How Mercury Filmworks Is Bringing Strawberry Vampire to Life
Director Graham MacDonald, Producers Sarah & Anja, Founder Clint Eland — and our volunteer animators — share how they transformed a scene from Franny's animatic into fully realized animation.
From Hilda — to Goldie — to Strawberry Vampire
When I partnered with Mercury Filmworks to animate a key sequence from the Strawberry Vampire pilot animatic, I knew I was in good hands. I’ve been a fan of the premium 2D studio ever since they worked on Hilda, where I served as head writer —up through the time they became my partners and service studio for Goldie on Apple TV+.
I thought it would be helpful to lift the veil — to let them share not only how they approached this animated scene, but the artistry, logistics, and sheer heart that go into an indie-studio production. Today’s issue pulls back the curtain on Mercury’s process, from the director’s vision to the volunteers’ passion.
The Scene in Focus
The sequence we tackle here is the pilot’s most pivotal, emotional moment: Stramama reminding Franny that embracing her roots — and herself — is her greatest superpower. On the page it’s a few beats of heartfelt dialogue and subtle gestures; on screen, it’s where timing, expression, and thoughtful staging come together to underscore the story’s core theme.
Graham MacDonald: A Director’s Perspective
Walk us through Mercury’s process for animating the SV scene, from initial prep all the way through to final animation.
First, we defined the sequence’s full scope—scene count, frame count, everything—so we could estimate our animator needs and avoid burnout. Next, we identified exactly which character angles would appear, designed and rigged those views, and reviewed the animatic to gauge rig complexity. Because the action was contained and designs straightforward, we kept builds light. For lighting, we decided to handle character lighting in animation rather than comp—our rigs were efficient enough to avoid lag, and it streamlined back-end work. FX was simple—a shooting star—so our FX animator tackled that early for seamless integration. Once scenes were distributed, I reviewed every pose before the usual loop of submissions, notes, revisions, and occasional quick fixes. After animation locked, everything moved to compositing, where palette shifts and Stramama’s glowing-eye effect in shadow brought the final look to life. This being the pilot’s emotional heart—Franny at her lowest, finding hope—meant we prioritized clarity and sincerity at every step.
Early on, what key decisions did you make to set up this scene for animation?
Smart planning: we pinpointed required character angles and mouth shapes for acting moments, eliminating wasted effort. Backgrounds were split so characters could layer and interact cleanly. And we made crucial early calls on the scene’s dramatic lighting, ensuring the intended mood carried through every pipeline stage.
What makes Harmony your go-to animation software for this pipeline?
After 20+ years using Harmony, it’s second nature for our team. It offers the flexibility and control we need—whether we’re animating a quiet emotional beat or a visually ambitious sequence—without holding us back.
As director of a series, what are your main responsibilities and day-to-day tasks?
I oversee every artistic detail from script to final shot, manage workload balance by assigning tasks to the right people, and ensure the entire team shares a clear creative vision. When unexpected challenges arise—technical, creative, or scheduling—I step in to problem-solve and keep the vibe positive. I also collaborate closely with Production to set schedules and workflows that hit deadlines without killing morale.
Anything else you’d like to mention?
Working with Emily again has been fantastic—after Goldie, Strawberry Vampire’s quirky, sincere energy makes it just as rewarding. I can’t wait for people to see it!
Graham’s Top 3 Takeaways
Asset Planning Is Everything
By breaking the sequence down—scenes, frames, character angles—Mercury built exactly the rigs and designs needed, eliminating wasted effort and speeding up production.Early Pipeline Decisions Smooth Workflow
Opting to handle character lighting in animation and tackling the single FX element up front kept revisions quick and avoided downstream bottlenecks.Emotion Drives Every Stage
From initial pose reviews to compositing Stramama’s glowing eyes, the team prioritized clarity and heart, ensuring Franny’s pivotal moment landed with full impact.
Line Production Essentials with Sarah Laight
Sarah, as the line producer on this project, how did you kick things off? What are your first steps to wrangle all the moving parts?
We began by reviewing the creative and aligning with Emily and Graham on the project scope, timeline, and priorities. From there, we built out a detailed schedule, identified key departmental needs, and locked in our amazing crew. Our early focus was on setting up clear communication channels, hitting all pre-production milestones, and ensuring every department had what they needed to hit the ground running.
What processes and strategies do you put in place to keep production on track and running smoothly?
We rely heavily on consistent check-ins, a centralized tracking system (like ShotGrid), and a clear chain of communication. We build in buffer days where possible and maintain open dialogue with Graham and department leads to balance quality with deliverables. Flexibility and responsiveness are key—projects always shift—and having a solid foundation lets us pivot efficiently.
Sarah Laight’s Top 3 Takeaways
Align & Schedule Up Front
Kicking off by locking down scope, timeline, and priorities with Emily and Graham set a shared roadmap—and building a detailed schedule ensured every department knew their milestones from day one.Centralized Tracking & Communication
Using a tool like ShotGrid, regular check-ins, and dedicated channels keeps tasks visible and teams connected—so nothing falls through the cracks.Build in Flexibility
By baking in buffer days and staying ready to pivot, the production can absorb unexpected changes without derailing quality or delivery.
Founder Clint Eland on Mercury’s Commitment to Quality
What attracted you to join the Strawberry Vampire project?
Honestly, it was nothing too sophisticated. Strawberry Vampire had this very fresh and appealing feel that seemed the perfect antidote to what I’ve been seeing in the market. I also had a tremendous amount of respect and love for Emily as a result of our collaboration on Goldie, so it felt really good to reach out to her to see if we could help her move the project forward.
Mercury consistently delivers top-tier work. How do you maintain such high standards across the studio?
It comes down to two things:
Artist-Driven Excellence: Our team sets the bar for their own work. They push beyond expectations, and our role on the business side is to give them the time, tools, and resources to chase that vision. You can’t force perfection, but you can foster an environment where passion flourishes.
Shared Success: At Mercury, we believe the studio’s success is inseparable from our artists’ success. Clients come to us not for “okay” animation but for something special—whether it’s a distinctive art style, a complex sequence, or a subtle emotional performance. Our people embrace that challenge every time.
In your view, what sets Mercury Filmworks apart from other animation studios?
Mercury is a medium sized and independent studio in a competitive field where most others are part of larger corporate groups. We do not have multiple shareholders with annual growth mandates. We are flexible and free to make decisions that may not always be the safe or “board approved” one. This is also a differentiator when looking at our competitors.
Why We Volunteered: Stories from Our Indie Animators
Last but far from least, here are some words from our talented volunteer animators —I’m so honored they chose to pour their hearts and souls into this project alongside the rest of the Mercury crew. Here’s what drew them to Strawberry Vampire:
"It's really great to see more stories about finding yourself; when joining a new community, while also dealing with the struggle of staying true to yourself and your heritage. It's a complicated topic, that I think that many will relate to, and be warmed by." - Grace Roe
"Strawberry Vampire is the kind of story I would have loved growing up; it’s the kind of project that reminds me why I got into animation in the first place. I am shaped by the stories that have been shared with me and I hope I can help return the favour in some small way with projects like this." - Sara Connelly
I hope you enjoyed that behind-the-scenes look at Mercury’s animation process!
Next up on the free studio diary series: a peek inside former GOLDIE art director Ross Love and animator Shane Plante’s scrappy, big-dream indie studio Premium Fantasy. While you wait…
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