Post-apocalyptic earth, 20,000 years in the future. People lost track of the passage of time between the radioactive fallouts, alien invasions and new tech being discovered, so now, our planet as we knew it has become ‘New Earth’, year… depends who you ask. 

All life on Earth has mutated and changed as a result of powerful radiation, various people developing various mutations and separating into new species, the only ones left unaffected being the descendants of the wealthiest humans who could afford to escape the planet, before coming back aeons later. The main backdrop of the plot is Nirvana, a brutalist haven with retro sci-fi and 80s neon era influences, crowns the pseudo-capital of Ocellus, a loosely deemed country which more resembles a scattered cluster of cities. In the middle of the harsh desert that has replaced the ecosystem, Nirvana is a city that never sleeps, and where in between the raging parties and the sieges, tendons of history connect to the occult underbelly of the world…

Beneath all the daily politics, both big and small, there are elements which dictate the way the world works, or as some would say, the way the clock turns. There are societies who worship beings called Hours, whom, as their title suggests, correspond to each hour of the clock. These 24 beings each dictate a core aspect of the world we know, and the ever present push and pull between the AM and PM serves as the groundwork for what we know as reality.  
 

What?

New Earth is an animated series whose story has been in development for 6 years now. It is a true labour of love that has finally gone into production. The team behind it have been consistently building the story throughout all these years, as we are very keen on the importance of careful planning when it comes to such an intricate mystery series.

What is the story you ask? The pilot itself focuses on the first domino that falls: a high profile disappearance. The inciting incident? A city-wide power outage, very conspicuously timed with the near release of a new vaccine that would help the people of New Earth manage the effects of the radiation that has plagued them for so long. The victim? Angela Jackins, “our saviour and saint”, inventor of the vaccine and married to one of the richest bank owners in Nirvana. The cast? A group of 5 who flock to Mr. Jackins’ reward, not realising what they’re getting tangled up in. 

So who are these people you may ask? Allow us to introduce you to our lead cast.

EDDIE: Our main character, a teenage vampire boy with a lot to prove and a lot more bark than bite. Eddie is 15 years old and struggling to get a grip of his pubescent vampiric powers. He's is an emo teen through and through, with dreams of dropping out of school to become a mercenary, the coolest thing in the world to this true crime loving rebel wanna be.

PSILO: Our big brother type resident mushroom man! Seemingly the chillest guy in any given situation, Psilo is always down to help, although not always with regard to the potential dangers of the situation.

CHARLEIGH: Iconically bitchy, well connected and with a tongue sharper than her acrylics. When it comes to Charleigh, unless you’re a wealthy man (or have at the very least something of apparent value) it may be better to just admire her from a distance...

NORMAN: Norman Addams is part of the 1%. Literally! He’s a Purestrain human, which means he is pure of the strain of radioactive mutagens and hundreds of thousands of years of evolution to survive them that the rest of the planet has been subjected to. Purestrains reside in Solaris, a safe haven built to protect this uber wealthy species, descendants of those who fled the planet, not wishing to sink with the ship that they had just crashed. Norman is off in his own world of adventure, and, as he would say, “despite my hawk-like vision”, doesn’t seem to recognise that he typically gets away with much of his antics because of his background. 

AXIOM: Axiom is a robot whose design is a breed of high end Purestrainean tech and more down to (new) earth technology. They are “programmed to identify and resolve petty conflicts” and follow their protocol to a T, so it's no wonder that Charleigh and Norm's bickering glues them to the group so quickly. 

The crew, all being big animation nerds, knows what this community wants, and observing the recent success of animation taking off from pilots on YouTube with that of ‘Hazbin Hotel,’ ‘Lackadaisy’ and ‘The Amazing Digital Circus’ just to name a few, we are confident this proof of concept pilot will find its home with this audience. 

Who is this audience you ask? Animation aficionados, ARG enthusiasts, true crime enjoyers, gamers galore, and the many of us out there who grew up on 2D animation and greatly miss it, wishing to see 2D animation suited for an adult audience beyond the likes of the slapstick which has dominated the genre for so long. There are few communities as tightly knit and supportive of independent work as that of animation fans, and all involved in New Earth being part of that community, we know the kind of content our people are craving and we are here to provide!

Why? 

New Earth looks to introduce a layered, philosophically and thematically complex story to people looking for the same spark that captivated us all as children watching beautifully animated hand drawn 2D movies. Through this pilot we are looking to introduce audiences to a vibrant world that subverts genres in a way which introduces depth to both the characters and the plot itself. Through the cast, we want to give people a taste of the representation we want to achieve in New Earth long term- not only in different types of people, but also experiences and perspectives. Although only the first step, the pilot sets the tone for the entire story, and that spark of lightning- that feeling of being on the precipice of something great, is what we’re hoping to leave people with after having watched this first episode.

Who?

Andra-Maria Placintescu and Ariadna Gómez-Kelly are two best friends/almost sisters who have been creating stories together for the past 4 years. Between Andra’s background in illustration and animation and Ariadna’s in film and writing, New Earth has become an intersection of shared knowledge of the arts that has shaped their creative relationship. 

Andra has been writing and visualising stories for most of her life, New Earth being the most expansive one so far. Growing up in Eastern Europe for most of her life, she brings valuable insight into the social, economical and class issues that are intrinsic to New Earth. She is passionate about exploring female rage and the intricacies of interpersonal relationships, and always adds a touch of humour to balance it out. 

Ariadna is a writer and filmmaker, director and storyteller, with a flair for subtlety and expertise in the art of reaping and sowing. Being a very involved member in the online fandom space, Ariadna’s insight is crucial to the project, as well as her passion for the story and her own lived experiences that have served in shaping the plot.

Two years prior, Ariadna and Beata Jamroziak collaborated and, finding how well the pair worked together, went on to create their own production company ‘Hekate Tales Ltd’ founded upon the principles of being the change they wished to see in this industry and championing the importance of authentic representation within storytelling at the helm of their mission.

Beata is a producer and filmmaker, who through her organisational prowess and determination is the magic that makes things happen. A fiery spirit that can’t be quenched, we are honoured to have her on board producing this project.

We only wish to we could fit in paragraphs for each and every one of our incredibly talented crew of 100+ people here, so I urge you to visit our Instagram (@newearthanimation) and check out our artist intro highlight to get a more full picture of all the wonderful people that are behind this project!

How?

Animation, and especially 2D animation, is a difficult craft, which takes time, effort and money to bring to fruition. But as we all know, when done properly it moves us in ways no other art form can. And although the project currently operates on a grassroots basis, in order to truly bring it to life, we’ll need funds for the likes of voice casting, soundtrack, softwares, just to name a few. 

This is why we have turned to Greenlit in order to fund this project, as we want to give it the chance it deserves to bloom into the amazing series it's just waiting to become! 
In the increasingly bleak reality of the current animation industry, we’re hoping to make our own little oasis, an eye in the storm for animators and fellow creators to come together and use their talents to make something that can demonstrate their skill and passion. Giving back to the community that gave so much to us. 

And by the community, we mean you, too! We’ve put together a long list of rewards and tokens of appreciation that you can have a look at on our page here! Who doesn’t like a good reward? 

Even if you’re not in a place to donate, sharing is beyond appreciated- a small mention here and there can go a long way with things like this, so if you want to support us, feel free to staple the link to this page on every digital wall you can find. Spread the flyer- this is how the story begins.

And as always, thank you for your contribution.