Kids Media Club Podcast Kids Media Club: Cory Williams on why he turned down $5million to sell Silly Crocodile
Oct 2, 2025
Cory Williams, the self-taught animator behind the Silly Crocodile franchise, shares his journey from playful inspiration with his daughter to creating a thriving YouTube channel. He reveals the challenges of YouTube monetization, the impact of AI-generated content, and why he turned down a $5 million offer to retain creative control. With a focus on high-quality storytelling and community feedback, Cory discusses his innovative use of game engines for reactive animation and his plans for future character development.
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Originated From Real Toy Play
- Silly Crocodile began as toy-play with Cory's one-year-old daughter using Peppa Pig toys.
- Cory made a video from that play in 2018 and the format naturally resonated with kids.
Audience Impact Trumps Metrics
- Cory values direct, real-world impact on kids over raw view counts or revenue.
- He volunteers at schools and uses children's feedback to shape episodes in real time.
Built A Real-Time Creator Pipeline
- Cory taught himself 3D and began capturing his VR interactions to animate Silly Crocodile.
- He later migrated to Unreal Engine and built a realtime pipeline that lets him converse with the character live.