Interview with Angel Studios Cofounder and Tuttle Twins Creator Daniel Harmon

Daniel Harmon is the creator and showrunner of Tuttle Twins TV Show, an award-winning cartoon that teaches kids about principles of freedom and economics. Tuttle Twins is based on the book series that has sold over 5 million copies. In 2020, Tuttle Twins set a record as the #1 crowdfunded kids show in the world! Daniel is a creative entrepreneur and co-founded Harmon Brothers, a renowned video advertising agency that has driven billions of views and over $700 million in sales. Daniel is also a co-founder of VidAngel and Angel Studios.

To learn more about Tuttle Twins, go to angel.com/tuttletwins or you can download the Angel app and watch the first few seasons for free!

Additional notes from the show:

Daniel and Lauren discussed a children's show concept featuring a grandmother with a time-traveling wheelchair who takes her grandchildren back in time to learn lessons from historical figures like Benjamin Franklin and Harriet Tubman. They agreed that the show would need to be entertaining enough to compete with platforms like Netflix and Disney+ while incorporating educational principles that are not currently being taught in public schools. Daniel emphasized that the show's goal is to provide parents with a resource to pass on their values to their children, comparing it to the original Spider-Man's theme of "with great power comes great responsibility."

Engaging Children and Parents Through Storytelling

Daniel discussed the educational approach of his show, emphasizing its appeal to both children and parents through humor and storytelling. He highlighted the show's focus on critical thinking and its success in engaging parents, with over 80% of episodes watched by parents alongside their children. Daniel also explained the role of the Angel Guild, a group of paying members who act as gatekeepers for new content, ensuring that only episodes deemed to "amplify light" are released. Lauren learned that the first three seasons are available for free on the Angel app, while the fourth season requires Angel Guild membership to access. 

Crowdfunding and Content Development Challenges

Daniel explained the history of crowdfunding for media content, highlighting successful campaigns for TV shows like The Chosen and Tuttle Twins. He noted that BitAngel, a filtering company, eventually merged with the original content development company to avoid potential conflicts between their business models. The discussion touched on the challenges of managing both filtering and original content development under one company.

Clean Content Demand and Split

Daniel explained that VidAngel was split into two separate companies, with the original content side becoming Angel, where his show now lives. He noted that there is a high demand for clean content, with approximately half of the United States wanting parental controls in the early days of Angel. Lauren observed that this situation illustrated Romans 8:28, highlighting how God can bring beauty from difficult circumstances, and asked Daniel about the demand for clean content compared to what Hollywood produces, to which Daniel confirmed the demand is high, particularly among values-based audiences.

Uplifting Content for Universal Appeal

Daniel discussed Angel's mission to create content that amplifies light and uplifts audiences, emphasizing stories with good morals, ethics, and values, similar to Disney's historical approach. He highlighted that such content appeals to a broad audience beyond religious or Christian viewers.

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