The creator of Hilda and Goldie, Emily Brundige, has decided to take the reins of her work. After years of handing over her intellectual properties to studios, she is now driving Strawberry Vampire, an independent animated series. Her first pilot, funded with $8,000 on Kickstarter, premiered on YouTube on Halloween and garnered 60,000 views in just 48 hours. A second campaign is already funding two more episodes in animatic format, chosen by the followers themselves.
The technical development of an independent animated series 🎬
Brundige opted for the animatic format for the new episodes, a decision that reduces production costs without sacrificing visual narrative. This method consists of animated storyboards with dialogue and sound effects, similar to a moving comic. The choice was voted on by backers, who preferred this option over full animation. The team works with standard industry digital tools, but without the constraints of deadlines and studio notes. Creative freedom, according to Brundige, compensates for financial uncertainty.
Crowdfunding: a roller coaster with more downs than ups 🎢
Brundige describes the process as an emotional roller coaster, which translated into plain language means: going from euphoria to terror in a matter of hours. One day you celebrate reaching the goal, and the next you calculate how many coffees you can buy with what's left after taxes and fees. But hey, at least no one tells you the vampire protagonist should be less pale or that the enchanted forest needs more pastel color. Independence has a price, but it doesn't include endless meetings.