Animating the Saints: Alumnus Shares Vision for New Series

A new Catholic animated series is in the works from Tiny Saints and Coronation Media. The Tiny Saints Show, as it’s known for now, will be helmed by Ben West, who graduated from JPCatholic’s Communications Media program in 2015.

West is Creative Director at Tiny Saints, a company well known in the Catholic sphere for their cute depictions of the saints on keychain charms. In collaboration with Coronation Media, this will be Tiny Saints’ first foray into narrative entertainment. Other alumni involved in development include Kristen Meiser ‘16, who also works for Tiny Saints, along with Isabelle Peterson ‘22, Joe Fifelski ‘19, and Haley Rossi ‘14 MBA ‘15, all three of whom work for Coronation.

A crowdfunding campaign launched on September 22, and has already surpassed its $175,000 goal! As the successful campaign continues to raise funds, West spoke to JPCatholic to share about his vision for the series:

What is the pitch for this show?

Imagine that Saint Carlo Acutis has just been canonized and finds himself on his first day on the job in heaven’s mailroom: Intercession Station. After receiving his first prayer request from a family on earth he needs to engage the help of more experienced intercessors in learning how to respond to this prayer. The concept is to pour all the heart & humor of a family co-viewing experience like Bluey into an imaginatively rich and theologically drenched world like Narnia.

How did the concept originate, and how was the partnership formed with Coronation Media?

Interestingly enough, the concept came from the non-animation members of the Tiny Saints Team. Knowing that I had a background in animation they proposed we do some kind of animation project but – knowing how intensive animation is – I didn’t feel like we had the bandwidth to add to the slate of things we were working on. We started a small side project as a team posting animated reels on social media of the saints in our style and they got way more traction than we anticipated. Our audience eventually started asking for a show which came as a surprise to everyone.

Gradually conversations with our industry network started to revolve around the topic of a show and to take it seriously. When I ran into the folks from Coronation Media at a conference, the theoretical suddenly became concrete with the identification of a stellar studio to collaborate with in making something like this. From there it was a short ramp to connecting and launching a crowdfunding campaign.

Creatively, there were a few things that the team centered around as we pushed the concept through phases of initial development. One was that we wanted it to be a family-viewing experience; not something so infantile that it puts you to sleep, but also not something too heady or inaccessible for younger viewers. The Saints are for everyone and so is this show! We needed to find a way to tell a story that made the saints active agents in the events of today rather than cold, historical biographies. This proved to be one of the most challenging elements of development since it was so easy for storytelling devices to feel contrived or shallow. We also wanted it to feel real. The family we follow does not experience a clean, tidy, straightforward caricature of real life but stumbles forward with all the complexities, nuances, and moments of grace that are consistent with how we experience the messy beauty of life to be.

Could you share a little on how your time at JPCatholic and career since then have prepared you for showrunning The Tiny Saints Show?

JPCatholic was instrumental in laying the foundational skills that have made it possible to launch this project. The entrepreneurial training in business classes has helped to provide a professional dexterity in being able to create in the indie space. The robust theology classes have tremendously broadened my understanding of the specifics of our faith in a way that allows me to intellectually engage with and rearticulate the concepts. The film and animation classes have strengthened my abilities in the creative process and given me tangible skills which allow me to execute with skill and direct others with precision.

Networking has also played an indispensable role in getting up to speed with many of the specifics of showrunning. I’m always floored by the generosity of those who have seen immense success being open to connecting and sharing their time and expertise with me.

Are you able to preview any details on saints you want to feature in the show?

We know for sure that Carlo Acutis will feature heavily. There are plans to include Pier Giorgio Frassati in a central capacity as well. I have my short list of personal favorites that I’d like to feature, one of them being the lesser-known Bernard of Montjoux. While we’re in the process of breaking down the season one arc I can’t really say for certain who the story will have space for but we plan to spend a lot of time in Intercession Station which is packed with saints so we’re bound to see some favorites.

What do you hope viewers take away from this show?

Most of all I hope they smile. Life is full of plenty of danger, disorientation, and heaviness. A little bit of laughter can go a long way in staving off the darkness. It’s helpful to re-center on the things that give life meaning and the assurance that all will be well for those who hope in the Lord.

Secondly, I hope people come away with a renewed sense of purpose and the feeling that a life of holiness is possible for them. It’s easy to look at the saints as “built different” and just skip to a marble statue of them at the end of their life, glancing over all the trial and error and grace and mercy that came before. In telling the stories of the saints I hope that viewers can realize that their lives are an unfolding story where God is operative and actively inviting them to deeper transformation and love in every moment.

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View the The Tiny Saints Show crowdfunding campaign and watch the teaser here.