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How to Create a Successful Animated Franchise: Lessons from Zootopia and Frozen

In the world of animated cinema, franchises have become the most lucrative properties for studios. These franchises not only bring in massive box office revenues but also inspire a wide range of merchandising opportunities, theme park attractions, and other ancillary products. One excellent example of such a successful franchise is Disney's Frozen and Zootopia. Both franchises have captivated audiences worldwide with their memorable characters, engaging stories, and captivating visuals. If you're an aspiring animator or a filmmaker interested in creating your own successful franchise, here are some essential lessons to learn from Zootopia and Frozen.

Developing a Strong Concept for Your Animated Franchise

Before you start creating any characters or storylines, it's crucial to define your target audience and their preferences. This audience could be children, families, young adults, or any other demographic group. For instance, Frozen was created with the intention of targeting girls aged 6-14 who are fans of Disney Princesses. Therefore, the storytelling and visuals in Frozen appealed directly to that audience, resulting in a massive hit. Similarly, Zootopia targeted not just kids but also adult audiences with its sophisticated plot and world-building.

Conducting Thorough Market Research and Identifying Trends

Understanding the current trends in the animation industry is essential while empowering your animated franchise with a strong concept. Research your competition and identify the latest trends that audiences are accepting. For example, when Disney created Frozen, they were aware that there was a market for musical fairy-tales, as seen in previous successful Disney films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Sleeping Beauty. Zootopia, on the other hand, recognized and leveraged the increasing importance of diversity and cultural representation.

Crafting Compelling Characters That Resonate with Audiences

To create a successful animated franchise, it's essential to craft unforgettable characters that audiences will love, sympathize with, and root for. The protagonist should be strong, relatable, and flawed, while the antagonist should be a formidable adversary designed to challenge the protagonist. In Frozen, Elsa's complexity and Anna's willingness to forgive her sister made for compelling character arcs. In Zootopia, the chemistry between Judy and Nick inspired empathy and a sense of teamwork.

Ensuring Diversity and Inclusion in Character Representation

Keeping in mind the real world's diversity has become crucial for any film or franchise. It's also an intrinsic element that strengthens character representation and their stories. It helps to develop stories relating to various kinds of people that characters have to encounter. Frozen's characters and cast are diverse in terms of ethnicity, and Zootopia's main protagonist, Judy Hopps, represents a distinctive feminist perspective that offers a new approach to the idea of normative femininity in animation.

Building a Rich and Believable World That Engages Viewers

An engaging animated franchise must have complete, consistent logic that is logical to the audience. The franchise must establish its universe's rules, dictate how they function, and stick to them throughout the story. Frozen, for instance, established the origin of Elsa's powers and how she developed them to build a world for her to embrace or shut out her sister. Her isolated castle, the Nordic-inspired countryside, and the magical beings informed the universe's limits. Zootopia, on the other hand, established that animals coexist and maintain law and order, and humans are absent. It is a logical premise that worked wonders in building an immersive environment for the city's animal inhabitants.

Balancing Familiarity and Originality to Create a Memorable Setting

Creating a memorable setting for your animated franchise is key to its success. It can be a magical realm, a futuristic world, or a familiar setting with a twist. Striking the right balance between familiarity and originality is of utmost importance to make the setting stick with the audience. Frozen's fairy-tale inspired visuals, strong sisterly bond, and the Nordic-inspired background featured elements that were recognizable and familiar to audiences while also adding new elements such as Elsa's ice palace. Zootopia's city was a familiar urban metropolis featuring skyscrapers, public transportation, and whatnot, but its animal inhabitants, culture, technology, and entertainment were a reenvisioning of it.

Conclusion

Creating a successful animated franchise is a challenging task for studios, filmmakers, and animators. But by learning from the best, we can set ourselves up for creating successful franchises. Zootopia and Frozen are perfect examples of animated franchises that have achieved impressive success by sticking to these essential lessons: having a strong concept, crafting compelling characters, building a believable universe, and balancing familiarity and originality. It takes creativity, talent, dedication, and hard work to create a blockbuster animated franchise. But by following these core principles, you can increase the chances of capturing audiences, franchising opportunities, and shaping a lasting legacy.