]

@@TonikoPantoja Glad to hear it, I was just joking.

[@jackisbored2608]

@@TonikoPantoja I liked it!

[@10weslleynereu]

I'm sorry for you and thanks for sharing! The more people share the more we know we are not alone and learn we can stand up for our worth and mental healthness

[@subice2158]

I like videos like this. I feel like work culture could really improve if workers in their respective industries shed light on all these things that go on to any one looking to come in.

[@EscapeReality123]

As a person who's biggest dream is to work as an animator in animation industry, it breaks my heart whenever I hear stories like this. Thank you for sharing it with us tho, we need to spread awareness how artists are being mistreated.

[@Spicyranch67]

I love kipo and know that I knew you helped with it I love you 😊

[@elisalikesbread]

I appreciate hearing your perspective, as someone who is interested getting into the industry its very helpful :)

[@gitbiran2981]

You do lot of hardwork keep hustling bro

[@Virianwastaken]

kipo was such a therian awakening for me, sorry you went through this.

[@Pazu84Vaucluse]

Thanks Toniko for your videos, they are very well explained! I enjoy them a lot.

[@IAmBuddythedecibwave]

Learning how cutthroat the animation industry is on business side was a major downer for me in college. First, there was the mass firings at Disney when they moved to cgi animation. (An entire studio gone. EVERYONE let go who wouldn't adapt. Countless jobs lost and a backwash of unemployed animators as a result.) Then there was the kind of political stuff that borderlined on infringing upon people's freedom of speech and expression at the studios. There's a reason a lot of people in animation have framed Mickey as a rat and not a mouse....I hope you are moving on to better things. Indie animators have it the hardest.

[@SkyfishArt]

America is so dystopic.

[@slappyfun]

Thanks for sharing! It does sound weird but totally believable. Sounds just like some managers/admin. You're right to resist.

[@Mazanity]

Kipo is amazing!!!

[@amihodges4899]

I feel like I learned a lot from this.

[@Captain_Raine]

I love Kipo

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

Thanks for sharing and yeah that was bad of them like really bad I'm glad it all worked out for you and as someone born in the US and who's family helped build it I have to say it's absolutely worth becoming a citizen if you can. Which for my work my main goal is to help people and build a community... I have that now 11 years in... Next to be able to afford my living and not have to live because of other caring for me and lastly is to build a media empire... I'm 27 and sill have a long road ahead which good luck to you and anyone reading this!

[@BCGraphixArt]

Ayyyye I use to love KIPO

[@midnightreyna6897]

Same!

[@r1cklain]

I would rather not play down the story itself, issues mostly lie within the management

[@cinderheart8545]

Management and higher ups are so frustrating. I hear very little good about the ones in the animation industry especially. Here's hoping things go better for you. I was really surprised, too, I didn't even know you had been on Kipo!

[@waitingonamonabel]

Hello Toniko! I'm not sure if you'll see this comment, but as a Filipino myself aspiring to work in the art industry in the States, do you ever experience racism or discrimination in the industry?

[@kootunesscrewy]

Tbh, I wasn't a big fan of this cartoon (and I didn't start watching this until 2022), but I think it was pretty good. Also, I understand and feel bad for you.

[@Amethiist143]

Aw man, I’m sorry you had to go through that. that’s rough.

[@Lovehandels]

Oh shit! I didn't know I was subbed to someone who worked on a show I watched!

[@BorosTheGamer]

i love KIPO so much, it was amazing. 💞

[@JazzyWaffles]

Stuff like this is why unions are so important. The company only cares about the bottom dollar, unions are there to make sure they remember (if begrudgingly) that their workers are human beings. Be sure to always unionize if possible, folks!

[@DevinParker]

There's so much art and beauty we never get to see because of middle managers and corporate executives doing all they can to exploit the artists who actually do the work. It's infuriating.

[@Wildbert]

Kino is Epic Thx for That

[@moodynagaty3446]

You R real dreamer I wish you the best

[@JunniorStarLight]

That NDA no longer Chaining you nice

[@northernjohn5089]

Darn you Netflix.

[@bunbunshark]

Damn every animation coperation really trying to gastlight, gatekeep, girl boss and it ain't working. Rip Kipo & other cool Dreamworks shows that got cancelled or ruined

[@Pazu84Vaucluse]

You are also a very good teacher, have you thought of teaching in art schools?

[@karolinakuc4783]

I think KZbin has faced some good crowdfunded projects like David James Armsby's series Autodale and Dinosauria

[@punnypuns5103]

I would advise if they promise you something, ask for it in writing in your contract with realistic measures you need to meet to get there

[@BCGraphixArt]

Wow!!

[@fornogoodreason551]

I've seen keepo first season. need to get back to season 2.

[@sirshmoopyfox]

I hope we get to see Dream bandits one day!

[@Milan23_]

Thanks amazing story, you did right

[@filipemecenas]

Thanks for sharing this !

[@junglecat4480]

you worked on the croods 2? I rewatched that movie so many times!

[@maxdon2001]

Great video!

[@Miko-Arts18]

Toniko this question just runaway pop into my head up but I still want to know if this is a thing so okay I'm going to go in a 2d animation After High School and I wanted to know did they teach you how to animate with clothes and how to design characters or is that a character designer

[@ash-cs8xm]

you should join project city as a teacher and director you'd be a great fit there

[@pinkamena11fazpony27]

Hey I am thinking of making a TV show with it's own Streaming service, I need all the help I can get.

[@ismininotonline]

Every kid wants to work for companies like Disney and DreamWorks...every adult loaths it

[@ninaschmidt3619]

What about the movie? Is that gonna happen someday?

[@wildgrem]

For those curious an O-1 is about 10K USD for expedited forms + lawyer fees.

[@TonikoPantoja]

I did multiple O-1s and I don't recall/remember being that high. 10K USD was what I paid for the EB1 (O1 on steroids or the green card application)

[@wildgrem]

@@TonikoPantoja depends on who you go with I suppose. The form itself is not that expensive but after expedition fees, lawyer fees etc. we paid just under 10K. Our friend who we referred to the same lawyer got some fees waived because of the referral (which we didn't have) and it ran her 7-8K USD.

[@TonikoPantoja]

@@wildgrem 7-8k sounds a bit closer, I remember o1s with lawyer services was between 5-6kish depending.

[@wildgrem]

@@TonikoPantoja Also gotta say that in the last 2 years EVERYTHING got more expensive, and I mean everything. Not sure when you got your last O-1 but ours were done Dec 2021.

[@TonikoPantoja]

@@wildgrem makes sense!