Animation

I would give Flow the edge. Telling an emotionally engaging story with almost no dialogue shows how powerful animation can be. James and the Giant Peach offers wonderful imagination and a memorable fantasy world, but Flow’s emphasis on visual storytelling makes it the more compelling choice for me.

Flow was definitely an outlier. It was mostly fascinating by how quickly they made it and, of course, with quickness comes inexpensive. Other than technically fascinating, I did not find the viewing experience that grand. My thoughts were most of the viewing were people like me and you that watched it on the internet. James and the Giant Peach much better for a young audience

I think just for how easy it was to watch compared to the other, it would have to be James and the Giant Peach but... as for the story and emotion? Flow wins hands down..

James and the Giant Peach was an adaptation from a novel written by Roald Dahl (the same author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and Flow was an original story for the movie. I read the Roald Dahl novel and saw the movie. I also saw Flow and I actually liked Flow better because the story incorporated very realistic movements and concepts like the cat stretching and the dog mimicking the stretch on the boat into the story.

Flow still has me reeling, and I've seen it four times. It tackles life's big questions, and it's so beautiful and painful at the end to watch the animals make their decision to stop running from an inevitable fate. The visuals are also stunning; the hand of a statue (humanity) reaching above the rising water is brilliant.

Kevin Jackson And I animate everything in Daz. I do wish I had learned Blender, though, as I’ve been told it has better animation tools.

Hello Writer

I'm Sachin Yadav from Lucknow, India — finance professional turned storyteller, building my original IP 'BANDARTEKAR GATHA'.

LOGLINE:

When a cursed guardian of the forest — BANDARTEKAR, born from Indian folklore — awakens after his sacred land is exploited, the world doesn't send an army. It sends an icon — a larger-than-life, WWE-style Global Wrestling Superstar who has never lost. What begins as a spectacle becomes a battle between primal myth and manufactured modern heroism.

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

This isn't just a script to me. I designed this scenario to give the global audience something truly different to watch — Mythic Horror meets Sports Entertainment. Visually big, culturally rooted, and built for a great audience response.

CURRENT STAGE:

• World Bible & 4-beat structure locked • Pilot / Short Film synopsis & logline ready (uploaded) • At peer-feedback stage — polishing structure, pacing, and emotional core • Co-developing cross-cultural elements with Turkish writer Aybüke Rana Söylemez • Not hiring or committing to anyone right now — only seeking honest creative guidance to make it pitch-ready for a major director someday.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU:

1. Does this Myth vs Superstar clash land as an international concept for you? 2. What would make the fight more cinematic and emotionally resonant, beyond just physical action?

Any honest feedback on structure and audience connect would mean a lot.

Thank you for always guiding new voices like me.

Best,

Sachin Yadav | Lucknow, India

#Horror #CreatureFeature #HighConcept #IndianFolklore #OriginalIP #Bandartekar #WritersRoom #PeerFeedback #ShortFilm #FeatureFilm

I've never heard of Daz. Most studios use Maya for tv/film, and Unreal for games. Have yu tried Maya? My suggestion would be instead of a walk or line of dialogue. Start with a bouncing ball, so you can learn to adjust timing and experiement with trying to do different weights. A bowling ball, a basketball. This process will teach you how to edit your curves, which is the corner stone of animating. But having a full body character, and lip sync means lots and lots of curves to manage. So we start with one simple thing. There's a ton of youtube videos that explain it. Plus the book already mentioned above is a book all animators started with (as well as Illusion of Life and I also liked Ed Hooks Acting for Animators)

Thank you for your feedback :) Daz is software not really suited for animation; it's more for posing than full animation, but I do like Daz because you can get good render quality, and a lot of the software comes with a lot of assets you can buy, and it's very easy to use and make characters. Many animators have told me to switch software to get better animations since Daz is limited, like Blender or UE5 or iClone, but I'm scared of changing software. I'm going to have to learn from scratch, learning the new software, so I'm kind of at a crossroads :/. I have a screenplay for my first season, so I'm going to go through with it until then, and then maybe change software and try learning a new software while I make my first season, if that makes sense?

Once you learn the principles of animation, and the tools in the software animators need (timeline, set keys, curve editor, viewports, good fps etc..) then it is easier to jump software. Because you know what you are looking for. Your post was about animation not looking right, so I'm responding to that.

If you also want to visualize your screenplay first season... with premade assets.. then that's different than learning to animate. Are you using the premade characters to do previz? Like a digital storyboard? If yes, I wouldn't bother animating the faces beyond an expression and eyeline. Rough previs is forgiving because the expectation is it will be animated later.

Oh I love both of these. All the hard work from both Team's to make these movies, I give nothing but love and respect to both. I'm a giant child who loves animation - and grateful these both came into the world. Left me with such fond memories watching them as a teenager and then introducing them to my own kids when they were small. Animation is a life long powerful tool!

Monsters, Inc. I love it for the simplicity of story line and the deep relationships that are formed . It's fun, it has a universal theme we all know (monsters under the bed) and it connects on an emotional level.

Monsters Inc shouldn’t be seeded at 7, this match up deserves to be closer to the final for me! Love both but my heart goes with the outlier in Monsters Inc, Billy Crystal one of the best ever to do it!

And the votes are in!

I definitely heard the Monsters, Inc. fans on this one! A few of you weren't too happy seeing it sitting at the #7 seed, and honestly, that's part of what makes these matchups so much fun. When a movie has touched the hearts of this many people, no seed is going to make everybody happy.

But the votes have spoken, and Toy Story wins this matchup pretty handily and advances to Pixars Final Four!

A lot of love for Mike, Sulley, and Boo in the comments, though. Monsters, Inc. may be out of the tournament, but it clearly isn't leaving quietly.

Next up: DreamWorks — Shrek vs. Kung Fu Panda.

And somehow... I don't think that's going to make choosing any easier.

“Great matchup, Joshua! Toy Story definitely earned that win. Looking forward to seeing how the Final Four plays out!”

I think the theme is very relevant today. The contrast between human tradition and AI automation feels timely, and putting that conflict into baseball gives the concept a unique angle. The Y2K techno-noir setting also sounds visually compelling. I’d definitely be interested in seeing how you develop the White Wolves and their journey.

I’m interested to know if your characters who resist automation ultimately triumph be remaining true to traditional methods? Or do they find a way to bridge the gap between the old and the new?

I don’t know about right now but I saw some Russian animations from the 1970s that looked pretty cool. Otherwise I’m gonna be biased as hell and say Japan lol

Europe always has solid animation, like Spain and France.

I agree with Bob Harper, I've screened some amazing and interesting student animation made at the French animation schools Rubika and Pohl. I'll share and post a trailer on the Your Stage Lounge tomorrow. I also recently received a VIP screening for a Spanish animation that was at Annecy 2026. Outstanding work with a blend of 2D and 3D animation and an historical true story.

Kevin Jackson I'm realizing my answer is probably Europe, although I'm still expanding my knowledge outside the US and Japan. The US has made me accustomed to the polished 3D feature style we associate with studios like Pixar, while I've always admired the beauty and expressiveness coming from Japanese animation.

Europe seems much harder to put into ony stylistic box, though, and that's what I'm starting to find interesting. Spain caught my attention recently with Decorado. Also, Flow, coming primarily from Latvia with French and Belgian involvement, wasn't personally my favorite visual style, I found it harsh on my eyes, but I absolutely respect how different it looks from the mainstream.

So maybe my answer isn't one country yet. Europe is making me realize I need to broaden what I think animated features are supposed to look like. I'm definitely interested in seeing more.

I'm taking an indefinite break from pitching as I focus on actually getting some writing done (as well as improving my skills).

Hey, @Chase. Stage 32 has a free pitch webinar called "Pitching Tips from the Pros: Your Blueprint to a Successful Pitch." www.stage32.com/education/products/pitching-tips-from-the-pros-your-blue...

Creating stories and writing can make you feel discouraged, get you down, and be lonely. That's one reason it helps to talk with other members on Stage 32 like you're doing with your comment.

You're welcome, @Chase. Hope you feel better soon and that webinar helps you with your pitches!

I'm done with pitching. I'm all abbout producing - no more waiting for "permission" to do my thang!

I have, and the biggest lesson for me has been that pitching is less about waiting until everything feels perfect and more about finding the right fit. PRAYPREY has gotten some strong responses recently, including an OWA finalist placement, a First 10 with straight 5s and a Writer Recommend, and a full-script request. My question lately has been "Who is actually built to understand and champion this particular kind of animated world?”

Bob Harper Absolutely! I’ve learned that with my own content too, sometimes you just have to release it and let the audience find you. Release it and they shall come!

Don't wait for permission.

Cyrus Sales, I certainly did not intend to put pressure on anyone. I am excited about the future, but do understand that things take time. The important thing is to get it right instead of rushing through.

Kevin Jackson Exactly.

Wyman Brent I understand, and I didn’t mean to imply that you were putting pressure on anyone. I was simply highlighting the differences between the two situations. I’m excited about the future too, and I agree that these things take time. Ultimately, getting it right and maintaining the relationships involved is more important than rushing to the finish line.

Mike Boas I really like this question because I think animation sometimes gets put into a strange box when it comes to festivals. A lot of general film festivals will have an animation category, but there is something different about being in a room where the programmers, filmmakers, and audience are already coming in with an appreciation for the medium itself.

For me, I don't think it necessarily has to be animation festival or a regular film festival. There can be value in doing both

My latest short has been accepted into 16 festivals, with four wins so far. If nothing else, they serve as a litmus test for whether your concept appeals to some audience.

Congratulations to you and everyone who worked on the short, Bob Harper!

I have not submitted in a while but I am working on some new stuff for 2027

Kevin Jackson I saw this!!! I got chills. Seriously, this looks so good! I cannot wait to see it. Thanks for posting Kevin!

Michel is one of the greats! He's a nice guy too!