Exploring 12 Sided Studios: Jasper William Cartwright On Empowering Creators & Creative Flexibility

12 Sided Studios is a new UK-based production studio founded by Jasper William Cartwright, who fans of Actual Plays and TTRPG adjacent content like Dimension 20, Critical Role, and 3 Black Halflings would be more than familiar with. This new studio plans to be "the go-to team for production support of promotional, creative shoots, films, and events while also making Actual Play, YouTube, and Twitch content."

Last week we had the chance to sit down with Cartwright to talk more about how 12 Sided Studios came to be, what this could mean for those making nerdy content in the UK, and what this means for current and future productions.

"Our entire ethos and idea is that we want to make high-end nerdy, sci-fi, fantasy content across multiple different platforms"

The idea behind the creation of 12 Sided Studios came from Cartwright and Chad Pytel, Co-Founder and Executive Producer, around a year ago, but for Cartwright, the desire to become a director has been something he's been thinking about for around 15 years.

"I wouldn't say I'm a control freak, but I like to bring people in who are better at me in a specific thing to do it"

It's this desire to have a creative vision, and then work with a talented network of creators to take his vision and "go away and make [his] ideas even better."

As Cartwright and Pytel had been discussing the possibility of creating 12 Sided Studio Cartwright had to admit that it wasn't just a matter of who and where, but also when.

"It came at a time when my own 'brand'," Cartwright explained with raised quotation fingers "which for an English person I find it so horrible trying to promote myself, but where I've started to get a bit of a following and found that especially within the TTRPG industry the doors are starting to open. It felt like a perfect time to bring in a little more structure."

Creating High-Quality Content Where There's An Audience

In discussing the important aspects of 12 Sided Studios Cartwright explained "we're trying to bridge the gap between more traditional media, because a lot of us at the studio have experience with the traditional media setup, and bridging the gap into the online creator space."

Not only are they looking to create that gap but another aim is to be flexible in a day and age where IP can transcend a variety of media types. An easy example Cartwright was able to give was of Critical Role's Legends of Vox Machina, that is about to launch it's third season with an adaptation of Critical Role Campaign 2 already on the way.

Cartwright lamented the way that high-quality content not understood by traditional media doesn't get the attention it deserves. "There's no reason that traditional media shouldn't be looking at this space for things like TV and Film."

"When traditional media is looking at a book a lot of the shows and people that we're talking to right now have a bigger following and more of an audience, a more dedicated audience, than maybe that book which has already got a five-movie deal"

"The reaction to our announcement and our behind the scenes conversations has been so overwhelmingly positive where we think maybe the sky's the limit here?"

"That's where I see 12 Sided Studio being a player in the space," he continued "We see a creator producing the highest quality stories. We want to make sure that they are seen by the big players and make sure that when we make content that the big players can see it and go 'Oh, I can already see how we can turn that into a TV series or a Video Game.'"

In the early days of 12 Sided Studios they don't want to overspecify in any one area but Cartwright acknowledges "as the years roll on we'll get more focused naturally because time and resources are finite."

Continued Projects And Collaborating With Creators

Two shows that Cartwright was already producing, 3 Black Halflings and the Rotating Heroes Podcast, will be folded underneath the 12 Sided Studios banner but that's not all that 12 Sided Studios is working on.

"Consistency is key with any kind of content that you put out, but the main reason and benefit of this is that we can improve the content itself." Cartwright explained that with the backing of 12 Sided Studios he was hoping to offer up more for viewers such as creating better value for money via their Patreon in the form of guest appearances, such as a visit to Worldcon later this year, and behind the scenes and other on-screen content.

"We have some pretty big collaborations upcoming with some well known brands in the TTRPG space"

As Cartwright and I spoke he did tease that there were projects that they were working on with a variety of talent that fans of the Actual Play space would be familiar with, as well as a "show that uses all of the dice."

For the different creators that 12 Sided Studios are working with they're also looking to add more shows to the "12 Sided Studios Family." Cartwright explained that with the expertise that he and the other members of 12 Sided Studios have they're able to add more structure and help those who might be at a growth limit on their own.

An extremely wholesome part of our conversation came from discussing how Cartwright wants to "democratize the creative space and give the keys to the creator" and how sharing knowledge and working together on projects all just ends up creating something bigger and better than they could have created individually. 

"I haven't had a conversation yet where I've thought, oh actually we can't do that"

Cartwright wanted to make sure everyone knew that "if there is anyone out there who is looking for any kind of work, whether it be solely creative, design, production, start to finish branding and marketing we can do it all. I've been talking to some really really amazing people but I'm sure there are so many people I've neglected to reach out to and talk to and unfortunately there's only so many hours in the day."

Dode, The Mascot Of 12 Sided Studio

The announcement of 12 Sided Studios came with a short video on Twitter of a D12 bouncing across a table before triumphantly leaping into the air, sword and shield in hand. Introduced as Dode their mascot I asked about his creation.

"We're trying to rep all of the other dice, we have a show we're pitching out that uses all the dice. Even the d4 are going to get repped"

Cartwright remaked the creation of Dode was a very funny story. Talking with their designer they had corporate designs and late on a Saturday night Cartwright received a text simple saying "Hey, what if we had a lil guy?"

Not sure of the idea Cartwright rejected the idea believing that "[12 Sided Studio] needs to be taken somewhat seriously". Shortly after a he was shown an early sketch and he immediately thought "Oh my god, it's perfect! There was no doubt in my mind that this is it."

"Dode represents so well who we are as a company. He's a little bit silly, he's adorable but also I just think it showcases what we do and who we are."

We continued to joke about the number of d20 based logos out in the Actual Play space and that with Dode it sets 12 Sided Studios across. Famously being the damage dice for Barbarians in Dungeons & Dragons Cartwright even explained "That's the big damage die, we like that one. That's also part of the reason why we canonically decided that he is a Barbarian."

Cartwright joked that "if anyone wants to make a Dode stat sheet that they can, he's a barbarian. Probably CR 2, maybe, he's pretty small but he's scrappy and has got a lot of hit points."