We had the pleasure of interviewing the creator of LOCUS: No Matter How Small. Be sure to check out the interview! It gives you a look into what the project is all about!

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1. Can you tell us about LOCUS: No Matter How Small?

“LOCUS: No Matter How Small” is an animated featurette I’m working on mostly by myself (with the involvement of a talented voice cast). Before I explain further, I need to provide some context. A couple of years before this film, I started work on a sci-fi action-adventure webseries concept titled “LOCUS”.

The setting is a digital city called Nexus, home to the most talented people hellbent on achieving personal success, whether it be in show business, social media, commerce or technology. Because so many prodigies are fighting for top billing, the only way one can survive is to do whatever it takes to stay relevant in the public eye. Anything less, and you’ll either end up dead… or toiling away at a sweatshop that makes goods for the tycoons and celebrities you once competed against.

“LOCUS: No Matter How Small” tells the story of one of the main characters living in this city. It is also a film that acts as a litmus test to see how viable it is for LOCUS (as a series) to become a reality.

The film follows a bubble algae named Roe, who enjoys the arts and has the ability to manipulate hardlight energy. However, he has trouble standing up for himself, which is why he has a caregiver doing most of his heavy lifting, so to speak. 

Case in point: she spent her life savings to buy Roe a ticket into Nexus in order to follow his dream as an influencer. 

Unfortunately, Nexus’ fierce competitive environment proves too much for Roe, making him settle for low-end assistant work. Tempted to give up and leave the city empty-handed, he instead stumbles upon a homeless street performer named Zoa, who expresses perseverance despite his current circumstances. Feeling empathic, Roe decides to spend the evening with the stranger…

But before long: a mysterious band of delinquents ambushes the two—apparently with Zoa on their hit list—leading to a life-threatening encounter unlike any other. What will Roe do? Well, we’ll find out soon enough, won’t we. 😉

2. What inspired this project?

A lot of things inspired me to make LOCUS, especially the stuff I grew up with. I was a 2000’s kid, which meant stylistic action, urban grunge, trench coats, breakbeat, trance and frutiger aero.

At the same time, I like cute and endearing things such as Kirby, Plants vs. Zombies, Animator vs. Animation, Minecraft, WALL-E, Patapon, Ratchet & Clank, Worms, etc.

As I headed into the 2010’s, I was drawn to psybient futurism. Mirror’s Edge, Subnautica and Brink (the Splash Damage game) immediately come to mind, but I know there are plenty more pieces of media out there which fall into that category.

My point? 

I want LOCUS to blend cuteness, badassery and futurism together in a way that is organic and special. This is not just to give the series a relatively unique premise, but also to tell people that I have an acquired taste in aesthetics… plus I can’t properly draw humans to save my life, hahaha—

As an added note, I want to personally contribute to the revival of sincerity in storytelling, as entertainment nowadays feels too sterile, meta or agenda-focused to tell a compelling narrative (I also love witty and poetic writing when done right, but I digress).

3. What can fans expect to see when they support your Kickstarter?

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Besides the film itself, those who pledge to my campaign would be rewarded with behind-the-scenes goodies and / or gimmicks pertaining to my series‘ worldbuilding. For instance, one of the potential items is an artbook-compendium hybrid, stylized as the diary of the film’s protagonist; another is a personalized message from the “Nexus News Anchor” herself, as if you personally submitted a request to her radio station for the next public announcement. 

A major selling point is my dedication and openness to the people I interact with. I want this to be less of a transaction and more of a journey where my supporters can learn from my actions (i.e. what I did right and what mistakes to avoid if one chooses to delve into a similar venture as mine).

4. Tell us about what it is like being a solo indie creator?

Daunting at first… but incredibly satisfying when you get the process sorted out.

The reason I love being a one-man crew is that I have much more creative liberty over my project than if I worked in a traditional team setting, what with the lessened costs and conflict-of-interest involved. Sure, I have a much heavier workload because of it, but that is a plate I’m willing to rise up to.

Yes, everything you’ve seen so far—the music, animation, artwork, designs, writing, promotion, direction and documentation—was done by me. The only other people that helped make  “LOCUS: No Matter How Small” possible were the amazing cast of indie voice actors I had the pleasure of liaising with during a casting call I set up last Fall.

Of course, if this short film becomes a big enough hit to warrant series development, then I will definitely need a proper team to help me every step of the way, but for now… consider this a trial by fire.

5. Goals for your project?

To reiterate, “LOCUS: No Matter How Small” is but the first step into my true, overall goal: making “LOCUS” a full-fledged series.

Whereas most other indie creators begin with a pilot and then work their way up to a season, I am starting with a self-contained short film so as not to bite off more than I can chew (in case, you know, this doesn’t pan out in the end). The Kickstarter campaign not only grants me the financial means to produce this film, but also firsthand experience in business-related activities like Marketing and Logistics.

In other words, this undertaking would teach me in ways my post-secondary entrepreneurship courses did not… mainly because I’m actually applying the knowledge in a way that’s best for me.  

In terms of Stretch Goals, while they’re not 100% set in stone yet, I do intend on using a surplus budget for spinoffs and future installments in LOCUS. 

An example of the former is Minimations: a collection of dubbed slice-of-life motion comics that has a much lighter tone than the main entries in the series. 

As for “future installments”, well… I can go one of two ways, depending on how well received “No Matter How Small” is.

Either I work on the next short film (telling the story of one of the other protagonists), or jump straight to making season one of the webseries. As the future is unwritten, I may as well make the most of the pen and paper I have, now.

6. Where can folks support your work?

Support the Kickstarter

If you wish to support my project financially, I would greatly appreciate a pledge to my film’s Kickstarter. If not, spreading the word to those who can helps just as much.

I also regularly post updates and LOCUS-related material on social media; YouTube will be the film’s primary location for public viewing once it is finished, so subscribing / following my accounts would mean the world to me.

Unless stated otherwise: my username is consistent throughout every platform (@spyralatelier).

If you have further inquiries about me or my work, my email is also open. As is the case with this interview, I’m all for some press. 🙂 [email protected]

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A big thank you to All Ages of Geek for this opportunity, and here’s hoping for a successful venture into the world of indie animation! Until then, stay safe, stay beautiful…

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