Independent Animation showcases some of the greatest, most innovated giants in the field and helps guide readers through the artistic process and production techniques. Story development, casting, color, distribution, and the intimidating aspects of production are elucidated using various examples from all over the world.

Since finishing his MA in 2008, Ben Mitchell has worked as an animation freelancer with Channel 4, BBC, A Productions, Plymptoons, Rumpus Animation, Slurpy Studios, Happy Hour Productions, Somethin' Else, Jelly Penguin, Channel Flip, and others. As an independent filmmaker he has directed several shorts that have been officially selected for over 100 major film and animation festivals between them and been broadcast internationally. He is also a writer, researcher, and Managing Director of Skwigly Online Animation Magazine, where he has conducted interviews with some of the animation industry's leading practitioners and produced editorial features, events coverage, film/product reviews, project management, video content and the Skwigly Animation Podcast.

Acknowledgments. Author Biography. 1 Introduction. 2 Story Development. 3 The Visual Storyteller. 4 Consider the Source. 5 The Beat of a Different Drum. 6 Going Webisodic. 7 The Animated Documentarian. 8 Going Long. 9 Funding. 10 Keeping It Real. 11 Getting Comfortable. 12 Casting and Performance. 13 Thinking Outside the Lightbox. 14 Keeping Up. 15 Combining Your Efforts. 16 Audience Interaction. 17 Reinventing the Wheel. 18 Perseverance. 19 Your Two Most Important Characters. 20 Putting Yourself Out There. 21 Distribution: A Brave New World. Recommended Further Reading. Index.