Critical Role Critical Role's Kickstarter Breaks $1,000,000 In About An Hour!

For those hoping for a new D&D cartoon, Critical Role has just launched a Kickstarter for an animated show based on their livestream campaign. It broke a million dollars in about an hour, and has 45 days left to go...

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"Critical Role's The Legend of Vox Machina reunites your favorite D&D heroes for a professional-quality animated special!"

Also on offer are theme song MP3s, production art prints, sticker sets, dice, playing card sets, plushies, pin sets, canvas bags, and more.

 

[jgsugden]

Anyone know how much it costs to do a 22 episode season of animated TV? Will we hit that?

 

[dave2008]

Anyone know how much it costs to do a 22 episode season of animated TV? Will we hit that?

A quick google search for cost and I got a range of $350,000 per episode up to about $1,000,000 per episode for something like Avatar the Last Airbender.

So $11M to $22M for a 22 episode show. That also makes sense with the original funding goal and stretch goals.

 

[kenmarable]

And in the Kickstarter video, they mention a rate of $30-50,000 per minute. Considering KS fees, rewards, etc. even with stretch goals, they look to be planning $750k per episode. So a 22 episode season would be about $16,500,000 through this Kickstarter. Probably a 12 episode season might be more reasonable, both for funding level and logistics for a group that has never produced an animated series before.

 

[TarionzCousin]

An animated show, eh? I wonder who they'll get to do the voices....

 

[Azzy]

I've never watched Critical Role, but I'll cheer this on regardless.

 

[Parmandur]

And in the Kickstarter video, they mention a rate of $30-50,000 per minute. Considering KS fees, rewards, etc. even with stretch goals, they look to be planning $750k per episode. So a 22 episode season would be about $16,500,000 through this Kickstarter. Probably a 12 episode season might be more reasonable, both for funding level and logistics for a group that has never produced an animated series before.

But, they have produced animated series before: Sam Reigel has an Emmy. Granted, they haven't done every part if a show, but they know people and have contracted with them.

 

[Parmandur]

Plus they're in no position to demand anything, since CR could perfectly easily make a compelling animated series without touching a single piece of D&D IP. And if this Kickstarter proves anything, it's that this show has a massive consumer fanbase that WotC would be insane to even consider alienating.

WotC and Hasbro have everything to gain by working with the Critical Role crew: someone upthread mentioned toy licensing, and Hasbro would have worse moved than paying CR to use *their* IP.

 

[Parmandur]

And in the Kickstarter video, they mention a rate of $30-50,000 per minute. Considering KS fees, rewards, etc. even with stretch goals, they look to be planning $750k per episode. So a 22 episode season would be about $16,500,000 through this Kickstarter. Probably a 12 episode season might be more reasonable, both for funding level and logistics for a group that has never produced an animated series before.

Who knows what's reasonable, less than 10% of their audience has gotten involved and they are already nearly 20% of the way toward a full series...

 

[kenmarable]

But, they have produced animated series before: Sam Reigel has an Emmy. Granted, they haven't done every part if a show, but they know people and have contracted with them.

The Emmy is for voice direction, I think. But, yeah, they are definitely familiar with the entire process. I just know seasoned show runners and producers have said 12 episode and similar length seasons are far more reasonable and lend themselves to higher quality than classic 22 episode seasons. I’m all for as much animated CR as possible, but I also want it as great as possible. But, either way, I trust them and their plans and am super excited for whatever we get!

 

[jmucchiello]

I see the artwork is based on the comic book art. Nice. I can't believe there are nearly 10,000 backers at the $100 level, over 2,000 at the $200 level, and it will hit $3,000,000 within the next minute or two.