The VG Resource

[PAID] Animated Web Series Shorts ($10,000+)

PikaParody Studios is looking for a 3D animator to create our new web series called “Busted.” It is a professionally written series about two police officers who hassle different (ripped) video game character in each episode. The animator will work with the director (Nick Plagman) who recently graduated film school with an emphasis in directing.

The contract which will be signed beforehand will be for a 10 episode season. Each episode is about 3 minutes long. The animator will receive a storyboard and list of assets (characters, backgrounds, objects) for each episode. The director will brief the animator and producer (me) for each episode. As the animator is working on assets, the director will record the actors and mix a final mp3. This mp3 will consist of all voice acting, music, and some sounds for the entire episode. The animator will animate according to the timing of the mp3. Other sounds like walking will be added by the producer in post-production.

Pay is $1000 per episode + bonus. Basically, the animator will be payed $1 per thousand views until the video receives 1,000,000 views. After this pay, the animator will receive a bonus of $0.50 per thousand views until the video is 2 years old. We are expecting at least (at least) 800,000 views in the first six months. This script is absolutely outstanding. You must read it!

Here are two videos PikaParody Studios has created for Machinima that have done quite well in the last six months.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Paj7N_DK1RA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuHMoIWGw5Y
We have not uploaded anything in the last 6 or so months because we have been preoccupied with 10 different animated web series. We have gone from amateur level animations and will soon be hosting very professional content.

I am looking for 3D animators who are interested in getting started in animating part time or full time. There are some who will see this as opportunity.

If you are interested, please send me (the producer) an email ([email protected]) with a demo of your work. I can send you a copy of the script and storyboard for episode 1 if you would like to evaluate the scope of the work. Lastly, we can send you an mp3 of something else one of our other animators are working on.

We will give you full credit . . . and heck - the Spriter’s resource as well.

Thanks for your time - Kedric

You might find more potential animators on CG Society's CGTalk forums or Turbosquid...
Wouldn't this topic count as a request? The rules state that requests can't be made by a user until that user has 20 posts and has been registered for at least 1 month.
I'm not sure if that rule is reasonable in this case, however...

(02-02-2012, 12:28 AM)Friedslick6 Wrote: [ -> ]You might find more potential animators on CG Society's CGTalk forums or Turbosquid...
Wouldn't this topic count as a request? The rules state that requests can't be made by a user until that user has 20 posts and has been registered for at least 1 month.
I'm not sure if that rule is reasonable in this case, however...

Thanks for the lead Friedslick. I will check that site out. I admit I am not too familiar with 3D animation yet. I wanted to make sure I was working with people that knew how to use ripped models.

I believe by request - they mean requesting a specific model. This is more of a job posting. I am not a nuisance asking for models. I am a producer looking to pay a 3D animator.

(02-02-2012, 12:48 AM)Kedric Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-02-2012, 12:28 AM)Friedslick6 Wrote: [ -> ]You might find more potential animators on CG Society's CGTalk forums or Turbosquid...
Wouldn't this topic count as a request? The rules state that requests can't be made by a user until that user has 20 posts and has been registered for at least 1 month.
I'm not sure if that rule is reasonable in this case, however...

Thanks for the lead Friedslick. I will check that site out. I admit I am not too familiar with 3D animation yet. I wanted to make sure I was working with people that knew how to use ripped models.

I believe by request - they mean requesting a specific model. This is more of a job posting. I am not a nuisance asking for models. I am a producer looking to pay a 3D animator.

I guess an animator doesn't count as a resource...
Well, good luck with your series.

I don't believe you can use RIPPED models for a PAID event. That definitely sounds illegal.

(02-02-2012, 07:20 AM)AllenSword Wrote: [ -> ]I don't believe you can use RIPPED models for a PAID event. That definitely sounds illegal.

I assure you. It is perfectly okay. Many have done it for pay and those who have done so are endorsed by video game companies. Monty Oum, for example, even got a job in a video game company after they noticed his work.

I advise you to educate yourself concerning parody and fair use laws. Fair use laws are a large grey area. Video game companies, however, consider the video game as "the work" - not individual music tracks or models. They know that animations like this help them sell their video games. That is why they promote it.

And I assure you it's not. Do I have to cite the big megaupload controversy, or the disclaimer in front of games that say that all media in the game's software (music, models, sprites, etc) is still owned by the creators? I've seen sprite movies, but I've never seen any movies with recent games 3d models, because companies don't want their most recent games ripped, it takes from their sales. Being paid for doing such a service will only make it more illegal and more suspicious. Therefore, I advise you to educate yourself on IP laws and the big SOPA PIPA thing going on in the US.

(02-02-2012, 12:23 PM)AllenSword Wrote: [ -> ]And I assure you it's not.

I appreciate your concern but I am confident you are wrong. I am sure you are familiar with Red VS Blue, Dead Fantasy, or Haloid. Red VS Blue, for example, began using content from Halo Reach before the game was even released (because Bungie game it to them). Animations like Red VS Blue promoted sells. How does it hurt sells? It doesn't.

The truth is, much of Red VS Blue, Dead Fantasy, and Haloid are not even parodies and they are still endorsed and loved by the video game companies themselves.

Again, I return to fair use laws. I have argued that even if these scripts were not parody, they would still be okay to use in animations. I add, these scripts are all parody. If you are not familiar with fair use, I can understand your concern. I assure you, it's fine.

Well I won't argue with you about it anymore. What you do with ripped models is your business, not mine. I just found this : http://50sfun.proboards.com/index.cgi?bo...d=5&page=1 and it seems legitimate. It sounds more like the rom sites that are in trouble citing nintendo's page here : http://www.nintendo.com/corp/legal.jsp . Sorry, but with all this crap on the internet regarding the SOPA and PIPA and megaupload issues, it's hard to figure out what's ok to do or not.

(02-02-2012, 01:01 PM)AllenSword Wrote: [ -> ]Well I won't argue with you about it anymore.

It's okay, really. You were concerned about me and I appreciate that you would take the time to warn me.

It is tough to know what is okay to do and not okay. The grey areas are huge. Fair use laws help clarify many of the issues. Since you are on here - it seems you use sprites or models. Basically, you are fine unless you think a company is going may do something. I know I am fine because video game companies promote rather than sue my previous examples - and my previous examples are not covered under fair use.

(02-02-2012, 12:09 AM)Kedric Wrote: [ -> ][PAID] Animated Web Series Shorts ($10,000+)

PikaParody Studios is looking for a 3D animator to create our new web series called “Busted.” It is a professionally written series about two police officers who hassle different (ripped) video game character in each episode. The animator will work with the director (Nick Plagman) who recently graduated film school with an emphasis in directing.

The contract which will be signed beforehand will be for a 10 episode season. Each episode is about 3 minutes long. The animator will receive a storyboard and list of assets (characters, backgrounds, objects) for each episode. The director will brief the animator and producer (me) for each episode. As the animator is working on assets, the director will record the actors and mix a final mp3. This mp3 will consist of all voice acting, music, and some sounds for the entire episode. The animator will animate according to the timing of the mp3. Other sounds like walking will be added by the producer in post-production.

Pay is $1000 per episode + bonus. Basically, the animator will be payed $1 per thousand views until the video receives 1,000,000 views. After this pay, the animator will receive a bonus of $0.50 per thousand views until the video is 2 years old. We are expecting at least (at least) 800,000 views in the first six months. This script is absolutely outstanding. You must read it!

Here are two videos PikaParody Studios has created for Machinima that have done quite well in the last six months.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Paj7N_DK1RA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuHMoIWGw5Y
We have not uploaded anything in the last 6 or so months because we have been preoccupied with 10 different animated web series. We have gone from amateur level animations and will soon be hosting very professional content.

I am looking for 3D animators who are interested in getting started in animating part time or full time. There are some who will see this as opportunity.

If you are interested, please send me (the producer) an email ([email protected]) with a demo of your work. I can send you a copy of the script and storyboard for episode 1 if you would like to evaluate the scope of the work. Lastly, we can send you an mp3 of something else one of our other animators are working on.

We will give you full credit . . . and heck - the Spriter’s resource as well.

Thanks for your time - Kedric

I'm a 3d animator/td artist. However, I'm not really totally convinced that game studios are ok with using thier reipped models for profit based projects. I personally have been rigging and animating ripped models for a year or so now but never for actual profit. If you could show some examples or reasoning as to why this is acceptable I'd definitely be on board for soemthign like this.

However, fair use does not cover this. It's neither non proft so the balance isn't tipped in favor by that, or for the purpose of criticism or education purposes. You're saying you want to do a web series for entertainment.

Also, in regards to Monty Oum, his Dead Fantasy and Haloid works were both fan based and non profit. He was giving out free copies of his work at conventions and even that got him in some trouble. I know rooster teeth has a certain relationship with bungie but I find it slightly dubious that a game company is ok with someone making money off something they ripped from a game. Also, even if one of them were ok, that doesnt mean that every other one will be. If you want to work with models from differnt series' that will ifnringe on multiple comapnies and even if 5 of them are cool it only takes one to say no and that will set a precedent.

Consider we live in a world where Disney can and will tell a 15 year old that they can't have a picture of mickey mouse commisioned becasue they aren't getting a portion of the 20 bucks offered.

O.o
why would monty get in trouble for giving out free copies of his work. his work is'nt ripped it's custom. if people can sell custom toys on ebay why would someone get in trouble for giving away custom models?

(02-09-2012, 09:02 PM)valforwing Wrote: [ -> ]O.o
why would monty get in trouble for giving out free copies of his work. his work is'nt ripped it's custom. if people can sell custom toys on ebay why would someone get in trouble for giving away custom models?

As I heard he got asked to stop by some reps from Square for giving out copies of dead fantasy 2 anime boston. Dead fantasy 2 used the actual ripped models in the animation. monty is an incredibly talented choreographer and despite what he says he's a very competent animator, however at that point in time his modeling skills were not where they are now. To my knowledge, since the addition of Namine, he's begun creating custom and some from scratch models, however the nature of copyright protects the very character design and trademarks themselves so no matter if you change the design, you don't own the content.

(But, technically your story and character animation itself is your creation.. so it's kinda a gray area. I personally would like to keep it gray because if a company does decide to define a solid line to be crossed it will set a prescedent and what we can get away with in these communities might be reduced.)

(02-09-2012, 03:32 PM)gagex2z Wrote: [ -> ][quote='Kedric' pid='423753' dateline='1328159382']
However, fair use does not cover this. It's neither non proft so the balance isn't tipped in favor by that, or for the purpose of criticism or education purposes. You're saying you want to do a web series for entertainment.

Gagex2z,

You would be on board for something like this? That’s great because it’s not illegal!

First, even if it was illegal, I (as the producer) would get in trouble – not you.

There are five reasons why I know your perspective is wrong. (1) I spent a great deal of time doing research over the course of multiple weeks. (2) I can tell you did not. (3) PikaParody Studios has a professional full time film director working with us that has graduated MA from school and has taken classes (and taught classes) on legal issues in film and copyright. (4) There are legal experts employed at Machinima. (5) My thorough research, a professional film director, and legal experts at Machinima ALL agree.

The error in your assumption (that it is only fair use if it’s not for profit) is common. Our full-time director was a TA and graded tests for numerous students. Many of them got this particular copyright question wrong. It's like people think it’s "fair use" as long as you don't profit from it. He graded 95 mid-terms over two semesters and he’d say 90% of them the 1st semester said it's fair use if you're not doing it to make money. The next semester they had to begin teaching it differently to make sure people got it. Fair use is not as simple as “no profit.” In fact, that’s silly.

If you still doubt it, I challenge you to do at least one hour of research on copyright, fair use, and parody (I did about 15 hours of research). The answers are not hard to find.
With that said, if Squaresoft did have a problem with Monty Oum, they would not do anything. First, like I said before, it was not a parody. Second, it would be far too expensive for them to sue him (even if they won). Third, he is making money off of it (It’s on GameTrailers and is making money right now).

Squaresoft is THE most copyright protective company. If Squaresoft did want to try to sue me, (1) you as the animator would be fine and would still receive pay, (2) THEY WOULD LOSE, and (3) would spend more money suing me than they would get from me. Besides, they know they would lose so they won’t do it.

With all that said, I look forward to you contacting me. My email is [email protected]. I will be gone for the weekend so email is the only way to get ahold of me. PikaParody Studios, I believe, will be the next Rooster Teeth (perhaps bigger). If you are open to the idea of making lots of money doing what you love and perhaps even in the future working full time doing so in an office – contact me.

-Kedric

Be sure to give this site a cut of those profits...
No real reason, it'd just be nice

Of course I'm only joking, you don't have to.