Toon Boom’s Animation From Every Angle Celebrates Diversity
When children’s book author Daniel Errico was shopping his 2014 children’s book The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived around to studios and broadcasters in the hopes of having it turned into an animation series, many would tell him that they supported his cause but could not produce his content. The reason? Errico’s story was centered on a gay couple — a form of love traditionally met with fear and resistance by the kids’ media industry. How things have changed in under five years — gay marriages have been shown on animated children’s series from Arthur to Steven Universe. Streaming services, traditional broadcasters, indie producers and students alike are tapping into a growing global hunger for untold stories. Errico’s The Bravest Knight also found its happy ending on Hulu and is one of the first projects highlighted on Animation From Every Angle, a forward-facing project focused on creators who widen the scope of animation. Launched by Montreal-based software leader Toon Boom, Animation from Every Angle is an online magazine going in-depth on productions that boldly reach new audiences, broaden horizons and use storytelling to shine a light on underrepresented experiences through long-form, journalistic profiles. Whether it be gender, sexual orientation, or racial or cultural identities, diversity and inclusivity have become central themes in the industry behind the scenes and on screens.
Why representation in animation matters
According to one Univision study, 80 percent of television and film audiences want a more diverse media and entertainment industry. Animation From Every Angle aims to empower those changing animation for the better, or are using animation to create change. “The animation industry is evolving every day and taking an inclusive, progressive stance to help productions get noticed. We want to support those creators and artists who are reshaping the narrative to make a positive difference, and help them to amplify their reach and impact by connecting them to our global network — and beyond,” says Stephanie Quinn, Marketing Director at Toon Boom. Having celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019, Toon Boom has spent a quarter-century empowering creators with the tools and technology they need to tell their stories. Often serving more as a production partner than a software provider, Animation From Every Angle is a continuation of this legacy of promoting content that matters. “This is our way of giving progressive storytellers walking the walk a platform to also talk the talk, and connecting them to Toon Boom’s global community,” says Philip Mak, Senior Content Writer at Toon Boom. He continues, “We curated a list of diverse disruptors whose work spans student projects to streaming platforms for our first edition, because it’s not the size of the production but the strength of the story that matters most.” Plus, audiences are demanding — and rewarding— diversity and inclusivity, with the proof being in both the productions and producers: Jennifer Lee’s promotion to chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, the success of LGBTQ-related series like Big Mouth and Steven Universe, as well as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse winning the 2019 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, among many others.
The stories behind the storytellers
The inaugural issue of Animation From Every Angle features five such stories from around the industry, including interviews with Hair Love co-director Matthew A. Cherry, Sony Pictures Animation producer Karen Toliver, the women involved with WIA Vancouver’s Five in Focus and more. “Inclusion is important in all mediums but especially in animation because in my opinion it is the most universal medium. Anytime a young child can see people that look like them on-screen, the more it does for their self-confidence and the better they end up feeling about themselves in the long run,” says Matthew A. Cherry, co-director of Hair Love. He continues, “We’ve already seen it a little with the both the Hair Love short film and book, and it’s something that I want to continue doing as I move forward in the business with my future animated projects.” Those interested in being considered for the second edition of Animation From Every Angle can submit their projects to content@toonboom.com. For more information or to read the full stories, please visit: AnimationFromEveryAngle.com.