CONTENTS

Chapter 1    Introduction

The Second Golden Age of Animation

Chapter 2    My History

Early Influences

Humor in School

Oregon’s Climate

The Big Apple

Print Cartoons

“Your Face”

Chapter 3    Making an Animated Film

Raising the Money

Idea

Synopsis (Storyboard)

Budget

Marketing Plan

Concept Art

Title

Grants

Family and Friends

Hollywood

Kickstarter and Internet

Self-Investment

Plympton’s Dogma

Dogma Point #1: Make Your Film Short

Dogma Point #2: Make Your Film Cheap!

Dogma Point #3: Make the Film Funny

Alternative Funding

Chapter 4    Production

Creating a Studio

Chapter 5    Storytelling

The Myth of Story

Intuition

Conflict

Other Directors’ Notes

Don Hertzfeldt (“Rejected”, “Billy’s Balloon”)

Peter Lord (Aardman’s Chicken Run):

Pat Smith (“Mask”, “Delivery”)

Comedy

Character Development

Children versus Adults

Live Action versus Animation

Censorship versus Self-Censorship

Chapter 6    Character Design

Strong Personality

Dynamic Shapes

Simplicity

Line of Action

Pushing the Eye Around

What Not to Do

Chapter 7    Storyboarding

Chapter 8    Voices

Casting

Chapter 9    Animation

Influences

Techniques

Animation Secrets

Caricatures

The Human Body

The Face

Design

Silhouettes

Previz

Walk Cycles

Point of View

Perspective and Foreshortening

Distortion

Shadows

Metamorphosis

Pencil Test

Backgrounds

Perfectionism

Digitizing the Art

Scanning

Cleaning

Color

Compositing

Chapter 10    Postproduction

Editing

Timing

Conflict

Effects

Humor

Reviewing the Film

Sound

Real versus Cartoony Sound

Dolby

Music

Ironic Music

Music Budgeting

How to Save Money

Film Composers

Music Clearances

Testing

Chapter 11    Selling Your Film

Market Festivals

Fun Festivals

Comic Conventions

How to Find the Right Festival

The Tune Deal

The Strange Person Deal

Telluride Story

The Distribution Deal

Distributor Complaints

Chapter 12    Self-Distribution

Booking the Theatre

Personal Touch

Nontheatrical

Press Agent

Guerilla Publicity

TV Spots

Television

Ownership

Mini-Disney

DVD

Piracy

VOD

Merchandise

Personal Appearances

Commissioned Work

Music Videos

Chapter 13    Advice to Young Animators

Finding the Right School

What to Study in School

After School

Afterword

Index