Animation

Hey animators and storytellers — I’m developing an animated series called Cole Heart, set in a brutal city ruled by supernatural forces. It's action-heavy with a cold, dark visual tone (think Castlevania meets Spawn). For those experienced in animation: how do you balance intense action with emotional storytelling without losing momentum or overloading scenes visually? Any advice or favorite examples you’ve seen done right?

There are rules for the official and unofficial continuation of works (works that belong to their creator) or the creation of different versions (such as from a book to a movie or vice versa). These rules include how to make quality changes, continue, and combine with other works. If these rules are not adhered to, the project will be merely a fan-made work. Additionally, it may cause the original version of the work to become surrounded by poor quality examples over time.

Official Rule / Unofficial Rule

1- If the owner of a character and a work is a company, an agreement must be made with them. (This rule is extremely strict, especially in the animation and film industry. While it prevents the separation of the owners of the work and the formation of sequels, it also ensures that the originality and quality of the work are preserved and that the work is known and preserved worldwide until it is taken up again at the right time.) / If the work's creator is alive, the character and the work should be worked on in a way that is connected to her/his, whether she/he is with the company or not. (The person who knows the work best and can comment on it best is the creator of the work. By proceeding with the scenarios that will emerge in her/his mind, the essence of the work is preserved and both the quality and continuity of the project are maintained. The main point to note is that even if the creator does not take an active role in the project, he/she should still have comments or at least some conditions.)

2- Work should be done according to what the copyright of a work covers. For example, Bambi is originally a storybook. Therefore Disney only owns the animation rights. This year, another company filmed the work as a horror film, and the script was almost completely independent of the book. However, Disney, Marvel and other animation companies also benefit from this. First, they transform the works they publish as animations or comics into a different category (such as movies with famous actors instead of animation) and create different scenarios and stories. This process is also done within the same category (such as producing other animation examples with different stories from the animated work). There is a logical system behind this processes and we can call it "Visual Tone" and "Multiple Story Universes". I will talk about this in another article. / If the author of the work is not alive and there are no posthumous copyright issues (e.g. the sequel to Tintin could not be made after Herge's death due to her family), more obvious changes can be made to the work. However, care must be taken not to disrupt the unity of the story and the author of the work. (For example, after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died, many Sherlock Holmes works were published both officially and unofficially. Although there were changes in time, place and character, they were produced in a way that remained true to the essence of the work and its author, that is, the way everyone knew him.) However, in some cases, exceptional works can be produced, provided that the rules are adhered to. The horror movie Bambi that I just mentioned is an example of this. Especially in works where everyone has adopted the story and character in a certain way for a long time, the production of scenarios in which this change is made has become quite common lately. The main thing that is done is to show the characters in their adopted good or bad states and as the story progresses it becomes clear that they are not like that. Disney's work in recent years is based on this. For example, in Maleficent or Cruella, it is shown that the people we know as evil characters are actually good but victimized people. This process is usually achieved by producing the work in a different category than the one in which it was published (Disney's recent films were an example of the transition from animation to film with actors). However, major comic book companies like Marvel or DC are famous for their examples of the same genre (Dc or Marvel comic book universes).

These two rules are originally based on a Greek paradox: The Ship of Theseus

To summarize briefly, if the original parts of a ship wear out over time and all its parts are replaced with new ones, is that ship still the original or will it be another ship that looks exactly like the original? This paradox still has an important place today. So much so that scriptwriters who want to produce new things from works whose influences are known or who use various works to find an original idea are unknowingly proceeding from this paradox. Although there are many answers to this paradox, we, the scriptwriters, actually benefit from the practical one. Think about it this way: if we were to bring Theseus and show him the ship with all its parts changed, looking exactly the same as the original, and ask him if this was your ship, what would his answer be? The answer he gives will determine the quality of the work and will ensure the continuation of the project. If the answer is "Yes, this is my ship." then this scenario is a quality and workable scenario with the changes made by the scriptwriter. If the answer is "No, this is not my ship." then there are some points to consider. The most important of these is that the character has a different character structure than the one in the work and that the people who are or are not in the work are included in the scenario.

I would like you to pay attention to the fact that these rules should always be adhered to, but they should not be adhered to too tightly because there is a side of a work presented to the world that is independent of its author. For example, V for Vendetta is originally a comic book, but its film has an equally important place. Despite this, the author of the work did not like the parts of the film that were different from the work and did not want his name to be on the film poster. Interestingly, even if the author did not like it, the film still has the feature of being a cult film today. This shows that with a correct script, it is possible to produce a quality work that is independent of the main work. Another example is N. D. Stevenson's different treatment of Nimona in his own comic book as an animation. Stevenson also ensured that She-ra, who was connected to He-man, was reconsidered, and in my opinion, a groundbreaking work emerged.

Another example can be seen in universes such as Marvel and DC, where there are multiple universes. Each universe includes versions of the characters with different stories than their first works. However, there is a point to be noted. The DC and Marvel universes progress with an extremely deep-rooted and solid infrastructure. Thanks to this, they are able to have such independent universes in a quality manner. The best part of these multiple universes is that they were made under the supervision of the creators of the main characters, such as Stan Lee. In this regard, there are two films that I can perhaps call the pinnacle of the animation industry. One of these is Spider-Man: Jump to Spider-Verse and the other is Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans. Almost all the universes have played a role in these two films, both actively and passively.

When all these are considered, it is observed that the presentation of various types of works to the world is a difficult but extremely deep and complex system. One of the biggest difficulties in this regard is to show the work to those around us in the way we see it. This issue forms the basis of Wittgenstein's philosophy. The main problem of lack of communication between people is that they cannot transfer the pictures in their minds to the other party without any changes and therefore cannot observe the same thing.

Another problem is about fans. I am also a fan of many of the works I have covered, but there is a bad side to doing too much fan fiction on a work. Too much fan fiction done without adhering to the rules I have listed above causes especially discontinued works to be overshadowed in popular culture, to be misunderstood and, to be honest, to be treated in a way they do not deserve. Although it may not seem like a big problem at first glance, unfortunately, this is a mistake. First of all, falling into such a situation harms the entire originality and independence of the work. If everyone starts to accept the work in its fan fiction form instead of its original form, unfortunately, this situation causes the original work to lose its importance and even to be overshadowed. This means both deceiving others and violating the copyright of the work. If you are not careful, there is a risk of being buried under a huge avalanche of fan fiction instead of one or two pieces. Fortunately, with the copyrights and the emergence of quality works in compliance with the rules above, this situation does not happen often. However, there is always a danger especially for works that do not have a sequel (I think that works that are expected to be continued, such as The Owl House, face this danger). Another problem is that it discourages those who want to produce quality and official works on this subject. While it is inspiring to approach a work from different perspectives, on the other hand, if you are not careful, it can complicate things and cause the scriptwriter to have doubts and lose their enthusiasm. Marvel and DC have many works, both their own and in the fanfiction genre. However, as I mentioned above, their deep-rooted and solid infrastructure and the universe system they have established within themselves ensure that they are not negatively affected by this and always improve.

The introduction of a work to the world is through these means. In fact, if it is considered universally, all works are actually a singular and parallel universe cluster in the same environment. Therefore, a relationship can be established both within themselves and among themselves. My aim is to consider these as a larger project but to base them on a universal reference, that is, a common point for all of them. When you look at it, I want to combine all the animation/film works that have existed since 1923 and those that have not yet been animated/filmed with a beautiful story. I may seem like I want to make a utopia, but I assure you that I have no such intention. I just want to reveal how our own universe has a reality and the reality of the film industry, especially the animation industry.

In my last post, I stated that there is a logical system behind publishing a work in a different scenario as the same genre (such as the first work being animated and then presented as an animation in its modified form) or a different genre (such as the first work being a comic book and then presented as an animation), and I said I will explain it in another post.

I will try to explain this system, which I call "Visual Timbre and Multiple Story Universes", in detail in this post, but before that post;

I recommend you to read my post at

https://www.stage32.com/lounge/animation/Universal-Rules-for-Continuing-...

Seeing can simply be explained as the light reflected from objects reaching our eyes and then being transmitted to our brain to form an image. So what are the effects of this situation on human perception?

From the moment we are born and start using our sense of sight, we observe and interpret the interactions of people, objects and events around us, both with us and with each other. In addition, over time, we learn that what we see around us does not have to appear only as it appears to us, but can appear as we want it to appear in our brains (imagination) and even exist in the world we see as works of art (paintings, comics, movies, etc.).

So how is it that we can visually distinguish between the world our eyes see and the worlds we see in works? How is it that we can even distinguish between worlds that appear to us as the world we see?

The term "Timbre" used in sound science indicates that two sound sources can be heard in a unique way by the human ear even if they have the same frequency and wavelength. Thanks to this feature, the sounds we hear from a violin and a guitar are different from each other.

The same logic applies to visuals. Although they all come to our eyes as the same photons (the speed of light is constant, although it varies depending on the environment it is in, and this value is obtained by the conservative multiplication of the frequency of light and its wavelength), we can distinguish the works from the world we see and from each other with the different images formed in our brains. This is what I call "Visual Timbre".

This feature has many benefits. For example, it is based on this that animation and comics are considered separate categories from other genres. However, one point should be noted. Animated films are formed by replacing each visual frame in a sequential manner. Therefore, even if you look at only one frame instead of a film, you will still get the same timbre of the image. Simply put, the timbre of the whole is the same for each part. This important point is the same for animation, comics and everything else that is visual.

Another benefit is that it allows a work to be handled in different or the same genre. By handling written works visually (novels as comics or movies) or visual works in other types of visuals (comics to animation or animation to movies), works are produced with both different stories and different visuals.

Not only that, but the presence of visual effects is also possible thanks to the difference in timbre. In this way, impressive visuals with the same timbre or a closer timbre can be added to a visual with a certain timbre (especially in science fiction and action works).

There is also a philosophical aspect to "Visual Timbre". Do those living in a world that looks like animation to us see their world like ours or like animation? If we go by the logic of the film industry, they must see it like animation. Because in this way, different works can be produced due to the difference in timbre. However, according to another possibility, they may see their world like ours. In fact, we may look like animation to them. This could be a great scenario idea.

So how is it that so many visual works can be produced with such a difference in timbre, yet they can be both interconnected and independent of each other? Here, I am not just discussing all the visual versions of a work. I am also referring to the relationship between the visual versions of all the works.

It is possible to see many examples of this, especially in today's productions. In some works, characters that belong to different stories but have the same timbre (for example, The Amphibia and The Owl House take place in the same world), in some works, characters with different timbres and/or the same timbre with the same story (for example, Spider-Man: Jump to Spider-Verse), or in some works, characters that are different in both story and timbre (for example, Space Jam) can be connected to each other and have their stories live independently of each other.

There is a scientific and logical system behind the connection between all these works. I call it "Multiple Story Universe", which is the version of the multiverse theory we all know for works.

The point I want to make clear is that every story in this system must have a visual version. It doesn't matter if the main version is a written source and visualized or if it has been visual from the beginning. However, works that have no visual examples (illustrations are not included here) are not included in this system. They can still be included as information, and many works already have examples of this.

The multiverse theory was first scientifically proposed by Hugh Everett in 1957. Hugh reached this conclusion thanks to the famous Schrödinger's Cat experiment. A cat in a box with no interior visible will die from the poison triggered by the radioactive material in the box if it decays, but it will live if it does not. The main point here is that you cannot know whether the cat is alive or not without opening the box and looking inside. Therefore, until the result is observed, two possibilities exist simultaneously, and only when the observation is made can one of the two be definite.

Everett, on the other hand, put forward the theory of today's multiverse by proposing that when one of the two possibilities is confirmed, the other possibility can also be confirmed in another universe. In other words, if there is a possibility, the moment one of them occurs in one universe, the other occurs in a parallel universe.

If we apply this scientific approach to works, we can create a new version of a work by ensuring that the referenced events occur or do not occur in order to change the story of the work. (Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox can be given as an example, although it involves time travel).

It should also be noted that, unlike quantum and cosmology events, time is also an important variable in the production of new works. (One of the most famous examples is H.G. Wells's The Time Machine. There are also two films of the book, one faithful to the original and the other modified.)

Another issue that is related to this theory and allows us to understand parallel universes is the Anthropological Principle. Thanks to this principle, the differences between the scientific structures of parallel universes can be interpreted. For example, if there is gravity in our universe, there is no gravity in another universe.

With these three scientific approaches, we can bring together works that are products of imagination and visualized within a logical system. Not only that, we can also logically explain how the next modified story will be and what kind of scenario can be obtained if the works are combined.

However, unfortunately I cannot explain to you exactly how these issues work here. The biggest reason for this is that these three scientific issues have not yet been fully proven. In fact, the subject of my academic thesis is about these and I have developed a theory that will explain everything on this subject. However, since there may be a copyright problem both scientifically and in terms of the work, I do not think it would be right to tell you my opinion right now.

TAG (the animation guild) and some key constituents put a lot of effort into a state of the industry report in an effort to get California to include animation in their incentive push. Incredible how the state does nothing for the industry. It's also a good resource for seeing where the jobs are. Check it out here: https://animationguild.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/250428-Reclaiming-...

I’m always trying to strike the right balance between comedy and emotion in the animated projects I work on.

Not always easy!

Curious how you all approach this.

What makes an animated film feel real and meaningful but still fun to watch?

Brazen Animation has kicked off Brazen Games, diving into interactive storytelling with animated games. Their first project is based on The Green Ember book series, mixing animation and gameplay. They’re also working on a platformer due out in 2025. To help lead the way, they've brought in Ben Sanders from Disney and Brock Starkweather from Ubisoft. While they explore the gaming world, Brazen Animation will still be working on film, TV, and ads, staying true to their bold, story-driven approach.

What do you think of the growing trend of animated games? Would you play something like The Green Ember?

https://www.animationmagazine.net/2025/05/brazen-animation-launches-braz...

Hello everybody, I was recently encouraged to reach out to animation production houses in France, Europe, and essentially overseas as I’ll have more opportunity to produce my feature screenplay than I will with the big animation studios in America. I believe I was told that the US based Studios tend to produce more of their own known writers than any fresh IP. Wondering what your thoughts are on that. Thanks!

I thought this was really cool—especially since I just had a call with a Stage 32 member who hopes to work with Warner Bros. one day.

John Aoshima, co-director of Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising, has signed a multi-year overall development deal with Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. In his new role as Director in Development, he’ll be working on both original projects and existing IP. What kind of stories or franchises would you love to see Aoshima bring to life at WB?

(Full Story Below)

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/animators/ultra-man-rising-co-director-john-aoshima-signs-overall-deal-with-warner-bros-pictures-animation-246713.html

In person meetup this month!

RSVP here:

When you sit down to start a new animation project, whether it’s a short, a series concept, or just a personal sketch, what’s your first creative spark? Is it a character design, a color palette, a line of dialogue, a soundscape?

Animation is such a layered art form: it’s movement, performance, and design all working together to tell a story frame by frame. That’s part of what makes it so magical, and sometimes overwhelming.

So I’d love to hear from you:

Where does your process begin?

Do you storyboard first, write the script, start with concept art, or maybe a vibe reel that sets the tone?

Also, shout out your favorite tools: are you working in Blender, Toon Boom, After Effects, TVPaint, Procreate, or something else?

Drop your process below, share a screenshot or link if you’re working on something cool, and let’s turn this thread into a resource and celebration of what makes animation so incredible.

Looking forward to hearing, and seeing, what you’re creating.

Independent animated films are making significant waves in theaters. Angel Studios’ The King of Kings has secured the third spot at the U.S. box office, amassing $17.5 million in its second weekend and totaling $45.6 million to date. This achievement positions it as the second-highest-grossing domestic animated release of the year!

You can read all about it here: https://www.cartoonbrew.com/box-office-report/animated-films-from-indie-...

What are your thoughts on the rising prominence of indie animated films?