My Studio Origin Story
How I earned the “Li’l Toughy” name through scrappy resilience - and turned a homemade short into Apple TV+’s Goldie.
How “Li’l Toughy” Got Her Name
I’ll never forget the day my then–development executive called me into her office and dropped the news: the show was moving on... without me. Laid off as a showrunner on my very first series - just like that, my big dream felt like it was evaporating. But instead of curling up and quitting, I did something a bit… stubborn. I dug in. I rallied. I got therapy. And within months, I was hired to write on exciting projects like Hilda, and DC Superhero Girls. I may have been flailing on the inside, but on the outside, I was tough. Unstoppable!
Somewhere in there, a friend quipped, “You’re like the Little Engine That Could -always chugging forward no matter what.” The nickname stuck. Li’l Toughy: a reminder that resilience isn’t about being the biggest or loudest - it’s about never giving up, even when the track ahead looks uncertain.
What It Means to Be a Li’l Toughy
Being a Li’l Toughy isn’t about muscle or being the loudest voice in a room. It’s about:
Scrappy Creativity: Finding a way to get your vision in front of people, even if you don’t have a studio deal.
Resourceful Hustle: Whether it’s scheduling writing sprints at odd hours or diving into consulting calls between school drop-offs, you figure it out.
Fearless Experimentation: You launch an animated pilot animatic because you know that real momentum only comes from putting work out there.
After putting my guidebook on animation development into the world, opening up consulting hours, and pouring my heart into the Strawberry Vampire pilot animatic, it felt like the perfect time to formalize this spirit into something bigger. Thus: Li’l Toughy. We’re starting small - just me, my laptop, and a growing roster of creators I get to cheer on - but the goal is simple: help brave storytellers find their greenlight… including myself.
Flashback to 2016: The Birth of a Giant Idea
Let’s rewind to 2016. I had this itch - a need, really - to tell a story about a girl who unapologetically takes up space. The world felt too small, tentative - oppressive even. I thought: What if my protagonist was literally larger than life? A giant among a sea of “normal” people, learning to fit in without shrinking herself.
I wrote a short script centered on that character, then did something brave: I took the plunge and independently produced a short film around it. And when that giant-girl short finally came together, it wasn’t just a creative exercise. It was a declaration: no gatekeeper, no NDA, no studio rejection that would keep me from telling the stories I believed in. Most people assumed the short was studio-backed - but nope: it was just me and a small, mighty crew of talented friends and freelancers.
From Secret Pitches to Worldwide Screens
Over the next few years, I worked on projects under NDAs - shows I couldn’t share about - and some never saw daylight. Each of those experiences sharpened my instincts, but they also reminded me how hungry I was for creative freedom. That’s why, when I was finally ready to release the Goldie short, I went all in: rolling it out online, submitting to festivals from LA to Annecy, and finding every audience I could.
Goldie’s journey mirrors my own: a scrappy underdog story that refuses to be hidden. And now, with Inside Li’l Toughy Studio, I’m inviting you into the lab: the triumphs, the stumbles, and the absolute, unfiltered joy of indie animation.
From Short Film to Apple Series Pitch
Once Goldie was out in the world, something wonderful happened: the short began circulating in studio exec circles almost by word of mouth. Every time I screened it for a friend - or even a friend-of-a-friend who worked at a network - the response was the same: eyes lighting up, “When can I see more?” comments, and genuine excitement about the big-hearted giant girl at the center of it all.
That buzz became my secret weapon. When it came time to pitch Goldie as a full series, I wasn’t starting from zero - I had an audience of champions who’d already fallen in love with the world and its characters. Armed with that early enthusiasm, I tailored my pitch for Apple TV+ to highlight not just the story beats and character arcs, but the proven appetite for more Goldie adventures. The execs at Apple saw what so many others had seen: a fresh voice, a clear vision, and a small fanbase that wanted to follow this giant girl on her next chapter.
And just like that, Goldie leapt from indie short to Apple series - proof that momentum is everything. That initial spark of a homemade short became the foundation for a bigger creative playground.
Funding My Next Dream Show: My Kickstarter Leap
Even after I’d finished the pilot script, I still felt like something was missing. On the page, Franny’s story was sparkling - but I needed to see her fangs, her strawberry juice glint, her whole Strawbanian universe come to life. Unfortunately, this time, unlike when I made Goldie, my bank account didn’t match that vision.
So, I did what every scrappy indie creator eventually does - I launched a Kickstarter. But this wasn’t me shooting for the stars; I set a lean, dependable goal that covered exactly what I needed to produce a fully-fleshed pilot animatic. I itemized every foreseen cost - artist stipends, voice-over sessions, editing tools - then rounded up to a number that felt ambitious but absolutely doable.
My pitch was straightforward: “Help me bring Franny’s first American misadventure to life!” I leaned into that Li’l Toughy grit - being transparent about where every dollar was going, offering backers behind-the-scenes perks, and even promising a spot in the credits. Within days, we hit our target.
That Kickstarter didn’t just fund an animatic; it proved that when you pair a realistic ask with a story people believe in, they’ll rally behind you.
The Li’l Toughy Playbook: Leap, Scrappy, Repeat
If there’s one through-line to everything I’ve done - from self-publishing my book to building a pilot animatic and landing a series deal - it’s that sometimes you’ve got to take a leap of faith. You don’t wait for permission; you build the stage yourself:
Be Scrappy & Resourceful: Use whatever tools, contacts, and late-night energy you have to get your work in front of people.
Be Bold & Brave: Pitch ideas that feel risky. Tell the stories that scare you a little.
Be Unrelentless: Keep pushing, refining, and sharing - even if you stumble or get a “no” at first.
If you want something to happen, you sometimes just have to make it happen. Fail fast, learn faster, and force the world to listen. That’s what being a Li’l Toughy is all about: believing in your own creative thunder and never waiting for the perfect moment - because the perfect moment is the one you make.
Thanks for reading Inside Li’l Toughy Studio. In my next issue, I’ll introduce my new passion project, Strawberry Vampire, and and share the steps I’m taking to turn that dream into a full-fledged show.
Need help with your show pitch?
Grab my book, A Guide to Writing Animated Pilots, for step-by-step frameworks, insider anecdotes, and worksheets that’ll take your pilot from idea to “greenlit.”
Or let’s work together one-on-one: book a consulting session with me to get personalized feedback on your logline, storyboard, or pitch deck.
🚀 Get the book → https://www.sendowl.com/hub/lil-toughy
🎬 Book a consult → https://calendly.com/embrunweb/
See you next time,
—Emily Brundige, AKA “Li’l Toughy”
Love the story and the grit. I’ll be sticking around to see what happens next!