I loved all of this book (with the exception of the long send off to Jobs at the end--seems a little late for eulogies, but I can be very unsentimentaI loved all of this book (with the exception of the long send off to Jobs at the end--seems a little late for eulogies, but I can be very unsentimental). Sadly, half way through the book I learned that Ed Catmull was part of a wage fixing scheme along with Disney and Dreamworks. Suddenly, all those passages about Ed ardently advocating for his workers' happiness as a part of talent retention policy rang hollow, like a cattleman who brags about how happy his cows are but the county vet has to shut his operation down for inhumane treatment. You just can't listen to him the same way after that. ...more
This book focuses on environment, design and effects over characters and story. In a way, it reflects the film itself. Frozen's character designs wereThis book focuses on environment, design and effects over characters and story. In a way, it reflects the film itself. Frozen's character designs were a bit bland and recycled. The story really on found itself less than a year before production. But it somehow still has heart. It's still a good story and not an overproduced hollow shell of an experience.
While I wish there had been more analog development assets featured (was everything drawn on a tablet by the same three people?), the extensive discussion of how the story was found and the thought put into the colors, outfits, settings and details should make this book appeal to storytellers and designers if less so to character designers and cartoonists. If you're a big picture thinker, there are insights here. If you just want a pile of sketches of your favorite characters, look on tumblr. ...more
I picked up this edition of the book specifically because it was recommended on a "list of books for aspiring animators." It is a delightfully light iI picked up this edition of the book specifically because it was recommended on a "list of books for aspiring animators." It is a delightfully light introduction to the history of Disney animation, including some key animating tidbits. Examples of things I picked up:
Animations were in color before live films. Disney monopolized colored cartoons for three years through a deal with Technicolor. Disney encouraged animators to use bright colors because they were paying so much for the use! Animators learned to desaturate the backgrounds to keep the brightly colored characters from disappearing into them.
Did you know that Disney didn't "invent" the animation industry so much as he beat out the competition in New York? That Disney was a real bootstrapper who had many early false starts and spent a lot of time borrowing and repaying money? Did you know that the Black Cauldron was terrible because it's what happens when you leave a bunch of animators alone without project management??
This book rocks. The first half is history, the second half is a process walkthrough using Beauty of the Beast, and I cannot think of a better example of animation to use....more
While it is true that this book is nothing more than a cobbled together (if not elegantly cobbled together) collection of interviews, production stillWhile it is true that this book is nothing more than a cobbled together (if not elegantly cobbled together) collection of interviews, production stills, illustrations, and notes from Wes Andersen, it is undeniably a joyful read for the fan and an important read for anyone interested in cinematography or animation of any kind.
The real value to be gained for those latter readers is inside Wes's chicken scratchings and liner notes. I learned that even people who can't draw can direct an animation. Also, the people who work with Wes are as important to the final outcome as Wes himself. Wes's persnickety attention to detail at first glance might seem arbitrary, but as I continued to reflect on the film, I realized that without that keen eye and without his industrious crew, this movie simply would not shine as brightly as it does. This has helped me immensely in my own work. Now instead of thinking, "Uff, so fussy!" I wonder, "Hmm, perhaps this is a Wes Andersen moment, where this tiny detail that feels so unimportant is really going to put the spit and polish on the final product."
Give it a read for the pictures, for the commentary, for the insights....more
By far the best introduction to animation I've read yet. This is the first book an aspiring animator should start with before moving on to the classicBy far the best introduction to animation I've read yet. This is the first book an aspiring animator should start with before moving on to the classics by Preston Blair. The focus here is on the Japanese method of animation, specifically the Tezuka methods, which means you're learning some exquisitely fast techniques as well as learning some more advanced effects and naturalistic techniques toward the end.
Definitely the first stop sor someone inspired to get into animation, and a good book to revisit for animators needing inspiration!...more
I needed to create a walk cycle for a cat for a project, and this book did have a small section on cats. If you want to learn how to draw animals bettI needed to create a walk cycle for a cat for a project, and this book did have a small section on cats. If you want to learn how to draw animals better, not just to animate them, this book is still worth a read through. You'll come away with a better understanding of the movement of animals and their forms. It covers dogs, horses and bears very well, with some coverage of exotic animals, cats, bugs and birds....more
Although this book is repetitive in places, and some of the advice (like on building a web site) is rubbish, there's enough nice industry knowledge inAlthough this book is repetitive in places, and some of the advice (like on building a web site) is rubbish, there's enough nice industry knowledge in this book to make it a valuable purchase. Wish I'd had this three years ago, when I was looking to do more with my cartoonist abilities....more
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