Animation Books - Page 2

The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company

David A. Price

Amazon Price: $18.45 List Price: $27.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Knopf Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $12.20

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design -> Animation
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Biography & History -> Company Profiles
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Skills -> Communications

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Another whitewashed PR job for Pixar/Disney 1 out of 5 stars.
10 of 15 people found this review helpful.

I don't expect anyone to believe this, but I have to get it off my chest. Price's book gives credit to John Lasseter's wife for creating the character of Jessie in Toy Story 2. Nothing could be further from the truth. I wrote the second draft of TS2 as an independent contractor at Pixar for three months when Ralph Guggenheim was the producer and Ash Brannon was the sole director. Ken Mitchroney was a story artist on the project and the person who had recommended me to try to fix the ungodly mess that was the first draft. He had suggested the film have a cowgirl, and I agreed.

Ken did preliminary character sketches, one of which was quite similar to the final character (and modeled on his redheaded wife). The final design was done by Jill Colton, also uncredited. I created Jessie on the page -- she was named and partially modeled after my friend Jessie Horsting, former West Coast Editor of Fantastic Films Magazine -- along with most of the film structure as it currently exists (the major exception being the third act, which I was much less involved with).

Not only did Lasseter's wife not have a thing to do with the movie, Lasseter didn't have much to do with it either. I never saw him once during my time at the production (and his taking co-credit for, and accepting awards on behalf of, the movie was a factor in Ash Brannon [SURF'S UP] leaving Pixar as well). After I left Disney showed up with their army of useless middle management, fired everybody, replaced them with their corporate flunkies, and let the project languish for another year. Rita Hsiao wrote a credited version, yet as far as I know what she did was stick post-its under storyboards. But, you know, she worked for Disney and was credited with Mulan. Woo hoo.

Finally Lasseter threw Andy Stanton at the project, the smartest thing he could have done. He made changes I wish I'd thought of and gave it a strong third act. Of Rita Hsiao's influence on the script I can't imagine a trace. Yet when story credit was handed out, Disney (yes, Disney; nobody actually involved with the picture determined story credit, and as a result people who literally did not write a word on the project got equal or higher billing, along with, quelle surprise, the aforementioned Ms. Hsiao) did not credit my script. If anything, I created Jessie and the Woody's Roundup scenes.

Ken Mitchroney designed the character of Zurg as well. Ken was a friend of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and has done a ton of Rat Finks and Hotrod/Tiki designs. Hey, what a surprise: Zurg is really a Tiki head! Look at him again. Ken also conceived, storyboarded, and pretty much created the traffic cone scene. He's the voice of Zurg on the ride at Disneyland.

Does Prices' book go even mention us? It is to laugh. This is just another book-length press release in which the writer nods his fannish head excitedly and scribbles on a legal pad while essentially acting as a mouthpiece for someone who is more than happy to take credit for the considerable work of others far more creative than he will ever be. It happily abandons any attempt at research and jumps on the bus of easily digestible corporate myth. Do you seriously think John Lasseter co-directed Toy Story 2? If you folks saw the pile of bodies those cute li'l characters stand on -- well, I have no doubt you'd still pony up your $12 and pack the theaters.

You never hear about this stuff because writers are afraid they won't work in this industry again. I, on the other hand, have nightmares that I will. Maybe this will help prevent that.

Is Price's book worthless because I didn't get credit? No, that's not the axe I'm grinding here. It's worthless because it's essentially a souvenir, a piece of memorabilia created, by proxy, by its subject matter. And I'm mad about it even now because I get to see paper towels and toy store aisles and coupon ads chock full of stuff that came out of my head (without any credit or compensation beyond a weekly salary -- and try finding a lawyer who will take on Disney), and continually witness people fed this lying corporate pablum, and here's yet another example by a lazy fanboy who doesn't bother to go beyond the same self-serving sources. It ain't so, folks.

Editorial Review:

The roller-coaster rags-to-riches story behind the phenomenal success of Pixar Animation Studios, and the first in-depth look at the company that forever changed the film industry and the "fraternity of geeks" who shaped it.

To Infinity and Beyond!: The Story of Pixar Animation Studios

Karen Paik

Amazon Price: $47.25 List Price: $75.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $38.48

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design -> Animation
Subjects -> Computers & Internet
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Movies -> History & Criticism

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Geat content but quite some 'bad digitized' pictures 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 7 people found this review helpful.

The content of the book is as high quality and colorfull as the company it describes. Also the author did a good job at documenting the history of the company.

However, in the making of this book someone made a couple of mistakes. There are tens of images which have unacceptable 'pixelation' (i.e. blockiness due to overstretching of digital images). Especially the full page spread on p. 220 jumps out with pixels blown up to almost milimeter size!

This is quite dissappointing to me, especially as it is the artwork of a company which spearheads the way in digital imaging! I can imagine this is a slap in the face of some of the artitst and it would definitely not pass through their quality system if the book was produced by Pixar.

Overall the majority of the images in the book are very well reproduced, so I take the couple of handfull of bad apples for granted.

Editorial Review:

In 1986, gifted animator John Lasseter, technology guru Ed Catmull, and visionary Steve Jobs founded Pixar Animation Studios. Their goal: create a computer animated feature, despite predictions that it could never be done. An unprecedented catalog of blockbuster films later, the studio is honoring its history in this deluxe volume. From its fledgling days under George Lucas to ten demanding years creating Toy Story to the merger with Disney, each milestone is vibrantly detailed. Interviews with Pixar directors, producers, animators, voice talent, and industry insiders, as well as concept art, storyboards, and snapshots illuminate a history that is both definitive and enthralling.

Stop Staring: Facial Modeling and Animation Done Right

Jason Osipa

Amazon Price: $31.49 List Price: $49.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sybex Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $24.60

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> Models
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Breathe life into your creations

With detailed examples, high-quality professional images, and a touch of humor, this is the fully revised and updated second edition of Jason Osipa's best-selling book on facial animation. You'll learn the basics of design, modeling, rigging, and animation-while mastering exciting new techniques for stretch-and-squash deformation, advanced blend extraction, and the latest software tools. Walk through the author's detailed analysis of sample animations and discover how to add nuance and sophistication to your designs.

Full of insights drawn from years of professional experience, this book provides the focused and practical information you need to create believable facial animations.

• Learn visimes and lip sync techniques
• Construct a mouth and mouth keys
• Explore the process of facial landmarking
• Master the cartoon techniques of squash and stretch
• Harness the latest advanced blend extraction tools
• Create interfaces for your faces
• Understand skeletal setup, weighting, and rigging

Control faces with the book's powerful rig and learn how skin moves to make various shapes and expressions

Master powerful stretch-and-squash (and squoosh!) techniques

Featured on the CD
Fine-tune your facial animations with the techniques demonstrated on the companion CD. Content includes tutorial files, lip sync samples, models, textures, and more.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition

Lee Mendelson

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harper Paperbacks Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $4.74

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design -> Animation
Subjects -> Comics & Graphic Novels -> Cartooning
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Satire

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Christmas time is here... happiness and cheer... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

"Charlie Brown Christmas" is the crown jewel of Christmas specials. Heavy on holiday introspection, but with the dry wit and humor you'd come to expect from Charles Schulz's creations.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition" just expands that experience, by outlining how the famed special came to be -- the music, the animation, the voice acting, even the advertisement to get people to watch it. It's a charming, nostalgic little book, and a good accompaniment.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" was spun up quickly, when Coca Cola wanted a Christmas special in less than a week -- and Charles Schulz's lovable loser Charlie Brown seemed to be the ticket. But the special was made very differently from other cartoons -- 2-D animation, no laugh track, uncutesy kids, and (horrors!) a jazz soundtrack. It was doomed to fail, they said.

Well, instead it became a booming hit, and has been running every December ever since. Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez reminisce in here about the much-loved Charles Schulz, and about Vince Guaraldi, who made the distinctive piano soundtrack, and why it's so beloved -- it dares to approach holiday ennui and commercialization, then dashes it away with Linus' description of Christmas' meaning.

As for the "making of" portion, there are storyboards, musical scores, test photos, clips of television reviews, and rare photos like Melendez and Schulz doing the football gag. Finally, there is the entire script of the special, framed by colourful stills from the cartoon.

You couldn't wring this much information from most half-hour animated specials, no matter how much fun they were. But it's a bit different with "Charlie Brown Christmas." It was so completely unusual -- and has proved to be so timeless -- that a book on the making of it, and its effect, seems completely right.

It's a very conversational, reminiscent book. It feels like sitting in a room with Melendez and Mendelson, listening to them reminisce about "Sparky." And we also get input from other people involved in the project, such as Christopher Shea (Linus), who talks about his famous "Second Chapter of Luke" speech, as well as odd bits of trivia (the little girl playing Sally had to be fed her lines).

The Christmas special is more than able to stand on its own, but "Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition" is a wonderful accompaniment. Full of interesting tidbits and history.

Editorial Review:

Since its first airing, it's always a memorable night when "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is on TV. After forty years, the animated special is still a favorite. This lushly illustrated tribute to the beloved television classic has many unique features, including:

• Original animation art
• A look at the behind -- the -- scenes making of the cartoon
• Vince Guaraldi's original score and publication notes
• Interviews with the original child actors who were the voices of the Peanuts gang
• An introduction by the show's executive producer, Lee Mendelson
• And much more!

A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition is a delightful and fitting salute to the holiday special that never fails to deepen your love of Christmas, touch your heart, and give you hope.

WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING: A BEHIND-THE-DREAMS LOOK AT MAKING THE MAGIC REAL

The Imagineers

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Disney Editions Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $8.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design -> Animation
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 60 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Ultimate Imagineers Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I taught high school art and retired a couple years ago. This was my bible for creative ideas and approach. I now teach at the college level and still use it regularly as a reference.

I have gifted this book to several of my outstanding students. They loved it.

Great for Disney and Imagineering Fans 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I added this book to my collection several years ago, and it is a great addition to any Disney or Imagineering fan's collection. I personally am a huge fan of Walt Disney the man, and all the projects he was involved in. This book gives more images than anything else, but some of the images and the little bit of information it gives is definitely interesting and fun to have. If you are looking for something more in depth about Imagineering I don't know if you will really find it here - it is similar to what you might get in watching a behind the scenes special feature on a DVD, it just glosses over some of the projects and plans throughout Disney Imagineering history.

Editorial Review:

Here is an explanation, in colorful detail, of the making of the magic of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland. Full-color photos.

Acting for Animators, Revised Edition: A Complete Guide to Performance Animation

Ed Hooks

Amazon Price: $19.75 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Heinemann Drama Amazon Marketplace: 15 new & used starting at $9.43

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Performing Arts -> Theater -> Acting & Auditioning
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Performing Arts -> Theater -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Performing Arts -> Theater -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Ed Hooks is Stanislavsky for animators, but fun! I advise all my animation students to read Ed's amazingly insightful book.
- Dave Quesnelle, Professor of Animation, Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

Ed Hooks' Acting for Animators was the first book on the subject and is still the best. His analysis of character motivation and expressing emotion is the difference between animating and just moving furniture.
- Gene Hamm, Animation instructor, Academy of Art College, San Francisco

Character animators, using pencils and/or pixels, will discover a wealth of information about how to make their characters express empathetic emotions in the revised edition of this book. . . . Highly recommended.
- John Canemaker, Animator/Director of Animation, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University

If I can't figure out what is wrong with one of my characters, I can pick up Ed's book, scan for just a short while, and come back with my direction. It's the I Ching for animators.
- Matt Brunner, Director, Xbox

Wonderful teaching! Ed Hooks is fascinated and fascinating.
- Michael Dudok de Wit, Winner, Academy Award, Short Animation, Father and Daughter

Animators need to know a lot about acting, but they dont need to know everything. Acting for Animators sorts out the acting theory that animators need, presenting it in a form and with references that are more relevant to the animators world. It explores the connections between thinking and physical action, between thinking and emotion; it provides the steps for an effective character analysis and the dynamics of a scene. Using references to animation and live action, acting principles are highlighted and explained. Plus, the accompanying CD-ROM provides explicit examples, including videoclips of improvs based on the seven essentials of acting and highlights of Rudolph Labans movement theory.

This revised edition is illustrated by Paul Naas, an animator and director whose work includes film, TV, video games, location-based entertainment, and Internet animation. He was one of the first animator/instructors hired by the Disney Institute.

Learning Autodesk Maya 2009 The Modeling & Animation Handbook: Official Autodesk Training Guide (Autodesk Maya Techniques: Offical Autodesk Training Guides)

Autodesk Maya Press

Amazon Price: $44.09 List Price: $69.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sybex Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $36.77

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design -> Animation
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Graphic Design -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Graphic Design -> General AAS

Editorial Review:

This exceptional, full-color Autodesk Maya Press title -- produced by Autodesk, the software's creators -- uses an award-winning movie short as the basis for the book's all-new hands-on tutorials. The book provides clear step-by-step projects to help you understand the modeling and animation stages of production. You'll learn how to build models with a variety of surface types and then make them move with a wide range of animation techniques as well as how to make sound decisions from the beginning to save unnecessary challenges further down the pipeline. As a bonus feature, this book also introduces some animation techniques using Alias MotionBuilder.

Topics include:

• Polygon Modeling.
• NURBS Modeling.
• General Modeling Issues.
• Tessalation; Texturing.
• Using layers to organize your work.
• Creating Skeleton Chains and edit joint orientation.
• Setting up Single Chain, Rotation Plane, and Spline IK Solvers.
• Using Set Driven Key to create powerful yet simple control systems.
• Understanding and using Forward and Inverse Kinematics.
• Simulating the deformation of clothing using Wire Deformers and Set Driven Key.
• Drive joint rotation with a Blendshape Slider to help consolidate control windows.
• Using Pole Vector constraints as a fast and easy way of achieving realistic motion in arms and legs.
• Creating complex and subtle character deformations through the use of Clusters and Lattice.

Order your copy today.

Cartoon Modern: Style and Design in 1950s Animation

Amid Amidi

Amazon Price: $26.40 List Price: $40.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $15.98

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General AAS
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

More biography than imagery 2 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I absolutely love 50's (and early 60's) animation styles, so based on the other reviews here I eagerly awaited this book. It was a huge letdown.

First of all, the majority of content here is biographical information about the artists who created this art. As such a nice piece of scholarship and research, and giving these artists their just rewards is a Good Thing. But that's basically all there is.

Yes, there are some images, even quite a lot, but the artwork isn't large or arranged in a manner to make any sense (other than as biographical material). There are a few tantalizingly good images, but the vast majority are small, rather pedestrian and, oddly enough, not particularly indicative of the style of the period.

The author sets great store by "unconventionalism", but in point of fact the art of the 50's and 60's did become conventional -- it became its own convention. And this kind of historical perspective is sorely missing here, in large part due to the way the material is organized (it's strictly a studio by studio look -- no timeline or growth of the art is presented in any way. Each studio is given a page or two, and the studios are listed alphabetically).

If you are into cartoon history *facts* then this book will be a goldmine of information for you. If, like me, you are more interested in the visual aspects of the art then I'd strongly recommend skipping this and spending the money either renting or buying some of the cartoons from that time period that are available on DVD (contrary to the author's opinion, much of the stuff IS available: once again, his bias towards the unconventional means that he overlooks the majority of work of that time period).

Editorial Review:

Between the classic films of Walt Disney in the 1940s and the televised cartoon revolution of the 1960s was a critical period in the history of animation. Amid Amidi, of the influential Animation Blast magazine and CartoonBrew blog, charts the evolution of the modern style in animation, which largely discarded the "lifelike" aesthetic for a more graphic and often abstract approach. Abundantly found in commercials, industrial and educational films, fair and expo infotainment, and more, this quickly popular cartoon modernism shared much with the painting and graphic design movements of the era. Showcasing hundreds of rare and forgotten sketches, model boards, cels, and film stills, Cartoon Modern is a thoroughly researched, eye-popping, and delightful account of a vital decade of animation design.

Learning Autodesk Maya 2009 The Special Effects Handbook: Official Autodesk Training Guide

Autodesk Maya Press

Amazon Price: $44.09 List Price: $69.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sybex Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $39.77

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design -> Animation
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Games & Strategy Guides -> Strategy Guides -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Games & Strategy Guides -> Strategy Guides -> General AAS

Editorial Review:

Learn how to produce desired design techniques with the how-to, detailed instructions in Learning Autodesk Maya The Special Effects Handbook (Official Autodesk Training Guide, includes DVD). This book uses actual production files from an animated short film in tutorials that will get you familiar with Maya’s tools, options and capabilities. Follow the clear, step-by-step instructions to understand the rendering and dynamic stages of productions. You can explore lighting, texturing and visual effects and become familiar with the latest features through the book’s new tutorials and art.

The Art of Spirited Away

Amazon Price: $23.07 List Price: $34.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: VIZ Media LLC Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $19.20

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design -> Animation
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design -> Graphic Arts -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Nice but too pricey 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this book thinking that it would include detailed sketches and concepts for the creation of Spirited Away. While, the book did have these elements it had far fewer than one might suspect from the cover. In fact most of the art work were stills from the movie.


Which, to me came as a great disappointment. If I wanted to see the final art of the movie I would watch the movie. Buy this book if you really love the quality of the animated scenes. Don't buy this if you feel you can gain great insight into how it was made.

Editorial Review:

The Art of Spirited Away collects colour illustrations of Spirited Away for the first time in an English edition! This book includes paintings and designs from the new animated film from the director of Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke. Large-size, hardcover coffee-table book featuring artwork from the renowned animated film, Spirited Away, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Features commentary, colour stills, sketches, storyboards, and illustrations used to envision the rich fantasy world of the film. Also includes a complete English-language script.