Learn how to Win the AnimChallenge With a Hybrid Animation Group

The AnimChallenge is a contest sponsored by Agora.studio that lets animators from every stage in their career throw their hat in the ring to contribute to a quilted-together final product.

every month, animation teams are prompted with a different theme to create a short exposition of their work, which could be selected as a snippet of a video that weaves together all of the top contenders into one unified video. The contest is so popular among animators that they’ve since upped the ante with an annual 24-hour Ultimate Anime Challenge that truly puts animation teams to the test. The moderators keep the themes vague so that contestants can let their imaginations run wild; for instance, some of the most recent themes include “dance,” “duck season” (a la Looney Tunes), and “cat’s hidden talent.”

So how does an animation team actually do it win the 24-hr Ultimate AnimChallenge? To further complicate the issue, what if your team doesn’t live anywhere near each other? The key is unbound creativity, a daring spirit that isn’t afraid of failure, and a solid collaboration strategy. Easier said than done? Not after you read this article.

Lean Into Your Unique Animation Style

The canvas is blank. So, what do you do with it?

When the prompts are left wide open, it’s hard to know where to start. Instead of trying to see what was most successful in the past, make the challenge your own. That’s not to say you can’t glean some inspiration from AnimChallengers past – since the world of animation is so vast, it’s always a great idea to stay open to new approaches to the art.

But that doesn’t mean you have to imitate them to succeed. Lean into what you do best and apply it to the challenge at hand, even if it requires a little bit of brain muscle-flexing. Stay true to the course and just do you!

Don’t Be Afraid to Fail

What’s the worst that can happen?

Even if your submission isn’t chosen to be a part of AnimChallenge’s “Best of” reel, I’d bet money on the fact that you had a blast doing it anyways. Who knows, you might even learn some new animation techniques or make new connections along the way.

Failure doesn’t have to be a bad thing, either. If your submission isn’t chosen, it could highlight a learning opportunity to strengthen your craft and tighten up your animation team as a whole. The only way to grow is to keep trying, and sometimes you need to attempt something new a few times before it truly lands. Fine tune your vision and re-submit next year.

Often times, failure has very little to do with our own abilities and skills. It might have more to do with the who, what, and when of the situation. If you fall down, just get back up and keep steady! As they say, “fortune favors the brave.”

Tighten Up Your Remote Collaboration Strategy

If you enter the AnimChallenge with your team, you need to have a solid collaboration strategy – even if your team is scattered across the globe.

Implementing the help of a collaboration tool like an online whiteboard solutions is the easiest way to get everyone on the same page when projects start to get more complicated. Online whiteboarding helps you get back to the basics by putting all of your team’s ideas together before executing the big picture.

Online whiteboarding apps can also help troubleshoot any potential issues in the production process before they happen. Your animation team will have all of the storyboards, gifs, and concepts in front of them with the ability to iterate in real-time during brainstorming sessions. With everything around your AnimChallenge submission in one place, it’ll be easier to execute quickly and with little to no last-minute surprises right before the finish line.

Good Luck at AnimChallenge 2022!

The path to success starts with a solid collaboration strategy, trust in your own creative vision, and the ability to learn from mistakes. Whether you submit to the annual 24-hr Ultimate AnimChallenge or try your hand at the monthly contests, we hope this article helps you and your animation team bring your A-game.

May the odds be ever in your favor!