ZOO-MATES

RULES:
● THE PRESIDENT SHOULD NEVER BE SEEN,NOR
NAMED IN THE SHOW
● IT SHOULD BE MADE AMBIGUOUS WHETHER OR
NOT SANTA EXISTS
● DVDS,CELL PHONES, LAPTOPS,
BOOMBOXES,RAP MUSIC, AND PORTABLE
MUSIC PLAYERS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THIS
SHOW.
● THE COMPUTERS IN THE SHOW SHOULD LOOK
LIKE THEY’RE FROM THE 70S
● THE ONLY ZOO ANIMALS ALLOWED TO SNEAK
OUT OF THE ZOO ARE THE SMALL ONES LIKE
MONKEYS AND LIZARDS INSTEAD OF THE BIG
ONES LIKE GORILLAS AND LIONS
● PHILADELPHIA ZOO IS OPEN FROM 10; 30 AM
TO 3: 56 PM
● THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER IS RENAMED
THE PHILADELPHIA PHENOMENON TO AVOID
LAWSUITS
● THE AUDIENCE SHOULD BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY
THE CHARACTERS BASED ON THEIR STRONG
SILHOUETTES.
● THIS SHOW IS PRODUCED FOR GLOBAL
AUDIENCES SO THE STORIES SHOULD BE
RELATABLE IN EVERY CULTURE
● THE TECHNOLOGY, MUSIC,FASHION AND
TRANSPORTATION ARE ALL FROM THE 1960S
● NO SAD MUSIC
● NEVER LET THE CAMERA MOVE TOO MUCH
● IN THE SHOW EVERYONE HAS TO DO THEIR
PART ON TIME. ONE PERSON BEING LATE
SCREWS UP THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION.
● IN THIS UNIVERSE, THE HANNA
BARBERA,LOONEY TUNES AND DC CHARACTERS
ARE FICTIONAL WHILE THE MGM CARTOON
CHARACTERS ARE REAL.
● THIS IS A TRUE ENSEMBLE COMEDY
● DISGUSTING IS NOT THE SAME AS FUNNY
● THE CHARACTERS ARE THE ONES DRIVING THE
PREMISE, NOT THE PREMISE ITSELF
● WHEN YOU’RE WRITING A STORY, YOU’VE GOT
TO KNOW WHO YOUR CHARACTERS ARE FIRST,
THEN YOU CAN PUT THEM IN ANY SITUATION
YOU WANT.
● THE CHARACTERS USE GLOWING MUSHROOMS
AS LIGHT SOURCES
● STORYBOARD ARTISTS AND CHARACTER
DESIGNERS ARE ALLOWED TO DRAW THE
CHARACTERS IN THEIR OWN ART STYLES.
● NO POLITICAL HUMOR AND REFERENCES
● No farting
● Since this is rated TV-PG, the swear words
allowed in this show are hell,God,Damn and
crap
● Even though Gabriel and Nelson are
mismatched, they are practically life
partners,and there's an earnestness
between them despite how chaotic their
relationship is.In the end, they really do
care for each other.
● RULES FOR STORYBOARD ARTIST AND
ANIMATORS: KEEP POSES STRONG AT ALL
TIMES
● The quickest way to make Slapstick unfunny
is for a character to say “That’s gonna leave
a mark” afterwards!
● POP CULTURE REFERENCES ARE ALLOWED As
long as there is context and connects to a
particular scenario or topic.
● WE ADMIRE THE CHARACTERS FOR TRYING ,
NOT FOR THEIR SUCCESS
● THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMALS IN THE ZOO
ARE THE CASSOWARIES
● NONE OF THE CHARACTERS SHOULD WEAR ANY
SHOES
● Making a character suffer from a huge bad
illness as a comedy thing from the start
would just make it feel like a potential
insult. It is not right to have a character
suffer from a serious illness as comedy
when showing it in animation especially if it
looks like dying.
● NO MATTER HOW MUCH GABRIEL AND NELSON
FIGHT OR BICKER, THEY STILL APPRECIATE
EACH OTHER AND DO NOT HATE EACH OTHER
● THE VOICE ACTORS ARE ALLOWED TO DO AD
LIBS ANYTIME THEY PLEASE
● ABSOLUTELY NO FAT JOKES BECAUSE THEY’RE
CHEAP AND PREDICTABLE
● EVERY character must be used to further
the plot
● Since this a streaming service and not a
regular network, you can get away with a lot
under the TV-PG rating
● GABRIEL AND NELSON’S CHARACTER DYNAMIC:
GABRIEL IS SUPPOSED TO BE RESPONSIBLE
AND COOL WHILE NELSON REPRESENTS A WILD
CHILD THAT HAS A MIND THAT NEVER GREW UP
WHO JUST WANTS TO PLAY ALL THE TIME
● EVERY joke requires a setup and then a
funny result
● No environmental message. This show is
supposed to entertain, NOT educate.
● COLLABORATING DURING WRITING IS
ENCOURAGED.
● In spite of the conflicts the characters
face, the show is still very idealistic.
● NEVER DEPEND TOO MUCH ON MEAN-SPIRITED
AND SADISTIC HUMOR.
● ABSOLUTELY NO HUMOR THAT INVOLVES
BUTTS, POOP, FARTING, AND URINE,
● EVEN THOUGH THE EPISODES ARE STAND
ALONE, THERE ARE A FEW REFERENCES TO
PAST EPISODES
● None of the animal characters should be
abused by humans for comedy
● THE BEHAVIOUR AND INSTINCTS SHOULD BE
ACCURATE
● NEVER LET JOKES DRAG ON WAY TOO LONG.
While some jokes can be funny, they can
very easily overstay their welcome and
become annoying
● IN EVERY EPISODE, SOMETHING THAT SEEMS
MINOR AT THE BEGINNING OR MIDDLE
BECOMES IMPORTANT IN THE CLIMAX
● THE COMEDY NEEDS TO FEEL UNEXPECTED TO
BE FUNNY
● NO FORMULAIC WRITING
● The predators are not really villains, they
're just regular animals acting on instinct.
● NONE OF THE CHARACTERS HAVE ANY HAIR
● NO ONE LINERS, PUNS OR CATCHPHRASES
BECAUSE THEY WOULD GET OLD
● ANY ANIMAL CAN TALK
● IF THERE ARE POP CULTURE REFERENCES,
THEY SHOULD BE FROM THE 1950S,1970S and
1960S.
● NEVER have children in mind while making
the episodes.
● THE HUMOR SHOULD ALWAYS COME FROM THE
CHARACTERS
● DON’T BE AFRAID TO PUT IN MATURE THEMES
MUSICAL NUMBERS ARE ALSO WELCOME, AS
LONG AS THE SONG SOUNDS EPIC AND THEY
MUST BE AN EXISTING SONG FROM A CLASSIC
WARNER BROS. FILM