Behind the Scenes
Did you know it takes an average of 12 to 16 months to produce one 11-minute episode of an Animated TV show? That baby-and-a-half timeframe features more talented artists than a mid-size art museum, with teams responsible for Writing, Storyboards, Character Design, Animatics, Voice Records, Technical Direction, aaaaalllllllll the way to delivery of Final Color. Each step is not only crucial and beautiful, but can also be turned into multiple pieces of Social Media content to share with audiences hungry to learn more about this intensive process.
Development Drawings
Fans have loved seeing what their favorite characters looked like before the final versions, from the first-ever drawing on restaurant butcher paper (true story), a magical princess from another dimension, the more than 100 passed-on designs of a teenage frog, and how a classic Disney character was updated across multiple series. While the finished product is of course what matters most, these designs provide an inside look at the artistic process, helping brings fans closer to the shows they love.
Animatic -> Final
So, how exactly do you go from static Storyboards to finished episodes? Well, first the… wait, hold up… Rather than TELL you, howzabout we SHOW you with a series of videos that transition gracefully between sparse black & white drawings to painstakingly-animated final color, and sometimes show even more steps in between? Fans appreciate these videos, which have included “DuckTales”, “Gravity Falls”, “Star vs. The Forces of Evil”, “Phineas and Ferb”, and more, commenting not only on the quality of the artistry, but professing their love of the Animation process itself!
VO Sessions
Let’s hear it for the amazing actors we hear — but don’t normally see — who bring their Animated characters to life! This “Big City Greens” piece was reverse-engineered, with footage captured during a precious few minutes with the VO talent at a record for a completely separate session. The footage was then matched up, the studio tracks replaced the episode audio, and viola! Fans get a closer (albeit manufactured) look at how it all comes together.
