TEXTBOOKS for
Animation Courses

Action Analysis for Animators
Chris Webster
ISBN: 978-0-240-81218-2

Action Analysis is one of the fundamental princples of animation that underpins all types of animation: 2d, 3d, computer animation, stop motion, etc. This is a fundamental skill that all animators need to create polished, believable animation. An example of Action Analysis would be Shrek's swagger in the film, Shrek. The animators clearly understood (through action analysis) the type of walk achieved by a large and heavy individual (the real) and then applied their observations to the animated character of an ogre (the fantastic). It is action analysis that enabled the animation team to visually translate a real life situation into an ogre's walk, achieving such fantastic results.

Key animation skills are demonstrated with in-depth illustrations, photographs and live action footage filmed with high speed cameras. Detailed Case Studies, practical assignments and industry interviews ground action analysis methodology with real life examples. Action Analysis for Animators is a essential guide for students, amateurs and professionals... [more]

Character Animation Fundamentals: Developing Skills for 2D and 3D Character Animation
Steve Roberts
ISBN: 978-0-240-52227-2

Expand your animation toolkit and remain competitive in the industry with this leading resource for 2D and 3D character animation techniques. Apply the industry's best practices to your own workflows and develop 2D, 3D and hybrid characters with ease. With side by side comparisons of 2D and 3D character design, improve your character animation and master traditional principles and processes including weight and balance, timing and walks. Develop characters inspired by humans, birds, fish, snakes and four legged animals. Breathe life into your character and develop a characters personality with chapters on acting, voice-synching and facial expressions. Expertly integrate core animation techniques with your software of choice featuring step-by-step tutorials, highlighting 3ds Max, Maya and Blender workflows. Adapt the tips, tricks and techniques for unique projects like character design for rotoscoping and motion capture. Advance beyond the fundamentals of 2D and 3D character animation with the companion website which includes short demonstration movies, 2D and 3D exercises and fully rigged character models... [more]

Tradigital 3ds Max: A CG Animator's Guide to Applying the Classical Principles of Animation
Richard Lapidus
ISBN: 978-0-240-81730-9

Focal Press adds a new star to its brightening constellation of superb Animation titles: The "Tradigital" series of titles, which teach the 12 basic principles of animation, applied to specific software tools: in this case, 3ds Max. The 12 basic principles of animation were introduced by Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, who wanted to codify the efforts of the leading Disney animators from the 1930s onward to produce more realistic animations. The principles mainly teach animators how to create characters that look like they are adhering to the basic laws of physics. The principles also deal with more abstract issues, such as emotional timing and character appeal. With great relevance for today's digital workflows, Richard Lapidus presents innovative 3ds Max controls to the classical principles of animation and core techniques. With the introduction of basic principles, Lapidus lays out a solid foundation for animation students... [more]

Tony White's Animator's Notebook: Personal Observations on the Principles of Movement
Tony White
ISBN: 978-0-240-81307-3

Apprentice yourself to a master of classical animation techniques with this beautiful handbook of insider tips and techniques. Apply age-old techniques to create flawless animations, whether you're working with pencil and animation paper or a 3D application. Author Tony White starts with the basics, and expands his discussion to more advanced topics, like how to animate quadrupeds, working with fluidity and flexibility, and dialogue. White brings years of production experience and even more time as an instructor to the book, ensuring that The Animator's Notebook will serve well as your mentor in a book. The art from the book comes to life in the clips available on the book's website... [more]

Elemental Magic, Volume II: The Technique of Special Effects Animation
Joseph Gilland
ISBN: 978-0-240-81479-7

Design beautiful, professional-level animated effects with these detailed step-by-step tutorials from former Disney animator and animated effects expert Joseph Gilland. Filled with beautiful, full-color artwork, Elemental Magic, Volume II, breaks down the animated effect process from beginning to end-including booming explosions, gusting winds, magical incantations, and raging fires. He also breaks down the process of effects "clean-up," as well as timing and frame rates. The companion website includes real-time footage of the author lecturing as he animates the drawings from the book. In these videos, he elucidates the entire process from blank page to final animation. See it all come to life like never before. Throughout the book, Joseph refers to and includes examples from his own professional work from feature films such as Lilo & Stitch and Tarzan... [more]

Producing Animation, 2nd Edition
Catherine Winder
Zahra Dowlatabadi
Tracey Miller-Zarneke
ISBN: 978-0-240-81535-0

You have a useful library of books covering the tools, techniques and aesthetics of animation, but you've been asked to put your production and creative skills to the test to produce a theatrical feature film or to deliver 52 episodes of a television series with only 18 months in the schedule. Producing Animation is your answer.

Written by Catherine Winder and Zahra Dowlatabadi and edited by Tracey Miller-Zarneke, Producing Animation is a comprehensive guide to the production industry. Already a relied upon resource by professionals and students alike, this book covers the process from script to screen while defining the role of the producer at each phase. The second edition features new content such as sidebars on key topics from industry experts, discussions on CG, 2D and stereoscopic production processes, and an overview on marketing and distributing your project. Companion website provides access to sample tables, templates and workflow outlines for CG and 2D animation production... [more]

Tradigital Blender: A CG Animator's Guide to Applying the Classical Principles of Animation
Roland Hess
ISBN: 978-0-240-81757-6

Focal Press adds a new star to its brightening constellation of superb Animation titles: The "Tradigital" series of titles, which teach the 12 basic principles of animation, applied to specific software tools: in this case, Blender. The 12 principles were introduced in the 1930s by the Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas to teach animators how to produce more realistic animations. These principles are used in all animated films from classics like Beauty and the Beast to Monsters Inc. Today's animators learn how to use various software tools on the fly, but most never really learn the foundations or how to apply them to their work. In the second book of the series, Tradigital Blender, students and professionals learn how to use Blender to create stunning animations that adhere to the 12 principles of animation. Roland Hess artfully demonstrates just how relevant these principles are to today's digital animators... [more]

Force: Animal Drawing
Animal Locomotion and Design Concepts for Animators
Mike D. Mattesi
ISBN: 978-0-240-81435-3

Many artists are unsure how to bridge the gap between the many basic 'how to draw' books and the more advanced ones dealing with the esoteric details of composition, perspective and anatomy. Force: Animal Drawing is the comprehensive guide to developing artistic animals that are creative, dynamic and anatomical, bridging the gap between foundational art and advanced techniques. Artists and animators alike all find animal inspiration when animating characters- be they human or inhuman. For a unique 'larger than life' character, readers will learn to apply the unique facets of animal movement, locomotion, expressions, facial features, physical build and personality to their traditional and digital art. Readers will also adapt key industry tricks and techniques to personify animal animations with key characteristics of a human's face. Explore the practical application of force theories and learn from today's leading character designers with the included artist interviews and an extended video tutorial... [more]

Real-World Flash Game Development: How to Follow Best Practices AND Keep Your Sanity, 2nd Edition
Christopher Griffith
ISBN: 978-0-240-81768-2

This book helps bridge the gap for students who may be used to C++, Java, or C# and want to move over to Flash. Griffith covers real-world scenarios pulled from his own experiences developing games for over 10 years in the industry. The associated website offers code from the game examples in the book with fully build-able source files... [more]

Layout and Composition for Animation
Ed Ghertner
ISBN: 978-0-240-81441-4

This essential, hands-on guide is filled with examples of what a composition should look like and example of poorly designed layouts. Spot potential problems before they cost time and money, and adapt creative solutions for your own projects with this invaluable resource for beginner and intermediate artists.  With Beauty and the Beast examples and Simpson character layouts, readers will learn how to develop character layout and background layout as well as strengthen composition  styles with a creative toolset of trick shot examples and inspirational case studies. A companion website will include further technique based tools, finalized layout and composition examples and tutorials for further artistic skill development.... [more]

How to Cheat in 3ds Max 2011: Get Spectacular Results Fast
Michele Bousquet
ISBN: 978-0-240-81433-9

Why present students with a giant tome covering the button-pushing of 3ds Max, when you can teach from this visually appealing and accessible book, and teach them to create quick yet stunning special effects and animated characters with the fastest techniques possible. How to Cheat in 3ds Max includes a host of time-saving techniques as well as little-known tools that will make students look like experts in no time. This book is for busy students who need to get it done right, but also need it done fast. It features ALL NEW content on modeling and material tools, mental ray, special effects, particle systems, and scripting. The companion website offers scene files and bitmaps used to illustrate the cheats, music files, organizational samples, and instructional Camtasia movies of the author showing some of the trickier techniques... [more]

Hybrid Animation: Integrating 2D and 3D Assets
Tina O'Hailey
ISBN: 978-0-240-81205-2

With the knowledge of 3D and 2D assets and the integration of multiple animation mediums into a single project, animators have a wealth of creative resources available for a project that is not limited to a specific animation medium, software package or workflow processs. With Hybrid Animation, learn the systematic development of the 2D and 3D mediums. Includes exercises, step-by-step tutorials, and practical industry insight with featured interviews with Todd Redner, Supervising Animation Director at Radical Axis Inc., and Marty Altman, former CGI Technical Director at Walt Disney Feature Animation.  With class exercises, projects, and step-by-step tutorials for students, produce high-quality 2D and 3D narratives, regardless of the software you use. Includes Photoshop, Corel, Flash, After Effects, Shake, Toon Boom, and Maya workflows and examples... [more]

Write Your Way Into Animation and Games: Create a Writing Career in Animation and Games
Christy Marx
ISBN: 978-0-240-81343-1

Launch your career in writing for video games or animation with the best tips, tricks, and tutorials from the Focal Press catalog—all at your fingertips. Let our award-winning writers and game developers show you how to generate ideas and create compelling storylines, concepts, and narratives for your next project. Write Your Way Into Animation and Games provides invaluable information on getting into the game and animation industries. You will benefit from decades of insider experience about the fields of animation and games, with an emphasis on what you really need to know to start working as a writer. Navigate the business aspects, gain unique skills, and develop the craft of writing specifically for animation and games. Learn from the cream of the crop who have shared their knowledge... [more]

How to Make Animated Films
Tony White
ISBN: 978-0-240-81033-1

Now your students can also become Tony White's personal animation student. They'll experience many of the teaching techniques of the golden era of Disney and Warner Brothers studios and beyond…all from the comfort of your classroom. Tony White's Animation Master Class is uniquely designed to cover the core principles of animated movement comprehensively. How to Make Animated Films offers secrets and unique approaches only a Master Animator could share. Includes hands-on Tutorials, demonstrations and final sample animations. . Whether students want to become a qualified animator of 2D, 3D, Flash or any other form of animation, Tony White's foundations bring them closer to that goal.  The DVD is invaluable, in that students are not only taught principles and concepts in the book, they are able to see them demonstrated in action in the movies on the DVD... [more]

Voice-Over for Animation
Jean Ann Wright
M. J. Lallo
ISBN: 978-0-240-81015-7

Voice-Over for Animation takes animation and voice-over students and professionals alike through the animated voice-over world. The book provides information, exercises, and advice from professional voice-over artists. Now you can develop your own unique characters and learn techniques to exercise your own voice to gain the versatility you need to compete. Learn how to make a professional-sounding demo CD, and find work in the field. CD included featuring interviews with Nancy Cartwright (Bart, The Simpsons), Cathy Cavadini (Blossom, Power Puff Girls) and Bill Farmer (Goofy)... [more]

Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes, Vol. 1
Walt Stanchfield
Edited By Don Hahn
ISBN: 978-0-240-81096-6

Discover the lessons that helped bring about a new golden age of Disney animation!

Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes, Vol. 2
Walt Stanchfield
Edited By Don Hahn
ISBN: 978-0-240-81107-9

Discover the lessons that helped bring about a new golden age of Disney animation!

Timing for Animation, 2nd Edition
Harold Whitaker
John Halas
Updated by Tom Sito
ISBN: 978-0-240-52160-2

A classic of animation education since it first published in 1981. Copies of Timing for Animation have been sitting dog-eared and spine-split on desks and workstations around the world, wherever animation is produced for more than 25 years. Vital techniques employed by animators worldwide are explained using dozens of clear illustrations and simple, straightforward directions. Students will learn how animations should be arranged in relation to each other, how much space should be used and how long each drawing should be shown for maximum dramatic effect. Fully revised and updated, the new edition includes timing for digital production, digital storyboarding in 2D, digital storyboarding in 3D, the use of After Effects and much, much more!... [more]

Prepare to Board! Creating Story and Characters for Animation Features and Shorts
Nancy Beiman
ISBN: 978-0-240-80820-8

Packed with illustrations that illuminate and a text that entertains and informs, this book explains the methods and techniques of animation preproduction with a focus on story development and character design.

Story is the most important part of an animated film—and this book delivers clear direction on how animators can create characters and stories that have originality and appeal. Learn how the animation storyboard differs from live action boards and how characters must be developed simultaneously with the story. Positive and negative examples of storyboard and character design are presented and analyzed to demonstrate successful problem-solving techniques. Artwork from an international array of students and professionals supplement the author’s own illustrations. Three never-before-published interviews with well known development artists and a comprehensive glossary are also included... [more]

Animation From Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for Digital Animators
Tony White
ISBN: 978-0-240-80670-9

Just add talent.

Animation From Pencils to Pixels is the most comprehensive book on the principles, processes, and profession of animation ever written. Within the covers of this book is everything required to conceive, produce, direct, animate, assemble, publish, and distribute an animated film. The tips and techniques in this book are timeless; applicable whether you want to make a 2D or 3D film, a Web-based animation or a game... [more]