The End of Passion Project?!
Alexa, Play “All Comes Crashing” by Metric.
This was it. This is what we waited almost an entire year to do — attend LightBox Expo 2024. With a glint in our eye, this event was gonna be our big break into the industry. Our opportunity to make friends, connections, and maybe even feel like our dreams of creating dancing pictures weren’t so out of reach. But when everyday’s a scene and your life’s a movie, you can’t get mad when you get beat up by the plot. It’s been almost a year since then, and now with the business season of animation in full swing, we feel that we can share our tips to pivot when your dreams are shattering in front of you.
A Little Backstory
You know that feeling when you’re so tired of being anxious that you just throw yourself at the monster barreling down towards you because you can’t be bothered by how scary it is? We’ll spare you all the details, but all you need to know is that Mena got sick mere hours before LightBox Expo, leaving me, (Payton) having to network on my own. I knew we weren’t going to throw in the towel because of a hiccup like this. Mena assured me that she’d join me later when she felt better.
I walked up to the giant yellow LightBox letters. I had my game face on, a memorized schedule, business cards holstered, and a box of sparkling Sugarfina gummies in my bag. I entered the doors of Artist Alley and was immediately hit by an incoherent chorus of chaos. Things weren’t going to plan, but I had another one brewing: hand out business cards in artist alley, snatch up freebies, and make it to as many panels as possible. Everything was going to be ok.
But as time ticked down to when Mena was supposed to come, all my plans, one by one, were chucked out the window.
❀ I couldn’t find my mentor, Pietro Schito, founder of Write for Animation
❀ I wanted to meet Chris Sanders but he wasn’t at his booth
❀ I got winded going down the stairs— Wait, is that TMI?
❀ Missed all my panels — again! Especially the ULTRAMAN: Rising panel!!
❀ And yeah, Mena never did feel good enough to make it to the expo 😤
From the looks of it, LightBox was a disappointing disaster and a horrible thought posed itself: Would this be the end of Passion Project before it even began?!
Nope! With an open mind, sparkling gummies, and the power of love, we turned the cons into pros and dodged failure like Keanu Reeves dodged bullets in The Matrix.
So by outsmarting the plot we compiled…
7 Ways to Pivot When Plans Change at Animation Expos
1) When Disaster is Brewing, Step Back
Expos are a great place for networking, learning from fellow creatives, and sparking inspiration, but it’s easy to overcommit — or for an itinerary to randomly combust and leave you in shambles.
You wanted to meet your favorite artists, you wanted to catch a few panels— you think all would’ve been good because you came as a group and power comes in numbers, right? You wanted to view some demos and get your portfolio reviewed, but… there’s SO. MANY. PEOPLE. No one you wanna see is where they’re supposed to be, and the ticketing for panels is confusing, and, and… am I having a stroke??? I can’t breathe…
Look, I felt doomed the moment I stepped foot in the building!!
So how do you choose what you should do while your plans are crumbling?
We like to call these our “non-negotiables.” Find a non busy spot out of the way of high traffic areas and, if you’re with others, call all in your party to a group huddle. Have each person choose one thing they can commit to and create an emergency game plan around it.
After my goal to attend the Ultraman: Rising panel fell through, my emergency plan kicked into gear. I focused on networking in Artist Alley. By using the LightBox app, I made a “route” to locate each booth and followed it like Hansel and Gretel to the witch’s house.
The point is, even when plans are falling apart, focus on what you can do in that moment.
AHHHHHH!
AHHHHHH!
AHHHHHH!
AHHHHHH!
Hey, wipe that snot off your face and download this guide. Things might not be going to plan, but everything’s going to be ok.
2) Before You Second Guess, Reach Out
What happens if, after the expo, you realize you didn’t have enough time to really connect with anyone? That happened to us. We held a few good brief conversations, but it seemed to amount to nothing more than some business card exchanges. After that, we didn’t really stay in contact with anyone because the time never felt right to reach out so those golden opportunities seemed to fade away.
We’re here to tell you before you start spiraling, just send that email, ask that friend of a friend to put you in touch with someone you’ve always wanted to meet. Bug your heroes— the worst they can do is ghost you. Or file a restraining order, but don’t go that far, ok? The point is, don’t let anything stop you from reaching out — even if it’s been a long time. You’ll never know what might happen if you never try~❀
3) Stay Sociable
You did put creating business cards in the plan, right? Right???
You may have planned to see or speak to a specific person, but when the LightBox team said to befriend the people you stand in line with, they really mean it. You may find that you’re standing behind or in front of an incredibly interesting person. Besides, networking doesn’t have to be speed running the expo shoving off business cards to everyone you meet or spitting out industry jargon you don’t understand to impress someone. It can be as simple as “I love your outfit!” and “you like pretty princesses too?!” In fact, you’ll likely get better results from just being a friend.
Of course as soon as I began to calm down a bit, 2 minutes later we witnessed a car accident…
4) I Repeat, Stay Sociable!
Everyone at the expo is trying to have a good time, so bring your compliments and cherish little gems of light conversation.
While we were standing outside, my brother complimented an artist who was drawing a posh crocodile (or a gator…?) and he asked if we wanted to add something to his drawing. This simple moment made me feel like the day wasn’t a total disaster after all. Just because things weren’t going “right” for me, people were still warm and friendly. I fixed the scowl on my face and made small talk. Remember: It’s not just you against the monstrous crowd.
Of course as soon as I began to calm down a bit, 2 minutes later we witnessed a car accident…
5) Put Your Camera Away
What do I do if I planned to vlog, but my footage is terrible and I can’t bring myself to ask everyone I meet if they’re ok with my camera in their face???
If you get camera shy behind the camera, like we do— just put it away. Focus on being present and showing up for yourself and the people physically with you instead of showing some terrible footage to followers who aren’t even there.
Not once did I pull out my vlogging camera at the expo this year. Well, for starters, it was nearly impossible to do because it was buried underneath a pile of merch in my bag. I did record a few things with my phone, but it wasn’t anything spectacular. Instead, I observed what was around me — seeing more artists of color, up-and-coming startups, and a lot more new faces. In between the chaos, I enjoyed watching my friend doodling and us eating those gummies more than anything.
6) Schedule Time to Hangout After the Expo
I missed my meetup with my friends and I can’t find them! The internet is terrible and I wanna go home. I’m all alone here!!!
If you missed your meetups, plan something like a merch exchange after the event. If your friends met up at a cafe before the event that you missed (true story), arrange dinner plans so you can chat about the day together. Maybe their networking can put you in contact with someone and whomever you found can help them out too. Separating from the event can help you to appreciate what you were able to accomplish and intimate get-togethers can be more rewarding than busy crowds. In fact, that’s how we ended up getting started here, reaping the rewards of quiet settings.
7) Have Fun!
And most importantly, remember to have fun! If you feel disappointed because you aren’t knocking out those goals you set up for yourself, focus on what IS going right and what’s going on right in front of you. Chat people up in artist alley, compliment that person’s work, sit a spell and doodle the people you see who got all dressed up and show them!
Sure, the day ended with me bawling in the parking lot of Erewhon, (the only thing calming me was a smoothie) and at the end of the day, that may very well happen to you, but If you hadn’t noticed, there’s a recurring theme throughout this whole post: Be present.
Instead of forcing things to work as if you were shoving your Drizella foot into Cinderella’s slipper, be flexible and make compromises. There’ll be other expos, other opportunities, and more chances coming your way. Above all, don’t let yourself get beat up by the plot!!
And hey….
We look so awkward in these pictures SILENZIO BRUNO! 🤫
Curious about LightBox Expo? Check out our guide here and let know all about your time at LightBox or any animation expo in the comments down below!
Ciao for now~❀
Mena and Payton
