Lucky Planet
Lucky Planet is a crowdfunded popular science project dedicated to producing engaging and educational animated films. Founded by LuckyOne, the project aims to make scientific concepts accessible to a general audience, fostering a culture of scientific thinking and contributing to informed public discourse.
At the heart of Lucky Planet’s mission is the belief that rationality, curiosity, open-mindedness, and a passion for learning are essential tools for navigating the complexities of today’s world. These core values shape the content and approach of every project.
Lucky Planet’s content is meticulously researched and held to high standards of accuracy and quality, inspired by educational pioneers like Bill Nye the Science Guy and the Kurzgesagt YouTube channel. Through these animated films, Lucky Planet strives to become a trusted source of reliable information and to inspire audiences to embrace science and critical thinking.
“ With my previous 3D software, I’d spend about 80% of my time on technical stuff and only 20% on creative work. With Cartoon Animator, it’s the complete opposite!”
LuckyOne – Lucky Planet 2D Animation
Cartoon Animator for Education
If you’re fascinated by the wild facts of modern science, join Lucky Planet on their journey of transforming podcasts into animated shorts that are both educational and entertaining. In this interview, we delve behind the scenes with Lucky Planet to learn more about their creative process and how they craft animations that attract over a million views. With the help of Cartoon Animator and 2D animation, they’ve created a whole new approach to producing animated series.
In this journey through animation, Lucky Planet showcases how Cartoon Animator has revolutionized the way they create, allowing them to focus on storytelling and creativity while producing captivating content. With engaging visuals and powerful messages, they continue to inspire audiences worldwide.
Q: Hi Lucky Planet. Can you begin by telling us about a bit more about yourself and your work?
I’m Lucky Planet, an animator from Thailand with over 10 years of experience in 2D/3D animation. As well as my role as an animation director I am also a producer. I was fortunate enough to be a winner at SIGGRAPH USA and was nominated at the Annecy Animation Festival.
Q: How did you first discover Cartoon Animator and how did it become your 2D animation choice to create your content?
My journey to Cartoon Animator was unexpected. I was a 3D animator working with MAYA for many years, but then I had an accident that required me to have eye surgery. After recovering from the surgery, I found that the interface of 3D software became really challenging for my eyes to navigate.
But my passion for animation hadn’t dimmed, so I started searching YouTube for software that could solve my problem – something with a clean, large user interface that focused on animating and could be learned in a few weeks. That’s how I discovered Cartoon Animator. I challenged myself to start a project animating a science podcast I love, aiming to produce an animation while learning the software. This challenge turned into a project I’ve happily worked on for three years now.
Q: Can you tell us more about the great work you are doing with Cartoon Animator?
I’m a big fan of the science podcast called Witcast, one of Thailand’s first podcasts since 2012. While listening, I often imagine fun science facts as wacky animations, like the life cycle of fig wasps, sun sneeze reflex, or the physics of Kaiju. I pitched my idea of visualising these stories to the podcasters. They loved the concept of taking their 3-hour podcast episodes and distilling them down to a vibrant 3-minute animation which presents the key message. Since my first time working with Witcast, we’ve been best friends and collaborators ever since.
Q: Do you find the process of creating characters and content for Cartoon Animator easy and enjoyable?
It’s incredibly fun. I can forget about all the complex tasks like graphs and attribute numbers from high-end 3D software yet still produce high-quality animation. It’s like stripping away all the unnecessary arsenal and keeping just one rocket – it’s all I need to launch into the sky.
“Cartoon Animator is incredibly fun. I can forget about all the complex tasks like graphs and attribute numbers from high-end 3D software yet still produce high-quality animation. It’s like stripping away all the unnecessary arsenal and keeping just one rocket – it’s all I need to launch into the sky.”
LuckyOne – Lucky Planet 2D Animation
Q: Do you have your favourite Cartoon Animator tools or features that you enjoy working with most?
The automatic lip-sync, animation clips, and spring bones features are my absolute favorites. They’re not only easy to use but also save me tons of time in my workflow. As a solo creator, this allows me to focus more on the creative aspects. With my previous 3D software, I’d spend about 80% of my time on technical stuff and only 20% on creative work. With Cartoon Animator, it’s the complete opposite!
“In Cartoon Animator, the automatic lip-sync, animation clips, and spring bones features are my absolute favorites. They’re not only easy to use but also save me tons of time in my workflow. As a solo creator, this allows me to focus more on the creative aspects.”
LuckyOne – Lucky Planet 2D Animation
And although I haven’t sold any content in the 2D Marketplace yet, I am eager to learn more about it and plan to join soon.
Q: Can you give us some insight in to the projects you are currently working on using Cartoon Animator?
I’ve completed 25 episodes of my science animation series, which you can watch here:
https://linktr.ee/LuckyplanetS1
Currently, these episodes are in Thai, but I’m working on adapting them into English to reach a global audience, as some of these episodes have already reached over a million views!
Q: Do you have any advice for inspiring animators who are dreaming of creating animations that attract as many views as Lucky Planet?
I focus on science content, which isn’t huge, but I think finding your niche is key. Its important to make stuff that clicks with people. Don’t stress about pleasing everyone, that’s practically impossible. Getting attention isn’t always great. I still get negative comments, but if you’re passionate about your ideas, seek out those who share your vision. I’m a believer in “If you build it, they will come.”
Follow Lucky Planet
Email:
wonderlugia@gmail.com
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/luckyplanet
Twitter X:
https://x.com/LuckyPlanet_One
YouTube (Thai)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnngDzPu334B_eheKSeGv0L9NzhkhSLlf
Discord:
http://discord.gg/U8beU5UTmV
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- Transforming Science Podcasts into Engaging 2D Edutainment Series
