The Legend of Vox Machina Kickstarter Q&A 

Timestamps! Lots of timestamps. 0:00:00 Stunned silence dissolving into helpless giggles 0:01:45 "We... we love you." 0:02:01 Expectations, plans, meetings, betting pools... 0:03:03 A thankful battery 0:03:28 "So we have a Kickstarter...?" (Matt breaks again) 0:04:03 History of the project 0:05:42 A tiramisu of confusion 0:06:45 Do it right or not at all 0:07:56 Testing the waters 0:09:32 Pride in the community 0:10:06 Beginning of FAQs 0:10:37 *Q:* Will the animated special be kid-friendly? 0:11:24 *Q:* Will newcomers be able to enjoy the story? 0:13:04 *Q:* When can I watch The Legend of Vox Machina? 0:14:12 *Q:* Will the special include closed captions and translations? 0:14:41 *Q:* Will the stretch goal oneshots be exclusively viewable to backers? 0:16:00 Scrambling to adjust 0:16:46 Focus on quality of animation 0:17:34 Sticker shock and cost of high-quality animation as an independent company 0:18:58 Expanding plans based on Kickstarter success 0:19:26 Finished intro video came in on same day as art show 0:20:04 Beginning of questions from chat 0:20:15 *Q:* Will the Kickstarter stay up for the full 45 day run? 0:20:27 *boosh* FUCK YOUR STRETCH GOALS 0:21:15 *Q:* Will NPCs, particularly those of other genders, still be voiced by Matt? 0:21:31 Matt hopes to play Gilmore if he ever appears in an animation, but is sensitive to audience concerns 0:22:52 Reveals are scheduled throughout the 45 day campaign 0:23:33 Looking forward to casting characters 0:24:04 We need Stephen Colbert 0:24:33 *Q:* What led them to choose their partners such as Titmouse and Jennifer Muro? 0:26:23 Chat wants the McElroys 0:26:57 Critter Hug of Death broke Titmouse's website 0:27:29 Looping back around to Jen Muro 0:29:24 *Q:* When will production start, and will we get behind the scenes content? 0:31:16 $3.5 million hype (Matt breaks again) 0:32:08 *Q:* What input/involvement will Matt and the cast have in writing and development? 0:34:30 Chat wants a Scanlan musical number 0:34:49 *Q:* Will Brian W. Foster voice a character? 0:35:31 *Q:* Is the special based on an adventure that actually occurred? 0:37:28 *Q:* What piece of the world would Matt be most excited to see animated? 0:38:40 *Q:* Will Grog have the beard? 0:39:38 *Q:* How cute will Trinket be? 0:41:01 $3.5 million for real (Matt gets stuck in a loop) 0:41:17 *Q:* Will they be able to sleep tonight? 0:41:36 Shoutout to CR staff 0:43:01 26,000 backers 0:43:09 Chat has suggestions for casting 0:44:02 Sam Riegel is fresh off his plane and is committing to this bit 0:45:08 "Guys! They like us!" 0:46:21 *Q:* Are we looking forward to Mighty Nein vs. Vox Machina? 0:47:40 *Q:* Sam, how are you feeling? 0:48:54 *Q:* Will Scanlan try to kill Trinket? 0:49:16 *Q:* How do we plan to show D&D in an animated platform (rolls, crit fails, probability, etc)? 0:50:46 Discussing the launch video 0:52:06 *Q:* How compressed will an episode be vs. a D&D session? 0:53:17 Sam talks about being able to show more in animation than they can in a session 0:54:12 Sam breaks Matt 0:54:40 Playing "Where's Larkin?" 0:55:32 *Q:* Will we get to see Taliesin's first character? 0:56:07 Pub Draw Season 2: Learn to Animate! 0:56:54 Pike's white hair 0:57:57 *Q:* Will there be a physical copy/DVD of the animation? 0:58:24 *Q:* Will we get to see cock lightning in all of its full glory? 0:59:05 *Q:* Will we see the Mighty Nein as two-year-olds? 0:59:28 *Q:* Will Matt be the narrator? 1:00:05 Future of the Kickstarter campaign 1:00:35 "The Amazons and the Netflixes and the Hulus" 1:01:19 *Q:* Did you know you made NBC News? 1:01:59 Matt is unable to even 1:02:55 Future BTS of character design and animation process 1:03:41 Stretch goal: buy Ashley out of her contract? 1:04:18 Titmouse animators vetting process 1:05:01 Stretch goal: livestream Travis in a haunted house ? 1:06:21 *Q:* Looking back at how Critical Role started, how does this feel? 1:07:29 44 more days 1:08:10 *Q:* Is it Thursday yet? (Awwww...) 1:08:51 Wrap-up and good night 1:09:31 Intro animation video plays

Critical role cast: "here are our stretch goals" Critters: "that is, respectfully, a paltry sum."

It's us Critters' turn to say...... *How do you want to do this?*

For those coming to this after watching the show. This was supposed to be a Q&A to advertise their kickstarter the day after it started (less than 12 hours). They were asking for $750k, and gave themselves 45 days to reach that. They had some stretch goals. They reached their goal within the first hour. By the time this was broadcasting they were around $3million. They ended up with over $11 million, which set the record for Kickstarter for film and animation projects. At that point they were planning for a whole season of 10 episodes. Soon after, they went looking for a distributor. Amazon Prime picked up the show and said they should do two seasons of 12 episodes each. This was after having been turned down by pretty much everyone before the Kickstarter. You can understand why they're stunned.

0:34:50 Matt: "Can Brian Foster voice a character? No. We're not letting that asshole in." Aged like wine.

This kickstarter was the definition of the "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY" meme.

I love how Matt has the face of someone walking a dog to get over his anxiety only to realize he's holding a leash attached to a fighter jet that's taking off at full speed.

Matt: man wouldn’t it be crazy if we got to animate the Briarwood arc? Yeah, Matt, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t it?

Still can't get over the fact that they jokingly said they'd love to have Mark Hamill voice a character and he straight-up went "Call my agent"

Stretch Goal: De Rolo One shot with Taliesin as the DM. The cast are all the children (or possibly granchildren) of Vex and Percy, who go on their own Goonies style adventure after finding a secret in their castle.

I just imagine Vex'ahlia sitting in a room in Whitestone counting millions and millions of gold coins while Doty 2.0 is furiously drawing sketch after sketch after sketch after sketch after sketch.......

I can imagine the ending of these animations as being Pumat Sol narating as he closes the book he was just reading the story from, looking up, and seeing The Mighty Nein walking into his shop. XD

Personal favorite thing: Matt says it is a life goal to run a game for Stephen Colbert. Literally 3 months later.......

Mercer.exe has stopped working

Matt after voicing a thousand characters: “Wh-wh-who am I...?”

Does anyone else keep coming back to this video? Seeing a bunch of people realise they're accomplishing their dreams and going all loopy for an hour from pure joy just never fails to put a smile on my face. And I rarely smile.

Can't wait to see Keyleth splatter as a goldfish in animation....

You know... it’s all fun and games until we get “FIX HIM” animated and our collective tears flood 6 costal cities...

"I can see forever." - Matt Mercer 2019

11:00 “I will flirt with Jester this week just for you.” (offscreen) “WOOH”

Yo imagine thinking two years ago that these nerds are gonna snag David Tennant and Dominic Monaghan for a passion project animated series

It only took a few million for Marisha to afford to buy sleeves. Nice work guys.

Cast: "Well we have this thing we could do if you guys are interested and" Fandom: _WE WOULD LIKE TO RAGE_

39:09 "We'll earn the beard!" Season 2 trailer is out. We have officially earned the beard.

Remember when Ashley crunched the numbers, and companies decided that $750,000 was too much to take a chance on, because it was based off of a DND game? I wonder how they feel now, knowing the Critters did not flinch about flinging 7 million at these guys.

Matt, I am a person of colour and you better freakin’ voice Gilmore dammit!

So... The new stretch goals include making a series of the Briarwoods Arc... SPREAD THE WORD!!

Coming back now when they get to "Is the animated special going to be kid friendly" and just fucking dying of laughter

I want to see Keyleth lose a persuasion check to grass... in Anime form.

Mark Hamill... _(wheezes)_ AS VECNA? _(wheezes)_

So you guys basically rolled a natural 20 on your fundraiser.

24:21 'While he's in town, I'll run a game for him.' Well little did you know...

Matthew McConaughey as the sun tree

Matt must be Gilmore. No one else can do the character justice.

This kickstarter is already the 22nd most funded kickstarter ever in only 2 days

Critters be like, 45 days!? I thought you said 45min... Oh well, guess we'll just give you 10x what you asked for in the mean time

Highest stretch Goal right now: 8 mil Funds raised: 11.3 mil Good to see the fans are still looking at the stretch goals and going "PATHETIC!"

To think.. this was at 3.5 million and not even the 5+ million now. WE NEED WHITESTONE!

Whatever happens.... can we have a Victor cameo? Also, damn it Matt, you ARE Gilmore.

you guys remember when they first announced that they had t-shirts available? and before they even finished telling us about it they were sold out? Yeah. This community has been pretty strong since the start.

I love how they saw they hit $3.5m during the stream, Matt freaked out. They...they ended up hitting fucking 12 MILLION DOLLARS. This is actually why this community is the best on the planet.

I take 2 things away from this. Mark Hamill voicing for show and Critical Role Land!

I've seen clips of matt going from shock to childish joy to absolute HORROR. Couldn't make it for the stream, and I'm happy to see it as a whole.

As someone who knew nothing until I watched the Amazon show in 2022, I'm so happy this all happened. Thank you, critters, for paving the path for people like me! So proud to be a critter myself, and I'm halfway through Campaign 1. One day I may catch up.

Travis: "Do we want quantity, or do we want quality?" CR Community: "Yes."

Matt Mercer is the only Gilmore for me...nuff said

The audience spoke and they said: ''How do you want to do this?''

"Ashley is a registered deadly weapon"... As expected of our torture loving little Cleric Gnome.

Here after the MN announcement, never has matt's "fuck it let's animate it all" at 1:07:49 been more relevant

Matt screaming at the realization that they can see the divergence animated =

I know Matt said that he would maybe feel a bit uncomfortable officially voicing Gilmore, since he is a PoC, but honestly...Matt IS Gilmore. It wouldn't feel right coming from anybody else :(

I only recently got to watch The Legend of Vox Machina, but this was so fun. CR: "we would like to make an animation short" Critters: "More." CR: "we raised enough to make a whole 10 ep story arc." Critters: "MORE!" CR: "Amazon got us, it's now 12 episodes, and we got renewed for next seasons." Critters: "We will not stop until all campaigns are animated!"

And here we are today with the announcement of the Mighty Nein series and movie talk. A long journey that we are still on with these amazing nerdy voice actors.

Critical Role Land, with wacky fun rides such as: Keyleth's Cliffdive, Scanlans Magnificent Mansion, and Vex's magic carpet ride! Stop by Gilmore's Glorious Giftshop, throw daggers with Vax for fun prizes, and know true terror in Haunted Castle Whitestone!

If Matt can voice only one character, it should ABSOLUTELY be Gilmore!

Who else revisits this video just to bask in the wholesome glory that is the Critter community and the CR reactions?

No lie, I'll sometimes go back and watch this just to put myself in a good mood!

No longer are we simple critters of the woods. Now we are the Critical Legion!

Stretch goal: have Laura tattoo captain tusk tooth on Travis

CC is gonna be great Grog: [Rage Noises] Pike: [Tiny Rage Noises] Percy: [Brooding Intensifies]

This reminds me of the first time they sold a shirt and it was sold out before they finished the announcement for it. Since than they underestimate our love for them and their content every time ^^

Stretch goal "perk" idea, and relatively easy to do: make an alternate dub in which all non-titular character are voiced by matt

I think I speak for everone when I say, I wont accept a Gilmore that is NOT voiced by Matt.

I will never get tired of hearing Travis' "Fuck your stretch goals!"

This video is such a guilty pleasure. Content creators that truly deserve their fandom being confronted by how much their content is loved and being unsure how to react. this is a wonderful representation of their humility meeting the representation of their fandom.

Matt HAS to play Gilmore, no one else possibly could

I *SPECIFICALLY* desire Matt to voice Gilmore if and when he shows up.

I gotta say, watching them dissociate for an hour over how successful their kickstarter was is incredibly heartwarming

Honestly one of the biggest things I took away from this is holy crap are hollywood executives about 30 years behind on the times. Like seriously how if your in entertainment do you not understand how big of a platform Twitch and RU-vid are when they regularly pull in the same amount of viewers as your highest rated shows and do so on a literal fraction of the cost

"Our name is Legion!" Truer words have never been spoken of the Critterdom

All the Hollywood Execs who rejected Travis and Sam during their Pitch Meetings are probably now regretting their decisions. :-)

"While he's in town ill run a game for him" Oh Matt you precious angel, how little you knew.

My favorite moment in this is “BOOSH FUCK YOUR STRETCH GOALS, OUR NAME IS LEGION!”

"WE ARE LEGION!"

...and if there is a narrator, it should be Sprigg, reading books about VM in library of The Knowing Mistress.

Kickstarter Goal of: All the Villians Battle Royle. Just Matt sitting at the table... :|

Every time I remember the launching campaign. I start to laugh hysterically because it was filled in succeeded in 45mins

What would be truly glorious would be to see VM fight their first battle against their worst, most nefarious and diabolical nemesis - the Door.

New stretch goals. Cr fan base: hold my grog.

"So, we need $750,000 for..." Us: "Those numbers, respectfully, just pitiful."

Well over 2 years later I still find myself coming back to this video, there is something visceral about how they were so immediately effected by the success of the kickstarter. Knowing now where it ended and what they have already achieved with what they have shown, seeing these 4 do their best to let everyone know they are gonna do their best with the special, not even knowing they will soon have a series instead. For new and old Critters alike this video is constant good vibes.

Hear me out guys, the cow episode animated!

Stretch Goal: Ashley Johnson fireside chat?

Travis and Sam: joking about Amazon, Netflix, or Hulu to take this project Me in 2021: rolling on the floor laughing and getting ready my amazon prime account

"Will this be kid-friendly?" Yeah sure, especially the Briarwood arc with the very beginning at dead Suntree and the fake Vox Machina hanging on it, with kids portraying the gnomish characters. SUUUUURE. :D

40:11 My vote for the person to voice act Trinket... Alan Tudyk. If he can voice a chicken, he can definitely blow everyones minds as a bear.

$5.5 million. In 2 days. Out of 45 days.

Genuine. That's how I would describe them all. Started small with only a few cameras, some basic tables and if you all recall the video cut out and some sound issues and whatnot in the first Kraghammer episode. And now a kickstarter at $5.7M and still going. They were always so open, transparent and giving so much of themselves in every way. Again genuine. And we all love it. We all love them! :) So happy this is happening and it really warms my heart to see how much joy comes from being able to realize dreams!

3 seasons of Vox Machina and now the Mighty Nein as well, all thanks to the enormous fan support. We did good guys, we did good.

Looks at first 20 seconds... *Guys, I think we broke them*

So there are already new Stretch Goals for 5.75 million and beyond. It’s a SERIES now!!!! Ps 5.1 million btw

53:07 Travis: You guys have allowed us to tell a story [45 DAYS LATER] Critters: Now you can tell a lot of stories.

1:05:20 "Maybe we'll make me in a haunted house one of those impossible to reach stretch goals?" *proceeds to hit 11 million*

You all saved my life years ago when I was in a bad depression. This show gave my brain an escape when I needed it the most by diving into a great story and falling with love with all of you. Thank you and I hope you all have many more years of success and growth.

I think the level of shock also probably has something to do with this being the first big thing CR-related that critters globally would want to fork over money for. Past things, like live shows, D&D related stuff like dice or minis, have more limited appeal. Going to go out on a limb and suggest there are a whole lot of critters out there in Smalltown, Countryname who don't (or can't) play D&D and for whom the live shows are far out of reach. But throwing down some cash for a Vox Machina animated special? Yeah, I can see a huge portion of the fanbase getting on board for that.

I like to figure it went down like this: *CR starts Kickstarter campaign* 15 mins later KS: hey, sorry to bother you but we have………an issue CR: oh dear. What’s wrong? KS: the sites down. CR: oh no! Hopefully we can still make our goal! KS: Uhhhhh……what did you set that at again? CR: oh 750,000. We wanted to not aim too high. What’s it at now? A few bucks? KS: A few million CR: a few what now?

it's amusing to me that overwhelmed matt sounds a lot like yeza

If the special doesn’t start with a monologue by Matt setting the scene, we riot.

Critical role cast: "So we'd love to make an animated episode and we'd appreciate it if-" Critters collectively: slams money on table " *MORE* "

"I am a Person of Colour and I want Matthew Mercer to voice Shawn Gilmore." - I ask all my fellow PoC critters to sign if they agree.