Independent Animation. Developing, Producing and Distributing Your Animated Films

423 Pages·2023·43.832 MB·English

by  Ben Mitchell

Independent Animation
With the advent of advanced hand-held technology and the widespread nature
of the Internet, the world of animated filmmaking is more exciting and acces-
sible than ever. Due to this cultural and technological development, the success
of independent animated film makers is on the rise. Independent Animation:
Developing, Producing and Distributing Your Animated Films, Second Edition
showcases some of the greatest, most innovative giants in the field and helps
guide readers through the artistic process and production techniques. Story
development, casting, color theory, distribution and the intimidating aspects of
production are elucidated using various examples of acclaimed, viral and award-
winning animated films from all over the world. Readers will also explore the
changing nature of audiences, festivals and distributors’ relationships with ani-
mation and be granted first-hand guidance in navigating the diverse fields of
animated film-making.
Key Features:
• Covers the entire process of creating an independent animated film from
story development and casting to editing and distribution
• Presents a comprehensive array of classic and contemporary case studies
covering all manner of production methods from traditional pipelines to
avant-garde, auteur and experimental approaches
• Features input and exclusive insight into the working processes of some
of the industry’s most noteworthy indie animation talents, including
Signe Baumane, Adam Elliot, Don Hertzfeldt, Kirsten Lepore, Robert
Morgan, David OReilly, PES, Bill Plympton, Rosto, Chris Shepherd and
dozens more
Additional resources and interviews are available through a special section of
Skwigly Online Animation Magazine.

Independent Animation
Developing, Producing and Distributing
Your Animated Films
Second Edition
Ben Mitchell
Second edition published 2023
by CRC Press
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and by CRC Press
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CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
© 2023 Ben Mitchell
First edition published by CRC Press 2016
Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and
publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of
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Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data
Names: Mitchell, Ben, 1983–author.
Title: Independent animation : developing, producing and distributing your
animated films / Ben Mitchell.
Description: Second edition. | Boca Raton : CRC Press, [2023] |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022040984 | ISBN 9781032103105 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781032103112 (hardback) | ISBN 9781003214717 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Animation (Cinematography)
Classification: LCC TR897.5 .M58 2023 | DDC 777/.7–dc23/eng/20221017
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022040984
ISBN: 978-1-032-10311-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-10310-5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-21471-7 (ebk)
DOI: 10.1201/9781003214717
Typeset in Minion Pro
by codeMantra
Access the Companion Website: https://www.skwigly.co.uk/independent-animation
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Author Biography xi
1 Introduction 1
What Exactly Is “Independent Animation”? .....................................................5
2 Story Development 11
The Character-Driven Approach ......................................................................12
Character Development ......................................................................................14
Telling the Harder Truths ...................................................................................17
Note .......................................................................................................................27
3 The Visual Storyteller 29
Branching Out .....................................................................................................30
Nightmare Worlds ..............................................................................................34
Idea Generation ...................................................................................................39
Returning to the Scene ........................................................................................41
Pleasing Abstractions .........................................................................................47
Note ........................................................................................................................51
4 Consider the Source 53
Standing Tall .........................................................................................................55
Like Mindedness ..................................................................................................59
5 The Beat of a Different Drum 65
Going Solo .............................................................................................................70
From Scratch ........................................................................................................72
Playing with the Majors ......................................................................................76
6 Going Webisodic 79
A Life in Webtoons .............................................................................................80
Different Worlds ..................................................................................................82
The Virility of Virality ........................................................................................86
Instant Gratification ...........................................................................................94
Notes ....................................................................................................................101
7 The Animated Documentarian 103
Anecdotal Value ................................................................................................105
Introspection ......................................................................................................109
Self Reflection .....................................................................................................111
Sticking Points ....................................................................................................114
The Animation Advantage ................................................................................116
Notes ....................................................................................................................119
8 Going Long 121
The Commitment Factor ..................................................................................125
Story Development’s Greatest Ally: Feedback ..............................................129
Staying Visible, Keeping Afloat ........................................................................133
Notes ....................................................................................................................137
9 Funding 139
The Snowball Effect ...........................................................................................140
Selling Yourself ...................................................................................................143
Digging Deep ......................................................................................................153
A Collective Effort ..............................................................................................155
Customer Etiquette ...........................................................................................159
Combined Resources .........................................................................................161
10 Keeping It Real 169
Manual Labor .....................................................................................................171
Outside Assistance ............................................................................................180
Work Ethic ..........................................................................................................185
Wisdom in Hindsight ........................................................................................189
Notes ....................................................................................................................191
11 Getting Comfortable 193
The Comfort of Discomfort .............................................................................200
Odontophobia ....................................................................................................202
12 Casting and Performance 207
Going It Alone ...................................................................................................207
Going Pro ............................................................................................................212
Note ......................................................................................................................218
13 Thinking Outside the Lightbox 219
The “That’ll Do” Attitude .................................................................................220
The “Nailed It!” Attitude ..................................................................................221
Programmers’ Perspectives .............................................................................229
The Online Crowd .............................................................................................235
Notes ...................................................................................................................238
14 Keeping Up 239
Group Effort .......................................................................................................242
New Perspectives ...............................................................................................248
Notes ...................................................................................................................256
vi Contents
15 Combining Your Efforts 257
Duality ................................................................................................................263
Splintering Off ...................................................................................................267
16 Audience Interaction 277
Adventurous Spirit ............................................................................................278
To Defy the Laws of Tradition .........................................................................282
Notes ....................................................................................................................291
17 Reinventing the Wheel 293
Rising High ........................................................................................................295
Retro Vertigo ......................................................................................................304
Late Nights .........................................................................................................309
Notes ....................................................................................................................313
18 Perseverance 315
Staying Power.....................................................................................................324
Hurdles to Overcome........................................................................................328
19 Your Two Most Important Characters 333
Outsourcing ........................................................................................................333
Composers’ Roundtable ....................................................................................335
Being Selective ...................................................................................................343
Self Sufficiency ...................................................................................................346
Approaches to Sound Construction ................................................................352
Out in the Field ..................................................................................................354
The Hiss Factor ..................................................................................................354
The Pop Factor ...................................................................................................355
The “Oh God, My Ears” Factor .......................................................................356
Notes ...................................................................................................................357
20 Putting Yourself Out There 359
Why Submit Your Film to Festivals? ..............................................................360
Rejection: How to Deal .....................................................................................367
Film as Discourse ..............................................................................................369
Notes ....................................................................................................................371
21 Distribution: A Brave New World 373
Tips for an Effective Online Release: A Q&A with Director’s
Notes and Short of the Week Managing Editor Rob Munday ....................375
Book Smarts .......................................................................................................378
Partnering Up ....................................................................................................382
Unexpected Developments ..............................................................................386
Notes ....................................................................................................................391
Recommended Further Reading 393
Index 397
Contents vii

Acknowledgments
It goes without saying that this book would not have been possible without the
insight of the talented people responsible for its major case studies. My tremen-
dous gratitude to the following for taking the time to be interviewed:
Benjamin Arcand, Kieran Argo, Bjørn-Erik Aschim, Signe Baumane, Pierre
Baussaron, Ant Blades, Philip Brookes, Helen Brunsdon, Emma Burch, Seb
Burnett, Tom Carrell, Jeff Chiba Stearns, Elliot Cowan, Garrett Davis, Ellys
Donovan, Adam Elliot, Michael Frei, Daniel Gray, Daniel Greaves, Robert Grieves,
Alex Grigg, Luce Grosjean, Don Hertzfeldt, Melissa Johnson, Tony Johnson,
David Kamp, Robert Kondo, Kirsten Lepore, Joost Lieuwma, Ruth Lingford,
Peter Lord, Andy Martin, Aidan McAteer, Greg McLeod, Robert Morgan, Sam
Morrison, Rob Munday, Vincent Oliver, David OReilly, Lauren Orme, Nick Park,
Adam Pesapane, Sarah Phelps, Jonti Picking, Bill Plympton, Emmanuel-Alain
Raynal, Chris Robinson, Rosto, Tom Schroeder, Chris Shepherd, Jason Sondhi,
Thomas Stellmach, Daniel Šuljić, Sam Taylor, Daisuke Tsutsumi, Marie Valade,
Nag Vladermersky, Tünde Vollenbroek, Matthew Walker, Adam Wells, Joe
Wood and Robertino Zambrano.
For the love, kindness and support that kept me going throughout this project:
Laura-Beth Cowley, Erica Mitchell, Elspeth Mitchell, Lynn Mitchell, Derek
Cherrington, Jane Davies, Joanna Hepworth and Luca Kiss.
Much gratitude also to those whose time and assistance contributed greatly to
the overall organization of the book:
Cordell Barker, Marco de Blois, Jessica Casano-Antonellis, Mike Dietz, David
Fine, Corrie Francis Parks, Nancy Gerstman, Pauline Ginot, Chris Hinton,
Shanta Jethoe, Sophie Klevenow, Sarah Littman, Anna Mantzaris, Mary Murphy,
Adam Smith and Alison Snowden.
Special thanks to my Skwigly Online Animation Magazine colleagues, Steve
Henderson and Aaron Wood, as well as our fantastic team of enthusiastic con-
tributors and supporters who keep it going.
Extra special thanks to my technical editor, Katie Steed, as well as Lauren
Mattos, Haley Swan and Sean Connelly at Taylor & Francis Group.
ix