I Found You is an endearing animated short, created using traditional animation (in which every frame is hand-drawn). It tells a story of a small fox, living in a deserted forest all by himself. His greatest dream is to find a special someone, who could become his friend.

Our goal is to make the two first minutes of what is planned to be a seven minutes-long animation happen.

I’d like you to take a second to recall all these old animated movies you’ve seen as a child. Their beauty and that certain charm, and the magic that remains in your heart for a long time. Traditional animation is a dying art, shrouded in the aura of beauty that can be found in today’s productions very seldom.

We’re all set to begin animating, the only thing we need now are funds. Animation has always been all about teamwork. Please help us gather the sum necessary to reward the other artists’ hard work - together we can make I Found You a truly magical piece. Every big journey starts with a first step. This is where ours begins.

Life is so much more beautiful when one can live it with their loved ones. But what about those who were never shown any affection? Can friendship still be born without knowing any real love?

There are two things that constantly fill our little fox’s burrow - his treasures and his loneliness. In the vast, deserted forest there are little to no creatures willing to play with this tiny potential predator. Which is why, while chasing a butterfly, he decides to venture deeper into the woods, onto the paths he had never walked before. What awaits him is… another fox!

The main theme of I Found You is loneliness and coping with it, and how sometimes what we’re looking for is closer than we think. I wanted to create a story that’s both bright and real, with the characters that anyone can identify with. The fox is lively, creative, and curious of the world the way small children are. With all of his ups and downs, this story will make you cry both out of laughter and sadness.

As I said, animation is all about team play. I can and am going to do everything I can with my own strength, but without any help delivering the animation may take years. Even now instead of working on the project I am working on saving up to pay for it. Our beautiful animatic, which is the base or a “rough sketch” of animation was done entirely on my own cost, as grants are rarely given to 2D animation projects in Poland. The beautiful art that traditional animation is has been left to die, together with all the artists who still want to create it. Without the funds I am in no way able to produce it - which is what brings me here.

Without the funds I can't gather a team in which every artist would be responsible for what's their forte (or what they feel suits them best for that matter) in order to create something absolutely brilliant together!

This is how, in a simplified version, the classic animation process looks like:

• So what exactly is your goal?
  

Creating fully rendered 2 minutes of animation, out of planned 7.

• Okay, but why only 2 minutes and not all of it?
  

There are a few reasons for that:

First of all, the cost is quite BIG, so I decided it would be more sensible to divide the fundraising process into 3 parts :) It's also beneficial to our lovely funders who may see our progress with every campaign.

Secondly, holding 2 minutes of fully done animation in my hand is of a great asset when searching for sponsors who would like to help me fund the rest of the project.

• Why won't you just do everything yourself instead of getting others involved?
  

Because I have already made a 6 minutes long animation all by myself (including the background ie a wooden model). It took me over 3 years, but I did it. I proved to myself that it is very much doable, so now when I'm asking you for help I can guarantee that the project will come to frutition, because I am, after all, an experienced animator. But now I want to create something much bigger! Animation isn't a team work for no reason - have you ever wondered why animated features, games and movies are so well-done? Because they're a work of many people, cooperating and taking care of what each of them is best at. I might be a graphic designer and do some programming but what does it matter? The outcome will be mediocre at best and it will still take a lot of time. This time I want to make it all really high-quality.

• Why won't you reach out to various institutions to get help?
  

You have no idea how long I've spent doing just that. The entirety of 2014 was just me knocking to every door available and writing hundreds of requests and applications. But there are close to no supporters of traditional animation in my country, and there are no projects or grants for young artists. Well, there are a few, but it will take a long time for me to gather enough money to qualify for their programs.

• Are you aware of how much money that is?
  

All too well. What I'm asking for is support, not financing the entire project, as I pay on my own for what I can. Thanks to your support the production would start anytime now, and not next year (which is an optimistic prediction).

• Alright, you'll make the animation and what then?
  

Firstly, the animation will travel across the world to various animation festivals, so that you and your family/friends can see it for yourself on the silver screen in your homeland. Plus I'd like it to be aired on TV, as having a sample of it I'll be able to try to make it a series or a feature film.

$5 - A Thank-You-Note

$10 - More Thank-You-Notes (this time on our website and social media sites)

$15 - Sneak Peeks! Lots of Them.

$20 - A Note You Get To Receive From Your Postman's Hands

$25 - Tiny Stickers!

$40 - One Pretty Poster

$50 - A Background Print

$75 - A Custom-made Wallpaper For Your Computer

$100 - Hand-drawn Fox

$150 - A Booklet With "I Found You" Sketches

$200 - A Foxy T-Shirt

$500 - Your Name Appears In The Credits

$750 - You Get To See The Thing Before Anyone Else

$1000 - You Get A Box Of Wonders

Can't contribute but still want to help? Worry not - sharing our campaign info and keeping a tab on our updates is plenty. Tell your friends, family, a friendly neighbour, your dog, tell everyone. We appreciate any and every kind of help. Thanks.