The rise of independent animation on platforms such as YouTube has significantly altered the way art and animation have become accessible. These independent animations have created enough waves to rival major studios and platforms like Disney and Netflix.
Online, independent animation (frequently called indie animation) is backed and supported by small creators, merchandise sales and personal funding. Essentially, these shows are made for the primary purpose of telling a story and are fueled by the creators’ passion rather than the sole need to turn a profit.
Although risky and time consuming, independent projects provide significant benefits for their creators. The lack of a supervising studio overseeing the show means that the artists can have full creative control. This extends to the smallest details such as episode length, story beats and even the inclusion of mature themes.
Recently, shows produced from indie studios have proven to be a successful endeavor. In fact, some of the shows, which started off as pilots on YouTube, have made their way onto major streaming platforms such as Netflix and Prime Video.
Glitch Productions, an independent studio stationed in Australia, has been the pioneer in producing a multitude of shows with record-breaking view counts. Their most popular upload, the pilot for “The Amazing Digital Circus,” amassed 407 million views as of February.
The result of the show’s unexpected success led to the creation of many more pilots. “The Gaslight District” and “Knights of Guinevere” stand out as two shows that, thanks to Glitch Production’s, are seen by millions.
Aside from Glitch Productions, there are several users on YouTube who have set up channels to release shows on their own. “Atlas and the Stars” is a series on YouTube that is fully animated, storyboarded and scored by one person named Mirandamations. Thanks to YouTube, creators like Mirandamations are allowed to share their work with a wide audience without fighting for the right to have their work aired on television.
This form of content creation is vastly changing the types of media people are able to view. Independent animation invites audiences to experience new types of media. Constant input from fresh minds means new shows are popping up more frequently. The lack of heavy censorship means that YouTube’s users can enjoy a unique selection of shows with character, profoundness and personal flare.
