JaidenAnimations’ MrBeast video reveals roadblocks for animation creators

A lot has happened since Jaiden Animations won MrBeast‘s 50-creator challenge seven weeks ago. Jimmy Donaldson‘s operation has been engulfed in controversy, he has ordered an internal investigation in response to the allegations, and Jaiden has produced a single video about her experience in the challenge — though that clip required a disclaimer upon its release.

The most interesting part of Jaiden’s MrBeast commentary may be the associated video description. “This video was written/started production on June 6th, 2024,” wrote the seasoned animator, who reaches 13.5 million subscribers on her primary channel. “I’m not associated with the production/ethics of any Mr. Beast videos, I’m just here to tell my cube story and animation unfortunately takes a long time.”

Jaiden’s disclaimer underscores the difficulties animators must overcome if they want to continue growing on YouTube. Jaiden’s videos take months to produce, and a lot can change over that time. To make matters worse, the insatiable appetite of YouTube’s recommendation algorithm punishes animators who can’t upload frequently enough.

The result is an ecosystem that prioritizes knee-jerk reactions over meticulous, thought-out, and artistic narratives. Even Jaiden — a creator with more than a decade of experience under her belt — is struggling to keep up.

As for the video itself? Jaiden’s latest story takes viewers back to the pre-Beast Games controversy era, when Donaldson gathered 50 top creators

to celebrate the 300-millionth subscriber on the primary MrBeast YouTube channel. Jaiden was one of those invitees, and though she doubted herself during her stay in the MrBeast “cube,” she stayed in the boxed-in area longer than any other creator. As a result, she won $1 million for her subscribers.

Some of Jaiden’s million-dollar prize will go to the other top finishers in the MrBeast video, but the lion’s share of the winnings will be used to counter forces that hold animators back. “I decided to put it towards paying for as many people’s art degrees as possible,” Jaiden said in her video. “It’s really scary going into the art field right now, between the animation industry hitting their rough patches [and] AI threatening to take artists jobs…I’d really like to encourage and make it easier for some of the up-and-coming artists by sending them through art school stress-free.”

Jaiden is working with MrBeast’s team to set up the program that will allocate her winnings to art school students. Interested animators who want to learn more about the scholarship can complete this form. Hopefully, Jaiden will be able to make good on her promise to improve the lives of artists. As for the awkward moment she shared with Kai Cenat in the cube? Unfortunately, there’s no taking that back.