Could the fandom possibly make their own MLP universe?

[Plonkett 345]

Do you think it's possible for a large group of bronies to make an animated MLP series that doesn't have any of Hasbro's trademarks like having an original world and all the characters being originally made? It could mainly be a web series and if the setting and characters are completely original, there's no way that it would be affected by copyright. It would basically be like our version of what a G5 could be like, it just needs good animation, great stories, interesting characters, and a well varied world.

[Sanic Screwdriver 345]

With the sheer amount of great artists, animators, writers, and the fact many animations by fans have voice actors so I assume there are plenty of those, with the right organization and team rounded up I could see it being done. It wouldn't be as professional as something made by an actual company but it wouldn't be bad! The problem with not being able to do it is Hasbro as a poor sport and would freak about anything remotely related to the show came out.

[Roughshod 721]

@@vgmaster9, 

 

 

with the right organization and team rounded up I could see it being done.

 

That's more or less the biggest obstacle you would likely face in a situation such as this. I'm not saying there aren't enough fans who would want to do to something such as this but trying to establish any sort of organizational structure as well as laying out whatever legal guidelines and codes of conduct there needed to be and having everyone adhere to them would be difficult to say the least.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Roughshod

[Black Sabbath 2,488]

It would be possible but it wouldn't be good.

[ProjectRKA 2,848]

It would be possible but it wouldn't be good.

Why wouldn't it be good ? I've seen many fan-animated videos that looks pretty much like the show itself, and all of them have been well received.

[Mesme Rize 15,692]

I think the problem we're facing is that some of the artists, VAs and writers in this fandom have a very big ego, because if we would put them in one room, they would all say that their idea is better. One would suggest that they stay in style with the show, one suggests that they make a more LOTR type of show out of it and one wishes to make a clop show out of it.

 

If they have the organization and the will to do this, they might have a shot, but they don't and they never will.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Alex Delarge

[Gildarts 54]

It could work in theory.

In practice however it wouldn't work.

 

The animation would have to be completely different or else Hasbro would take it down. The characters couldn't be even remotely similar. So no  pegasus with a rainbow colored mane. I doubt that the characters could have cutie marks. And even if they did then if it would look remotely similar to any pony's cutie mark from MLP:FIM or the comics then Hasbro would take it down. 

 

I also doubt that the plot would be good. The same goes for the characters. The voice acting could be good,but if we would compare it with the show it would most likely be worse. 

 

In short, MLP:FIM would be better,

[[NULL] 907]

If the fandom collaborated to make an MLP reboot, there probably wouldn't be enough of a dedicated focused vision to make something good, and it would just be a mess.

Not to mention the likely abundance of static characters, references to background characters and memes from FIM that won't stand the test of time, and episodes that are just there to give poorly presented exposition of the world's history.

Hell, it likely wouldn't even be a reboot. It would probably just end up being a giant unfocused clumsy sidequel, which would be neither self-contained nor timeless.

 

However, if it was made by a group of people who do know what they're doing, then I'm sure it could be good.

Edited February 7, 2015 by SpaceOnion

[ponytheorist 181]

Nope, not possible. I mean, Hasbro is targeting MLP analists already, we don't need a bigger target on our back right now

Edited February 7, 2015 by ponytheorist

[Freewave 1,145]

JanAnimations was using puppets taken FROM Hasbro and was taken down (briefly in some cases, permanently with others). Journey of the Spark never got off the drawing board. And many fan animations while "popular" weren't anywhere near as good or a full episode. Bronies often create their own alternate universes very well in fimfics (Fallout Equestria, Your Human and You) or art pieces (many artists have single handedly done so). Animation IS a different environment because it is so cumbersome to capture the same level of stop motion production coupled with voice acting, background music, and a GOOD PLOT. What fans can do that Hasbro does not is stuff like 3-d model SFM videos. If anything that's where you will see the best  of fan animations take form. NOT copies of what Hasbro does by mimicking what Hasbro can do better (22 min episodes with full seasons) with a paid production team paid by advertisements and a budget.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Freewave

[[NULL] 907]

JanAnimations was using puppets taken FROM DHX and was taken down (briefly in some cases, permanently with others). Journey of the Spark never got off the drawing board. And many fan animations while "popular" weren't anywhere near as good or a full episode. Bronies often create their own alternate universes very well in fanfics (Fallout Equestria, Your Human and You) or art pieces (many artists have single handedly done so). Animation IS a different environment because it is so cumbersome to capture the same level of stop motion production coupled with voice acting, background music, and a GOOD PLOT. What fans can do that DHX does not is stuff like 3-d model SFM videos. If anything that's where you will see the best  of fan animations take form. NOT copies of what DHX does by mimicking what DHX can do better (22 min episodes with full seasons) being a paid production team paid by advertisements and a budget.

I don't know, the SFM models (and not to mention many animations) aren't all that great. The problem with many fan animations is simply because of low standards of the content creators (and even fans). It's not a matter of whether or not you work for DHX. (Hell, JanAnimations was able to create animation quality on par with the show.) DHX's budget isn't something that magically makes the show better. Money is just incentive for the selectively hired and educated writers and animators to work their asses off so they can pay the bills.

When it comes to non-profit fan animations, they're not motivated by profit. They just want to make something they'll enjoy. Throwing money at them isn't going to make them better animators.

Like I said, the reason why there are so many bad animations is because of low standards. What studios like DHX do that many fans don't is have strict entry requirements. The show staff always has to meet the standards of their supervisors, so they can have something worth airing on television. Since Flash is accessible to anyone regardless of their knowledge and experience with animation, people think that's all they need to be animators.

Too many people have the mentality that they don't have to live up to the standards of professionals just because they're not professionals. If something's not as good as it should be, people will still find it acceptable just because it's fan-made.

We all know how that turned out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgJPHj7Cjss

Edited February 8, 2015 by SpaceOnion

[Silver Letter 1,832]

It could work in theory.

In practice however it wouldn't work.

 

The animation would have to be completely different or else Hasbro would take it down. The characters couldn't be even remotely similar. So no  pegasus with a rainbow colored mane. I doubt that the characters could have cutie marks. And even if they did then if it would look remotely similar to any pony's cutie mark from MLP:FIM or the comics then Hasbro would take it down. 

 

I also doubt that the plot would be good. The same goes for the characters. The voice acting could be good,but if we would compare it with the show it would most likely be worse. 

 

In short, MLP:FIM would be better,

I don't really know how that works but it appears to me that people can make movies or books or toys that are straight theft of intellectual property in spirit as well as appearance and as long as they call it something different and don't use names, they can actually make them.

 

As far as an fan made product being automatically worse, that depends on a lot of factors. I think corporations are not the only source of good products. People can make good animation and video games independently.

[Black Sabbath 2,488]

Why wouldn't it be good ? I've seen many fan-animated videos that looks pretty much like the show itself, and all of them have been well received.

Just because something looks good doesn't mean it's good. It's needs a good story and sadly, I have yet to see a fan-animated video that have a good story.  

Edited February 8, 2015 by Yamet

[AmberDust 1,118]

I think the fans might turn against each other, simply because...

 

such is the way of the limelight.

[Po-Nonimous 583]

Considering the tremendous amount of talent in this fandom then, yeah, it could be done and it wouldn't take that much to do it if someone like FluffyMixer decided to have a shot at it.

 

All it would take is a lead animator (FluffyMixer), a small production team and a small voiceover team, maybe 20 people max, and it could be done easily. But, I think the biggest problem that would be encountered would be in pre-production; deciding on storyboards, layout story arc progression and episode arrangement.

 

Other than that it could be done.

[KatonRyu 1,036]

I think it's possible to do, given the talent present in the fandom, but I don't know how good it would be. Fan animations like Snowdrop are absolutely stunning but they take place in the G4 universe.

 

The main problem I foresee with a brony-made world and continuity is it being reference overdosed to the point where non-bronies wouldn't get more than half of the humor. In FiM, the references are easily recognized but even if you don't know something's a reference you still enjoy the show itself. If bronies were to create their own show I think there would be too many catch phrases and references to internet culture. Don't get me wrong, those things can be fun, but MLP should not be about that.

 

If, however, a world can be made that is completely itself with only occasional references to other cultural phenomena (that don't have to be understood to be enjoyed) it could really be successful. I do think we have the people to make that work; I'm just afraid most of us aren't suited for it. (At least I know I'm not.)

[Buck Testa 5,505]

A group could make a show about magical ponies if they wanted to, nothing would be stopping them in that respect. The question is "would it be good?"

 

See if the only thing you are doing is trying to emulate something else than it just comes off as a cheap knock off. 

 

As long as your team is careful and trying to make something that is its own unique thing that isn't just trying to be "MLP fan edition" or "that mlp knockoff" than it could be a success

[SilverStarApple 850]

I bet we could. Though, looking at the state of Fimfic.net...

[Pinkie-Guy 564]

I think most of the talent's there.  It's more a matter of focusing it.  There aren't a lot of broad community projects in the fandom like this would be.  It would require...organization.  It would be good to have lots of people work on it to spread the workload around and make it cheaper in terms of individual contribution.

 

But I think if we wanted to, and Hasbro was cool with it, we could produce some fine work.  It would be tough to get the same production values as the show though.