How I wrote, directed & animated a solo feature film 

he's a man of focus, commitment, and sheer fucking will

I didn’t want to leave this video without personally saying thank you. This wasn’t some cheap quick RU-vid video, you obviously poured your heart into this for years and I love it. I’ve been sitting on a graphic novel idea for 2 years now and your bit about breaking the “roles” into separate goals for the project is gold. Thanks again!

Leaving a comment so I can come back to watch this! 🎉rooting for you

As a fellow filmmaker who has to do everything pretty much solo, this is a big inspiration. I thought that I was crazy for trying to tackle a live-action feature film, ¿ but an ANIMATED FEATURE? I hadn't even dreamed of going that far. You, sir, are crazy. I aspire to be as crazy as you.

"Just keep creating" - Denver Jackson

In the time it took you to write, draw and animate a few short films, an animated web series and a feature... some people can barely write a screenplay. You are incredibly gifted, my friend.

This video is really cool, as someone who is working on a 15+ min animated short film by themselves this is super inspirational

You kept calling a lot of your past work "failures", but they still look like incredible achievements. Artists tend to be the biggest critic of their own work. I am glad you were able to use your "failures" as motivation to achieve your higher aspirations. It is not a lnear process that always ascends upwards, there are many dips and lulls. The journey of an artist is riddled with self doubt. It takes a lot of belief to trudge forward when the end goal only becomes tangile once you achieve it.

10 years is a massive commitment.... really admire that level of dedication. Well done on achieving your dream! That's an awesome thing to accomplish :)

Inspiring is an understatement. We need a new word in the dictionary to describe what this is for aspiring animators and filmmakers.

10 years, what a dedication! One of the best motivating videos that doesn't actually call itself one. True example that even just one man is able to accomplish anything they want with enough pasion and hard work. Wish you the best with this film and all your future work!

Impressive!!! Thanks for proving that it is possible.

👏👏Thanks for sharing your process!

Here’s your crown, sir 👑

I just started learning 3D animation for a project, and I felt unmotivated for the last two months. You have truly inspired me.

Very inspirational! At the right moment as well

This is so inspirational. Thank you so much for sharing this with us

OMG this guy is my hero! Soo inspring!

i wish i had that kinda stability in my life to animate my own project. but sadly i do not. and for some reason i can not wrap my head around the fact that you just did it. I love doing art but i can not just do it. i am not able to focus on any task at all this is incredibly well made... keep on creating!

I empathize so much with your hands limiting the amount of work you can do. It is frustrating, humbling, and like you it drove me to seek other technologies which can aid the volume of work I can produce. Yoga helps, gymnast hand stretches helps, but I think you and I both have asked more than our fair share of our hands and they have let us know. I love your drive and commitment, I look forward to seeing more of your future work!

@CloudrisePictures Respect. For starting, for experimenting, for failing, for iterating and trying again and again. Respect for asking for help and delegating. Respect for committing and seeing it through. Respect.

This is one of the best videos I’ve seen on RU-vid in a while. Thank you so much for sharing your story and thought process behind your work, and I can’t wait to see the film!

I saw your tweet promoting World’s Divide months ago and it ignited a hope in me that a dream I’ve always had is still possible despite my lack of formal training or being in that industry. This has helped me again! I am beginning my journey because of you!

Thank you for this. You’ve encouraged me to finally post my own ideas and crafts

This is... crazy. I've been working on personal projects since being laid off of the animation industry and it has been so hard to not give up on 1:30-3min long animatics. I can't imagine the amount of willpower it took you to come this far, but it is incredibly inspiring to see. I hope you take care of your health and that we get to see much more of you in the future. Best of luck at Annecy!!

Hope to see the finish product soon.😃

Absolutely wonderful. Loved this video wow ❤😊

Dude you are what I aspire to be and when you succeed it gives me and others like me hope that its possible so man keep going and never give up

Awesome work, you're an inspiration!

Well done brother, so much of hard work. Every frame of it is absolutely amazing

I love this so much! I started working on my animated series back in 2011 when I lost my ability to walk. I thought I could just jump into animation but learned quickly that there was a process and progression. fast forward to now, I wrote and illustrated 7 graphic novels for the series, and 3 hours of animation for a webseries, and more importantly I am not doing animation for augmented reality books. Im also in Medical School too as an MD,PhD Candidate in Neuroscience where I do research with my creative work! Just never give up and keep the fire going til the goal is realized

Very admirative ! Congrats for this tenacity and hard work

Definitely copping the art book! Really excited to hear more about your work and process!!

It was an honour and delight to watch Worlds Divide and meet Denver @ Annecy. You can clearly see the soul and passion poured into the screen. Cannot wait to see what's in store next!!

I love the story of your message, so eloquently put. I’ve never been on Kickstarter so thank you for sharing here & making this video..

You absolute madman! Your journey through this was so inspiring.

thank you for sharing

This is absolutely amazing. Inspiring and very, very humbling. What did I do with my past 10 years? Certainly not put out various short films, a webseries, Graphic Novel and feature length film about an universe that I've created, while learning all of the techniques involved from scratch, by myself. Inspiring and very, very humbling.

Inspirational, thanks for share this incredible journey!

Thank you for sharing your journey... I WILL NEVER BACKDOWN and I WILL Do my BEST Never thought I would say it but ... This video means a lot❤

This man needs some Attention guys !!! Why 🧐😢 Not so many people Notice him !?

Totally brilliant and inspiring.

It's been amazing and inspiring to watch your productions transform over the years! Congratulations on hitting this milestone and I know you're just getting started 😉 *just another azn artist from drink and draw 😘 lol

hard to grasp the amount of work you put on one single project, its very inspiring.

And here I was thinking it would take a century, that is awesome

You are exactly the inspiration and experience I was looking for! I am on the road to make an animation feature on my own as well and you know what? I AM GOING TO MAKE IT! Love you, respect!

I can’t tell you how happy I am to see this video on my for you page in RU-vid. I usually don’t see this kind of videos on my for you page. I am writing short film that is very personal to me that I want to see get made and yes I am planning to make it solo. This video came to me at the right time and it gives me so much motivation to go on. Thank you so much for sharing a story.

I swear RU-vid's algorithm is reading my thoughts. Years ago I wrote a screenplay that producers loved but we could never get it off the ground. Just today I was thinking "I should pitch them the idea of doing it an an anime." And then I see this video minutes later. Amazing work.

There is both encouraging and sobering insight here. I find it inspiring to watch the learning and production process of other solo filmmakers - it is amazing how much one can learn about creating film from behind the scenes material, but it's making a project that really puts all that knowledge to the test, and highlights areas to improve on.

This is such an inspiring video for all the people with personal projects or that simply wants a future in the industry. I'm crying, I'm an animation student, college is expensive, I have little money, but really want to do stuff alone and this video is so good just for remembering me that I love what I'm doing, I try to make every project, personal or for college, something I love or I'm proud of and trying hard to learn everything I can, even through RU-vid videos and communities to reach my goals. I can't wait to see more of your work and some day be like you

Artist like you are true inspiration ❤

I takes me months or years to finish things. This guy is a machine.

This is amazing. More of these videos please!

wow! I’ve never been more inspired!

This is Inspiring!

Leaving a comment because, I need to rewatch this. ❤

Wow this is so amazing, can't wait for more!

Awesome work Denver !

working on my short from scratch and on my own. this is it

I’m in a very similar space. I needed this today. Thank you.

Thankyou for sharing your journey. This is really inspiring.

Every time he was saying it was not that great I was saying this is marvelous

This is an inspiring story! I have only made a 2 minute animated short and i worked on that for a few months, so its cool to see what is possible with more dedication, and what u've done is incredibly impressive

This is super inspiring. I am just starting my journey in creating my own web short animated series. Thank you for sharing this!!

Thanks for sharing the story of your journey. Truly inspiring to any artists/animators chipping away at their ambitious projects. Cheers. 🤘😁

Props to this guy. The determination, the striving, the endless hours - it's all so inspiring. As a comic book creator, I really relate to a lot of this. Having to learn so many "hats" and constrain project limits. The physical toll it takes on the body. And yet, just like he said at the end, "just keep creating" cause it's all so worth it.

you are so inspirational , I hope you find the success you deserve. I was feeling lost but after watching this video it gave me new spirit to get back to my ideas .

This was so inspring. im an animator who's doing even on my own, but now i feel confident to keep moving on accomplishing my dream of becoming a writer and director. Thanks for this incredible video

Loved this ❤ can't express how much i've learned from this video! Thanks man, to share your out Journey throughout the years.

Dude, you are so rad. I love the journey. Thanks for documenting it so well. I hope your able to focus 100 percent on making the next project without having to freelance.

Now I feel inspired. Thank you.

Amazing work, you deserve to succeed with that level of dedication 👏👏👏

Wow. Pure inspiration!

thank you for this, you came at the right moment in my life.

There's nothing I can say but just inspirational. The dedication and work you put into this is worth so much admiration. I still think about making short films, but then get discouraged and get scared by the amount of time and sweat it would take. But seeing your story, you've given me the answer. It's something I've heard before, but I guess I needed to hear/see it in another way: Just begin, one step at a time. Great work, and all the best to your journey. God bless.

This was an incredibly inspirational video! Mad respect!

I needed to watch this. Thank you 🙏🏾

Solo animator here. I have to applaud you for going at a feature animation. 3D animation is the perfect medium for 3d animation. You can automate tings like rigging for 90 percent of use cases and gives you more freedom. I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Thanks for sharing this story, its truly motivating.

I remember seeing this on kickstarter, glad to run into the artist

Great video. I'm just starting the same journey. Thanks for the inspiration!

amazing work. so glad i stumbled on to this.

This is amazing, congratulations. Your attitude and your hard work proved through action its pure inspiration. I can't wait to watch it

I love it man, just your sheer will to make your dreams come true. I learned how to illustrate bc I eventually wanted to animate a film but I found that it was a very lonely venture so I stopped and pursued something else.

I have never been so inspired by someone.

This was legitimately hella inspiring! Great work, man. Seriously.

1st - Amazing editing, hooked me right in. 2nd - You're a warrior artist. 3rd - Thank you for the inspiration and motivation boost. 4th - "I will"

This was great. I've been waiting on this and it looks incredible.

Well done sir..well done.

i love you!!!!!!!!!! thank you so much for who you are

I was following and still follow Terrence Walker. He made his own animated works and was selling the process for a while. I don't know if he still does as I only follow the blog Studio ArtFX. I believe he was traveling in different parts of Asia and eventually settled over there because of the artists and studios he wanted to be around. He seems to be a cool dude. So, keep up the good work and I believe it is possible to have quality solo work in animation. Today more than ever there are tools available to make things easier and simpler, well sometimes. I am also trying out something similar and it just takes a bit of practice, patience and time, if not a decent budget to get things together, good luck!

Awesome video, man! 🤟😄

I also love this kind of activity ( of conceptualizing a story, making a story board for it in detail with a camera angles+ dialog, etc) as a freelance compositor, video editor and color grade artist. Actually, I have one storyboard completed but know how to proceed further. Glad I found your channel. Hope to connect with you on a personal level someday. Kudos to you for building this channel with each video piece by piece. Hope to see full length animated feature film, one day !!

I am in a journey to build a universe of my own. I want to tell a story and also want to be able to provide it in such a way that people can also play and have fun with it. This is a great video in my opinion. Good Luck!

I just needed this….Thank You!

Finally youtube recamnded somthing for me ,I am also try to make a short serese by my self alone and now after seaing this I work with new confidence ❤❤

You're crazy for doing this. It's so inspiring that I want to also get to your level...

Let's gooooo

Bravo

Thanks for the information as someone who has been working on animation projects