Mainstream animation has become increasingly fearful of originality in recent years. Television isn't the bastion of advertising revenue it used to be, and most networks are strangely intimidated by serialized storytelling. Additionally, streaming services don't have enough financial incentive to put years of work and resources into an original idea when they're waiting to make more money elsewhere using a proven IP they know audiences will flock to.
Cinema is getting somewhat better with the flood of great international films making waves, and the aesthetic influence of the Spider-Verse is still being felt in Nimona, K-Pop Demon Hunters, The Bad Guys, and countless other great projects. Pixar may be tempted to abandon new stories and poignant themes for the lowest possible common denominator sequel, but thankfully others are taking on the role. The medium is therefore in an unusual position, with a void waiting to be filled for compelling, unorthodox stories.
Fortunately, there is a plethora of independent animation projects breaking new ground online without the help of the traditional studio system. Television is no longer king, and these new corners of the medium show that there is a place for original stories to be told with the support of thousands of fans young and old. Last week, Amphibia creator Matt Braly launched a new Kickstarter campaign that has already been a huge success.
What is Clara and the Below by Matt Braly?
Braly launched a Kickstarter campaign for Clara and The Below last week, aiming to raise £18,775 to fund a single 6-10 minute episode. However, it took less than a week to reach the target and the overall total currently stands at £196,664, more than 10 times the target.
People really want to see this project get made, and now there's a chance they'll have the opportunity to deliver all four of Braly's planned episodes, which aim to tell one overarching story. Much of the story is told through old-fashioned pantomime, which prioritizes character action and gothic scenery over actual dialogue, but that didn't stop Anna Akana (Sasha of Amphibia) and Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls creator, voice of Grunkle Stan) from being cast in the leads. But what exactly is Clara and the Below trying to tell?
Simply put, Clara and the Below is a gothic retelling of the Nutcracker that follows our titular heroine as she ventures into a dark realm known as The Below to find a way to cure her dying father. She is accompanied by the Nutcracker. The Nutcracker's whimsical appearance strangely reflects Clara's fading childhood innocence and hides a dark secret waiting to be revealed. It's a disturbing twist on the established story, as the sins of our fathers are put under the microscope and the characters are faced with harsh truths they may not be ready for.
Debuting on Christmas Day, the beautiful white snowbanks will turn red, giving a spooky twist to the festive season.
Braly's visual style became more pronounced after the popularity of Amphibia. So it's nice to see that the character designs and environments that boast many of his hallmarks have now embraced a much more sinister side, while trying to tell a much more mature story. Last year's Family Force V felt like the start of a new creative journey with Clara and The Below that took things to places fans could never have imagined.
And why it makes me excited about the future of animation
Clara and The Below aren't single projects either, and Braly hopes to use them as a platform to launch a new animation studio specializing in independent stories. The new studio, known as Fantasy Project, hopes to become a compelling source of animated films you won't find anywhere else, but Braly admits this reality is still years away. But in a world where Glitch Productions churns out hundreds of millions of views and attracts high-profile creators like The Owl House's Dana Terrace, there's already evidence that such a studio not only exists, but can become a massive empire in its own right.
I don't think Braly or anyone involved in the campaign expected it to be such a huge success, with the stretch goals being met so quickly that new goals had to be created just as quickly. It was a truly wholesome victory to see it unfold in real time.
Only time will tell what the future holds for this new endeavor, but it's already off to an incredibly positive start. With the internet now full of animation projects like this, it's also necessary to try to find a home for them now that more traditional means have fallen behind. I have heard legitimate concerns that many of these campaigns are being driven by established industry voices rather than newcomers. But the fact that the industry's relative giants are being forced to rely on independent funding because of how dire things have become feels like a more pressing concern to me.
Animation is not alone in this direction of change. That's because there are fewer opportunities for original ideas and creators, as companies rely on reliable hits that ensure continued record profits. Pixar seems content to just sprinkle in a few original stories like Hoppers and turn themselves into a never-ending sequel factory. Disney, on the other hand, is boarding its own live-action remake train that worsens existing stories purely for the sake of short-term box office success. Video games are the same. Most Triple-A releases are either sequels or live offerings with rare gems that change the scenery when you need it most, not to mention all the remakes and remasters of games that are easy to play.
In the world of modern entertainment, risks are rarely taken, leaving independent creators to do what they can to fill the gap. These individuals, like Braly, have often spent years in the clutches of giant corporations like Disney and understand all the hard work and compromises that have to be made to tell stories in that space, and therefore the tremendous value of freeing yourself from that space and building your own following. In the case of Clara and Below, thousands of viewers showed up to support this new story, even though its final form is still unknown. That potential alone makes it worth defending in today's world.
After our feature film project with Rebecca Sugar was canceled by Sony despite our efforts to tell an original and diverse story, this feels like the victory Braly and company deserved, and we're thrilled to see Clara and The Below's Kickstarter campaign come as far as it has in such a short amount of time. Animation is in a strange place right now, and I continue to see more and more signs that independent creators are the future animation desperately needs.
