Yaya & Boo! Animated Series Part 3: Grant Writing

A little positive pressure goes a long way

Last week, in the midst of figuring out what the next steps were in creating my animated series, I came across a grant. Well, it’s actually a loan but we’ll get to that later. The big caveat was this: it was due in 5 days. I had a choice to make. If I pursue this, everything else would have to wait. This would be my primary focus. I needed the distraction. I decided to go for it.

My thinking was this: if I don’t get the money, if I don’t make the deadline, even if I give up halfway through realizing how incredibly unprepared I was for this application, I’d still be light years ahead of where I was before. Fast forward a few weeks: it worked.

This specific grant was for the development of a new idea. It fit so perfectly with where I was at with this project. So I hunkered down. I took meetings, I reached out to everyone I knew that could help, I wrote, I sketched, I researched, I learned about the inner workings of making a series, and I wrote some more.

It pointed to something I overlooked. Something so big and obvious. The development phase. Coming from a background of graphic design, this was always a crucial step. I remember Ron Beltrame, my old college professor (who was the best unofficial mentor I’ve had) teaching us about the first and most crucial invisible step in designing anything: developing the concept. He’d have us create 100 iterations of a design before selecting the few designs we’d move forward with. It was painful. Most of this stuff would never be seen, but he promised that this would give a better final product. I think he was right.

This grant was the fire I needed to focus on developing the concept. Not only solidifying an idea enough to apply for the grant, but realizing that this grant funded a crucial step in creating the animated series I want to create. It was funds for writing and for development of an idea that could be used to convince a production company or an investor that this idea really is well thought out, this idea really does have legs, and this is really worth the next phase: pre-production.

There are different ways that organizations like the Canada Media Fund will support new ideas including grants and advances. This one is an advance, meaning that if the project goes into production, the $30,000 will have to be repaid. If it doesn’t go into production however, I don’t have to repay it. Totally fair.

This wasn’t my first experience writing a grant, but it’s been a while. And I forgot just how beneficial grant writing could be to keep things moving, and to sharpen an idea. What works for you to move your idea forward might be different, but here’s why grant writing worked for me:

There’s nothing to lose

I nearly gave up a handful of times. I hit enough roadblocks and questions that were above my level of understanding. I assumed that the road was closed altogether. It helped to have friends nearby to say “Just go for it. Even if you have to throw these last parts together. You have nothing to lose”. They were right, and as it turns out, if you look for a solution long enough, you’ll probably find it.

The application was due at 2PM on a Monday. Just a few hours before it was due I was still wrapping up the budget and team notes. A friend of Jessica Borutski agreed to walk me through some of the trickier bits. Juan Cruz Baldassarre had his hands on the development of some amazing shows that were relevant to mine like Care Bears, Curious George, and Teen Titans GO!.

Juan helped me refine my application and wrap up some loose ends. In any multifaceted project, there are times when you’ll confidently carry the torch, offering clarity to the path, and there are times when you’ll need someone else to carry the torch for you. Don’t be afraid to ask.

It clarifies direction

Grant writing is sure to polish an unformed idea. At least it did for me. A few things I worked out in the process:

An understanding of how expensive this project will be. Animation is not easy, and thus it isn’t cheap. This $30,000 grant will cover writing and

The name of the show kept evolving. The first idea was “The Adventures of Yaya & Boo” or something like that. But that seemed too long, so I started calling it “The Yaya & Boo Show”. Again, too long, and possibly a little limiting. So I stripped everything down to “Yaya & Boo”. But it was missing something. It had to be a little more exciting! That’s it! An exclamation! So now I’m calling it “Yaya & Boo!”, which can ultimately change, but I’m pretty happy with that title. I bought yayaandboo.com and grabbed as many social media handles as I could.

In writing this grant, I was also able to better refine the ultimate stylistic direction of the show. At this point I’m going to work towards blending photography with animation. Photographic backgrounds to honour the books I make, and animated characters to bring them to life. This echoes the style I worked with for Find Momo Everywhere, but also is not a totally common approach, which can differentiate the series.

It builds excitement

Working on this show has me falling in love with my books all over again. Setting a goalpost for me means painting a picture in my head of the finishing point. What does this show look like? How do I want it to be received? To me, it looks like an animated series that kids absolutely love, and the delight that comes with realizing that these cartoon characters on your screen are actually very real dogs. In this imagined future, the books compliment the characters, but more importantly help strengthen the understanding that there is a real world to explore. And that life outside your door can also be colourful and playful and fun and beautiful.

It’s an industry intro

Creating a series, and animation specifically is a whole new world for me. I learned a lot, and really that’s just the intro. I’d almost say that what I’ve learned in the past few weeks have made my first few videos obsolete. But I’m gonna keep them up because this is a learning experience.

I also became privy to the unfortunate truth: the industry isn’t doing well. Not a lot of shows are being greenlit, people are getting laid off, and there isn’t as much funding going into it. Great Andrew, what a perfect time to finally decide to make an animated series.

It became the perfect companion to my books

This was one thing that always held me back from creating the animated series. I figured a photography based book series would not lend well to animation. There is really no precedent to this. But that could be something that sets it apart. I love the idea of a child falling in love with the softness of the show and the personality of the dogs, only to discover that these are real living creatures. That reality is not a limitation to imagination. A reminder that empathy can be developed in an animated world.

The books and the animated series can work so wonderfully together if done right. And that became a focal point: the animated series needs to be done right. This means not rushing it. This means that development will be crucial to the success of the show.

Finally, don’t let a grant define your success

This grant will not define whether or not the show gets made. My original goal was to create a pilot episode. I think that’s still the goal, even if I end up having to crowdfund it. This grant comes with a few caveats that I need to consider as well. Being awarded this grant will not be the final decision maker for this series. In fact, writing this grant has made me certain that this is a really good idea, and that pursuing it really is something I’m passionate about.

If you want to hear more about the idea that the grant helped refine, check out my latest YouTube video. I talk through everything I just wrote about and offer a little insight to things like:

• The synopsis of the series

• A story arc for the first and potential following seasons

• A description of the lead characters

• A typical episode format and length

• The number of episodes

If you want to check out the pitch documents that were required for the grant application, I placed it directly behind the paywall in a separate substack. Because the best things in life are on the other side of a paywall.

Thank you for hanging out,

Andrew, Yaya, & Boo