Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation: Production Design in Animation

by Hans Bacher, Don Hahn (Foreword)

A truly unique visual delight offering insight into the development of animation classics like Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Lilo and Stitch as well as a tantalizing examination of unfinished Disney projects.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Reference, Design, Art Design, College, Film

208 pages, Library Binding

First published November 23, 2007

Reviews

[Parka · Rating 5 out of 5]

(More pictures on my blog)

This book is an invaluable resource for any production designer. It talks about how to go about setting the style and look for animation.

This is a very practical book. While it talks on the production design process, it provides tons of examples from Disney's archive to support design concepts. There are many useful lessons, such as film analysis, visual development and research, camera rules, composition, staging and others.

There are also dedicated chapters to films where Hans Bacher talks specifically on how production design was done.

I bought this book primarily for the art but I've realised that there's more to all the art displayed. Many of the storyboards, while lacking details are visually strong because of the composition.

Every example included in the book serves to emphasis design concepts. The clear and simple explanation provides another perspective into looking at storyboards, into understanding what the scene means and how it contributes to the story.

This book is well worth the money, actually not just to production designers, but for every artist. The lessons taught are universal and can be applied in different fields if it's related to art.

Let me end with a quote from Andrea Deja, the Supervising Animator of Walt Disney Studios:

When it comes to color, composition and design, Hans is in a class by himself. Look through the pages of Dream Worlds and be inspired by Han's high standards and his art. It is a feast for the eyes.

Here's the list of chapters:

* Film Analysis
* Beauty and the Beast
* Visual Development and Research
* Aladdin
* Inspiration
* Camera Rules
* The Lion King
* Composition
* Hercules
* Staging and Formats
* Mulan
* Rhythm and Style Variety
* Lilo and Stitch
* Value and Color
* Brother Bear
* Unfinished Disney Projects
* Own Projects
* The Masters — Bambi

This review was first published on parkablogs.com. There are more pictures and videos on my blog.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this book has really inspiring visuals (especially the author's pre-production work on The Lion King and Mulan), the text is a bit rambling. It's almost as if some poor studio assistant followed Hans Bacher around, taking notes as his thoughts bounced from obscure Rococo painters, to the Disney vaults, to the importance of balance and rhythm. Still, there are useful ideas, like making thumbnail sketches of screenshots from films to teach yourself what sort of angles and compositions work best for the mood you're trying to create. He even lists a full page of movies he recommends you learn from. And it's definitely interesting to hear how his ideas for more dramatic, original animation styles usually get scrapped by studio executives in favor of the classic Disney look. All in all, a fine peek into the world of animation.

[Naomi Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Bacher's art is visually stunning, he spends a fair portion of the book lamenting the corporatization of the films he worked on and the butchering of his vision. While any self-respecting artist would agree that Disney is no saint when it comes to money over substance, a memoir would be more suited to this type of illustrated tell-all that Bacher gives. He spends the latter portion of the book teaching the artist his best tips on good production design, which would have elevated this book further if he'd skipped the corporate commentary and instead paired that with his production work.

[Debora Mini · Rating 3 out of 5]

É um livro interessante, mas pouco técnico. Por boa parte senti mais como uma grande entrevista sobre a carreira do Bacher e suas lamentações pela mudança do mercado, viagens interessantes e pessoas com quem trabalhou do que um livro com dicas e análises. Tem pinceladas de conteúdos legais e imagens lindas.

[Niko Hyppönen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kiehtova katsaus kuvakäsikirjoituksen ammattilaisen työskentelytapoihin ja kuvakulmien valintaan.

[Lycoris Radiatta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful raw ideas from the famous Disney movies we´ve ever watched. His collection was interesting but, I was expecting to find more details of each film.

[Rupert Knoll]

because of a flower - ana roxanne
karma - pharoah sanders
a moment in st louis - claire rousay

[Megangoldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The silence between us feels pregnant with unspoken promises. Let's see where they bloom.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sepuh

[Lewistron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amassed wi the beautifully intricate art work and incredible industry insight and history.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely inspiring. A bit like a visual memoir of Bacher's career. The reproductions of his art are beautiful, and the page layouts are well crafted. The text isn't the strongest component of the book, but it does give some insight into Bacher's creative process. He is always striving to do something new with each piece he creates, and that is what makes this book so unique. There isn't a specific Bacher style that you see duplicated from page to page. Instead you see his creativity manifest in myriad shapes, colors, and patterns across a variety of projects. His work is a testament to his his love of art, but also his ability to absorb the best of what he sees. He's a bit of a stylistic chameleon, and even as digital tools gained prominence, he didn't shun them, he embraced them. Highly recommended for all digital artists and animators.

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm fascinated by concept art, especially for beautiful animation movies such as the ones that come out of Disney. Hans Bacher is a Production Designer who worked with Disney on Beauty and the Beast, Aladin, Mulan, and really most of the one's you've heard of. He gives great insight into the process as well as general instruction on how to frame, move characters and tell the story in the best possible way. Besides that, it's full of pretty concept art.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting in some ways, as it caused me to think about certain techniques that go into designing an image and how it fits in a frame, the process of development, etc. As a comic book writer, that has some practical applications. I wish the text was better laid out and also better integrated with the images, that what was being said related more directly to what was being seen. I wanted more brass tacks, essentially.

[Alec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains some very inspiring images of some of the painstaking Disney layouts, spanning most of the Disney renaissance era of the nineties. I enjoyed some of Hans' anecdotes from some of the different productions he worked on but overall the text is a bit frivolous and with some of the advice being about general film making and lacking focus. Aspects of it were useful to my field though, and generally it was a very inspiring book.

[Ilse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this book made me want to watch Bambi again... Those backgrounds are masterpieces! So interesting to read and great artworks. I'll definitely watch some of the films Bacher recommends to study from.

Theres very little text in here and I wish he told more about the process than he already did. I would also have loved if he'd told the reader about more exercises to do since probably a lot of us readers read it to learn. For the rest a really good book! Like I said: really interesting!

[Kp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hans Bacher, a 25 year storyboarder for Disney, covers the the process he and his team went through in designing the worlds for Mulan, Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Lilo and Stitch, and a few others.

Awesome.

[Sarah Schanze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting collection of art and stories. What was most enlightening was the behind-the-scene tales of Bacher's days of working at Disney. Also fascinating was artwork from shelved projects. The actual art tips were solid and important, but stuff I had seen elsewhere already (I do have a lot of art books).

[Pranisha Shrestha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the essential additions to any artist's book collections, especially who is inclined towards animation, concept art or filmmaking in general.. Mr. Hans Bacher has skilfully archived and explained some of the great works which have been achieved during conceptual level of many animated films.. A great book!

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

there's great information & amazing art in this & i will definitely come back to it to study it in more depth but the most immediately striking thing about this book is the author's willingness to talk absolutely relentless amounts of shit about nearly everybody he's ever worked with

[Herman Litt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with designs from some of the classic disney films. Beautiful and insightful. 5/5!!!!

[Michael Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

[TO EXPAND. Strong points: graphically exquisite; the production process of an animated movie; techniques for setting up the scene; a list of masterful movies, from a master]

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

His works are inspiring.

[Devanshu · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome book by hans bacher... can i read now...!!

[Bender · Rating 3 out of 5]

Consequuntur sunt maiores suscipit. Quo ut natus ipsa in. Necessitatibus qui ipsam ea.