John de Lancie to make "brony" documentary

[fensterawethome~!]

While were discussing budgets, note that one episode of FIM costs about $250,000 (give or take).

Perhaps Hasbro should start a kickstarter for Season 3?

[Opposing FarceDon't you smile at my faceSpit on my backDo you kiss your mother with a mouth like that?]

While were discussing budgets, note that one episode of FIM costs about $250,000 (give or take).

Interesting. I assume that's a single episode after the basic Flash assets and such have already been developed, right? It isn't factoring in all of the up-front costs involved?

[JupiterDermatologists Hate Her!Local Apple discovers weird old trick]

A lot of the cost difference between a film festival film and a wide release film has to be advertising, that shit ain't cheap. Or is that not included?

[QuantaThe heroine of fabulosity is here!]

While were discussing budgets, note that one episode of FIM costs about $250,000 (give or take).

One episode of FiM costs $250,000
Each episode is ~22 minutes in length
A feature-length film is ~90 minutes, which is ~5 episodes according to the above scale

Hmmm...

[Scuderia FerrarityThe Corndogs Of Today are the Tacos of Tomorrow]

While were discussing budgets, note that one episode of FIM costs about $250,000 (give or take).

That's like total cost of season divided by number of episodes. If they had to produce a 30 episode season the cost per episode would probably drop.

[Tulipclaymore]

The $5k/$10k kickbacks seem like joke options to me. Would anyone seriously be interested in watching an interview with some random who gave a project a bunch of money if they weren't already involved in the project from the start?

Anyone? No. "Random"? Definitely, given a certain personality type.

While were discussing budgets, note that one episode of FIM costs about $250,000 (give or take).

I apologize, but... source? That number doesn't sound too far off (it used to be "commonly known" that a network TV drama show costs 1 million per episode; FiM episodes are half the length and most of the production and some of the pre-production is outsourced to Canada and the Philippines). But everything's better with a source.

[Mr. BigBrush is mightier than pen.]

I apologize, but... source? That number doesn't sound too far off (it used to be "commonly known" that a network TV drama show costs 1 million per episode; FiM episodes are half the length and most of the production and some of the pre-production is outsourced to Canada and the Philippines). But everything's better with a source.

It's from the DHX Media fiscal Management Discussion and Analysis reports for 2010 and 2011. The original link is gone, but as luck would have it archive.org have both available. I downloaded it and put them up on my website

2010 Report
2011 Report

Relevant portions:

Producer and service fee revenues: For Fiscal 2010, the Company earned $7.48 million for producer and service fee revenues, an increase of 181% over the $2.66 million for Fiscal 2009 (note for the Q2 2010 MD&A and onward, Canadian and other rights programs previously shown in this category have been included in proprietary production revenue). The breakdown for Fiscal 2010 was as follows: $0.01 million for The Señora Project Season I, $0.13 million for Badly Drawn Roy Season I, 6 $0.01 million for Tilly and Her Friends Season I, $0.06 million for Kung Fu Magoo Season I, $3.53 million for My Little Pony Season I

Producer and service fee revenues: For Six Months 2011, Management was very pleased with the growth in this category as the Company earned $7.74 million for producer and service fee revenues, an increase of 215% over the $2.46 million for Six Months 2010. DHX Vancouver earned $3.68 million and DHX Wildbrain earned $4.06 million for Six Months 2011 (Six Months 2010 was entirely DHX Vancouver). For Six Months 2011, the breakdown for major projects over $0.10 million for DHX Vancouver was $2.62 million for My Little Pony Season 1, $0.42 million for My Little Pony Season 2, $0.22 million for Killer Mountain, a movie of the week, $0.14 million for George of the Jungle Season I, and $0.25 million for Ice Road Terror, a movie of the week. For Six Months 2011, the breakdown for major projects over $0.10 million for DHX Wildbrain was $0.54 million for Monster High Seasons 1-5, $0.24 million for Oki’s Oasis Season 1, $2.50 million for The Ricky Gervais Show Seasons 1-2, and $0.40 million for Happiness is a Warm Blanket DVD.

[Tulipclaymore]

Okay, but it's not like that's a precise breakdown. The actual price per episode is presumably higher once you figure in anyone hired directly by Hasbro and The Hub. Both the Studio B and the Top Draw animation (plus storyboarding, layout, etc.) is probably included in that. Maybe Ingram/Anderson and the voice actors as well. But the writers, for instance, might not be paid by DHX. Ditto some of the producers (including Faust's likely residuals).

[Mr. BigBrush is mightier than pen.]

Oh I'm aware of that. But the actual production cost (which includes storyboarding, animation, and maybe voices) is probably in that range. Scripts are in the pre-production range.

[diribigalNeither dirigible nor dirigibal.]

The kickstarter has passed $200,000 but now they're shooting for $270,000 so they can go to Europe.

Once we get to $270k, we’ll be adding a big trip to the itinerary. We’ll film at the Galacon Convention in Stuttgart, Germany on August 11 & 12th and BUCK BronyUKCon in Manchester, England on August 18th and 19th .

Also they're looking for interesting people from "Southern Carolina California" and there's an art contest with a $500 cash prize.

[itinerant nomadSurprise Pedantry!]

270k so they can to go to Europe?
Okay fine, but I swear, if the next thing is "300k to go to the moon" they're gettin' cut off.

I'm starting to wonder if they'll run out of fandom to cover before they run out of money.

[ScientificPonyIt's a beautiful day]

Okay fine, but I swear, if the next thing is "300k to go to the moon" they're gettin' cut off.

What a depressing documentary that would be..
"Here's where Luna was banished! Here's where Luna escaped! Here's where Luna paced back and forth for 1,000 years."

[RagnarWhat's older? Unicorns, or stars?]

I'd help fund a trip to the moon

[diribigalNeither dirigible nor dirigibal.]

I'd help fund a trip to the moon

I believe it was Andy Samberg who once said "gonna fly this brony to the moon somehow", or something to that effect.

[diribigalNeither dirigible nor dirigibal.]

The kickstarter has passed $200,000 but now they're shooting for $270,000 so they can go to Europe.

Apparently they reached this goal.

Okay fine, but I swear, if the next thing is "300k to go to the moon" they're gettin' cut off.

They might not make it to 300k with only one day left and no further stretch goals, though.

[Electric PonyBad 'un...Horrid...Bad 'un...Horrid...Does he ever make a good post?]

The kickstarter has passed $200,000 but now they're shooting for $270,000 so they can go to Europe.



Also they're looking for interesting people from "Southern Carolina" (Electric Pony?) and there's an art contest with a $500 cash prize.

Huh where did you see the southern carolina thing? I already put my name in for the 30 something professional but never heard back (not that I expected too).

Edit: upon looking closer they ar looking for southern california

[londonarbuckleAND SOMEDAY YOU WILL BUCK LIKE I BUCK.]

Anyone listen to the Eqd interview with John? I only listened to about half, but I don't know if I have too much faith in this being a particularly watchable or interesting documentary after that. I think John has good aims with it, and he seems like he wants to channel it into some larger meditation on the more toxic attitudes of modern culture and how those can be changed and how the internet is changing that and etc. but I don't know, it seems like a tall order for a documentary about bronies. And listening to him talk about it I almost become convinced that bronies are emblematic of all that and worth discussing in those terms, but then he'll talk about how he wants to protect bronies from negative stereotyping or whatever and it reminds me that bronies are just people who like a cartoon and not some special, amazing class of people who need any more focus than they already get. What do you guys think?

Also he sounds kind of pretentious.

Also I forget whether we're supposed to be talking about this still but I forgot why this thread was locked before and don't feel like looking.

[SeaSpray]

Hi,

I quite like John's interview and he probably gave the clearest explanation for the documentary (from his point of view).

With the successful fund raising, I think they feel the pressure to produce something worthy. I hope it kicks ass when it gets submitted to film festivals, win some acclaim and make it a hit. Well I can hope can't I?

SeaSpray

[diribigalNeither dirigible nor dirigibal.]

Huh where did you see the southern carolina thing? I already put my name in for the 30 something professional but never heard back (not that I expected too).

Edit: upon looking closer they ar looking for southern california

Whoops, sorry. I don't know how I misread that so badly.

[Crow.Why, of course!I'm clearly insane! .]

Hmm...I'm in southern california...but I'm hardly a professional.

The next project we should get going is kickstarter to get RARITY carved into the world like this:

[diribigalNeither dirigible nor dirigibal.]

Hmm...I'm in southern california...but I'm hardly a professional.

No, those were two separate calls:
"A 30-something working professional who is a Brony and will be going to BronyCon." and then, separate from that
"Bronies living in the Southern California area with interesting lives and stories to tell."

[Crow.Why, of course!I'm clearly insane! .]

My story is dull and unenlightened. I just hope they screen properly in their searches.

[Ramarren]

The Kickstarter just completed with 322k dollars total funding. Twenty three thousand short of most funded kickstarter in Film & Video category, although apparently there is additional PayPal dontation process that doesn't get counted on kickstarter. Hopefully this won't turn out to be a giant waste of money.

[Vulin]

Hopefully this won't turn out to be a giant waste of money.

It will be a documentary about the fandom of a show that will likely be forgotten by most in less than 5 years.

[JupiterDermatologists Hate Her!Local Apple discovers weird old trick]

After that interview, it seems conceivable that they would just use the MLP fandom as a jumping off point to have a conversation about media influence and gendered media and fandom groupthink and internet-community-fueled celebrity which are all things that could stand to have some professional analysis done in an easily consumable way.

So, y'know, there's a small chance this could be worthwhile.

Tiny really.

[Pink Himalayan Saltsee this watch? i got it by Crying. my car? crying. my beautiful wife? Crying. My perfect teeth? Crying. now get the fuck out of my office]

After that interview, it seems conceivable that they would just use the MLP fandom as a jumping off point to have a conversation about media influence and gendered media and fandom groupthink and internet-community-fueled celebrity which are all things that could stand to have some professional analysis done in an easily consumable way.

So, y'know, there's a small chance this could be worthwhile.

Tiny really.

That would be amazing and hilarious.

[Highbrow DashAJ, Rarity! What's happening?]

Here's hoping they end up talking about global warming, somehow.

[DarkMatter]

So apparently this is the second highest funded Kickstarter project ever. Here's hoping the don't screw it up. But everyone working on it sure seems excited about it.

[Tulipclaymore]

So apparently this is the second highest funded Kickstarter project ever.

... in the film category (like Ramarren says upthread). Lots of projects got more money, especially in the game category.

[Ramarren]

Lots of projects got more money, especially in the game category.

Well, "lots" is relative. Consider that Kickstarter funded (according to Wikipedia) over 23000 projects. I just went through most funded page and see only 29 projects with more funding.

One in comics, and I like Order of the Stick but a million dollars seems a bit excessive. Although it is two thousand percent over-funded, so I guess it just somehow happened. One in film, one in music, eleven in design, three in technology and twelve games. So all in all this is still quite impressive as crowdsourcing goes.

[Tulipclaymore]

One in comics, and I like Order of the Stick but a million dollars seems a bit excessive.

I helped with that one, actually. Only the second webcomic where I want(ed) to invest in buying the books so I can some day read the whole story in book form.

So all in all this is still quite impressive as crowdsourcing goes.

Yes, but less impressive than second-best ever .

[OctaviaHow does Frederic do it?]

So as many people here know, I'm a film composer and I pretty much exclusively do documentaries, reality shows, and other works of non-fiction. Obviously, this documentary is REALLY interesting to me, so I sent Michael Brockhoff an email, fully expecting it to be ignored.

Today, I got a response from him saying that he "wants to talk to me for sure", but that he's super busy and will contact me next month.

This could be a polite way of saying "no thanks", but in my experience, if people aren't interested, they won't respond at all. Also, I normally don't talk to producers until at least the rough cut is already completed. Music is pretty much the very last thing done in a film, so it's understandable for him not to be worried about post-production just yet.

If I don't hear from him by the time Bronycon starts, I'll probably send him another email asking if he wants to meet up and chat at the con sometime.

Anyway, I'm super excited and nervous and apprehensive and aaaaa

[Mr. BigBrush is mightier than pen.]

If you actually get to work on that film, that'd be super awesome

[londonarbuckleAND SOMEDAY YOU WILL BUCK LIKE I BUCK.]

Octavia music in this documentary would be the best thing.

[Herr Generalfabulous]

If you don't credit yourself as Sir Octavius Q. Yellowstar, I will be very disappointed in you.

[Crow.Why, of course!I'm clearly insane! .]

So as many people here know, I'm a film composer and I pretty much exclusively do documentaries, reality shows, and other works of non-fiction. Obviously, this documentary is REALLY interesting to me, so I sent Michael Brockhoff an email, fully expecting it to be ignored.

Today, I got a response from him saying that he "wants to talk to me for sure", but that he's super busy and will contact me next month.

This could be a polite way of saying "no thanks", but in my experience, if people aren't interested, they won't respond at all. Also, I normally don't talk to producers until at least the rough cut is already completed. Music is pretty much the very last thing done in a film, so it's understandable for him not to be worried about post-production just yet.

If I don't hear from him by the time Bronycon starts, I'll probably send him another email asking if he wants to meet up and chat at the con sometime.

Anyway, I'm super excited and nervous and apprehensive and aaaaa

Oh man, this would be the greatest thing ever.

[ArtificerGoes well with All Natural Milk Naturally Flavored with Natural Flavors.]

Congratulations, Octavia! My fingers aree crossed for you.

[drunkill]

Cool news, you can tell us how good/bad the roughcut of the film is then and get fired for us

[OctaviaHow does Frederic do it?]

I'm not gonna count my chickens before they hatch. He just wants to talk. But I think the fact that I have several documentaries under my belt as well as a studio full of my little ponies, that I'd be perfect for the job.

[DarkMatter]

That's awesome, Octavia! I hope something comes from it.