Animation

There’s always that one film or series that hits differently.

Maybe it made you realize how powerful animation can be emotionally.

Maybe it showed you a style or technique you’d never seen before.

Maybe it pushed the boundaries of what you thought animation could be, visually or narratively.

For me, it...

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FORMAT: Animated Feature Film (80–100 minutes)

GENRE: Animation / Fantasy / Adventure / Drama

TARGET AUDIENCE: Family, Young Adults, General Audience

LOGLINE:

A gifted young painter discovers a legendary brush that reveals the true nature of those she paints, but when tasked with portraying the king, sh...

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FORMAT: Animated Feature Film (80–100 minutes)

GENRE: Animation / Fantasy / Adventure / Drama

TARGET AUDIENCE: Family, Young Adults, General Audience

LOGLINE:

A gifted young painter discovers a legendary brush that reveals the true nature of those she paints, but when tasked with portraying the king, she realizes that some truths can change everything.

PITCH:

In a kingdom where image defines power, Elara, a talented and ambitious young painter, dreams of leaving her mark on history. After years of training and recognition, she still longs to create a masterpiece that will make her unforgettable.

When she hears of a legendary brush said to create extraordinary paintings, she embarks on a fantastical journey to find it. But the brush does not create beauty—it reveals truth.

When Elara is chosen to paint the official portrait of the newly crowned king, she sees it as her chance to achieve greatness. However, as she begins, the brush refuses to obey. The king, trapped in an image that does not reflect who he truly is, cannot be painted.

Elara must look beyond appearances and uncover the truth hidden behind the crown, even if it means challenging power itself.

SYNOPSIS:

In a kingdom where art immortalizes the powerful, Elara, a passionate young painter, quickly stands out for her exceptional talent. After winning a prestigious painting competition, she joins the academy of the renowned master David and dedicates her life to becoming a legendary artist.

Years pass, and despite her success, Elara feels unfulfilled—none of her works have truly made history. In her search for greatness, she hears of a mythical brush believed to possess extraordinary power. Determined, she sets out on a magical and perilous journey to find it.

When she finally obtains the brush, she discovers that it is not magical in the way she expected. It does not create talent—it reveals it. More importantly, it unveils the inner truth of those she paints.

Soon after, Elara receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: the queen mother commissions her to paint the official portrait of the newly crowned king. But as she begins her work, the brush refuses to function. The king, bound by expectations and royal image, is disconnected from his true self.

Seeking to understand, Elara discovers a hidden side of the king—a young man burdened by responsibility, longing for freedom, and finding peace only in a secret place alongside a mysterious black wolf.

Inspired by this revelation, Elara chooses not to paint an idealized ruler, but an authentic human being. She creates a powerful portrait of the king as he truly is—free, vulnerable, and deeply connected to his inner nature.

When the painting is revealed, it shocks the court. Some see it as a mistake, others as a bold act of truth. But for the king, it is a moment of recognition. For the first time, he sees himself.

Through this masterpiece, Elara realizes that true artistry is not about perfection, but about revealing the human soul—even when that truth challenges expectations.

PROJECT STATUS:

Concept / Story in development

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

A visually rich and emotionally driven animated story exploring identity, truth, and artistic purpose, with strong symbolic elements and universal themes.

ENDING NOTE:

Project open to discussion, collaboration, and development with animation professionals, producers, and studios.

Kevin Jackson

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1 person likes this
- Banafsheh Esmailzadeh
17 hours ago

Very true. In some ways the animation of that era out does what exists today.

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

17 hours ago

It really does Kevin Jackson, it’s rather unfair to compare current animation to it. Hopefully there will be a kind of animation renaissance one day, when today’s highly talented animators get even mo...

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Sarah Chernik

22 hours ago

Usually the video of the class is posted in the main class area a day or two later. Today we shared loglines, and little bit about a couple of our characters, and talked a bit about world building, lo...

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- Amy Talebizadeh
21 hours ago

Some animated movies people might enjoy: 1) Your Name 2) Belle by Studio Chizu 3) The Boy and the Beast, 4)Nimona 5) Over the Moon 6) Kubo and The Two Strings 7) Cosmic Princess Kaguya (music and folklore inspired) 8) A Whisker Away. Most of these are on Netflix.

Amy Talebizadeh

21 hours ago

Have these notes from a prior course - may be helpful as you’re writing:

FEATURE FILM (90–120 pages)

General rule: 1 page ≈ 1 minute

Page Count Goals:

• Act 1 (Setup): 25–30 pages

• Act 2A (Rising Action...

Shows with interesting "portal" to another world mechanisms: Inuyasha (The Bone Eater's well, connects modern Japan to a version of the Feudal era of Japan where demons roam and spiritual powers and curses are real). Bleach - Portals to Spirit World and to Huecho Mundo a dark version of Spirit World. The portal to Spirit World can be particularly dangerous if you happen to encounter "The Cleaner" during your journey. Yu Yu Hakusho, final season -Portal to Demon World/ The demon Plane. Heaven blocked the access between the mortal world and the demon world to the point only smaller/ lesser demons can pass through. Demons and humans with evil intentions are working to open a large portal with no safeguards between the realms. Devil May Cry (remake) Human World and Demon World, blocked off centuries ago by the Demon Sparda who fought on the side of humans but small rifts between the two still occur. A human child ends up living on the demon side and builds a device that can open these small stable rifts, lesser demons use them to flee the demon world as refugees into the human world, eventually with tragic consequences, creating a very memorable and well written antagonist. Avatar the Last Airbender, The Avatar is "the bridge between worlds, and the bridge between the spirit world and the human world. He can enter the Spirit world through astral projection of his spirit while in a meditative state but while there he can't use his elemental bending powers. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: the Wardrobe allows the four children passage back and forth from Narnia. Coraline: passage to the Otherworld is a small door in the pink palace apartments. Disney's Gargoyles Season 2 A magical boat of Avalon that doesn't take people where they want to go but where they need to be and magically travel's from any body of water to any body of water, across time and and space. Dr. Who, The Tardis time traveling police box.

In anime a common genre is Isekai - "travel to another World", typically a one way journey or a journey with extreme difficulty in returning to one's original world. 3 main versions: 1) A spell summons people between worlds, and they arrive in their original bodies with original memories. 2) Rebirth after death, with original memories intact, often due to the actions of gods 3) Spirit summoned to another world after death, and the spirit possesses an existing person in the new world. Sometimes due to the actions of gods. These range in tone and genre. .

I came across this Imdb list of hip hop films: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls063099039/

4 days ago

I’ve noticed, it’s quite sad. I do wonder why we’re losing so many of them :/

Sam Rivera

3 days ago

You're right, it's heartbreaking to see so many Japanese animation veterans passing, especially the recent losses of Kōzō Shioya (Majin Buu) and Masako Ikeda (Galaxy Express 999) within just a couple of months but as we mourn these legends, let's also celebrate them!

2 days ago

Sam Rivera I agree. I definitely plan to study their work and understand their contribution better.

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6 days ago

Primal by Genndy Tartakovski. Telling an entire season without any dialogue.

Wes Ambrecht

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3 people like this
5 days ago

Seeing folks mention the opening of UP makes me want to go rewatch it tonight. But, I haven't seen enough love for the Spider-Verse movies and how they've pushed the artform forward both visually and story-wise.

Laurie Ashbourne

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1 person likes this
- AJ McNamara
5 days ago

Wes Ambrecht Spiderverse definitely deserves high praise. Between that and Mitchells and the Machines, Sony finally broke the Playdough mold that sunk the animation art form....

Ashley Renée Smith

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1 person likes this
- AJ McNamara
4 days ago

Wes Ambrecht, I'm SO glad you said Spider-verse, because the first one is my favorite movie. I watched it 6 times while it was in theaters, and I don't go more than a few months without putting it on....

AJ McNamara

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- Laurie Ashbourne
4 days ago

I'm gonna go with the impact that the cloak-ops scene in "Ghost in the Machine" had on me. It was a truly profound sequence, watching the footsteps in the water made by an invisible opponent.

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- Charmane Wedderburn
6 days ago

This is a very in depth and character driven story. I can see it being done in Anime Style along the line of stories like "The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity", "The Dangers in my Heart" and "Your Lie in April".

What are your plans going forward?

Dayana Pitroipa

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1 person likes this
- Charmane Wedderburn
5 days ago

Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate it.

My goal is to develop Elara the Painter into an animated feature film or possibly an animated series, depending on how the story evolves....

Harold Ferré

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2 people like this
- Charmane Wedderburn
- Josiah Cosgrove
2 weeks ago

Absolutely. Personally, people think I'm a kid when I watch an animated film. Like, "He's an idiot! What's he watching? Stupid stuff!" But I don't care. I see animation as a source of inspiration for...

Cyrus Sales

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2 people like this
- Charmane Wedderburn
- Josiah Cosgrove
1 week ago

Josiah Cosgrove I think it depends on the person and how much knowledge they have about the industry and what consumers like. I think for the average person it may seem silly and dumb but for those wh...

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1 person likes this
- Charmane Wedderburn
1 week ago

animation is not a genre

Does my new music video have series potential?

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Title: Elara the Painter

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