Short Summary
I am Johnathan Rozanski, better known as The Mysterious Mr. Enter on YouTube. I'm known for reviewing animations, which I've been doing for years now, learning what works in the medium and what doesn't I'm ready to make my own series now, or at least the pilot. I have been planning this series for years, building onto the world, and writing dozens of scripts. I feel that Growing Around can truly be an amazing cartoon, entirely creator driven, and free from network control; a show that tackles harsh themes with good humor.
What We Need
Here's a pie chart as to our budget allocation:
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This is a fixed funding campaign. If we either meet our goal or we don't get a cent
Example Plotlines
- The pilot episode is about Sally's brother Max, turning twelve. He knows that next year he's going to be a teenager and starts becoming more and more worried that he's getting older and won't be in charge anymore. Meanwhile, Sally's attempt to give him the best birthday ever no matter how many tries it takes isn't helping.
- When Sally and Max both grab a cereal box toy at the same time, the only way that they can solve the issue is by going to a court, run by kids.
- Sally comes across a town that's been driven into a post-apocalyptic state because the kids in charge don't want to stop a never-ending game of tag.
- Sally starts a pet-sitting service and bites off more than she can chew when she's forced to pet sit for everything from komodo dragons to kangaroos.
The Impact
Growing Around is a series that can resonate with all ages - it has something for everyone, where it be teaching you a lesson, making you feel, or just making you laugh - all through its immersive storytelling. Each episode will focus on a story, sometimes complex and sometimes wonderfully simple. Each episode can introduce something - make a major change to the dynamic of the series - or even completely change how you view a character. Topics such as death will be interwoven into the story, as to not just bring them up, but to handle them respectively and guide you through them. Complex issues are handled with nuance, and often the answers given don't turn out as black and white as you'd expect. Each episode is an immersive experience with a story for everyone.
Risks & Challenges
- Provided the pilot gets funded, every single episode is going to be its own little miracle. I don't know how well Patreon and ad revenue from existing episodes will continue the show after its pilot. In turn that means there will be no filler episodes. While not every single one will move the overarching plot in some significant way, every episode will have some kind of importance.
- This episode will most likely take longer than the typical nine months that it takes to make a cartoon episode as we try on different animation styles.
- This is my first cartoon. There is no way around this. I've never done this before. However, I am placing my future on this. I need this to be the best show that it could possibly be, or else this first cartoon will be my last.
Other Ways You Can Help
Not everyone has the ability to donate, but there are other ways that you can still help this project succeed.
- The most important thing to do is get the word out there. Even a little bit goes a long way in this case. Tell people on any social media you have, or even in the real world.
- You can join the Growing Around DeviantArt group, which will allow you to keep up to date on our current artistic decisions: https://growing-around.deviantart.com/. We appreciate the support
I Want to See Your Writing/Art
FAQ
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Do perks come with previous rewards? Yes, except for limited rewards, all previous rewards come with all lower-tiered rewards.
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How long will each episode be? Every single episode is around the 22-26 minute range, including the pilot.
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What style will the animation be? The show is going to be 2D Animated, like the model sheets and the poster.
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Do people age backwards? No. People are born babies, grow to kids, grow to teenagers, and then to adults.
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What do you mean by continuity-driven? Everything in every episode continues to the next episode. People keep and retain their experiences, lessons, adventures, and consequences.
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Do the adults act like kids, or vice-versa? The adults act like adults, and the kids act like kids.
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If you get more than you ask for, where will the extra money go? It will go into additional episodes. If there's not enough, it will go into other GA media, like comics/graphic novels, pieces of art, etc.
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Why is the animation budget so big? Because "animator" is one of the most tedious jobs in the world, drawing the same characters (usually not even your own) over and over, for hours on end. And for a project this big you would require a studio or team.
Final Thoughts
So, it looks like we're not going to make this goal. I admit that I was very ambitious in this endeavor. However, Growing Around isn't going to end with this. You can find my final thoughts here, and learn where we're going next: https://www.deviantart.com/mrenter/journal/Indi...