Interviewing Jess The Dragoon: Writer & Flash Animator of ‘Super Hero Clock’

Shoukei Tam aka Jess the Dragoon is an independent animator who creates animations using Adobe Flash, also known as a Flash animator. She is also a digital graphics, 3D modeling, and rendering artist along with sometimes, a digital music artist. Jess The Dragoon used her skills as an artist to create the original web series, Super Hero Clock. We have interviewed Jess The Dragoon to get a behind the scenes look into how Super Hero Clock was made and how she got started in Flash animation.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

1. In your own words, can you tell us what Super Hero Clock is about?

Jess The Dragoon: Super Hero Clock is basically a show about a superhero with the power to control time. Other than that, it’s an action, sci-fi, mystery anime, with some drama and fantasy I’d say.

2. How did you come up with the idea? What was the inspiration behind it?

Jess The Dragoon: Oh, the concept was sort of a thought I had about a Clock Crew character. I can recall back to about fifteen years ago when I started out making animations and submitting them to a website called Newgrounds.com. 

Back then there was this really famous (or should I say infamous and somewhat notorious?) thing on the site called the “Clock Crew”. Newgrounds even had a Clock Day event for it. Anyway, if you’re not familiar with the Clock Crew, it is a group of characters that have clocks on them. The idea of the Clock Crew was to put a clock on things like fruits, vegetables, etc… mostly inanimate objects, and then name those “clock characters” after the objects – for example, the iconic Strawberry Clock. 

The Clock Crew characters weren’t the most likable things on the website and I never had the intention to join the crew, but I wanted to contribute something to the Clock Day event that year so I had to come up with something like a clock character – something different from the regular ones but still has a clock and looks cool instead. Hence, I thought of putting a clock on a human instead of some object, but then “Human Clock ” didn’t sound that cool. Then I had this idea that the clock actually gave the human superpowers, and it made the character a superhero. Hence the name “Super Hero Clock”. I wouldn’t say it was an inspiration but rather a crude conception.

3. When it comes to the creative process, did you approach creating the story for Super Hero Clock differently since it was a series rather than a movie or a short video?

Jess The Dragoon: From episode two onwards, yes. I’m currently still working on the plot for the first season before I start making the following episodes. Episode one was quite different though. The plot was mostly off the top of my head except for the parts that reflected the first Super Hero Clock animation. It was more like writing a movie or a short film instead because it was experimental. I wasn’t even sure if I was able to finish making it or if it would get a positive reception, or if anyone would watch it at all!

As for the first Super Hero Clock animation, which I would call the prelude, there was no storywriting at all. It had a simple traditional superhero-beats-criminals plot, a brief introduction to the main character and the damsel’s appearance. It was just a short Flash movie and also an experimental one.

3. It seems like you were the sole animator on the series. What were some of the challenges you had to overcome while creating the series and what did you learn from the process?

Jess The Dragoon: Throughout the development of the series, I faced technical problems with my computer and animation software, financial problems along with, I think, the second biggest problem any filmmaker like me would experience — having zero knowledge about making a series. There was also the casting process which I knew nothing about.

It actually took me a few years to figure everything out under a low-to-no budget. In the process, I had to put aside Super Hero Clock from time to time to do freelance animation work while I researched filmmaking and anime. Over that period of time, I learned 3D modeling, making VFX, sound design, and a lot about how animated films were produced and how to get one on a TV network. I also improved my art, design, directing, and writing. I think those few years were the most immersive learning sessions of my life.

4. Storytelling can be told through many different mediums nowadays. What draws you to use animation over other methods of visual storytelling (live-action, comic books, 3D animation)?

Jess The Dragoon: 1). Well, live-action filming IMO is tedious and the equipment used is expensive. I have no experience in live-action filming. 

2). There are already countless comics out there – digital and physical. If Super Hero Clock were a comic rather than an animation, it would never stand out. Of course, producing comics is way faster than making animations but then it will be, well, just another comic. 

3). And, I don’t know how to do 3D animation, period.

So, I guess 2D animation is the best option — since I already have the program for it. And I watch a lot of anime for that matter.

5. Where do you stand on the 3D vs 2D animation debate? Is there a place for both in the industry?

Jess The Dragoon: Of course! Regardless of which style, both are animation and belong in the industry for animated productions. Both professional 3D and 2D animations have their awes and flaws. I don’t see why people are being biased over which is better than the other. I personally think debating over that is futile. 

3D graphics have a more detailed and realistic look compared to 2D drawn graphics. Motion in 3D animation, however, is often restricted to the modeled 3D objects whereas, in 2D animation, forms can be drawn freely to create whatever kind of movement or motion for any character or environment.

In terms of production, although 3D animation doesn’t require drawing pictures frame by frame, there is still a lot of work in creating a fully 3D-animated film like modeling the characters to building assets and environment, rigging the 3D characters, adjusting the right lighting of the environment, surfacing the models and then adding physics to objects… just to name a few. As a personal gauge, studio-wise, the amount of work for all that should be more or less the same as processing the frames for 2D animation.

So all in all, 3D and 2D might look completely different but practically both are pretty much the same level of playing field.

6. How did you begin your journey as a filmmaker and animator?

Jess The Dragoon: It started way back in 2007. I didn’t have the funding for college so I had to make enough money in time to pay for it and a part-time job in real life didn’t look like it was gonna cut it. I thought earning money online would be more efficient so, as I was someone who knew how to draw, I decided to join a Flash movie competition at Newgrounds thinking I had a chance of winning some prize money. 

My first competition was the 2007 Pico Day event where I submitted my very first animation called “Reblammed“. I also uploaded it to my Youtube channel which I created at that time just for that purpose. Unfortunately, when the competition was over, I only got a consolation prize which wasn’t enough for me to pay for that year’s college. I joined more competitions on that site that year and eventually, I managed to collect enough to pay for college. That was how it all started. At that time, being a freelance animator didn’t cross my mind somehow. I’ve been making animations ever since.

7. What’s your main mission with animation? What do you want audiences to get out of watching your content? 

Jess The Dragoon: At the beginning, it was obviously to make a living, not gonna lie. But then I didn’t want to just dish out cheap animated cash-grabs or click-baits either. I like watching movies and cartoons myself and I know how it feels to be the audience of something that wasn’t made to entertain as much as it was made to gain money and attention. 

In my opinion, the main thing about being a filmmaker is to entertain.  If it’s a job, entertaining the audience is like a responsibility. It’s only fair that I feel rewarded for making the audience feel that way. I want my audiences to feel the joy and excitement of watching my animations. That, I think, is important for my audiences to have.

8. As an independent animator who has grown her online following to over 500,000 users, what does art mean to you?

Jess The Dragoon: Art is a science. It is an abstract means of communication that is passive yet so powerful and accurate in its own nature. It is everywhere in everything and affects everyone all the time yet not many people realize or see it, which is why it can also be used to deceive. Therefore, one must not take art too lightly.

Super Hero Clock follows an aspiring comic artist as he struggles to pay for college and discovers that he has super powers, becoming a mysterious new superhero. Watch the animated series for free on Reveel.