Conversations with Team Liminal Summers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Team Liminal Summers.

Team Liminal Summers, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Liminal Summers started with the original concept creator, Kevin Brunette. “The idea for Liminal Summers is a combination of two of my passions: buddy comedies and baseball. To see the idea come to life behind such a talented team is a true gift,” says Kevin.

Kevin was introduced to Maddie Seiffert when he moved to LA, wanting to learn more about the animation industry. He pitched the project to her and she set the wheels in motion, developing the project along with the directors: Madison Lin, Ethan Tanti, Nikki Chapman.

Maddie set up the team as the directors worked with Kevin on scripts, and what started as a team of four artist volunteers (2 art volunteers, 2 story volunteers) grew over a year and a half to a team of over 30 volunteers to make Liminal Summers happen.

The volunteers were introduced to a real-world production set up with true deadlines and feedback. They joined to learn more about their craft and attended masterclasses with working professionals along the way.

Liminal Summers Animation releases the episodes in October, alongside the World Series. Until then they’ve been dropping BTS videos and social media announcements to bring viewers along their journey.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“No production is ever a smooth road, but we managed to navigate each challenge to the best of our ability.” Maddie Seiffert says, “There were plenty of moments where we all said we just gotta hold hands and do it together. And then we did it with the most graceful and spirited attitudes we could!”

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Liminal Summers is a 5-episode animatic miniseries.

That means the end product only gets through front-end production, and final images are storyboards. Mostly because animation is very expensive. However, our team really pushed themselves and made the boards look as close to 2D animated as possible- setting us apart as we have a very very clean animatic.

We also have been focused on making sure people learn and get the opportunity to explore something new. For instance, one of our artists, Oakley Stackhouse, was brought on the team because he simply wanted to color more in his spare time. He expanded beyond his role as color artist into character designer, and even storyboard artist. You will see the characters he created and the boards he drew in EP 2! And he did all that without ever having attended an art class.
“I have felt nothing but supported by our team and our leaders.” says Oakley. “I felt like the people around me saw potential and wanted to see me grow. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to learn in a judgement free and inspiring environment.”

With the focus on learning, we also helped aid students transitioning into hireable artists learn the skills they needed for a professional world. Resume and portfolio workshops, how to properly take notes and reply to emails, and meet deadlines.

“As the producer I’ve been able to oversee this whole process and this is something special,” says Maddie Seiffert, “There is so much growth and pride from the team. They’re each others biggest cheerleaders while continuing to learn and push themselves every day.”

“I think what makes Liminal Summers so special is the fact it’s 100% genuine.” Emma says, “Some projects are solely focused on selling- and that can mean stripping away story and personality. This team is the exact opposite. They are story driven and equally important: artist focused. It was always safe for us to bring our own experiences to the table, and to try things out. Mel, Maddie, Nikki, and Ethan as leaders encouraged it from us and it made the final product so special.”

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
We are making this section more about our favorite memories from the project!

“I have a couple favorite moments from Liminal Summers.” says Emma Huang, vis dev artist, “The first was the day we got together for a team photoshoot. It was a room full of very fun people and great energy. It was so nice to put faces to the work we had seen and realize how special this team is. The second was the masterclass series because it taught me how to be a better artist and team member. We got to see how the entire animation industry worked, not just our field, and it really opened my eyes to how big the iceberg is under the surface.”

Oakley says, “My favorite memory was when our producer Maddie told me how proud she and our director were of my boards, despite having never touched storyboarding. I have never felt prouder of myself and more touched by the trust given to me than in that moment. I cannot tell you the amount of care the team has for one another.”

Board artist Laurie Lee says, “I think my favorite moments were the small ones along the way. Our leadership team was super encouraging to have us pitch ideas and some of my big swings made it into the end cut. Arm pit sniffing jokes, some horror movie movement, overly dramatic acting in silly monologues- and you’ll actually get to see them!”

“I will never forget seeing the first animatic.” says Marcus Strong, the voice of Terry, “Suddenly it had all come together and I was watching the hard work of so many people. It was no longer just reading lines in the booth- it was alive- and it was really funny!”

Director Madison Lin says, “The project has been such a blast. I think it shows in the final story on screen how much fun we had with each other working behind the scenes!”

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liminalsummersanimation
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LiminalSummersAnimation

Image Credits
Team Photo – Kaid Lavo

Art- Emma Huang, Andrew Davis, Maddie Seiffert, Nana Juana, Yvette Sung, Oakley Stackhouse

Boards- Nikki Chapman, Laurie Lee