HEATHENS

STUDIO PSYCHO

HEATHENS is an action-comedy dark fantasy indie animation series about demons, devotion, and an era coming to an end. The Pilot episode 'Hellhounders' follows Axel, a demon, sentinel, and rookie-in-training as he takes on the task of hunting a hellhound and drags along his friends for the ride!

Studio Psycho is an independent animation studio based in Australia, bringing together a dream team of award-winning, nominated, and emerging artists from around the world. Dedicated to pushing creative boundaries, Studio Psycho crafts unique and compelling animated stories that captivate audiences globally.

Kickstarter

Online Store

Website

Services:

Branding
Marketing Campaign
Social Media Management
Graphic and Motion design
Website Design
Mailing List
Storefront Set-up
Pricing Strategy
Merchandise Production
Fulfilment

Challenges

In preparation for the release of Studio Psycho’s first pilot episode, the studio faced a critical challenge: securing the necessary funding to complete production.

Key obstacles included:

Minimal Online Presence: Prior to the campaign, Studio Psycho had an average social media following of just ~3,000 per platform, making audience-building and brand awareness a significant hurdle.

Limited Marketing Materials: Although production started in 2022, there were very few polished assets (clean animation, rendered shots) for promotional efforts.

Lack of Brand Identity: The studio lacked a professional, recognisable branding system, including cohesive colours, design elements, and visual identity.
Time Constraints: The entire campaign had to be executed within a six-month period to ensure funding before the pilot’s release.

Creatives - Graphic Samples

The visuals and graphics were developed in collaboration with Motion Designer Rae (who we oversaw the talent recruitment of), Producer Morgan and Director Neda, ensuring a unique and engaging aesthetic that aligned with Studio Psycho’s artistic vision. We guided the collaboration process, providing Rae with feedback, as well as designed graphics using the available assets. Below are samples of the creative assets used throughout the campaign.

Solution

Astri Studio collaborated closely with Studio Psycho’s Director and Producer to craft a comprehensive marketing strategy that would not only build awareness but also drive engagement and fundraising. Key steps included:

1. Branding & Visual Identity

Developed a distinct, professional brand identity with a cohesive color palette, copywriting tonal style and assets.
Created promotional graphics that reflected the studio’s unique artistic style, ensuring consistency across all marketing materials.

2. Strengthening Online Presence & Engagement

Revamped Studio Psycho’s social media strategy, creating a content calendar tailored to maximise engagement.
Implemented a community-driven approach to boost organic reach through interactive content, behind-the-scenes insights, and audience engagement initiatives.
Established and managed a mailing list to drive traffic and grow the fan base across platforms.

3. Merchandise & Crowdfunding Strategy

Designed and produced high-quality merchandise to serve as an additional revenue stream and promotional tool.
Developed a strategic pricing model to maximise sales while ensuring accessibility to fans.
Launched a Kickstarter campaign with compelling storytelling, high-impact visuals, and well-structured reward tiers to incentivise backers.

4. Campaign Execution & Creative Content

Assembled a talented team, including a graphic designer, motion designer, social media manager and merch artists, to create eye-catching promotional materials.
Produced a dynamic and engaging trailer that effectively showcased the animation’s unique story, style and appeal.
Implemented a multi-platform marketing push, leveraging Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube for maximum exposure.

Outcomes

The campaign delivered outstanding results, significantly surpassing initial goals:

Funds Raised: $46,314 USD / $69,474 AUD (exceeding the Kickstarter goal)
Total Backers: 556
Trailer Views: 424K+ (as of February 5, 2025, released April 23, 2024)
Social Media Growth:
- Instagram: 10.4K followers
- TikTok: 11.9K followers
- Twitter: 9.6K followers
Total Audience Growth: 36K+ across all platforms

Result

The Kickstarter campaign was a success, exceeding its funding goal and significantly expanding Studio Psycho’s audience. Given the initial challenges and the tight six-month timeline, the results demonstrated the effectiveness of a well-executed marketing strategy combined with strong branding and community engagement.

With a newly established brand identity, a thriving online presence, and a dedicated fanbase, Studio Psycho is now well-positioned for future projects and continued growth for future episode releases.

Currently we are overseeing the fulfilment of the campaign rewards and manufacturing the merchandise.