Fresh Faces, Fresh Stories: Why Animation Needs New Voices
Discover how supporting new animation studios creates the shows and movies you love most
Explore why giving new animation artists a chance leads to the most creative, diverse, and exciting stories on your screen.
Overview
Think about your favorite animated show or movie – chances are, it came from someone with a unique story to tell! When the animation industry supports new studios and fresh artists, we get incredible variety in the stories we see on screen. It's like having a huge buffet instead of just one restaurant – more choices, more flavors, and way more excitement. Supporting new talent means we get shows that represent different cultures, experiences, and wild creative ideas that might never have seen the light of day otherwise.
Understand in 30 Seconds
Get up to speed quickly
- New Artists = New Ideas: Fresh artists bring unique perspectives and creative solutions that established studios might never think of, leading to totally original content.
- More Diverse Stories: When different people get chances to create, we see stories from all kinds of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences represented on screen.
- Innovation Happens: New studios often experiment with cutting-edge animation techniques and storytelling methods because they're not stuck in old ways of doing things.
- Competition Keeps Everyone Sharp: When new players enter the game, it pushes everyone to be more creative and work harder to make amazing content.
Real Life Scenario
Situations you can relate to
Imagine if only one pizza place existed in your entire town, and they only made pepperoni pizza. Sure, you'd eat it, but wouldn't you get bored? That's what happens when the same big animation studios make all the shows and movies. But what if a new pizza place opened up, run by someone who grew up eating amazing tacos, and they decided to make taco pizza? Suddenly, you have something totally new and exciting! That's exactly what happens when new animation studios get support. Studios like Laika brought us stop-motion magic with 'Coraline,' and Spider-Verse showed us animation could look like a living comic book. Without support for these fresh voices, we'd still be watching the same old style of cartoons. Have you ever watched a show and thought, 'Wow, I've never seen anything like this before?' That's the magic of new artists getting their shot!
Role Play
Spark a conversation with “what if” scenarios
What if you could pitch an animated series to a major network?
- Role play: Take turns being the new animator and the network executive. The animator pitches their wild, creative idea while the executive decides whether to take a chance on something new or play it safe with a familiar concept.
What if you were in charge of a streaming platform's animation budget?
- Role play: Debate whether to spend money on a guaranteed hit from a big studio or take a risk on three smaller, newer studios with unique ideas. Discuss the pros and cons of each choice.
What if you discovered an amazing animator on social media who creates in a totally new style?
- Role play: One person plays the talent scout trying to convince their boss (the other person) to give this unknown artist a chance to make a full show, even though they've never done it before.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions people want to know
Why don't big studios just hire new artists instead of supporting new studios?
While hiring new artists helps, independent studios give creators full creative control. They can tell their stories their way without having to follow someone else's rules or style guidelines.
Isn't it risky to support unknown animation studios?
Yes, but that's where the biggest rewards come from! Many of today's most beloved shows and movies came from studios that were once 'risky bets' but brought us something completely new.
How does supporting new animation actually help viewers like me?
You get way more variety in the shows and movies available to watch, plus stories that might reflect your own experiences or introduce you to completely new perspectives you've never seen before.
Examples in the Wild
See how this works day to day
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won an Oscar for its groundbreaking animation style that looked like a living comic book, created by Sony Pictures Animation when they decided to try something completely different (Academy Awards)
- Studio Ghibli started as a small Japanese studio and created beloved films like 'My Neighbor Totoro' and 'Spirited Away' that brought Japanese storytelling to global audiences (Box Office Mojo)
- Cartoon Saloon, an Irish animation studio, created 'The Secret of Kells' and 'Wolfwalkers,' bringing Celtic mythology and hand-drawn artistry to modern animation (Annie Awards)
- Laika revolutionized stop-motion animation with films like 'Coraline' and 'Kubo and the Two Strings,' using innovative techniques that major studios weren't willing to risk (Animation Magazine)
In Summary
What you should know before you start
- Supporting new animation studios brings fresh perspectives and diverse stories to our screens
- Innovation often comes from smaller studios willing to experiment with new techniques and styles
- More voices in animation means better representation of different cultures and experiences
- Competition from new studios pushes the entire industry to be more creative and take bigger risks
Pro-tip for Parents
You got this!
If your teen seems hesitant to discuss 'industry stuff,' start with their favorite animated show or movie and ask what makes it special. Then explore together how that unique style or story might never have existed without someone taking a chance on new talent. This makes the conversation personal and relatable rather than abstract.
Keep an Eye Out For
Find these examples in everyday life
- New animated series premiering on streaming platforms from studios you've never heard of
- Behind-the-scenes documentaries about how animated movies were made and who created them
- Animation festivals or awards shows highlighting breakthrough work from emerging artists
Explore Beyond
Look up these related research topics
- How independent filmmakers change the movie industry
- The role of diversity and representation in storytelling
- How new technology is changing the way animations are made