fetch! business plan

8/6/2019 Fetch! Business Plan

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Fetch!Business Plan

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Em Johnson Limey Studios18 Bewholme CloseBillinghamTeessideTS23 3HX07450 [email protected] EmtheLimey
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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CONTENTS

1. Business Summary

1.1. Business Overview

1.2. Product or Service Features1.3. Market Analysis1.4. Marketing Strategy1.5. Key Objectives and Financial Overview

2. Detailed Plan

2.1. Market Analysis2.2. Competition

2.3. Marketing Strategy2.4. Product or Service Production2.5. S.W.O.T. Analysis2.6. Business Structure2.7. Management and Ownership2.8. Key Objectives2.9. Financial Information2.10.Action Plan2.11. Appendices A Marketing materials

2.12.Appendices B - Links

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1. Business Summary

1.1. Business Overview

I am Em Johnson (known online as 'Limey Studios'), an aspiring2D artist and animator, located in the north east of england. It ismy aim to take my idea for a short film, 'Fetch', into full scaleproduction, and developed into a children's web cartoon series. Atthis moment in time, all production work will be completed bymyself, allowing my to work unsociable hours, and at weekends,but as the project gains in popularity and grows, I will look to workwith universities and film festivals such as Teesside UniversitysAnimex festival, to hire animation graduates to help with theincreasing workload.

By taking advantage of social networking and viral video sites, it ismy goal for 'Fetch' to receive as many views and acclaim as otherpopular web cartoons series, such as Jonti Picking's 'Weebl andBob' series.

1.2. Product or Service Features

Fetch is a series of 2 minute, 2D digitally animated short about an

elderly, yet energetic rambler and his 2 mismatched caninecompanions, the boisterous adventurous, and somewhat navePup, and the old, wizened Dog. The Pup is always finding newways of getting itself into trouble, and it's up to the Dog to, albeitunwillingly, to keep Pup out of harms way, and make sure theyboth return to their master safe after each adventure.

The shorts are produced digitally using the animation packageToonBoom Animate, using traditional animation techniques.

The overall production design of the shorts takes a lot ofinspiration from traditional 1960's era cartoons like thoseproduced by the Hannah Barbera and United Productions ofAmerica animation studios, or like those found in more modern'retro' style cartoons, such as John Kricfalusi's 'Ren and Stimpy'series. By keeping a classic, 'retro' style, and mixing it with thecrisp, fresh appeal of modern, digital production techniques.

Combining the short's design choices, and the snappy, slapstickhumour, reminiscent of 1950's Looney Tunes cartoons, Fetch

represents a mix of both classic, and modern cartoon themes,

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appealing to both the young, preteen audience, as well as older,seasoned animation fans.

1.3. Market Analysis

Fetch is aimed at the 1014 year old, pre-teen age range, but alsoholds appeal to an older generation of animation fans, in the 21-30 age range.

The most obvious appeal for a younger audience lies in thecharacters themselves, simply by having 2 fluffy, slapstick and'wacky' dogs as main characters holds tremendous appeal for 10-14 year olds.

However, a recent survey I performed amongst a selection of 30students attending Teesside University, all aged between 18 and25, showed they all still regularly watch cartoons of somedescription. (100% of those asked said they watched cartoons fortheir own enjoyment, and approximately a quarter of their weeklyprogram viewing time was spent watching a cartoon of somesort.) The use of classic themes and designs, as well the series'production quality and sense of humour, will ensure the series willappeal to this older audience range as well.

1.4. Marketing Strategy

The main marketing tool I intend to use for Fetch is the viral videophenomenon. By properly utilising social networking sites such asFacebook and Twitter, as well as video and flash cartoon sitessuch as YouTube, Vimeo, and Newgrounds, even earliermentioned Jonti Picking's website 'Weebl's Stuff', it is possible togive Fetch a huge amount of free publicity around the web.

By boosting this free publicity by means paid advertising methodssuch as posters, postcards, and showing the shorts at film andanimation festivals like Animex, Red Stick, Annecy, and even atpitching events at Cartoon Forum, will hopefully open upopportunities for further development and expansion of the series.

1.5. Key Objectives and Financial Overview

My key objective is to produce a short series of 5, 2 minuteepisodes, over the course of 9 months, and release a new

episode online every 6 weeks. Between episodes, video diariesand production art will be released on a weekly basis via my

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personal portfolio website and the Fetch Facebook page, to keepaudiences interested and up to speed with production.

Critique from users of sites like YouTube and Newgrounds, aswell as page views, links shared via Twitter and Facebook, andany mention of the series on animation commentary sites such asCartoonBrew and Animation World Network will alert me to theseries success.The top possible Goal to reach for is for Fetch to be picked up bya major production company and developed for Television.

As I will be producing Fetch from home in my own time to beginwith, the initial cost for the production will be around 5000 tocover software and hardware costs, as well as for securingIntellectual Property rights.

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2. Detailed Plan

2.1. Market Analysis

The internet the biggest forum for new talent in the animation andmedia industry. In an online survey I carried out to gain a betteridea about todays typical cartoon audience, 43% of those whoanswered said they watched most cartoons via internet videosites, compared to only 22% watching on television. A link to thissurvey is included in the appendices.

I myself am based in Billingham, a small town just outside ofMiddlesbrough in the north east of England. However, as Fetch isto be produced as an online web series, it effectively has the

ability to reach audiences world wide.

Internet video sites such as Youtube and Vimeo are growingevery day. YouTube alone receives almost 2 billion views a day,with over 24 hours of user generated content uploaded everyminute. The internet user spends approximately 15 minuted a dayon YouTube*. The audience for user generated content has neverbeen bigger, making this a prime time for Fetch to take that firstleap into the public eye online. By use of viral marketingtechniques, it is possible for enough traffic to be generated to get

Fetch noticed, and make it's mark on the online video circuit. Ifsufficient traffic is produced, and by uploading the series toanimation community websites such as Newgrounds.com,Weebls-Stuff.com, animation festival websites such as TheAnimation Show, and by notifying animation industry commentarysites like CartoonBrew.com, it is possible to get the series seen bya very broad spectrum of viewers, from casual surfers, to industryprofessionals.

To begin with, there will be no monetary profit gained from

producing Fetch, as is the sheer nature of a web series. But ratheran unbridled chance for me to develop my own skills as ananimator, and eventually, become noticed through Fetch, andeither have the series picked up by a larger production company,or myself being hired as an animator. Other means of 'profit' cancome I the form of awards from any film and animation festivalsFetch is entered into, Such as aforementioned Animex, Annecy,and Red Stick festivals.

One such example of a successful web series is Joni Picking's

Weebl and Bob series. Initially starting out as a series of 2 minuteweb shorts, but later went on to be shown on the MTV music

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channel, release a successful DVD series, and resulted in Jonti'sproduction company 'Sumo Dojo' being hired for numerousadvertising projects. ('The Anchor Spreadable 'Cow' adverts, andthe Yellow pages '118 247' adverts, and most recently a series ofviral adverts for Cadbury's Crme Eggs, entitled 'Goo-ology'.)

Fetch brings a classic, 'retro' feel to todays modern, fast pacedinternet based market. By using current, state of the art, digitalproduction techniques, mixed with a traditional sense of directionand design, Fetch hopes to appeal to fans of both modern, andclassic animation, as well has having enough of a child friendlyappeal for younger audiences. It is my intention to create a highquality, yet relatively inexpensive digitally produced series, withthe look and feel of a traditionally animated short from years goneby.

2.2.

Competition

The biggest competitor within the internet series market are ofcourse, other internet series. As stated above, over 24 hours ofuser generated content is uploaded to YouTube every minute,and with animation community websites such asNewgrounds.com, and other successful and established webanimation series like Adam Philp's 'Brakenwood', competition isfierce. However, by working with sites like Newgrounds, andnetworking with other series artists like Adam Philips, it is possible

for Fetch to make just as much of an impact. Other competitorscome in the form of other graduates, like myself, looking to set uptheir own franchises or shorts online. However, by using contactsI have already made through festivals like Animex, as well as my4 year record working for Animex as a student runner, gettingmuch needed press and guidance from current industryprofessionals should give me a competitive edge over othergraduate competition.

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2.3. Marketing Strategy

As aforementioned in earlier sections, most of Fetch's marketingwill be through online, viral marketing, as well as through the useof a business card set, and promotional post cards. (SeeAppendices A for marketing materials.)

2.4. Product or Service Production

For the first series of Fetch, 5, 2 minute episodes will be producedover a 9 month period, with an approximate production time of 6weeks per episode. The first episode will be released January

2012.

The episodes will be produced using a mixture of AdobePhotoshop, Abobe Premier, and ToonBoom Animate Pro.ToonBoom will be used to for all animation production, Photoshopfor producing background art and prop assets, and Premier forediting the shorts and adding any needed post production andaudio.

All 3 of these products work seamlessly with each other, and are

all robust, industry standard software packages aimed at bothtraditional and digital artists, resulting in smooth workflow.

All work will be produced on an Apple iMac computer, tailoredspecifically to handle intensive media production tasks.

A digital graphics tablet is needed in order to produce theanimation and art needed for Fetch. The industry trusted model isthe Wacom Intuos, now in its 4th iteration.

2.5. SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities

and Threats.

Strengths: Personal project Fetch began as a personal project, therefore I have

a strong sense of motivation to see the project through to completion toa high standard.

Visual Style Fetch has a strong, defined visual style, reminiscent of1960's era Hannah Barbera cartoons, but with a fresh, modern twist,

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making it appealing to both older audiences, familiar with oldergeneration cartoons, and to a younger, new generation of cartoon fans.

Weaknesses: Inexperienced I am an animation student fresh out of university, with

no previous industry experience. I am entering the market as an

unknown. Workload Fetch will be produced solely by myself. It is very possible

the workload may spiral out of control, and will have to be managedappropriately.

Opportunities: Film and animation festivals - such as Animex or Annecy, as well as

internet viral marketing through video and social networking sites likeYouTube or Twitter could be used to gain Fetch much needed attentionfrom the public and media. Such attention could lead to award shortlistings, or even Fetch being picked up for further development by an

established company. Networking Being able to open new network opportunities within the

internet web series market, meeting talented artists such as ex Disneyanimator and creator of the online Brakenwood series, Adam Philips.

Threats: The current state of Britain's economy - as well as the recent

government funding cuts to Britain's art and animation industry, mayhamper any future development within the UK.

Technical difficulties - i.e. data/animation loss, equipment failure.Adequate back and technical support facilities will have to be

implemented.

2.6. Business Structure

I am the sole producer and owner of Fetch. Fetch is to bedistributed online and I will be distributing it under the name'Limey Studios'. I fully intend to claim copyright ownership overFetch, and have begun researching the best method of how to doso with the UK government's Intellectual Property Office.

2.7. Management & Ownership

At this moment in time, I am the sole producer of Fetch. Allproduction, marketing, and distribution of the product are carriedout by me.

If Fetch were to be taken into further development for televisionfor example, further staff will be required to spread the increasedproduction workload, at which point I would concentrate mainly ofthe development side of fetch, as well as handling Fetch's

marketing materials.

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2.8. Key Objectives

During Fetch's first year, I aim to successfully produce all 5episodes, and have them released on time. By doing so , I hopeto have secured enough industry interest with Fetch, and becomeat least shortlisted for an award at an animation festival such as

Animex or Annecy. On a longer scale, within 2-3 years I hope thateither:

a) Fetch is taken up by a larger development company, anddeveloped for another, bigger series for either web or television

Or

b) Through Fetch, a larger animation production company, suchas UK based Blue Zoo animation or Qurios Animation studios

notice my skill as an animator and artist, and offers meemployment with them.

Whilst working on Fetch, I fully intend to keep my animationportfolio site updated with work produced throughout Fetch on aweekly basis, as well as keep in contact with pre existing, andhopefully new industry contacts I may make through Fetch'spromotion.

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Objective Task CompletionDate/completeby

Marketing Materials Design 13/03/11

Test 06/04/11Print 07/04/11

Production Complete Pre-production

07/02/11

Begin animation 12/02/11

Complete Episode 1 01/11/11


Complete Episode 3 01/02/12Complete Episode 4 14/03/12


Distribution Release Episode 1 01/01/12

Release Episode 2 14/02/12




Enter Animex 2012Awards

01/10/11

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2.11 Appendices A

Marketing Materials

Business Cards.

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Post Cards

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Flyer

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2.12 Apendices B

Web Survey http://kwiksurveys.com?u=CartoonAudiencesWeb Survey Results - http://kwiksurveys.com?u=CartoonAudiencesresults

Em Johnson SPB development blog - http://ejsbp.blogspot.com/

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