Snowlands started as the next big project I was working on at Bloop Animation.
Bloop is an animation learning platform I created in 2013, where I documented my journey and process of making animated short films. It has a popular YouTube channel, and is one of the most popular animation blogs/learning resource online.
So what does that have to do with Snowlands?
After making 3 animated shorts, and documenting the process, I decided I’m going to move on to making an animated feature film. The film would become Snowlands.
I worked on the screenplay for over a year, almost exclusively.
I rewrote it 3 times, and sent it for coverage reviews (highly detailed, professional feedback), until it was ready. When it was ready, I started submitting it for competitions and reaching out for potential partners to produce it.
When Covid 19 hit in early 2020, and the world practically came to a halt, I realized that getting it produced could take longer than I thought. Even a few years.
So instead of sitting and waiting, I decided there is something pretty cool I could do in the meantime – make a graphic novel version of the film.
I always loved comic books and graphic novels, and making one was a dream of mine. I saw the situation as an opportunity to make something awesome, and also take Snowlands from a script to a living REAL thing. Something people can see.
As I developed the idea, it became clear that Bloop, which has become more an educational company rather than a film studio at that point, isn’t the right home for a project like Snowlands. Snowlands was darker and isn’t animation exclusive.
While I think the Bloop audience will certainly enjoy what the book and film might end up being, I believed it should be housed under a different entity. That is what Hailstone was created for.
It will act as a production company for all things Snowlands, and other similar future projects. Bloop can focus on creating better and better courses and learning resources for aspiring animators.
So whether you came here from Bloop, or stumbled upon us from somewhere else – welcome. I will try to share as much as I can about my process of working on Snowlands, with as much transparency as I can.
Thanks for stopping by.
– Morr
