- Joined
- Sep 25, 2026
- Messages
- 64
It has been a while since I've posted an update on Bloom here, so I thought now would be a good time to check back in.
The project has continued to grow steadily over the last few months. What started as a bedtime story for my children has now developed into a complete animated musical feature, with a full first-draft screenplay, story, world and character bibles, a growing soundtrack, visual development materials, funding plans, production planning and a proof-of-concept strategy all now in place.
One thing I am genuinely proud of is that all of this was built independently from the ground up. I had no background in screenwriting, animation development, pitching, funding applications or production planning when I started. Everything has been learned along the way.
The biggest lesson I have learned so far is that waiting for the "perfect" opportunity rarely works. Sometimes you simply have to start building.
One example of that has been reaching out directly to universities and colleges with animation programmes. Rather than waiting for an animator to magically appear, I decided to open conversations with institutions that may have talented students looking for portfolio projects and proof-of-concept work. Whether anything comes from it or not, it cost nothing but a little time and a willingness to ask the question.
If anyone else is developing an independent creative project, that's probably the advice I'd offer most often:
Don't just look in the obvious places.
Look at universities.
Look at students.
Look at emerging talent.
Look at local creative networks.
Look at communities that are trying to build something too.
Sometimes the opportunity isn't finding the finished professional. Sometimes it's finding the person growing alongside you.
I also received some unexpected encouragement recently after winning the Creative Army Grand Prize through Stage 32, which includes a one-to-one Career Development Call with an industry professional. I'm currently preparing for that conversation and looking forward to getting an experienced outside perspective on Bloom, where it stands now, and what the most realistic route forward might be.
The "Before the Credits" article is still to come. My responses have already been submitted, so I'm now just waiting for publication. It was a surprisingly reflective process and reminded me how much of this journey has been about learning, adapting, and simply refusing to quit when things got difficult.
For everyone who has offered advice, encouragement, feedback, contacts, criticism, opportunities, or simply followed the project from a distance, thank you.
The project keeps moving.
And so do I.
What's the Most Unexpected Thing That's Moved Your Project Forward?
- Mark
The project has continued to grow steadily over the last few months. What started as a bedtime story for my children has now developed into a complete animated musical feature, with a full first-draft screenplay, story, world and character bibles, a growing soundtrack, visual development materials, funding plans, production planning and a proof-of-concept strategy all now in place.
One thing I am genuinely proud of is that all of this was built independently from the ground up. I had no background in screenwriting, animation development, pitching, funding applications or production planning when I started. Everything has been learned along the way.
The biggest lesson I have learned so far is that waiting for the "perfect" opportunity rarely works. Sometimes you simply have to start building.
One example of that has been reaching out directly to universities and colleges with animation programmes. Rather than waiting for an animator to magically appear, I decided to open conversations with institutions that may have talented students looking for portfolio projects and proof-of-concept work. Whether anything comes from it or not, it cost nothing but a little time and a willingness to ask the question.
If anyone else is developing an independent creative project, that's probably the advice I'd offer most often:
Don't just look in the obvious places.
Look at universities.
Look at students.
Look at emerging talent.
Look at local creative networks.
Look at communities that are trying to build something too.
Sometimes the opportunity isn't finding the finished professional. Sometimes it's finding the person growing alongside you.
I also received some unexpected encouragement recently after winning the Creative Army Grand Prize through Stage 32, which includes a one-to-one Career Development Call with an industry professional. I'm currently preparing for that conversation and looking forward to getting an experienced outside perspective on Bloom, where it stands now, and what the most realistic route forward might be.
The "Before the Credits" article is still to come. My responses have already been submitted, so I'm now just waiting for publication. It was a surprisingly reflective process and reminded me how much of this journey has been about learning, adapting, and simply refusing to quit when things got difficult.
For everyone who has offered advice, encouragement, feedback, contacts, criticism, opportunities, or simply followed the project from a distance, thank you.
The project keeps moving.
And so do I.
What's the Most Unexpected Thing That's Moved Your Project Forward?
- Mark
