Since the new edition of Animag’s Pitch Party contest is closing soon (Deadline is June 3), we thought it would be the perfect time to catch up with some of the winners of the contest from previous years.
Dan Contois, was the talented winner of our 2012 contest with his instantly appealing Jimmy Legs entry. He was kind enough to let us know about his latest adventures:
“Back in October I pitched Jimmy Legs to Kim Manning at Adult Swim,” he writes. “She was very helpful in pointing out some of the strengths and weaknesses of the concept. Overall she liked the idea and suggested that I team up with a screenwriter to put together a sample episode as part of the next step. It has been difficult search but I think I may have finally found the right screenwriter for the job. I am excited as I move forward with this project. I do not know if it will go anywhere but I am certainly learning a lot in the process.”
“I am also currently working on a major character design project that I feel that I was able to land because of my involvement with the Pitch Party. It was just a matter of the client liking my style that I had developed over the years by participating in this event. As far as the immediate future goes, I am determined to improve my pitch for Jimmy Legs. Even if I do not land a network development deal for him, I will continue to explore new avenues for getting my idea out there. It may turn into a webtoon, graphic novel or mobile game app. The future is wide open and I am confident that you will be seeing him soon in one form or another.”
We also heard back from talented artist and animator Nath Milburn, who was our top-prize winner in 2011 with his clever toon pitch, Sheriff Banks’ Ghost Town.
“The Pitch Party definitely gave me a boost into the pitching world,” he writes. “I got my name out there, making it easier for future pitching. Since then I’ve just been living and working in Atlanta, GA. I’ve been jumping around tv shows working on such series as Adult Swim’s Squidbillies and Aqua Teen Hunger Force, IFC’s Out There and others.” His advice for wanna-be show creators? “My only advice I think I could really give is just experiment. Don’t sweat the details. If you want to pitch a cartoon, make that pitch and just start sending it out. You’ll most likely get a no, and your pitch might not be any good, but at least you’ll have made one. Just keep it up and you’ll eventually find your groove! You never know if you don’t try it. You may even find out this industry isn’t even for you!”
Chris Leathers was our Pitch Party winner from a few years ago, who came up with the wonderful My Annoying Little Brother.
“In 2004, I was the winner of your awesome Pitch Party,” he wrote. “It was a very positive experience all around. As of this week, my small interactive company, Kid Games Interactive LLC, founded in 2010, has released an iPad version of the book My Annoying Little Brother— the same property that was featured in the pitch…The animation is quite simple, but we try to accomplish humor with only a few frames, and I think we succeed in this case.”
“There is always room in our kids’ lives for experiences that make them feel good about themselves, build their sense of positivity about life, and let them learn subtle building block skills that apply to much more than math or reading alone,” notes Leathers. “Our fun educational apps for kids teach the basics of counting and reading through simple playful interface, designed to keep growing minds curious and involved. Kids are encouraged to learn through repetitive problem solving, practicing what they know, and drawing connections as they progress.”
You can find out more about Leathers’ beautiful app and other titles at www.kidgamesinteractive.com.
You can also learn more about how to enter this year’s contest here: www.animationmagazine.net/pitch-party-2013/
The deadline is June 3, 2013.
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