Animation Books

When I bought my digital camcorder, I wanted to learn how to quickly get up to speed with Movie Maker so I could share my movies. This author really knows what he's talking about, and it made my life a whole lot easier. This is a "must buy" for anyone who wants to make their own movies in Windows!

I think this is a good book of learning how to use windows movie makers and I would know how to make movies on my laptop on windows movie makers.

The author of the book is Keith Underdahl and I think that is a cool book he wrote.

I like Movie Makers!

This is a good book to use that could help me use Windows Movie Makers kind of like Avid Cinema.

I like this book.

This book has so many easy to follow and very creative ideas in it that even the beginning computer user will be an expert after reading this well-written book! Whether you want to create printing and craft projects using your computer, make your own DVDs and CDs, or just become more familiar with XP, this book has it all. It is written in a fun, easy to understand way, but non-offensive if you are a computer expert already. It's the perfect reference book that all homes should have on their bookshelves. You won't be sorry!

Wow! Another great addition to all the wonderful things that you can do with your computer. We especially enjoyed the section written by Jan S. Smith - Printing Projects Made Fun and Easy! Her attention to detail, and instructions for completing the cool projects were extremely creative, cratsy, and helpful. It really was fun and easy! We were able to create any project, and learned that our computer is able to do many things that we used to have printed by professionals. It is fun family time to complete these projects as well as exploring the book for next week's endeavor. Thanks Ms. Smith . . . . your'e both intelligent and glamorous. We loved the cute little kitty cat animation best of all because it reminded us of our aunt that we don't often see!

I believe that I was Stephen's teacher when he was 14. I am not sure if "This Property is condemned" means anything to him..but would certainly like to touch base with him again. carole (brown) nelson cnelson@pyramax.com

This small book contains the lyrics for "Out There" from Disney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME accompanied by illustrations and artwork from the film. Some of the pictures are spectacular. Even though I hated what Disney did to the story of Quasimodo and company, I did enjoy the movie and I love the music from the film. "Out There" is one of my favorite two songs from that movie and I am glad to own a copy of this small book. This is a great present for any fan of Disney's HUNCHBACK, any Disney freak, or a book to read to children.

This is an exquisitely made book and if you are at all interested in animation or disney art, this or any of the sketchbook series books are a must. Each character has it's section where various sketch drawings are shown. There are also some background pictures. No text, but a delight to flip through. Beautifully designed and packaged.

This fine addition to the Disney Sketchbook series has many of the wonderful sketches done by Disney's animation department for Peter Pan, including many pieces from the storyboards, and several sketches of scenes that never made it into the final film.

Artists that would like to study the Disney style of drawing and animation should find this volume a terrific addition to their collection despite its rather high price. As a student of art, and a fan of the Disney style, I highly recommend any of these books for your library.

A couple of years ago, I got Podcast Solutions and was really impressed with its' overall content. For its' time. Of course, with everything on the web, practically everything changes and thus, a new edition of this book had to be released. And it's still probably the best book out there. Lots of updated information on how to create, edit and upload podcasts and for the most part, do it on the cheap since if you're really looking to make a million bucks doing this, keep looking. Lots more stuff on video which has truly taken off thanks to YouTube and similar sites and newer ways to promote and get advertisers to your site. You'll also learn how to use WordPress and similar blogs and create a podcast site as a result. That's what I did with one of my clients. Not as thick as the Bibles out there but at least you won't get a hernia trying to lift it. You should be getting ideas for your own (or your clients own) podcasts within minutes of surfing thru this book.

Yes that's right, this is the perfect book for any and all podcasters. If you are a podcaster, or want to be one or just want to find out what it's all about buy this book.

The title says it all; Podcast Solutions. Chock full of info, written concisely, humorously, intelligently, informatively and in language that anyone can understand (even me) this is the one book to buy on the subject. It takes you step by step down the road to conceiving, creating, recording, producing and profiting from your show idea. This book covers every nook and cranny of the considerable field of information on both podcasts and vodcasts.

I personally have used both editions of this book to help me get my podcast going as well as optimizing it once it was up and running. What I really enjoyed about this book is how the authors explain things so that not only do you know what to do next but also why it works. Not only that there are many highlighted sections where the authors share a personal experience that really drives a point home. This brings the whole process into very sharp focus.

And their personal experience goes way beyond the technical aspects of podcasting and vodcasting. On page 85, for example, they share a tip that is critical to anyone who really wants to make effective communication with their material. And that is this; "speak as if you are speaking to one person". That one piece of advice can turn a blah and lifeless presentation into one with depth and impact. This book is loaded with tips like that.

I can't say enough good about this book. Without it I may not have gotten my podcast going. The two guys who wrote it have been doing this since it began and they know all the tricks. Don't think about, just buy the book. You'll thank me and more importantly you'll thank the authors Dan Klass and Michael W. Geoghegan.

Geoffrey Leigh Tozer
Producer - Sly Crooner

This is a great dvd for getting the hang of Poser 7 for those who are new like me.
I also have the books for Poser 7 but I do better with a hands on type of learning, but with both you can learn from the dvd and later you can read up on anything from the books that you have a question on. Plus it comes with a 2nd dvd with execercise files on it.

All in all it's a great investment for those who are serious about Poser and how it can you can use the knowledge from this dvd to express yourself as an artist...... graphics, illustrator, or even photography can be incorporated into poser.

I know that nothing is perfect, but this training content is so far the best. It covers most of the items/topics used in Poser. He uses many examples, and it is easy to understand. The price might be a little bit high, but I would rather pay for something that I want to learn. Highly recommended.

Making web video involves a cross section of products and skills and "Producing Flash CS3 Video" puts it all together in one book both suitable a a good read and as a reference. While reading through this you'll also pick up on interesting facts about different video formats, After Effects tips and tricks and ways to tame Flash. All in all, this was a great buy for me.

This is an AMAZING resource for Flash CS3. I was really impressed with how concise and well-organized this book is. A must have resource for any developer!!

The title on the book reads C++.
It is detailed, and concise, Covers the nitty gritty
of all the scary details down to Forward and Reverse Kinematics.
Lightwave, and 3DS ascii file parsing, Motion Capture, and the Author's own Toon3D Engine.
Thoroughly Enriched, Well Researched, and Easy to Read (for as complicated and detailed as this material is).
well laid out. Definitely Hard Core Food for Thought.
Thank You Nik.

The language is simple and direct. Nik really touches the subject in depth and keeps the math simple. The sample code is also very useful. I found fairly easy to modify for my custom applications. The book has been teaching me a lot. I've been even learning about GL and MFC with his book. If you need to learn about character animation, Nik's book must be on your collection! Looking forward to the next one.

I bought this book as a gift for my husband's 86th birthday. He adores Shrek and this book is the ultimate gift for such a devoted fan. It proves you are never too old to appreciate and enjoy such merriment.

With the DVD release of Shrek 3 just around the corner, Insight Editions has released a beautiful new book with the collector or avid fan in mind. Shrek: The Art of the Quest is a lavishly illustrated hardcover book featuring previously unpublished art from all three of the mega blockbuster films. This includes black & white sketches, storyboards, concept art, models, 3D art...just about everything an Ogre fan could ask for, all in an oversized hardcover that comes in a handsome slipcase.

The first thing you will lay your eyes on are some rare glimpses into Shrek himself and how the initial concept drawings looked far different than the final product. Among those providing some of these concept drawings is longtime comic book artist, Mike Ploog. All of the films major characters are covered including Donkey, Princess Fiona, Puss in Boots, Prince Charming, and Merlin. When you look through the pages you cannot help but be amazed at the intricacy of detail that these talented artists have put into their work. There's even blueprint drawings of the castle.

It's not all pictures, though. The book is filled with interesting anecdotes and comments from many of those technical wizards involved on the films. It's like having DVD extras but with a book instead! With the advancements in animation from the first film to the third, all of the characters were rebuilt. This was a tricky process as their well-known looks had to be maintained while being able to take advantage of the advanced computer technology. The crafting of the models alone was a remarkable undertaking, especially considering this was a 3D animated film. Models were made for each character in a variety of sizes and poses from full body models to busts. It's not all art though, there's a section of photographs showing all of the voice talent (Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, John Cleese, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Eric Idle, etc...)hard at work.

One thing about the books from Insight Editions is that you always get more than just a book. Spread throughout is little surprises that await the reader. There are mini-booklets which show additional storyboards and sketches; a mini-diary written by Princess Fiona herself; punch-out cardboard coasters, perfect for your bottle of Poison Apple Cider or Vipers Venom; a 10 page booklet listing the credits for all three films. This is a remarkable treasure trove of Shrek goodies!

It's a cliche to say it but this is a must have for Shrek fans and would make a great Christmas gift as well. Another wonderful book from Insight Editions!

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

When I first started animating, there were no books on stopmotion, only books on 2-D cartooning and filmmaking. Even so, they were dated.

Since then, a few books about the craft came out, but this is the only book I've ever read that was written from the point of view of a professional stopmotion animator that covers the "why" more than the "how" aspect of putting a soul into a puppet and making it move in a way that removes all doubt in the viewer that it is, in fact, alive.

I found the book to be inspiring and so full of useful information, that I've had it for more than a week already and still haven't finished reading it.

A must-buy for anyone who is making their own stopmotion-animated film.

I've got pretty much all the stopmotion books in print, and this one is really something else entirely. It's not a text, not a beginner's lesson book and not just an appreciation for the art form (and, as Mr. Purves proves, it really IS an artform). Rather it's a very passionate reflection on the creative process of making stopmotion, and on the larger aspects of creativity in general. Barry is one of the best among animators.... and has frequently been writer and director of his own films, resulting in some of the most startling and original animation to date (such as his brilliant Achilles or my favorite Rigoletto). He expounds with great articulateness and intelligence on the strengths and weaknesses of the various forms of animation, revealing his obvious love for stopmotion above all the rest. And as he does, he reveals truths about animation that you had always felt but couldn't quite put into words.

He also shares a wealth of his own hard-earned tips and techniques, some about animating, but more on the art of storytelling and on how best to utilize the special properties that stopmotion alone has. It's not a book about "how to animate" but rather Why.... and he stresses the importance of playing to the particular strengths of our quirky art. If it can be done in live action or CGI or drawn animation, then why use stopmo? As many, he feels the sheer potential of stopmotion has only begun to be tapped, and he expounds at great length on how that might be done. And reading his words, it's difficult not to feel the same inspiration he obviously does.

Every animator should read this book.... even if you're just scooting Lego figures across the bedroom floor in front of your webcam (unless that's the extent of your ambition). He really illuminates the magic of stopmotion, what it does best and what it shouldn't be made to do. I just finished reading it for the first time, and I'm about to begin again.....