Significance

FOUR - From Both Sides of the Screen

The Second Coming's origin story affected more than just the Animator's universe.

***

An opportunity.

You have no idea how it happened. You didn't even do anything this time! And yet it's pretty obvious that you brought this new stick figure to life. The destruction it's caused doesn't shock you, and neither does its ability to improvise. The truly surprising thing is that it can draw and animate better than you ever have. It's a bit embarrassing, quite frankly. And yet if this incredibly skilled thing (...being?) came from you, perhaps you could learn to be that good too. And just maybe the stick figure would be interested in helping a fellow creative person out.

Your previous projects have gained a fanbase. And there, you are told, is the potential for something different. Something novel, creative, not constrained to the well-trodden path of a regular profession. Something in which you can tell your own stories the way you want to. If you make your own videos, especially videos with stick figures, where could this go?

A risk.

Your previous experiences with stick figures really don't fill you with confidence about letting this new one roam free - especially since it seems to want the other four! One stick figure was bad enough, you remember all too clearly what happened when two were loose, but five? The only thing that would constrain this stick and its little band from causing chaos is its promise to not destroy stuff (at least that is your hope). The only thing constraining you is its - his? - promise that they won't destroy stuff. How in the world did a drawing lead to some kind of trust exercise?

A career like this is ... unorthodox. This won't be a stable job with a steady income. Success is dependent on the fickleness of ads and views and funding campaigns. If this is going to work, then you will need to invest time and energy, so much time and energy. You'll probably need to do side gigs for a while to stay afloat. You'll need to persevere and believe that it all will be worth it, even as the deadline creeps ever closer and the late nights become all-nighters. And what about the other parts of life - family, friends, your wellbeing? If you want this to work, you must figure out how to make this work.

A turning point.

You'd never been on good terms with stick figures. It was always you versus them or you making them do things. Something has to change in dealing with these new ones, especially the orange one. Just ignoring them won't work - you're not sure if your nerves can take that anyway. "Friends" feels like a stretch - after all, you just made a very bad first impression on them (actually, can one even be friends with stick figures?) - but at the very least you could be friendly and not freak out every time you see one strut across the screen. There are other issues too - what happens if you want to make changes to your own computer? What kind of say do they get? It's almost like you'd be their landlord. That is a strange feeling.

You've become much more intentional with this video, and you'll have to keep that going for the future. Curate your content, hone your workflow, figure out the algorithm. There's also the thought that a project might become too much for only you. In the future, could bringing in additional people work well? There are also new ideas to explore with these sticks. Of course there should still be fighting and broken UIs and awesome explosions, but now there's an opportunity to build in courage and compassion and friendship.

A future.

There's so much you could learn from this stick figure. Imagine what you could create when you've learned some stuff and put in the practice! Maybe having stick figures on your computer won't be as bad this time around. But right now, the orange one is in a box and he's asking when you will start. One thing at a time.

If you take these opportunities, if you're careful, if you adapt, who knows what this venture could become? But right now, there are revisions to do and scenes to shoot and sound effects to record. One thing at a time.

***

Happy Anniversary to the incredible Animator vs Animation IV! Thank you so much to Alan for this wonderful animation. I never grow tired of rewatching this one. And Happy Birthday to The Second Coming and friends! You've only continued to grow dearer to us as your stories have unfolded over the years!

Published 02 Oct 2023

The real life Alan parts are based on the AvA 10 year anniversary video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zj5mj1DHOk) as well as several comments that Alan has made in videos over the years.  I hope I've represented the real Alan's perspective faithfully and respectfully!

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback and encouragement for FOUR! It means so much to me and I couldn't have done it without y'all <3

As always I'm open to thoughts and perspectives! :)

Next in posting order: TWO