On the internet, niche can be much more lucrative than mainstream tastes, which is why an inspiring new short film featuring steampunk, 2D animation, and women in engineering is racking in big bucks already.
In just five days, the Indiegogo campaign for “Hullabaloo,” an upcoming short film by several Disney animators, has already blasted past its $80,000 goal, taking in $112,205 by Thursday morning. With $28,000 more, they will produce a second episode, which will help in their push to ultimately make a feature film.
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So what is it about? Spearheaded by animator James Lopez (“The Lion King,” “Pocahontas,” “Paperman”) and a roster filled with vets of films such as “Frozen” and “Beauty and the Beast,” the short will tell the story of Veronica Daring, a brilliant young scientist who must save her father.
Steampunk-themed and hand-drawn, the short teams Veronica with another girl named Jules in a battle against powerful villains who have stolen her father’s inventions. She becomes “a goggled crusader who uses wits and science to combat evil and oppose the nefarious conspiracy that has taken her father,” making for a strong female protagonist in an unconventional setting.
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The short “aims to encourage girls to explore science and adventure,” the campaign says. “The film’s two protagonists are both young women and both scientists who use their intellect, wits, and courage to fight greed and corruption. We hope that Veronica Daring and her friend Jules will serve as positive role models for girls of all ages and encourage them to get excited about science, engineering, and sci-fi.”