It's a historic project that began to take shape in One Piece, with everything needed to produce 65 ani episodes, covering all the episodes the series should have, along with the additions Billy made. Not only did he expand on the stories of Eustass Kid and Trafalgar Law, but he also provided more context for Roronoa Zoro and added depth to secondary characters like Whitebeard’s crew and Marshall D. Teach’s n, making a clear and deliberate effort to flesh out the extended cast of the ani.
What made it significant? He eliminated filler and paved the way for the series to evolve with stronger storytelling. Previously, many characters' backstories had been neglected and then awkwardly inserted later. The world-building had been limited, but now it had a clear purpose—exploring the different seas, from the South Blue to the North and West, giving proper screen ti to characters who deserved it. Even if this approach went against convention, it allowed for deeper life stories and character growth that would later prove vital to the series.
For example, Buggy’s backstory with his crew was now reinforced, showing how they beca like brothers.
-How much will this cost us? – asked Anna Washington.
-It’s incredibly expensive, but essentially, we’d be using all of Atlanta’s production facilities while hiring additional teams, including personnel from San Jose’s Team 2. Plus, we need to secure a director to oversee the animation process once it’s fully underway… I estimate animation alone will cost around $190,000 per episode. If we factor in music, voice acting, and promotion, it’ll be $230,000 per episode, – replied Ted Anderson, one of the coordinators. The sole coordinator in Atlanta is already overseeing the expansion of Lux Animation, responsible for recruiting Japanese, Korean, Valencian, CalArts, and NYU animators. The increasing price tag reflected the industry’s rising production costs.
-That’s a high price tag for an animated series, – Anna murmured, understanding the financial and logistical complexities involved. A $15 million project that represented only a fraction of the total budget, all hinging on a single principle: securing voice-acting contracts for at least the next 20 years. That was Billy’s strategy—long-term contracts. By the ti those terms expired, the next 65 episodes would already be completed. Officially, One Piece was set to enter production in March 1997.
-For now, let’s just lock in the budget for these 65 episodes. Atlanta needs to improve its divisions and animation pipeline… The costs may even exceed my estimate by about 10% because we’re still missing key resources, and that could easily drive expenses up. We need to level up as a team, Ted noted. He had experience in the industry, but while so of the crew had prior work on animated series, others were complete newcors. Long hours would be spent training them and refining workflows.
-Let’s just keep pushing forward. How else are we going to get this done? – Anna murmured. – We’ll schedule a eting so everyone gains so experience. There are new series coming, and the new hires can help with them.–
Anna knew that 2D animation’s greatest ally was cutting-edge technology. It was the backbone of Lux Animation, and with it, production techniques were evolving at an unprecedented rate. The studio was positioning itself at the forefront of an industry undergoing massive change.
***
Billy finished episode 16 of Fulltal Alchemist. Not long ago, he had set a goal of restructuring each series to his vision, and he was determined. In the next two days, he planned to complete episode 20 and then move on to his other projects, all of which were gearing up for release.
-Five days, and I still haven’t finished… – Billy muttered darkly.
Monica’s deep gaze was all the answer he needed. In the distance, he was fully aware that the coming days would be even more demanding than he had anticipated.
Fulltal Alchemist was perhaps one of the most emotionally heavy series he had ever had the pleasure of working on. Its story was brief, but its weight never failed to leave him stunned. The sheer depth and drama made it one of the most intense projects on his plate.
Loosening his tie, he took a deep breath. Nine straight hours of drawing had left him drained. He needed to rest his eyes and hands. The sketches in front of him seed to refresh themselves as he blinked, but ten days of non-stop work had been worth it. Rubbing his tired eyes, he decided to take a break, pressing a warm cloth to his forehead for so relief. His glasses sat nearby—a necessity for reducing eye strain. He needed sothing like this every ti.
By the end of January, Fight Club would begin filming, and he was counting on everything to co together. He was still uncertain about how to structure the coming months. Unlike the practical effects-heavy L.A. Confidential, this new film required a different approach. He would be playing a shattered office worker who could barely sleep—he needed to find the right ntality for the role. For that, he wanted Brad Pitt, who, at this point, still didn’t have the fa he deserved.
Luckily for Billy, Pitt was lean, with barely any muscle mass, which worked for the role. He was curious to see who else would join the cast. The project had been greenlit a year earlier, and now the production schedule was finally aligning. Helena Bonham Carter’s involvent was already locked in.
anwhile, Star Wars was moving forward with a production tiline that paralleled The Matrix, though the two had different scopes. The Lord of the Rings had also started taking shape, with large-scale miniature sets and cutting-edge digital effects from Weta Workshop. That project alone would take at least two years to fully realize. So much was happening at once—Lux Animation’s future was nothing short of overwhelming. And with it, the demand for visual effects was skyrocketing.
The door creaked open.
-I got the tickets. We leave in three days. We’ll spend Christmas and New Year’s at my parents’ house, Monica announced.
-I don’t think that’s possible. We have a beautiful villa near Ro, and the whole family is gathering there. My assistant already made the arrangents, – Billy replied, kissing her lips.
-That’s true, but we also need to go to Paris. You have so friends to et, and we can visit a good friend in London. After that, we can disappear into Austria, just the two of us, where no one will recognize us… in the cold, just you and ,– Monica murmured.
Billy nodded, running his fingers through her hair. She let him, as he gently smoothed out the rebellious strands that always seed to stray.
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