animation

Anime Studio Debut 6
$49.99
Anime Studio 6 is a good introduction to the world of computer animation. Luckily, there are plenty of tutorials within the application, but there are also lots of online tutorials. I never felt totally alone when trying to learn. That being said, it still takes a while to learn if you've never done this before. It helps to know something about photoshop and illustrator, but it's not required. It's fairly inexpensive and a good way to get your feet wet.

The Animation Show, Vol. 3
$19.99
I had the pleasure of seeing the third Animation Show in a theater last year and loved it. If you're a mature person who enjoys animation at all I highly recommend this DVD and the previous boxed set release of Vol 1 & 2. This is a chance to see a wide variety of animated shorts with different, styles, stories, & moods.
When most people think of animation they think of Looney Tunes type comedies and kids entertainment. The cartoons that are featured on these DVDs will give those people an idea of how varied animated storytelling can get.

Now the "BUT" ...
This DVD, like Vol 1 & 2, removes a few shorts that were shown in the theatrical presentation and adds ones that weren't.

This DVD release does not include
"9" by Shane Acker
"Overtime" by Oury Atlan, Thibaut Berland and Damien Ferrie
"Eaux Forte (Tidal Wave)" by Remi Chaye
"Davey and Son of Goliath" by Corky Quackenbush

Shorts added to the DVD are:
"Astronauts" by Matthew Walker
"Carlitopolis" by Nieto
"One D" by Mike Grimshaw
"Tyger" by Guilherme Marcondes
"Learn Self Defense" by Chris Harding
"Abigail" by Tony Comely
"Shuteye Hotel" by Bill Plympton

While it's great that they added some new material to the package, it's frustrating that anything was cut out. This is especially frustrating because they cut one of my favorite films in the program, Shane Acker's "9". The good news is "9" is being developed as a feature length film being released in September of this year, so I'm sure the short will be found on the DVD?/Blu-Ray release next year.

Even without the 4 missing films this is a tremendous value for any animation fan. I'm looking forward to the release of vol 4 (which I missed seeing in a theater, and I hope that they're planning a vol 5 for this fall.

Animation Unleashed: 100 Principles Every Animator, Comic Book Writers, Filmmakers, Video Artist, and Game Developer Should Know
$26.95
100 key principles of communicating via animation explained and illustrated.

Filmmaker and author Ellen Besen discovered these principles as she analyzed classic animated films. She began to see things that made certain animated films "leap off the screen".

She identified specific story telling techniques, camera angles, special effects, and backgrounds that were uniquely suited to animated films. She realized she was "tapping into the essence of how animation functions." Animation Unleashed explains and illustrates 100 of these techniques.

The writing is clear and concise, with delightful illustrations by Bruce Hallet to illustrate each of the techniques.

For example, on page 44 Besen says, "An animated script should create a platform for a performance. To achieve this, write for action first." She then shows how visual actions drive a good animation, and how--if the writer starts by writing dialog--the script can end up as a series of talking heads.

I liked the book because it introduced me to a filmmaking world that I knew little about.

After reading the book, I began see animation everywhere. On a flat screen at the grocery store checkout stand, on television, at the movies, and on most of the websites that I visit. It is fair to say that Animation Unleased increased my visual literacy and my enjoyment of animation.

Recommended for: animators (from beginning to advanced), film buffs, and anyone who needs to communicate visually.

Character Animation Crash Course!
$35.00
Eric Goldberg doesn't dissapoint with this one. The best part about this book is that it comes with a computer CD that corresponds to specific chapters in the book which show u how to do certain animation techniques like making a character walk, run, talk, etc. It's not a "how to draw" book, he only covers basic character design, but it's mainly aimed at bringing your drawings to life and proper animation techniques. I already know how to draw so this is a very helpful resource to me.