Starting a YouTube Animation Channel: A Conversation with Skull Tales
Background Story
We had the pleasure of speaking with Ashish and Vishal, friends of ours and founders of the animation channel Skull Tales, to hear their journey in building a YouTube channel and creating captivating animated content.
J: Where did you start working, and how did you reach the point where you decided to create your own animation channel?
Ashish: I come from a music background, having worked on music for films, ads, and other projects. Vishal, on the other hand, has a background in animation and handles all the graphics. We met while working together on a team project at a company—me on the music, and Vishal on the visuals. We became friends and thought, “Why not create something together?” Both of us had experience in filmmaking—Vishal loved cinematography, and I was passionate about composing music. So, we began creating content we wanted to watch but couldn’t find anywhere else. That was around 2016.
Vishal: Exactly. I’d been working in production since 2012, doing TV serials and ads. Around that time, animation videos started trending, and we both felt drawn to it. We thought, why not give it a shot? With Ashish’s music skills and my animation expertise, we decided to create horror-themed content—a genre we both loved.
The channel didn’t start as Skull Tales, though. We initially named it Khaufnak Raat and launched at the end of 2016. Within a few months, we had around 55,000–60,000 subscribers because horror was such a niche genre then. Unfortunately, the channel got hacked, and we lost everything, including all our subscribers.
Ashish: We tried everything to recover it, but it was gone for good. After a four- to five-month break, we relaunched as Skull Tales and re-uploaded the same videos. Since then, the channel has been growing steadily.
Creating a Content Calendar
We soon found ourselves asking, “Should we release episodes more frequently or stick to a slower pace?” If we have the capacity, should we release a new episode every three days, or would weekly be better? Ultimately, it depends on the channel’s output capacity and how much content subscribers can keep up with.
For example, when we upload on Fridays, the episode sees maximum engagement for three days—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Then viewership dips. However, some of our subscribers might miss the episode and only watch it later in the week. The key is to balance production capacity with audience behavior to create an effective release schedule.
Community Engagement & Feedback
A vital part of growing a YouTube channel is engaging with the community. Building a loyal fan base requires connecting with your audience. We hold live premieres for new stories, and during these premieres, we see real-time engagement with viewers, who comment and ask questions that we try to respond to immediately. After the premiere, we continue replying to comments on the video.
Feedback doesn’t stop there. We return the next day to see any new comments, often finding detailed feedback. Viewers analyze the story or share their take on what could have been different. This input is invaluable for shaping future content. It’s more than just “nice story”; they’re deeply engaging with it and providing insights into what they’d like to see next. This continuous feedback loop allows us to make adjustments, address critiques, and consider new ideas for upcoming episodes.
Leveraging Analytics for Growth
We closely monitor analytics to understand viewer behavior better. For instance, we track average view duration to see how long people watch each video. If they’re dropping off at a specific point, we know what to improve next time.
Another key metric is the click-through rate (CTR), which indicates how often people click on your video after seeing the thumbnail. A high CTR usually means that your thumbnail and title are effective. Thumbnails are like an invitation—you want them to be eye-catching and reflect what’s in the video accurately. Small tweaks like these, based on data, can help improve your channel’s growth.
Monetizing and Scaling Your YouTube Channel
For anyone aspiring to make a career on YouTube, monetization is crucial. YouTube requires a minimum of 4,000 hours of watch time and 1,000 subscribers over the last 12 months to qualify for monetization, and Shorts monetization needs 10 million views in the last 90 days. Meeting these requirements lets you apply for the YouTube Partner Program, after which your content can earn ad revenue.
Once you qualify, you’ll need a Google AdSense account. There are some guidelines to follow, especially for horror content like ours—YouTube discourages showing excessive violence or explicit content. We use effects like camera shakes instead of showing explicit scenes, keeping our stories suspenseful but appropriate.
Setting up AdSense involves entering bank details and completing a verification process, which is secure. Once it’s set up, you’re ready to receive payments.
The Math Behind Monetization
YouTube pays based on CPM (Cost Per Mille), so you earn a certain amount per 1,000 views. However, rates vary based on content type and viewer location. For example, Indian audiences may generate about ₹20 per 1,000 views, while a US-based audience could bring in more. Content type also matters; horror might earn ₹15-25 per 1,000 views, while content for kids might require higher views for similar payouts.
It’s also wise to diversify revenue streams. Our YouTube content, for example, serves as a portfolio that attracts brand deals for additional income. You can also repurpose your videos as podcasts or dub them into other languages to reach new audiences.
Advice for Aspiring Creators
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Passion is Key – Your audience can feel your enthusiasm. Create content that excites you, and the right audience will follow.
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Be Patient – Success doesn’t happen overnight. Skull Tales took years to build. Every successful creator faces a survival phase. Consistency and continuous improvement are essential.
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Avoid Fake Views or Subscribers – Though tempting, buying views or subscribers only hurts your channel in the long run, leading to low engagement and stifling growth.
What’s Next for Animation and AI?
Looking ahead, it’s exciting to see how animation and AI are changing content creation. When I started, we worked with cel animation, which was time-consuming. Now, AI tools help speed up production, making it possible to work on multiple projects simultaneously.
AI allows us to create backgrounds and characters faster, focusing more time on storytelling. This increased efficiency is a game-changer, enabling creators to scale content without compromising quality.
Upcoming Projects
In addition to Skull Tales, we’ve launched a new channel called "Love FM." In just four months, it has already gained 56,000 subscribers, and we’re targeting 100,000 soon. So stay tuned—more exciting content is on the way!
Great content comes from the heart, and that’s what resonates with audiences. We hope our journey inspires others to explore their creative potential and seek out inspiration, guidance, or ideas as they grow.
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