How competition winner Lauren Fry overcame challenges and brought her children’s animation series to life with expert mentorship.
I recently had the pleasure of mentoring Lauren Fry, one of the winners of the inaugural Blue Zoo and Disney Animation Writing Competition, Success Story.
In this post, I’m excited to share a case study interview with Lauren, highlighting how animation series mentorship played a pivotal role in her creative development.
We’ll discuss her three-month mentorship journey, how she developed an animation series bible during this time, the challenges she faced, and the growth she experienced throughout our time together.
Introduction
Let’s dive into the interview. Whether you’re an aspiring animation writer or a screenwriter looking to develop a TV series, Lauren’s story is sure to inspire and inform.
Case Study Interview with Lauren Fry
Katy: Hello Lauren! Congratulations on winning the Blue Zoo and Disney Animation writing competition, Success Story!
Lauren: I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity. It gave me the chance to work on my original concept, which focused on Welsh culture. Initially, I had a brief idea with characters and names but hadn’t defined an audience or age range. I wanted it to be a feature film at the beginning.
Setting Goals for the Mentorship
Katy: What were your main goals when we started working together?
Lauren: I aimed to improve my character development skills because I had always focused more on plot than characters. I also wanted to enhance my world-building abilities, which I hadn’t explored much in live-action writing. Additionally, I wanted to deepen my understanding of Welsh folklore to authentically integrate it into my story.
Developing the Idea
Katy: Can you describe the first steps you took in developing your idea during our mentorship?
Lauren: In our initial sessions, we discussed the format of my project. Because the idea of doing a feature was very ambitious, we discussed other options including a short film and TV episodes. I decided to develop a TV series for children aged six to nine. This shift allowed for more creativity and the opportunity to create self-contained episodes. We also worked on understanding my characters, especially the fairies from Welsh folklore, and how they fit into the story.
Adapting the Concept
Katy: How much did your idea change throughout the mentorship?
Lauren: It changed quite a bit, but for the better. Moving from a feature film to a TV series provided more flexibility and creativity. We also decided to make episodes self-contained, which was new to me but very rewarding. This change happened about a month or two into the process, and I was very happy with how it turned out.
Katy: Yes, that was a big change to the idea, wasn’t it? We had talked about how TV series (with self-contained episodes) are much more common in kids’ TV than TV serials (that follow one single story). So you thought it over, then decided to make that change. I remember you had to rethink your idea considerably to make it work in this new format. But you really embraced that change and spent a lot of time figuring out exactly how it would work. I was really impressed with how you did that.
Lauren: Yes, I learned so much through doing that.
Overcoming Challenges
Katy: Tell me about some of the challenges you faced during the writing process, and how you overcame them.
Lauren: One major challenge was ensuring that each character had clear goals and distinct personalities, especially with many characters based on folklore. Establishing consistent rules for the different types of fairies was also difficult. Additionally, balancing a full-time job with my creative work was demanding. Regular mentoring sessions gave me the motivation and inspiration I needed to stay on track.
Support Through Mentorship
Katy: How did our sessions support you during the development process?
Lauren: There was so much support throughout our sessions. It was really nice having that creative space where we could bounce off each other with ideas; I really appreciated that. Your continuous feedback and availability for questions meant I always had the guidance I needed. The resources you shared, like the TV series you recommended I watch for homework, and the pitch bible guidance, were also extremely helpful.
Helpful Tools and Strategies
Katy: Were there any specific tools or strategies that you found especially helpful?
Lauren: Watching animations aimed at the six to nine age range was very helpful. You recommended different TV series that you knew about, comparable to what I was writing, and that helped me figure out how to shape the world of my series. It helped me understand what other writers and animators were doing. The resources and documents you provided for creating a pitch bible were crucial since I had never done one before. Also, the articles on developing as a writer were very insightful for my career.
Achievements by Mentorship’s End
Katy: What did you achieve by the end of the mentorship?
Lauren: I completed a comprehensive series bible that I’m happy with. My skills in character development and world-building have significantly improved. I feel much more confident in pitching and sharing my ideas. The mentorship also clarified my passion for development and writing.
Next Steps After The Animation Series Mentorship
Katy: What are your next steps after the mentorship?
Lauren: I plan to continue refining my animation series bible, including seeking illustrations to enhance its visual appeal. I also aim to establish my presence as a writer online and pursue opportunities in the animation industry. Additionally, I’m interested in developing my live-action writing further.
Building Confidence and Future Approaches
Katy: How has mentorship shaped your approach to writing and developing animation projects in the future?
Lauren: My confidence has skyrocketed. I feel much more comfortable expressing and sharing my ideas. The mentorship taught me a lot of valuable information that I’ll use for future projects, both in animation and live-action writing.
Connecting with Lauren
Katy: Finally, where can readers find you online if they want to follow your story or connect with you?
Lauren: You can find me on LinkedIn as Lauren Fry and on Instagram @laurenfryfilm. I’m still developing my Instagram account, but I post updates on my progress there.
Katy: Thank you so much for chatting with me, Lauren. It was such a pleasure helping you in your writing journey. I can’t wait to see what you do next.
Lauren: Thanks, Katy, for all your support over the last few months.
Key Takeaways
I hope you enjoyed reading about Lauren’s journey and gained valuable insights into developing an animation series from the ground up, as well as an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the mentorship process.
If you’re developing your own animation series, here are some key takeaways:
- Decide if it’s a series or a serial
- Nail down the audience of your show
- Find someone to bounce ideas off (and give you feedback)
- Do some research into the other TV shows out there
- Do further research to add authenticity
- Don’t be afraid of making necessary changes along the way
A Pep Talk to End With…
What are you working on in your writing? Let me know, as I’d love to hear from you. 😊
If you’re struggling with an idea – no matter what it is or how long you’ve been working on it – please don’t beat yourself up. It’s incredibly hard to create something out of nothing and that requires a lot of self-compassion. So please be kind to yourself.
It’s OK to get it wrong before we get it right. In fact, that’s an essential part of the creative process. Untangling and refining what we’re trying to say can feel muddled at times. So we just have to keep on chipping away at it.
Often we can’t do it on our own (I know I can’t). We need someone else’s eyes and ears. So do get the support you need, if you haven’t already. If you can’t afford coaching, find a friendly writers’ group. There are lots of them out there.
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