MASS Animation

While creatives like musicians, singers, and actors, nationwide have been devastated by the pandemic, one field actually thrived--animation. Why? Within 24-48 hours studios around the globe disinfected workstations and sent them to their employees' homes and the work continued nearly seamlessly. This approach was further supported by the fact that animation, especially 2D and 3D are managed via an electronic pipeline. In fact, global demand for animation increased greatly as many live-action productions were shut down. My solution is called MASS Animation and it revolves training an appropriate number of trainers in the global-standard, pandemic-proof 2D animation software to then teach a national cohort the software virtually. Then, once the trainees are trained and certified my solution is for Three Butterflies Entertainment & Press LLC, in part, to serve as talent agency servicing animation studios, large and small, around the world.

MASS Animation aims to meet a growing demand for animator and seeks to create employment opportunities for those incapable of affording access to traditional animation programs. As a general industry trend, there is growing demand for workers trained in animation as “Moviegoers are demanding high-quality productions with engaging visual effects and realistic animation and studios are including more animation and VFX shots into films. Consumers are consuming more immersive content across channels such as ultra-high-definition TVs, tablets and smartphones to head-mounted devices. Animation, VFX and games content is being consumed not only on Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, but also on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Streaming video is the fastest-growing distribution channel for animation and is witnessing double-digit growth and the same is expected to continue. This growth is attributed to the exponential growth in the number of online video viewers throughout the world…The rapid advancement of technology has made animation, VFX & games available to the masses, and this industry has become one of the fastest-growing segments in the global media and entertainment market. We are increasingly seeing more of animation, VFX and game production taking place in a globally distributed mode.”

My solution is training creative in 2D animation using skills they already possess--the artistic and the technical. If a person can draw and use a mobile phone, notebook or a computer, they can learn to use the 2D animation software I have in mind here. Here, the intention is to use and enhance innate abilities. Will MASS Animation, my goal is to merely "skill up" our trainers and trainees. MASS Animation utilizes 2D animation software, computer technology, and an attached drawing pad. The greatest solution, however, is the artist him- or herself. Human creativity is the technology at the center of MASS Animation, which which foster growth in the national and global animation industries and allow individual trainees the opportunity to tell their own stories, which in the case of the populations targeted for MASS Animation, promotes voices from heretofore marginalized communities--women, people of color, and economically challenged groups. 

My target audience are women, people of color, and the economically challenged. I know this group because I am a member of this group. As an African American woman will debilitation academic debt, I understand this population intimately. The goal is to raise the standard of living of these groups and to give them access to the field of 2D animation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the occupational group of “multimedia artists and animators” nationally earn a median income of $75,270 per year according to data from May 2019. Prior to the COVID pandemic, employment for this occupational group is projected to grow 4% from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations, due to increased demand for animation and visual effects in video games, movies, and television. As a group nationally, multimedia artists and animators held about 67,500 jobs in 2019.The majority (56%) are self-employed, with the other largest industry employers being from the motion picture and video industries (14%); software publishers (7%); computer systems design and related services (5%); and advertising, public relations, and related services (3%). Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Depart of Labor. Occupational Employment Handbook: Multimedia Artists and Animators (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/multimedia-artists-and-animators.htm#tab-1).

Increase access to high-quality, affordable learning, skill-building, and training opportunities for those entering the workforce, transitioning between jobs, or facing unemployment.

In additional to myself, there are two Human Resources specialists, a team of five at Toon Boom in Canada, and attorney, and three accounting professionals. 

As a member of the African American community committed to, and having a history of equity, diversity, and inclusion in practice, my approach is simply centering communities of color and women in my work. For example, I am the Executive Producer of the Great Lakes African American Writers Conference, which this year reach an attendance of over 5600 people over three-day during our virtual conference. We achieved these number with a vigorous social media campaign. We will do the same for MASS Animation. Reaching and employing a practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion is innate to my being and experience. My submission to cosmopolitanism undergirds my approach, commitment, practice, and existence. 

MASS Animation intends to bring first-rate 2D animation (software) training to the masses via a virtual learning platform. By "masses" I mean trainees across the nation who have artistic and technical abilities who ordinarily would not have have access to first-rate 2D animation training or employment opportunities in the filed. The first step is to ascertain the interest of qualified candidates. Second step, to hire a sufficient number of qualified trainers to meet the needs of the trainees. The appropriate ratio is 15 trainees to 1 trainer. For reasons cited above. Trainers must first receive the necessary training and become certified. Ideally, trainers would receive a salary commensurate with the national rate. Trainees, ideally, would receive a living-wage. Once trainees are certified their qualifications may be made available via a national clearinghouse-talent agency. Animation studios around the world may then hire the certified trainee to work in their global animation pipelines. 

It is the global standard 2D animation, Toon Boom, that is at the center of my solution. I have a three-year relationship with Toon Boom and we are developing a pilot program for implementation in Northeast Ohio (Cleveland, primarily). Two types of software are at issue, Toon Boom Harmony and Toon Boom Storyboard. As mentioned above, the animation industry has proven to be pandemic-proof and has actually grown during this era. Historically, animation has not been accessible to women, people of color, and individuals who could not afford to go to college or art school. MASS Animation reduces the obstacles and opens the gates all while providing trainees with income. The trainees only expense would be the computer and necessary components--a cost that can be kept under $3500 or so. For the avoidance of doubt, the technology is the 2D animation software.  

Here's a blurb from https://www.toonboom.com/educa...: "For over 20 years, Toon Boom software has been leading the way. It’s the industry standard for creating award winning animation. If you can imagine it, our tools will help you make it. If you're a student aspiring to be an animator, an educator or an administrator ensuring your institution remains competitive, Toon Boom software is key to achieving your animation education goals." From https://www.toonboom.com/educa...: "As a student of animation, you want a tool that inspires creativity allowing you to draw, animate or add special effects in the style of your choice. Learning Toon Boom's versatile software will open doors to a sustainable career path." And from https://www.toonboom.com/educa...: "As an educator teaching 21st century skills, you are preparing animation students and learners for a rapidly changing future demanding skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. Whether teaching K-12, university level, or at a CTE institution, we are dedicated to supporting your animation education goals;" and, "We make it easy for you to teach by offering a range of ready-made instructional materials and educational resources to help future proof your students’ career path. Learn how to incorporate Toon Boom Animation software with free journeys, courses, modules, topics, and downloadable assets from our Learn Portal." In 2018, Toon Boom was named the best animation software by Animag (https://blog.toonboom.com/toon...).

Activities & Education: The activities for MASS Animation are 2D animation training. Several skills will be developed employing the software known as Toon Boom Harmony and Storyboard. Activities & Company Incubation: Three Butterflies received support from MIT Solve partners, various government entities, and entertainment industry org benefiting from a collaborative community. Activities & Knowledge Creation and Public Dissemination: Trainers and trainees are given access to global standard 2D animation software. Outputs & Education: Trainers and trainers develop competencies in Toon Boom Harmony and Storyboard. Outputs & Company Incubation: Company begins to build workforce and foster relationships with animation studios around the world. Outputs & Public Dissemination: Growth of an animation workforce, which has positive implications for individual, families, communities, and economies. Short-term outcomes & Education: Trainers and trainees become certified in Toon Boom software. Short-term Co Incubation: Fostering growth of the animation workforce. Short-term Public Dissemination: As trainer receive professional wages and trainees receive a living wage, the standard of living for individual, families, communities, and economies improve. Long-term outcomes & Education: Trainees gain employment in animation studios around the globe. Long-term & Company Incubation: Three Butterflies serves as a talent agency suppling animators to studios around the world and establishes an independent studio for animators who wish to remain affiliated. Long-term activities & Knowledge Creation and Public Dissemination: Certified animator begin to tell their stories more freely using platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, etc., and enter their work in various festivals and sell their original content to studios, networks, streaming services, etc.

Mass Animation is scalable since the education and the work may be produced online and managed through a pipeline. In the Cleveland-based pilot, we aim to train ten trainers and 300 trainees (two cohorts of 150) over the course of 36 months. 

Not receiving funding or under-funding are the only obstacles. Toon Boom, the software maker is committed. That Toon Boom is a Canadian software company could proof a problem is strange nationalistic interests are invoked. I have no doubt that the United States has enough artistically talented individuals from the populations I seek to serve to fulfill the roles of trainer and trainee. Perhaps some trainees may have difficulty securing the proper devices, but providing them with a living wage should eliminate that obstacle.

Funding provided through MIT Solve lays a sound fiscal foundation for MASS Animation. Being selected by MIT Solve should create national, regional, and local funding opportunities. For example, our local pilot program has already received the approval of a program in Cuyahoga County (OH) called Skill-Up. This program reimburses my organization for the difference between a trainers or trainees starting wage and any promotion they receive. Management of the project won't pose a problem with the requisite staff. Additionally, I strong believe that trainees will be highly motivated to fulfill the program's objectives--the primary of which is to train the trainee for gainful employment.

While we have not yet launched the pilot program, I feel strongly that we will be able to collect all key data: Name, age, geographic location, gender, ethnic group, income, academic level, skill level. Then, upon training, certification, and placing the trainee with animation studios, we can track success in placing the trainees for employment. We should be able to ascertain salary, geographic location, title, etc.

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It is quite interesting that none of the questions regarding proximity to poverty dealt with staggering academic debt. Well, I fit that dynamic. As mentioned previously, I understand poverty as a result. Even so, I am a prolific manager and producer. I have been self-employed as a result of living in a city in which I am deemed woefully over-qualified and a bit of a threat. I leave in Cleveland, Ohio, which was recently deemed the poorest large city in the nation. Further, Bloomberg CityLab deemed Cleveland the least livable for African American women, of which I am one. So, I understand living in a challenged context quite well. In short, I have first-hand experience and knowledge. Consequently, I strive to aid people of look like me, share my gender, or whose circumstances I can empathize with--that is anyone who is, in one form or fashion, disenfranchised. Further, I have built a relationship with Toon Boom, the software maker, over the course of three years. Our relationship is solid and we are gearing up to execute a pilot program provided we receive a federal grant we have applied for. With the funding in hand, we has poised to launch the pilot.

Again, we are aligned with Toon Boom, the 2D animation software maker and with the Cuyahoga County (OH) government. Additionally, we have secured the services of Davis Consulting to do our hiring of trainers and trainees. Davis Consulting is an African American female-owned talent search firm.

Key Resources: Funds, HR Professionals, Toon Boom trainers & software licenses, Trainers, Trainees, wifi, devices. Key Activities: Management of the project. Key Intervention: Virtual training in collaboration with Toon Boom, the creator of the global standard 2D animation software. Segments: African American, Indigenous, Latinx, and women creatives with the requisite tech skill who have thus far experienced bars to entering the animation field. Partners & Key Stakeholders: Toon Boom, the Canadian animation software maker is involved and amenable. We have a three-year relationship that facilitate the opportunity to bring MASS Animation to life. Channels: Davis Consulting, an African American female-owner talent search firm is on board to address our human resource needs. Customer: As a workforce development project it is our objective that governmental and philanthropic orgs assist in funding MASS Animation. Impact Measures: We can easily measure the number of trainees, the number who achieve certification, the number who  attain gainful employment, their salaries, and their economic impact of their placement. Customer Value Proposition: Our end user will be animation studio, which who get access to certified animation trainees to fill their human resource needs. Cost Structure: Our biggest expenses for MASS Animation are the cost of payroll for the trainers and trainees, and the software licenses associated with Toon Boom Harmony and Storyboard. Both increase as we scale up, the the economic impact and boost in morale are well worth it. 

Three Butterflies Entertainment & Press LLC produces original content for TV and film. Currently, we have two documentaries and an animated children's program in development. MASS Animation (and Animated CLE, the local pilot program we hope to get funded through a federal grant) are a part of your work-force development initiatives. We will bring in money to fund our work through grants and governmental programs. Then, once trainees are certified and prepared for the workforce, we will serve as a talent agency for animation studios around the world. Animation studios will be assessed a fee for our services. As animation evolves, we will seek to evolve MASS Animation. In short, our approach is integrated (our business activities overlap with the social programs and our business is created as a funding mechanism and to expand/enhance the mission of the organization); to provide employment opportunities within the animation industry particularly in 2D. Surplus will be invest in creating Three Butterflies Animation Studio, which would become a viable employer, a service studio to larger, more established studios (a training ground), and ultimately, a creator of original content. Our primary revenue source will be from service contracts we enter into with established animation studio for contract service work. Toon Boom has promised to facilitate such contracts once we launch MASS Animation and establish a suitable trained cohort. We will also generate revenue once we become a talent clearinghouse for animation studios around the world where we will place certified trainees.

At the moment, we are awaiting word regarding our application for the 2020 MBDA Innovation Minority Hub grant. This is a $1.5M grant.

As mentioned, we are awaiting word regarding our application for the 2020 MBDA Innovation Minority Hub grant. This is a $1.5M grant.

Total Two Year Budget for MASS Animation could be $2,869,139.12. The budget for MASS Animation Year 1 is $1,815,418.99. This figure includes salaries and employment taxes, consulting fees, “training the trainers,” rent, equipment, and pertinent ancillary expenses like insurance. The essential staff: project manager ($150,757.00), Human Resources staff ($82,500.00), the ten animation trainers ($525,000.00), and the administrative assistant ($58,000.00). Employment taxes are also contained within this figure. Two fees totaling $60,000.00 for consultants are pertinent: The consultants who will teach coding ($36,000.00) and legal and accounting ($24,000.000).  Business insurance: Estimated $4,104.00. Facility rental comes in at $120,000.00. The associated costs include rental costs of real property and equipment,  "utilities, insurance, security, necessary maintenance, janitorial services, repair, or upkeep of buildings and equipment". Equipment cost for technology provided by Best Buys Business (computers, AV, Human Resource website, etc.) amounts to $373,183.58. The educational cost associated with “training the trainers”  is $325,270.00. Should the trainers travel to Montreal the estimated cost is $51,922.28. Miscellaneous cost is $5898.00. If travel to Toon Boom is required the expense for Work Visas to Canada at present cost is $2717.00. Total travel cost amounts to $63,254.28. Again the budget for the items included for MASS Animation Year 1 is $1,815,418.99. Direct costs are: $1,254,877.13. Indirect costs are: $560,541.86. The budget for Year 2 is $1,053,720.13 (Year 1: $1,815,418.99 - (TB Training) $325,270.00 - (Equipment) $373,183.58 - (Travel) $63,254.28. Again, the total budget for two years is $2,869,139.12.

I feel strongly that getting creatives to work is a smart way to improve the US economy and morale. The arts are a critical aspect of developing societies. Animation involves voice and story-telling. Both are, and always have been, crucial to developing healthy people and healthy societies. That fact the animation proved to be pandemic-proof is no small things. Teaching animation via a virtual platform should, give historically disadvantage communities (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other historically marginalized communities) access like never beyond. Providing trainees with a living wage simply make the program more appealing and more competitive ensuring high-quality candidates. MASS Animation surely could fulfill the mission of MIT Solve.

Partnering with the federal government would be key since MASS Animation is intended to be a national workforce development program. Local, county, and state governments would be significant partners too. Perhaps the National Endowments for the Arts would find MASS Animation appealing as would the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. Ultimately, partnering with every animation studio around the world would be crucial as MASS Animation would train potential staff. Companies that could support the trainees, in particular, with securing that devices would be helpful. 

Governmental org could provide additional funding to support the funding of the project since it is a workforce development project. As such, economies will be strengthen. Entertainment industry org benefit as MASS Animation supplies critical members of the creative workforce. Other orgs that are for-profit will have an opportunity to support any social enterprise initiatives they may have since MASS Animation focuses on supporting Indigenous, African American, and Latinx communities and others that heretofore had encountered bars to entering the professional animation ranks.