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A fan animation (also spelled "fan-animation" and "fanimation") is what happens when a fanartist decides to put their pictures into motion.

Fan animations are typically original animations. Some, however, are based on other fanfics while others are animations set to music.

Most animations are either hand-drawn or computer-drawn, however, using MikuMikuDance is also an alternative for people who want to create All CGI Cartoons easily.

Fan animations are usually ignored by publishers and creators, and they may be even praised or encouraged, but sometimes they're met with cease-and-desist orders. However, this usually only occurs when animators try to make a profit off of fan-animations or when they're too sexual.

Compare to Fan Art, Fanvid, and Fanfic. Can overlap with Fan Film. Super Trope to the Multi-Animator Project.

Other popular terms include:

  • "MAP" refers to a "Multi-Animator Project". Not to be confused with an MEP (Multi-Editor Project), which is a similar term used by Fan Vidders. A "MAP" is an animation where several animators each do different parts.
  • A "PMV" is a "Picture Music Video". Not to be confused with the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic's fandom's usage (Pony Music Video), which usually refers to Fan Vids. They're usually lumped in with fan-animations, however, they don't actually include much, if any, actual animation. PMVs are commonly Lyric Videos.
  • Some animesque fan-animations can also be considered Fanime, however the term "fanime" is usually used to describe original works done in an "anime" style.
  • In Japan, there is a sort of fan-animation known as the "MAD" (which can also apply to Fanvids). MADs usually contain still images instead of proper animations.
  • An "animatic" is essentially a storyboard set to music, similar to the Japanese MAD.

Examples:

Anime & Manga

Comic Books

Fan Works

Films — Animation

Films — Live-Action

Literature

Miscellaneous

Music Videos

Theatre

Video Games

Western Animation

  • Arcane:
    • The Enemy animation meme tells the show's opening song from Jinx's point of view.
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender:
    • The fan animation "Zuko's Phases" shows Zuko's path of redemption and healing, aided by his Uncle's encouragement.
  • Gravity Falls:
    • This fan animation reanimated the ending of "The Golf War" in an anime style.
    • The "Sea Grunks" imagines an animated spin off starring Stan and Ford.
    • PlayersUnited on YouTube has a series of animated music videos from the perspectives of various characters, mostly centered around Stan and Ford:
      • "Good For You" centers around Stan, Mabel and Dipper calling out Ford for his choice to try to have Dipper be his apprentice and isolate him from Mabel.
      • "Open Up Your Eyes" spotlights Ford as he tells Dipper about Bill and his issues about isolation.
      • "Surface Pressure" is about Stan struggling with the pressure of running the Mystery Shack, taking care of Dipper and Mabel and trying to save Ford while dealing with trauma.
    • Keyan Carlile led production on a 2023 fan episode called "Return to the Bunker", which acts as a Season 2B episode featuring Mabel trying to develop her own bond with Grunkle Ford. Mostly an animatic, with a handful of scenes being fully animated, the episode also touches upon plot points that were merely Word of God (such as Fiddleford living in the bunker following the events of the midseason finale).
  • Invader Zim:
    • Invader Zim: A Very Tall Problem is a 2022 fan animated series where the Almighty Tallest get stuck on Earth and are forced to rely on Zim and the Membranes to help them retake control of the Irken Empire from its new ruler.
  • The Lion Guard:
  • Miraculous Ladybug:
    • Cendrillon is a Historical AU animatic that puts Akumatized!Marinette in Cinderella's shoes, but with a twist — her mission is to assassinate someone for Hawk Moth, whose role is that of a sinister Fairy Godmother.
    • Ella Cinders has a series of animatics about a What If? Ladybug and Chat Noir were akumatized (not at the same time):
      • "The Next Right Thing" focuses on Chloé struggling but ultimately raising up to the challenge to be the team's new leader after Marinette fails.
      • "Bruises" explores Adrien's feelings (mostly guilt) after he is defeated and saved by Chloé from his akumatized form.
      • "Crossing The Line" explains how Marinette gets akumatized in the first place — triggered by cruel comments from Lila when the former was at her lowest point.
      • "Nothing Left" expands on Marinette's inner conflict and pain while clashing with Adrien in an "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight.
      • "Warriors" is where the hero team faces Marinette. They are able to take down Hawk Moth ( aka Lila), but not Marinette.
    • Ghost introduces a humanoid Nooro, the kwami powering the villain's Miraculous, expressing his resentment and feelings of being unseen and uncared for.
    • I'm just your problem plays the titular song from Adventure Time, putting Chloé and Marinette in Marceline and Princess Bubblegum's places, respectively. The former works her ass off to meet the former's expectations but is never enough.
    • i've had enough portrays Chloé's anger and hurt toward her mother's neglect and abuse. Predictably, Chloé ends up akumatized but not before calling out Hawk Moth's shit as well.
    • The animatic Lost Boy compares Adrien to one of the lost boys from Peter Pan. Sad and purposeless until he meets Peter Pan (aka Plagg and, in a sense, Ladybug).
    • Mademoiselle Noir has Akumatized!Marinette as the titular character; a solitary soul awaiting her charming prince in a tower but is tragically burned to death.
    • Meet The Plastics presents an AU scenario where Marinette is the naïve new girl (Caddie), Alya is Janice, and Chloé's cliqué are the plastics — Chloé as Regina, Sabrina as Gretchen, and Aurore as Karen.
    • Nobody is a Nathalie-centric animatic that explores her determination to help Gabriel until she collapses.
    • Ready As I'll Ever Be is an Alternate Timeline fic where Hawk Moth success at akumatizing Marinette, thus creating Princess Justice. The eponymous song is from Tangled: The Series, so Akumatized!Marinette fills the role of Varian, Alya is Cassandra, and Tikki and Marinette's mother are Rapunzel.
    • Scattered Glass is a prequel fic of the series. Meaning, it tells the story of a bunch of fanmade Miraculous holders.
    • Youth is an Apocalypse How take on an Akumatized Marinette. After all, the source of her suffering is the burden to keep Paris safe — if it's destroyed, she's free.
  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
  • Greg Fiering's Migraine Boy comic strip received an official animated adaptation made by MTV in The '90s, which was eventually dubbed worldwide, included in Latin America. Chilean fans weren't happy with the animation and voices, so a group of fans (known as Alegale.tk) made their own version at the end of the decade that was filled with Black Comedy, becoming even more famous in Chile than the original animation.
  • She-Ra and the Princesses of Power:
    • As The World Caves In retells the last plot points of the show — Primer Horde's forces overwhelming the Rebels and Catra and Adora activating the fail-safe.
    • Escapism is about Catra's feelings of helplessness and betrayal after Adora's defection as well as her longing for freedom and love.
    • Good 4 You revolves around Catra and Adora's mutual feelings of jealousy, abandonment, and rage after the latter defected and the former refused to follow her.
    • The animatic "Ready As I'll Ever Be" adapts the titular song's scenario to that of the series: Catra is Varian (turned evil because of a betrayal), Glimmer is Rapunzel (fighting to protect and save her family), and Adora is Cassandra (eager to prove herself).
    • Interlude IV (Showtime) is about Prime!Catra and Adora's confrontation — the latter determined to rescue her Childhood Friend while the former is just dismissive and self-assured.
    • Heather presents a scenario where Adora and Catra are together (like in the canon), but Glimmer is in love with Adora and wishes she was Catra.
  • Star vs. the Forces of Evil:
    • Open Up Your Eyes is an alternative take on Meteora's backstory: she wasn't separated from her loving mother as a baby but as a little kid. As a result, she comes to the conclusion that depending on others only leads to suffering — a teaching she tries to impart to her niece Star.
    • In Ready As I'll Ever Be, by Art of Rhues, Marco's family got caught in the crossfire, prompting him to make a Face–Heel Turn and steal the Wand. It's up to a devasted Star and the rest of the cast to face him.
  • Steven Universe:
    • Blinding recounts Lapis Lazuli's experience with the mirror from her perspective, thus highlighting her despair and showing the Crystal Gems in an antagonistic role.
    • The Crystal Gems VS Yellow Diamond is a Steven Universe fan animatic about as long as an actual episode, about the Crystal Gems fighting Yellow Diamond.
    • Candle Queen portrays Pink Diamond as a young gem of high social standing but volatile, desperate for acknowledgment, and prone to temper tantrums. Until she gets herself shattered.note 
    • Omnific has animated two fan animatics inspired by the song "Escapism" (part of the show's OST). The first is from before the song was used in the show, so it revolves around Lapis Lazuli's struggles with her trauma. And the second explores Pink Diamond's craving for freedom and her journey to achieve it.
    • Everyone Is Gay by Sangled celebrates that most of the characters belong to the LGBT+ community or are otherwise unique.
    • I Do Adore is a Lapis Lazuli/Peridot animatic where Lapis tells Steven about her feelings towards Peridot.
    • GRRRLS is a fan animation memenote  that delves into Pink Diamond's dark facets; born from her desire to break the mold.
    • Life Boat expands on Lapis Lazuli's feelings of isolation and weakness after her time as Malachite.
    • Popular is a light-hearted animatic where Yellow Pearl takes it upon herself to turn Pearl into a proper, sophisticated pearl. Pearl is not a fan, though.
    • Open Up Your Eyes is a retake on the conflict between Spinel and Steven. Like in canon, Spinel is bitter about Pink Diamond callously abandoning her, which leads her to the conclusion that craving for love is a childish wish.
    • Secret, by indivirtual, shows a more sinister take on Pink Diamond's request to Pearl to act as her Secret-Keeper.
    • Universe Falls: The Series started as a series of fan dubs of comics based on "Steven's Summer Job", a popular crossover Fan Verse between Steven Universe: Future and Gravity Falls, but eventually took on a life of its own.
    • When She Loved Me likens Pearl and Pink Diamond's relationship with that of Jessie and her original owner. The former is dearly loved by the latter until things change and the former is left behind.
  • Tangled: The Series:
  • Transformers:
  • Winx Club:
  • WordGirl
    • Wordgirl: REWIRED is a fan continuation of the show with several artists working to bring the episodes to life.


 
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Alternative Title(s): Fanimation, Fan Animatic, Fanimatic

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Duck Amuck Reanimate Jam

In this multi-animator project for Duck Amuck, Jim Grue reanimates the "slop artist" scene with his own unique touches, including some visual puns to match Daffy's sarcastic dialogue.

How well does it match the trope?

5 (9 votes)

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