Expert: Roger S. H. Schulman - 7/5/2009

Question
QUESTION: Mr. Roger, my name is William or Bill Sivels. I am 19 years old and currently writing a cartoon series. Of course I feel like my script is great. I have sent it to a script consultant and currently waiting for the reply. I would love to sell my series and be the head writer or at least part of the staff, but from what I have been reading for me to head a cartoon with out any experience wont happen. The thing is I don't want to spend the next year writing for another series when I could develop mine. I know my cartoon is funny. Best show that I could compare it too would be The Boondocks, or South Park. I was just wondering do you have any advice or anything that would help me?

ANSWER: I'll give it to you straight.  If you're not an artist with a brilliant and unique style, you're not going to sell your first cartoon series based solely on a written script if you have no track record.  Of course I could be wrong, in which case I will apologize.  But this is what I believe based on my experience.      

In fact, if at age 19 you're able to get a job on a cartoon series, or any series, grab it.  I realize after a year you'll be 20 and almost dead, but at least you can spend the last sixty-eight years of your life running your own series.  

The recession has wreaked havoc in show business, as it has in many other industries, and jobs are very hard to come by.  Gaining employment in the discipline of your choice would be a major victory and a major credit on your resume.  

You need experience and, just as important, prospective employers need to know that you have experience.  

It's true that the creators of "South Park" sold their series based on a single cartoon.  But it was produced, it was widely distributed throughout the entertainment business, and it was brilliant.  If you don't land a job on a series, consider producing the cartoon script yourself.  If you're not an artist, try to hook up with one.  Alternatively, learn to animate using Flash.  There are also many free programs available online to help you animate a simple story.  If you have some money to invest in yourself, look at Toon Boom's products.  

Having a real live sample did wonders for the South Park boys -- maybe it'll bring you luck too.  

Hope this helps.  Feel free to follow up.  


Roger






---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok I took some time to think about what u were saying and u are right I
am still young. If you don't mind I was wondering if you could go in more
detail about producing your own cartoon. Even if I did find my a artist who
would draw it how good should expect it too look. The person I have is
willing to draw a eposide but how would I get that on computer or then put
voices on it with out it looking cheesy. I guess what I am asking pretty
much is how do I go about producing my own cartoon

Answer
Although I have written many animated projects for TV and features, you're kind of leaving my area of expertise here.  I'm primarily a writer, and a producer of live action TV.  The kind of animated production with which I'm familiar is mainstream, high budget.  I could tell you about that, but I don't know where you'd get the two million dollars to make a two-minute short.  But I can do my best.

If you're going to go ahead and produce something, naturally you want it to look as good as possible.  But that simply means as good as possible at the level you choose.  Don't try to make something look like Pixar for three bucks.  Instead, aim low.  Study up on Flash animation online.  I'm told it's the simplest way to create animation, and people are used to its "high style" even though it's quite primitive.  You may even be able to do it yourself.  

If you use an artist, it must be someone with a distinctive style who creates characters that bring value to your project.  Not just a draftsman, a real artist with real personality.  Look at the "funnies" in your newspaper and you'll notice that each strip has its own distinctive style, whether baroque or simplistic.  Your artist must be as distinctive.  

I don't know if you have a budget; for all I know, you're a rich 19-year-old, or one with rich parents.  Look at the Toon Boom animation site.  They sell excellent products.  

If you go the hand-drawn route, the easiest way to get the pictures into your computer is with a professional tablet by a company like Wacom.  If you don't have a tablet, or can't afford to buy one, then you'll use a good scanner.  If you don't have a scanner, you can go to a place like FedEx Kinkos (now Fedex Office) and use their scanner.  But here again, you're taking the off-ramp from my highway of know-how.  

Hope I've been of some help.  Good luck!  


Roger