The ten year anniversary ought to be something special. :) Yah, it's quite a while. One major episode per year btw, seems like a pretty good pace!
I've been interested in animation for longer than I can remember. I'm mostly self taught, and seem to be improving with everything I release. I hope to one day further my skills. I love making cartoons.
Age 29, Male
Animator
Florida
Joined on 12/13/08
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Mmm, I do have something special planned for the 10th anniversary. It's gonna be hard to pull off, but boy will it be glorious.
And yeah, 1 episode a year is a good pace, but the only way I could realistically pull that off now is by basically working on nothing but the episode for the entire year. I'll work on finding ways to get them done faster though ;3
Also, I really do appreciate your continued support. Definitely helps me keep going.
Looking forward to that!
FPS is pretty time-consuming indeed. Been wondering how much of your animation is made of tweens btw, like in the latest animation with Frogman turning in bed: are The lines on the cover each a tween, or frame by frame? Do hope you have some work outside the animation work too btw: that it doesn't take a year of just THAT to make one of these. :P Sounds good.
Following the Frogman franchise has all been good fun so far. :) Sure thing.
The only time I tween anything is when I'm having a symbol move across the screen, so things like walk cycles and stuff, but within the symbol it's still all frame by frame. I have been considering trying to do a mix of fbf and tweening for animation though, 'cause it's good to save time where ever possible as long s it doesn't sacrifice quality.
I don't currently have any other work. I've been trying super hard to make this my work though ;3
Of course I'm not really in a situation where I absolutely need to get a job either, so being able to just work on cartoons and stuff without worry is pretty great.
And yeah, taking an entire year to make an episode was probably an exaggeration. Doing the math, if I worked as fast as possible, I could theoretically get a 9 minute cartoon done in 3 months, but I've never worked on a long cartoon from consistently from start to finish, so I don't really know. I think episode 6 took about 8 months of actual work, but I didn't really keep track. I'll be sure to see exactly how long episode 7 takes. I had originally said a year, since the length of episodes isn't consistent and some episodes are more complex than others, so they could take a LOT longer.
It's good to hear that you do enjoy following the FrogMan series. Recently it seems like people haven't really cared for it, so that definitely makes me want to keep on working on it.
Oh, that's cool to know. FBF seems both harder and more time-consuming to do, but often gives a lot more natural-looking results. Usually I feel it's pretty easy to distinguish between the two, but some people manage to combine them pretty seamlessly, for sure, if you can save time with that it could... save time! XD
A situation where you don't really need a job and can just do a bit of whatever it is you like sounds pretty ideal indeed! Fo shizzle.
I started using apps to keep track of my time-use for a while, thought it might make me more efficient, but what it actually did was just make me spend a whole lot more time tracking the time, that I could've used just doing what I was doing instead! And feeling a bit stressed when things didn't go as fast as I hoped they would. So can't say I recommend keeping too close tabs, but since some people do track their time all the time I guess that'd work better for some people. Just a matter of habit, maybe...
Sure thing. The only one who really needs to care for the art is the artist themselves, though. If you still enjoy it, just keep going! No matter what others say (or don't say). I think people are just a lot more interesting in simple cartoons overall though. Parodies. Things they can relate to on a more superficial level. Things they don't need to really 'understand' or get into. Things that are similar and familiar. i like being different though! :)
Man, I wanted to respond to this sooner, but I moved on saturday so I was busy/kinda forgot, lol.
Yeah, FBF is definitely more time-consuming, but once you get the hang of it, I don't think it's too hard. Getting tweens to look good seems really hard to me, but I'm sure it could be the same as FBF, it's easier when you get the hang of it. And yeah, I've seen some really well-done tween stuff that almost looks like FBF, so I'd definitely be interested in trying to recreate something like that.
Yeah, it is pretty ideal, but I would ultimately like to be able to earn enough to live off making my own stuff, or just get a job as an animator in general. Obviously I'd much prefer to be working on my own stuff though, 'cause I've got way too many ideas to get out.
Yeah, I can see how keeping track of time would negatively effect some. I only ever really keep track of how long it takes me to do things at certain times, though it does seem like I actually end up going faster when I'm timing myself, since there's pressure to go as fast as possible. At the very least I'd like to keep track of how many days I spend on a project.
Yeah, I definitely still enjoy FMTS, though sometimes I'm unsure of what to do with it. For the longest time I had been considering rebooting it since it had been so long since the last episode and I knew I could make the first few episodes so much better if they were remade, but I already had so much of episode 6 done at that point that I decided against it. I'm still considering it though. I really would like to see FMTS all the way through, 'cause there are a lot of meaningful stories in it later on. If I could get episodes out more frequently, people would probably care more. It'd certainly keep it more fresh in people's minds at least. I have considered splitting episodes into parts to get them out more frequently, but since they're meant to be a 1 part thing, it's kinda hard to figure out how to do that without having to re-write it as multiple parts. I guess I could also make all the episodes of a season first and then release them on a schedule, but that'd take forever to actually pull off.
And yeah, people do like simple, familiar things. There's nothing wrong with releasing a parody every now and then to appease to the masses and maybe draw in a few actual fans, but that does take time away from the projects you actually wanna work on. That's why, whenever I make a parody, I try to make it something I actually like and would want to put the necessary time into.
And yeah, I like being different to ;3
A two day wait isn't long at all, no worries, and you managed to move in that brief time too! Starting to feel a bit inefficient here. XD
True indeed. As for tweens looking unnatural, have you tried the tweens that follow a set path, rather than the kind where you move an object from one point to the next? Can't remember what each was called, but I imagine the former is a lot more realistic-looking, and easier to work with once you figure it out. Not sure in which version of Flash it was introduced...
Man, same here. So many ideas; so little time. The ideal situation would be: my own company, where I just come up with new stuff, and tell people to make it happen. :) Sort of like Elon Musk does, but less scientific; more of a creative outlet for all artforms...
Hmm can't suggest anything there, but good luck with that! As long as Frogman lives on I'm happy, whatever the form. :) Maybe he'll transform into... Toadman! Nah, no mind, doesn't really have the same ring to it, that one...
For sure. I like watching parodies too, but often it feels a bit forced. A lot of artists starting out probably just dive into that niche to get rich quick, but it doesn't work that way!! At least I hope not.
Good thing too many people don't like being different, or we'd all be the same after all. :P
I just don't have a lot of stuff, so moving doesn't take too long :p
I have tried tweens that follow a path. I'm not sure if I've done them correctly, but it does look a bit better than just tweening in a straight line.
I've always thought of starting a production company to get all my ideas made, but that would take a lot of money to pull off. Still, things would actually be realistically doable at least.
In the long run, I don't know what's gonna happen with FMTS. I'm not sure if episode 7 will get done any time soon, but I've had the voice acting for it recorded since 2014, so it's all a matter of just storyboarding it and then animating it, though some or all lines may need to be re-recorded since they were recorded long ago, and we can definitely do better now. What IS certain though, is that I'll be making more FMTS shorts. Before I moved, I managed to record my part of the voice acting fora few shorts, and it shouldn't be too hard to get the rest of the voice acting, and so far I've got nine more shorts that can be made. I'll try to work on them whenever I don't feel like working on anything else. The next one was supposed to come out this month, but that's not happening due to a lack of time. Soon though ;3
From what I've seen, parodies definitely get a LOT more views (and therefore money) than original cartoons, and depending on what you're parodying, you could get an insane amount of views and make a good bit of money off a single parody, and if you're making one of those every week, that's quite a bit. Of course, when you're making a parody every week, they tend to be of a lesser quality, and I would never stoop so low. Plus, I don't have enough parody ideas to make one every week :P
For real though, there are a few animators on youtube that pump out poorly made parodies at a very frequent pace, and I imagine they're making quite a bit. I can't help but feel a little jealous of that, but I would MUCH rather try to make a living by making original stuff, while making a parody every now and then, so my fans would actually be fans of my work instead of some garbage parody I made.
Minimalistic living. I should try that! Moving for me would take... well, for starters, I probably wouldn't move. :P
Ah, cool.
Yeah, money's the necessary evil for all good ideas. Need some GREAT ideas to get that money required to make something out of all the not-so-amazing ones first, I guess. :) Or find a good sponsor/business partner.
Nice, looking forward to that!
As for parody ideas hmm, how about a Mr. Mime as an actual mister... miming...? It seems entertaining when I picture it but eh, well, nah, maybe not... also: Donkey Kong slipping on a banana peel. I'm surprised I haven't seen that one done before.
Yeah, but at the same time, it feels like there are a lot of people trying to make a living off of parodies and never really managing to build up the fanbase they need. Without the necessarily skills or conviction, or ideas, I suppose. But anyway: just keep doing what you're doing! Living life doing what you live = no regrets!!
Yeah, getting sponsorships is another way to go I suppose, but I'd imagine you would still need a decent size audience to even get a sponsorship.
Those seem like ideas that have potential to be something more. I've still got a few fully fledged ideas for parodies left, and I might as well try to get them out as soon as possible so someone else doesn't do them first :p
Yeah, if you're making NOTHING but parodies, then it's definitely going to be hard to get an audience that's just likes seeing stuff from you, instead of an audience that just likes seeing parodies. That's why I would just focus on original content and make a parody every now and then, to get the extra views I need to keep going, 'cause it usually works out, well, in the sense that parodies DO get more views, but it's not like I'm making enough off youtube to actually get paid. Almost though ;3
And yeah, I'll definitely keep doing what I'm doing, 'cause I love doing it!
Or just be great at pitching ideas. ;)
Yeah, better be quick about it. I was sitting on a Mad NESS (the console) idea for a few years, thinking I should make something out of it for Madness day, but one year... there it was, my idea actualized by somebody else who thought it was theirs!! :/ Though if they hadn't made it, I might still just have been sitting on that idea, too many ideas...
True true. Oh, how much are you making on YT? Or if that's too personal: how does NG revenue compare? Since we have more generous shares here I hope it balances up the lack of views at least a little...
Living life like the McDonalds slogan. :P
Oh man, that sucks that someone managed to do your exact idea before you could. That does sound like something that should've been an obvious parody though, so I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner! lol
I'm fairly sure I'm not supposed to disclose exactly how much I make off youtube (terms of service and all that), but I'm about half way to being paid. I was making more money on newgrounds until they got rid of video ads, and since then I've made basically nothing except for a few cents from my last few cartoons from portal ads. It's quite a shame really. I get way more views on here (usually), but that's probably just due to the underjudgement process, but then again, you can pass at an insanely low number of votes now, so who knows. I've still been posting my stuff here despite not making anything for the last 7 months, because I still love newgrounds and wish it the best. I wish I was capable of helping newgrounds take over the web. Maybe when I get my filthy youtube money I can put some of it toward a supporter upgrade ;3
Yeah, I was surprised too, though guess Madness really hasn't been around that long yet. :) That Donkey Kong slipping on a banana peel though, that must be floating around somewhere...
Oh, didn't realize the video ads were gone. Shame about that. Feels like viewer activity's still sinking in general, but certain genres stay popular, and all that makes it to the frontpage, and those with a big fanbase of course. Much bigger divide between the unknown artists and the rest though. Aw yeah, that supporter thing's the hype now! XD You're doing plenty for the site though, leaving NG links on other social media, and sticking to this place despite the low revenue. Dedicated artists are the foundation of what all this is!
I've got some dumb obvious ideas for parodies too, that I don't think have been done yet. Maybe I should get them done too, before someone else does lol.
Yeah, it really sucks that video ads went away when they did. I was not very active last year, and my most viewed submission was M rated so it couldn't earn anything from ads anyways (though it did win $200 so I guess it made way more than it would have with ads anyways), and then when I became active again earlier this year, video ads just went away.
Yeah, it's a real shame that viewer activity is still dwindeling, though I'm part of the problem 'cause I haven't really been actively watching things on newgrounds for a while, but I've been pretty busy too, so idk.
And yeah, I guess I am still doing stuff for the site. I link my newgrounds everywhere, but I don't link my youtube anywhere on newgrounds unless I need to link to a specific video for whatever reason, so there's that.
If you have the time, why not! :)
Ah, yeah, those awards must mean a lot to artists! Sexual-Lobster in particular seems to be making a fair share there, I keep seeing his entries high up in the monthly selections... and as he is one of the most famous artists to really rep the site, on and off, he feels like a worthy candidate. Bit of a shame when other people who just port their submissions from YT get one of those prizes, but oh well, may the best content win....
I'm not as active as I used to either, though a bit more with art now than with animation, just a lot easier to view and review those. The two-year habit I had of reviewing the daily Top 5 was pretty neat, though looking back I don't get how I had time for that. I'd say the people that make up the problem are the ones who aren't here at all though, so no worries, all we need are some more new users.
It's a big that at that. :)
if you're on here before skype can i use the incredible "I Love Christopher Tom" in my new video
yea
Cyberdevil
Six years seems like an unusual amount to focus on for this grand celebration, but why not! I have an affinity for sixes too. Post all collective videos in batches of six, split up blogs on six per page, stuff like that, but it goes with my username, sort of. ;)
Well, anyway, Happy Anniversary man! Off to watch that stuff.
artistunknown
I like to try to celebrate every anniversary, though I guess every single one isnt' as important, especially with a series that doesn't update all that frequently. Still, it reminds me of how long I've been doing this, and how much I've improved.
Thanks for taking the time to check everything out, Cyberdevil ;3