Hullabaloo

The story of Veronica Daring, a brilliant young scientist who returns home from an elite finishing school to find her father--the eccentric inventor Jonathan Daring--missing without a trace! The only clue left behind points Veronica toward Daring Adventures, an abandoned amusement park used by her father to test his fantastical steam-powered inventions. There she discovers a strange girl named Jules, a fellow inventor who agrees to help Veronica in locating her missing father and discovering the secrets of his work.

Together, Veronica and Jules learn that Jonathan Daring has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of influential persons, who seek to use his latest invention for nefarious purposes. These villains are wealthy and influential and neither Veronica nor Jules can stop them openly. But determined to save her father and holding true to the family creed that technology should be used for the good of all, not the greed of some, Veronica assumes the secret identity of “Hullabaloo”, a goggled crusader who uses wits and science to combat evil and oppose the nefarious conspiracy that has taken her father.

But the question remains: what are the villains up to? What do they plan to do with Jonathan Daring's mysterious new technology? And will Veronica and Jules be able to stop them in time?

Veronica Daring, Jules, Jonathan Daring

This independent project of Disney animator James Lopez was funded as an IndieGoGo project. They asked for $80,000, and were fully funded within a week of starting the campaign.

James Lopez has strong reasons for producing a short film in 2D "traditional" animation:

2D animation is the heart and soul of all animation. 2D created the animation industry, and without it modern computer-generated animation simply would not exist. And 2D animation is a truly American art form. 2D animation is capable of conveying a truly incredible level of emotion and feeling. It is beautiful and and it is important.

Unfortunately, the film industry has developed the misconception that 2D animation is a dead art form that should be neither preserved nor perpetuated. We believe that they are wrong, and by joining us you can help us prove that people still love and want 2D animation.

Funding to the $240,000 level has unlocked two further shorts in the series, Curse of the Cheshire Cat and The Mysterious Island.