Hi. So, I’m planning on making a fan game based on the anime, Violet Evergarden. To make the game I of course need character models for the main characters. I’m considering hiring someone to make them.
I was wondering who would be the best choice for making 3D models of anime characters. Here are pictures of the characters I’m looking for. These are just a few of the characters. There are many… many more XD Let me know if you need to see the rest of the characters, or if you can’t see the pictures. Thanks & Happy New Year!
You of course need permission of copyright holder. Otherwise it is a great way get cease and desist half way through the project.
Any artist that has the desired style in their portfolio.
Do keep in mind that this is going to cost you. 3d anime style isn’t done by many people, although more and more games with those kind of visuals pop up recently.
Games that did the style right include Ni No Kuni 2, Guilty Gear Xrd Sign, and few others. YOu can see details here:
A model like the guy in the first photo is on the level similar to Xrd Sign character. A Xrd Sign haracter had few hundred thousands polys in them, and few hundred bones. IIRC it was in ballpark of 400k…600k polygons and about 400 bones per character.
Assume you won’t get permission, nothing wrong with a few fan based screenshots and even a game but is only playable by yourself or close friends though.
Type in “Violet Evergreen”. or “Violet Evergreen COpyright owner”
From the article you learn that the anime is likely owned by Kyoto Animation, with Netflix and few other studios having rights to stream it.
You Look up “Kyoto animation”, writers name, find websites, social network profile, telephone addresses and twitter handle. Then use one of those to contact people in question.
Looking through the information, KyoAni does not have direct email address (or it is well hidden), however they do have physical address and phone. So you can give them a call - in japanese - or write them a letter. The part of the company that does have an email address is their shop with their contact form.
Speaking of which without established works and portfolio chances of getting a permission woudl be nil.
Then enjoy an eventual cease and desist from either KyoAni, Netflix, Anime Limited, or Madman Entertainment depending on whose distribution rights you end up running afoul of first. This is a thing that happens a lot.
Also given the level of determination you are showing, I expect you to shoot for good quality model, and not low poly N64 one, which already put the price at 10k$ starting point, with each character taking 1 month to make.
You have already shown 4 characters so that’s 40k$ minimal base price right there and it will take 4 month to get there (without any animations) just to replicate these images, without any environment.
If you are a true honest to god weeb, you have seen shirobako and girlish number, you know even just 2D is a cutthroat industry. Also japanese company tend to be excessively protective of their IP, don’t just expect C&D, expect bankruptcy, covered with Non disclosure agreement, like that coffee shop who threw a pokemon party and complain on the internet they got a notice, nobody has heard about them since that time. There is also the case of that video game studio who put a panel of sailor moon as a joke, on some character’s books, not visible at all to the player, let’s say their profit margin got a big hole after the IP owner got wind of it.
And if you don’t have any proven track record, expect even less from them, they are business, if you don’t speak business they hear nothing.
Also because you are asking, we can tell you don’t have the skills, because you wouldn’t ask. SO that’s a big no, you can’t do it.
It is important to understand what “permission” means. Permission means a license agreement in the form a contract. Contacting them will result in either no response, a form letter saying no, or the opportunity to license the the IP from them for a fee. You won’t get an email saying “sure, go for it”. For you to legally use someone else’s IP, you will need a license agreement, that doesn’t happen for free. (or at all really when some just out of the blue asks for something for free). I would not recommend contacting them to ask to use it, it will just be ignored. Instead contact them asking what it would cost to license, then you might get a response.
It is pretty much the same as when you go to a car lot, you need “permission” to take the car home.
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Thanks. Also, you’re right. I have pretty much no experience in this. But like I said. I’m pretty determined. Also I’ve decided to model the characters in Vroid.
If you’re really determined to make a good game and use A LOT of your time to make it, you shouldn’t use someone else’s IP. Fan games are cool for learning purposes when you don’t intend to release the game but to just learn development. That’s when you can use images and copyrighted music whatever to make the game nice. But when you pour your soul into a project it is better to have your back covered when you want to release the game (your own IP, legit software licenses etc)
A timely reminder that 50 shade of grey was created as a trash fanfic of twilight… it wasn’t supposed to be anything but fun indulgence in fantasy shared with a small audience of like minded fan girl.
It exploded to the surprise to the author when she changed the name of the characters to be original.
To the left is Violet (Again, but with her gloves on.)
To the left is Claudia Hodgins.