Skim (online aliases skimpossible and its_me_skim) is a creative professional known for his collaboration with animator Alan Becker. He serves as a storyboard artist, writer, and director on Becker’s animation team, contributing significantly to the storytelling and production of the Animator vs. Animation franchise and related content. Skim is officially credited as a writer and editor on Alan Becker’s team, responsible for scripting, editing, and even directing trailer videos for the Animation VERSUS game project. Within the team, he is recognized for making videos “punchy, exciting, and accurate” to Alan Becker’s animated series style.

Major Contributions to Alan Becker’s Content

Actual Shorts (YouTube Series)

Skim plays a lead role in the creation of Alan Becker’s “Actual Shorts” – a series of comedic animated shorts often released on YouTube. He has written or co-written a majority of these mini-episodes and frequently provides the storyboards that guide their visual gags. In the credits of many Actual Shorts (Season 1), Skim is explicitly listed as the writer of the series. His contributions range from brainstorming concepts (“ideas”) to drawing detailed storyboards that set up each short’s narrative. Through this series, Skim’s penchant for humor and timing shines, as he helps transform fan-suggested scenarios and in-jokes into polished animated skits. (For example, shorts like “Basketball,” “Carrot on a Stick,” and “Hangman” credit Skim for storyboarding and story ideas.) These Actual Shorts have become a beloved part of Alan Becker’s channel, often noted for their clever storytelling – much of which can be attributed to Skim’s writing and creative input.

“Note Block Concert” (Animation vs. Minecraft Shorts Ep. 35)

One of Skim’s standout projects is “Note Block Concert,” Episode 35 of Alan Becker’s Animation vs. Minecraft Shorts. Skim was the writer and director of this episode, shaping its storyline and overseeing its production. He also contributed heavily to the visual planning as a storyboard artist, collaborating with fellow artist DaSassyOwl to map out the episode’s scenes. Note Block Concert (released May 25, 2024) features a musical narrative within the Minecraft universe, and Skim’s role in writing and directing is evident in the episode’s cohesive blend of music and comedy. Under his direction, the short delivers a mini-story where Minecraft note blocks become instruments in a concert, showcasing Skim’s strength in visual storytelling and timing. The credits explicitly list Skim as both Director/Writer and as a storyboarder for this animation, highlighting his multi-faceted involvement in bringing the episode to life.

“Animator vs. Animation 11” (Episode: Victim)

Skim co-authored and co-directed the eleventh installment of the main Animator vs. Animation series, titled “Animator vs. Animation 11” (also known by the episode name “Victim”). This episode is part of Animator vs. Animation Season 3 and continues the core storyline of Alan Becker’s famous stick figure saga. Skim worked closely with Alan Becker in writing the script for AvA 11, contributing to the plot and character development. Notably, he is officially credited as a co-writer of the episode alongside Alan, marking one of the first times someone other than Becker himself has shared writing duties on the main series. In addition, Skim took on a directorial role. By Season 3 of the series, he is listed as a co-director of Animator vs. Animation (along with Becker and fellow team member “guzzu”). His co-direction of Episode 11 involved guiding the storyboarding and animation teams, ensuring the episode’s dramatic sequences and callbacks to earlier installments were executed effectively. Animator vs. Animation 11 (Victim), released in 2024, continues the narrative of the original stick figure (the “Victim”) and features intense action scenes – a testament to Skim’s ability to handle larger-scale storytelling in addition to short-form sketches.

“Lucky Block Staff” (Animation vs. Minecraft Shorts Ep. 33)

Another notable contribution by Skim is on “Lucky Block Staff,” Episode 33 of the Animation vs. Minecraft Shorts. In this installment (released December 23, 2023), Skim was a co-writer of the story, working alongside Alan Becker to develop the episode’s concept and script. The episode revolves around the stick figures experimenting with a staff powered by various Minecraft blocks (including the unpredictable Lucky Block), leading to chaos and creativity. Skim’s influence is present in the episode’s inventive scenarios and comedic beats. He also served as the episode’s storyboard artist, single-handedly drawing the storyboards that visualized each sequence. These storyboards were crucial in planning the episode’s action – from the playful trials of different block powers to the climactic Lucky Block dimension scene. By contributing both to the writing and the pre-visualization process, Skim helped ensure Lucky Block Staff was tightly structured and entertaining. In the official credits, Skim is named alongside Alan Becker under Writers, and as the sole credited Storyboarder for the episode.

Style and Strengths

Skim’s creative style is characterized by a strong sense of narrative clarity, visual humor, and pacing. As a writer-storyboarder, he excels at translating ideas into visual stories: his storyboards often lay the groundwork for smooth, coherent animation sequences. Colleagues have noted Skim’s talent for making videos “punchy” and “exciting,” while remaining true to Alan Becker’s established tone. In practice, this means Skim’s work often features well-timed comedic moments, clever references (especially in Minecraft-themed shorts), and engaging action that aligns with fan expectations of the series. He has a keen storytelling sense, ensuring even very short videos have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Skim’s strengths also include collaboration and consistency – he works closely with animators and other team members, using his scripts and boards to guide them in a unified direction. This collaborative approach was vital in larger projects like Animator vs. Animation 11, where maintaining continuity with the series lore and tone was essential. Additionally, Skim’s writing often brings a heartfelt touch to the stick-figure characters; for example, fans have appreciated how Actual Shorts can be funny yet sometimes unexpectedly poignant, a balance that Skim helps to achieve through careful story development. Overall, his narrative and directorial contributions greatly enhance the emotional engagement and humor in Alan Becker’s animations, complementing Becker’s animation skills with strong storytelling fundamentals.

Public Presence and Additional Work

Outside of direct animation production, Skim maintains a relatively low public profile. He is active under the username @its_me_skim on platforms like X (Twitter) and Instagram, where he occasionally shares insights or behind-the-scenes tidbits. (His Instagram bio humorously notes he’s “not a fan of social media but I’m here anyway.”) Despite this, Skim’s impact is mostly behind the scenes rather than as a public-facing personality. In addition to animation writing, he also contributes as a video editor and creative consultant for Alan Becker’s projects. For instance, Skim oversees the editing and punchy pacing of trailer videos – such as those for the Animation VERSUS game – leveraging his storytelling skills to create engaging promos. He has also been involved with Alan’s secondary channel Animators vs. Games (AvG), where he edits gaming and reaction videos for Alan Becker and co-host DJ Welch. This editing role showcases Skim’s versatility in content creation beyond animation; he helps maintain the channel’s entertainment value through tight editing and humorous timing.

Beyond the Alan Becker universe, any independent work by Skim is not widely publicized, suggesting that he channels most of his creative efforts into the Becker team collaborations. His known contributions all emphasize his strengths in narrative construction and visual planning. Through roles as writer, storyboard artist, director, editor, and even creative consultant, Skim has become an integral member of Alan Becker’s creative team – one whose work, while largely off-camera, profoundly shapes the animated content enjoyed by millions of viewers.