We’ve discussed the Trigger short Little Witch Academia on the blog here before, and it’s nice to see the studio do so many things right with it. So much so, that when a Kickstarter project was released, it was fully funded to the tune of $150,000 in just about three hours! So what has been done to get things so right? Unsurprisingly, its all down to common sense and a bit of luck.
The Original Little Witch Academia Had Risk-Free Funding
Yes, as discussed before, the original was funded by a grant from the Japanese government. That meant that Trigger was free to indulge in a bit of remarkable creativity and inevitably create something that has garnered a lot of critical praise in addition to being commercially viable.
It Was The Epitome Of Superb Content
There’s no doubt about it; Little Witch Academia is what is meant by the descriptor ‘top-notch’. It oozes high quality and craftsmanship the likes of which even Disney has been unable to replicate in the last decade or so. The story is enchanting, the characters are delightful and the animation is nothing short of downright gobsmacking.
Yup, Little Witch Academia illustrates all to clearly how a devotion to quality can work real and lasting wonders.
Trigger Engaged With Fans
Being based in Japan, Trigger could all too easily have ignored fans outside of the country altogether. Instead though, they did everything right with an eye to boosting their presence. Right off the bat, they didn’t pull down the unofficial YouTube leaks; rather, they released an official version replete with corrected English subtitles!
They also listened to fans and continually communicated with a positive attitude about wanting to make more animated Little Witch Academia content.
They Did Things One Step At A Time
Just recently, it was announced that a Blu-Ray home media release of Little Witch Academia is slated for later in 2013. Could this have been done earlier in the year? Sure, but rather than risking a lot of money by making something that potentially wouldn’t sell, Trigger instead waited. When the short’s popularity soared through the roof, they cut a deal. Tying in again with the quality of the content as mentioned above, there should be no problem shifting those discs come August.
The Lessons This Success Story Should Teach
It’s unfortunate that the simple, basic steps that Trigger has taken with Little Witch Academia are so roundly ignored on a daily basis by animation studios around the world. While it’s understandable that they have to work within the confines of TV networks for some of their work, it’s hard to believe that they take the same approach to their own stuff, and seek to impose to everyone the kinds of restrictions they are bound to.
This case highlights the fact that true and meaningful success is totally and easily achievable with the two simple things of great content and a willingness to listen and communicate with those who watch it.
Bravo Trigger!