Animation Books

This is such a great book with great information about the disney company and of course mickey! and lots of great pictures!

If you love animations from Disney, or the Disney success story, this is a must buy. My Wife loves this.

This book goes through the entire Disney legacy, in what is supposed to be art criticism. As far as it goes, the text is pretty good, but they are mere accompaniments to the photos, which is the bane of many art/design books. Finch makes an effort at being comprehensive, though ultimately - if you read through the whole thing - it comes off as a vanilla milk shake, with virtually no depth and ultimately flattering to just about everything Disney.

Moreover, the beginning of the text is far stronger than the end, reflecting hte fact that this is an update. As such, the author worked much harder and dug deeper on the sections that covered Walt Disney's work and ideas directly - the subject of the first edition and far more interesting than later work - and then feels the rest is pasted on to update it. To cover the post-Walt Disney things, many of which represent great art in and of themselves - would merit an independent work like the first volume.

Futhermore, by separating the book into discrete sections devoted to film, TV, parks, etc., the author misses one of the most important aspects of the Disney company: its work is self-reinforcing through all the media. Thus, though the early TV shows did not get enough commercial sponsorship and hence lost money, Walt Disney viewed the shows as the ultimate tool to implant his brand in the minds of the young. Even the toys were part of this, though they are almost entirely neglected in this book. It all fits together, each part morphing into the others, which Finch fails to see.

The worst failing of this book, though, is its utter lack of analysis beyond crude evocations of historical context. Though purporting to be a critic, Finch does not ponder any of the company's impact on, or as a reflection of, American culture, particularly the dark side. Why do many people (myself not among them as I essentially love the DIsney legacy) despise the way the company transforms culture into its own immediately recognizable brand? What does it say about the American predilection to recreate realities, such as a mock European village, rather than seeking out the real thing (even at similar cost)? These are tough questions.

In the end, this reads like something directly out of a PR department. I enjoyed the images and some of the reconstrctions of the films. But this offers little in the way of true criticism.

This is not just a book for Disney art lovers -- it is a terrific background on the Disney Company as a whole and the process in the art of animation. It goes into detail as to the extent of Walt's genius and leadership abilities. Never the less, the art in this collection is phenomenal!! I personally love the preliminary sketches and the process that eventually become what you see on the screen. There is also a chapter on the role the Disney Studios played during WWII. I will cherish this edition for many years to come.

This book gives good insight into the story of the Disney company. It was nice to hear an honest account of whether each movie was a success or failure with critics and audiences, though I feel some were a little shortchanged. A book of this size should have had a chapter (or at least a full page) dedicated to each movie. And while it is heavily illustrated, the text does not in any way rely on the pictures. I guess screen shots from the movies or brochure style pictures of the parks are "art" but based on the title I was expecting more unique in depth imagery like preproduction and concept art, storyboards, construction photos (from the parks).

If you have the older Concise edition of this book, then I don't think this one is necessary. So there are stills from a few more movies, but all the classics up to Fantasia 2000 are covered in the smaller book. Besides, the best of the new movies covered is Finding Nemo, and who doesn't have that on tape or DVD? Don't spend this much money on a few screen shots, just watch your movie. And I was particularly interested in seeing some of the new parks that weren't in the other book (California Adventure and Tokyo DisneySea) but alas they accounted for about 3 pages. Just a warning because the annoying shrink wrap prevents anyone from flipping through to decide based on the contents whether or not to fork over that much money (and the cover is so enticing...).

If you have never read anything about Disney this is a great place to start, but if you already have a collection of Disney books (especially this one's concise ed.) then this one doesn't have much more to offer. And if your true passion is in the theme parks, don't let this deceptive title make you believe that equal emphasis is given to the "Magic Kingdoms". There are way better (and cheaper) books on that subject that will give you much more insight.

I purchased this used for a buck. It's of course, for an older version of the program that is Final Cut Pro, now in version 6. From the Black and White cover to the dull interior, It's not even worth keeping around for reference sake.

Indeed this book gives tons of small tips and I saw many tricks. It is fun, fast and easy to read. However, this book is a list of tricks in alphabetical order and it does not help me to learn how to use Final Cut Pro. I'm at the beginner stage and this book is not appropriate for my needs. When I will be able to use the program, I may come back to this book.
Laurent - Switzerland

Even the authors are quick to say in the Introduction of this book, that it is not intended for the beginner user of Final Cut Pro, but for the one who is already comfortable with non-linear editing... the intermediate or veteran editor. Harrington and Shapiro have 20+ years of combined editing experience, 40 years of combined Apple usage, have read every tech document on the Web, every version of the program's manuals from start to finish, attended all Apple FCP certification courses, hung out with all the usual Final Cut Pro geeks, as well has have made friends with Apple's own Final Cut Pro Team. Along the way, they have picked up a gazillion handy tips and shortcuts that save editors time and hassle. They know that the average user is too busy working or living their daily lives, to uncover all of these gems, and so they have combined the cream of the crop, the best of the best into this book, for reference on the fly. It is designed to help "unlearn" the bad habits most users have picked up through experience. You know how some programs have a "Tip of The Day" that pops up, every time you launch the program or their website? Well, this book is akin to a mini bible of Final Cut Pro "Tips of The Day." And it's small and light enough to be carted around by the person with the mobile setup, keep it handy but out of the way in your normal setup, or who otherwise wants to carry it around for mini tip lessons in your spare time. 350 tips, to be exact. It's like having someone from Apple's Final Cut Pro department come to your house/facility, being available for personal house calls for specific tasks.

I myself, am a beginner with Final Cut. I'm primarily a musician (former film student with 8mm and 16mm experience, but have never edited on a digital system), seeking to create my own music videos, short films, and other content, and that's pretty much the extent of my plans for Final Cut Pro. I bought the book anyway, because I also have supplemental materials specifically designed for beginners, such as the wonderful "Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 4" by Diana Weynand (also avaialble for other versions of FCP, and released as a handy beginners tutorial, by Apple). Weynand's book is what I consider the Beginner's Steak, with everything one needs in order to start making sense of the program and editing right away, plus get a well-rounded level of experience with more detailed tasks... where "Final Cut Pro 4 on the Spot" is what I consider the Steak Sauce for ALL users... enhancing the experience, whenever you need it. Whether you want your steak well done or medium rare, before putting the sauce on, is entirely up to you, how fast you learn, or what your personal needs are. You may only like a little sauce on your steak, or a heaping river of sauces, but the point is, that the sauce is available. In more plain terms, everyone goes at a different pace in learning programs such as this, and even some people who can cut together something in Final Cut, may have missed or forgotten little bits of details along the way. However, this book is written and constructed in such a way that it can be used however YOU want it to be used, and as little or often as you need it. It makes no sense to try and read it start to finish, as it's not so much of a book that needs to be read, but instead *referred* to. You thumb through it for new ideas to spice up your productions, or go directly to specific chapters or tips when you come to a specific "stumper" while editing. There's plenty of troubleshooting tips and fixes here, along with the plentiful "Hey, this is a neat trick to speed things up/make it look better" sort of tip.

Hammond and Shapiro's book, at least to me, is a great tool to have around in the beginners stage as a "just in case," because it clearly has answers to questions I already know I'm going to need to do, such as working with audio quickly, color correction, better transitions, and I'm very big on using shortcut keys, instead of moving the mouse around to click every menu option. Depending on the project, I may need more or less information about how to do certain tasks more efficiently... why not already have the information accessible on my bookshelf? I plan to share this with friends who have editing experience already (but unfortunately have been too busy to show me anything). I hear them run across little roadblocks all the time, but even though they either figure them out or find another way around them, I've spotted things in this book, that would have saved them much time.

The book consists of 15 chapters, and within each are a collection of tips, in alphabetical order, pertaining to that chapter. It is written in such a way that you can easily hop around, as you need to and when you want to. There's plenty of both black and white as well as color photographs FOR EVERY SINGLE EXAMPLE/TIP (!), and probably 99% of the book is written in casual verbiage, easy to understand. Some tips are only brief paragraphs with pictures or even just a sentence or two, and the more involved ones are written out step-by-step. You can't go wrong with this thing. Only on occasion, does some terminology pop up that I'm not yet familiar with, but again, I imagine I'll either learn what those things are from a beginner book, or will eventually figure it out in context - and may only need to know - after I've already had a little bit of experience. And still, even that's not a big deal... the authors are showing you visually and telling you what you need to do, and what the end result will be. And that's the most important thing... so you can take it or leave it. As I've learned from using various audio programs, I don't always have to know what the terminology means, but just like that I get the results I want.

Anyway, if you already use or plan on using Final Cut Pro with any frequency at all, even if just occasionally, you would be wise to have this book in your library. Experienced users will certainly enjoy all the handy tips from people who know the program inside and out. Beginners, on the other hand, can keep it handy for when you either feel more comfortable with the program, find yourselves stumped on specific tasks or during the process of learning how to the use the program, want to see if there's a way you can cut down on some of the tasks that have way more steps involved.

Everyone wants speed, efficiency and tricks, but a program with as much to offer as Final Cut Pro... there are simply no "Instant Final Cut Pro!" resources that are going to tell you every single thing you will ever need to know to do every single thing you will ever need or want to know, without an investment of time. It's not like having a new DVD player or MP3 player, where you've mastered most of the functions in 5 minutes. Those looking for The Miracle, to learn Final Cut in a day and who expects to make top-notch quality videos in 48 hours, are only deluding themselves, with this or any other book. Editing, unto itself, is an artform. However, after you've at least used a beginners book to show basics, or something more advanced such as having taken classes, or learned all you can through experience and trial and error, this book is the icing on top of the cake.

In response to H. Laurent's review... correct this is NOT a book for begineers. There's a whole bunch on the market, so we wanted to be different. If you click on the Look Inside feature, you can read sample pages, an index, and most importantly the back cover. We wrote this book for frustrated pros, and its labeled User Level: Intermediate - Advanced.

The book was written for expereinced editors who have hit the wall and want to know high end information fast. For those pros who have clients breathign down their neck, we wanted a fast solution. Hopefully H. Laurent will find the book useful as his expereicne grows.

If you are brand new, I suggest you start with the excellent hands on books from Apple or the Editing Essentials by the wise Tom Wolsky. FCP On th Spots will then fill you in on much more when you are ready for it.

Good luck and have fun with FCP....

Wow! I've been working on FCP for over three years and thought I had a pretty good handle on it, but I learned so much from this book. Every other editing book I've bought feels like a basic intro to editing. This book actually gives more advanced tips and some great ideas for working with effects. And the presentation is lighthearted and easy to read through. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who already has experience with Final Cut Pro.

This is a great book..I'm not a guru in flash, but this title is great if you are looking for great tips for flash...full satisfing

Book review of Flash Hacks

Introduction:

Flash Hacks from O'Reilly is a great book that every Flash Designer or Developer should have in their library. The "get-to-the-point" style of the Hacks series is also very useful when you have a deadline fast approaching. There are 100 "hacks" in this book that, for the most part, are projects that can be used in your everyday Flash development.

First the bad news:

BWhile this book is full of great project that touch the surface of most problems, I found that the book could have used more in-depth examples. I also wanted a full chapter on Flash Components, which was not really covered at all. Flash is now the goto format for Rich Internet Applications because of the player market penetration, and with the need to regularly utilize components, it would have been nice to seem more information on the subject.

Now for the good news:

I choose this book mainly for the Sound and Browser Integration chapters, but I was pleasantly suprised to find more than a handful of topics that helped me develop better applications. I especially liked the chapter on Optimization along with the Color Effects chapter. Both of these chapters provided tid-bits of information that were directly related to a few projects I was working on.

Conclusion:

While there is room for improvement, I would highly recommend this book, or the next version that I assume will be coming out shortly. For the begining and intermediate Flash Developer, the hacks in this book will help you build better user experiences for your clients.




Book Rating: 8.5 / 10

This book is about coming up with new ideas for your Flash web designs, ActionScript, and Flash content. It is not just about showing you some interesting hacks, it is about showing you some of the nonobvious techniques and ideas that will make your Flash designs more original and your applications more effective.

If you want to get some quick ideas for new directions in your designs, the first four chapters look at the core techniques that affect the look and feel of a site, such as drawing, animation, and effects. Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, and Chapter 8 revolve around media and content, so visit them for inspiration and information pertaining to 3D, text, sound, or UI elements. Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, and Chapter 12 cover specialized topics such as browser integration, optimization, and security plus a healthy dose of ActionScript for good measure. You should peruse them for answers to question like, "How do I center the Flash Stage in the browser?" or "How can I prevent someone from stealing my design?"

Flash is a versatile authoring tool and consists of a number of separate areas that usually need to be combined to produce the finished effect or piece, so don't take the chapter titles and synopses as anything other than broad headings. For example, many chapters contain some element of animation, and most hacks contain ActionScript because it lets you do some really interesting things. The following is a brief description of the table of contents:

Chapter 1, Visual Effects
This chapter looks at ways you can make your graphic content more interesting by adding various effects and transitions.

Chapter 2, Color Effects
The savvy designer uses color in addition to animation. Color is often overlooked, but this chapter shows how color changes can transform the atmosphere of a piece or add video-like effects, such as fades and wipes.

Chapter 3, Drawing and Masking
Combining Flash's graphic animation facilities with ActionScript increases your creative horizons considerably. This chapter shows graphic effects created at both authoring time and runtime. Masking, which underlies many of the graphics tricks and techniques, is also discussed.

Chapter 4, Animation
The hacks in this chapter offer content creation shortcuts for manually drawn animation, plus ways to optimize animation created under ActionScript control.

Chapter 5, 3D and Physics
Flash Player is somewhat underpowered in terms of computational and animation speed. Therefore, processor-intensive applications, such as 3D, are problematic in Flash. Flash doesn't include any native 3D ActionScript commands or 3D hardware support, unlike Macromedia Director which supports the Shockwave 3D format. This chapter provides a number of hacks that bypass Flash's performance limitations to add physics simulations and 3D effects to your repertoire.

Chapter 6, Text
This chapter covers ways to store, display, and manipulate text, as well as create animated text effects.

Chapter 7, Sound
Without sound, your carefully crafted content will feel flat and uninspired. The main thrust of this chapter is to show hacks that allow you to create sounds for Flash without having to go to a usually very costly off-the-shelf sound source CD-ROM and without having to nurture any music talent. This chapter also looks at a number of issues that can stop Flash sound from working as advertised and which have put off many Flash sound experimenters in the past. A secondary aim is to present a few sound-related hacks that are not normally attempted. These techniques are hacks because they are sound applications that are not mainstream, such as Flash-based spoken word input and output.

Chapter 8, User Interface Elements
This chapter covers hacks related to user interface issues, such as buttons, scrollbars, and mouse input. However, this book is not about interface design but about stretching Flash in ways Macromedia might not have foreseen or intended. Therefore, the hacks in this chapter cover several nonobvious uses of UI elements within Flash. Some of them overcome apparent limitations in the UI facilities provided by Flash. But the first hack shows that UIs are not just for the end user, sometimes they can make development easier, too.

Chapter 9, Performance and Optimization
This chapter includes hacks to keep your filesizes small and your applications speedy. Flash's animation engine isn't the fastest one around because the Flash Player is optimized for a small download size, not for performance. Also, it is designed with web use in mind; therefore, it is optimized for small, low-bandwidth files rather than large, complex animation. In order to maintain its small footprint and ensure maximum compatibility, the Flash Player does not support hardware acceleration. Therefore, performance issues are often paramount for the Flash designer.

Chapter 10, ActionScript
Although almost every hack in the book includes some ActionScript, this chapter covers ways to get the most out of ActionScript, including undocumented features. ActionScript adds true power to Flash. Without ActionScript, Flash can create only linear animation. With a little ActionScript, you can create basic navigation via clickable buttons and hotspots. Learning more advanced ActionScript techniques gives you access to features such as creating a local shared object also known as a "Flash cookie". Without ActionScript, you cannot create Flash sites that communicate with the browser, exchange data with server-side applications, or download MP3 files.

Chapter 11, Browser Integration
This chapter looks at ways of maximizing browser compatibility so you can maximize the audience and enhance their enjoyment of your content. Ironically, part of the world's love-hate relationship with Flash is based on misconceptions. Many web developers and users don't realize the extent to which Flash works with browsers. In this chapter, we'll see how to integrate Flash with standard browser conventions, such as the Back button, which is highlighted in Hack #94, and search engines like Google.

Chapter 12, Security
This chapter provides a few ways to protect your content and designs, despite the vulnerability of the SWF format.

There are 100 total hacks, with an accompanying thermometer. The "temperature" indicates novice, intermediate, or expert hack.

Title: Flash Hacks - 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools
Author: Sham Bhangal
Publisher: O"Reilly
ISBN: 0-596-00645-4
Pages: 452 pages
Reviewer: Philip High
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

When I encountered the first versions of Flash my impression was of an unnecessarily complex animation program with an obscure interface and REALLY WEIRD drawing tools. I've wanted to say that in public for years and now that I've gotten it off my chest I feel much better, thank you.

Yet, Macromedia must have been onto something, since the program has obviously matured into an indispensable tool for creators of dynamic, interactive, multimedia content for the web and beyond. But, as you might expect, the complexity has only multiplied. This book dives right into the issue by forgoing lengthy tutorials and focusing directly on getting results and solving specific problems - 100 of them to be exact. Once inside it is caution-to-the-wind since the only guide lines are "what if" and "whatever works." That's why they're called hacks, after all. It's an approach that works for me, since I'm really just an overgrown novice that has used the program for several years but infrequently. When I do use it I just want to get the job done and don't have the luxury (or patience, maybe?) to search the documentation, learn a comprehensive set of new skills, then figure out how they apply to my current need. And I don't think I'm alone here.

Although the book, like Flash itself, is not for the unmotivated, there really is something here for everyone from beginner to veteran. If you are tempted by the promise of shiny new tricks and sweet insider workarounds then you can eagerly and easily search these pages for tasty snacks to digest now and save the heavier helpings for later. The preface offers a useful starting point with a concise overview and clear explanations of the conventions used to organize and demonstrate the text.

The book covers a wide range of topics. Twelve chapters are each devoted to specific issues such as Visual Effects, Drawing and Masking, 3D and Physics, Sound, ActionScript, etc., and each contains several related tips. The individual "hacks", although usable by themselves, often relate to material in other examples, and are clearly and conveniently cross-referenced in the text. Many of the longer examples can be downloaded from the books web page [...]

And, as promised, the tips are pretty nifty. Some are showy, like #33 - Particle Effects. And some are sneaky, like #20 - Use Complex Shapes as Masks (by using a hairline split, invisible to the eye but recognized by the processor, to open enclosed areas.) But even the coolest tricks would be useless if you couldn't understand the instructions. Fortunately that isn't an issue here. The text is easy to read and well organized with clear examples and illustrations. I especially appreciated the tons of URLs to websites with further examples of great Flash work. Another nice feature is how other programs such as Photoshop, Fireworks, and Poser can be used in conjunction with Flash.

This title is one of a series of "Hacks" books by O'Reilly, a list of which can be found [...] Billed as "a community for developers and power users of all stripes" I went there anyway and felt only slightly over my head. But it looks like the real deal for the power hungry. I `m a long-time fan of the seriously usable content and simple direct presentation style of O"Reilly technical reference manuals. This book ventures into more creative realms than their usual titles but stays true to form.

Title: Flash Hacks - 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools
Author: Sham Bhangal
Publisher: O"Reilly
ISBN: 0-596-00645-4
Pages: 452 pages
Reviewer: Philip High
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

When I encountered the first versions of Flash my impression was of an unnecessarily complex animation program with an obscure interface and REALLY WEIRD drawing tools. I've wanted to say that in public for years and now that I've gotten it off my chest I feel much better, thank you.

Yet, Macromedia must have been onto something, since the program has obviously matured into an indispensable tool for creators of dynamic, interactive, multimedia content for the web and beyond. But, as you might expect, the complexity has only multiplied. This book dives right into the issue by forgoing lengthy tutorials and focusing directly on getting results and solving specific problems - 100 of them to be exact. Once inside it is caution-to-the-wind since the only guide lines are "what if" and "whatever works." That's why they're called hacks, after all. It's an approach that works for me, since I'm really just an overgrown novice that has used the program for several years but infrequently. When I do use it I just want to get the job done and don't have the luxury (or patience, maybe?) to search the documentation, learn a comprehensive set of new skills, then figure out how they apply to my current need. And I don't think I'm alone here.

Although the book, like Flash itself, is not for the unmotivated, there really is something here for everyone from beginner to veteran. If you are tempted by the promise of shiny new tricks and sweet insider workarounds then you can eagerly and easily search these pages for tasty snacks to digest now and save the heavier helpings for later. The preface offers a useful starting point with a concise overview and clear explanations of the conventions used to organize and demonstrate the text.

The book covers a wide range of topics. Twelve chapters are each devoted to specific issues such as Visual Effects, Drawing and Masking, 3D and Physics, Sound, ActionScript, etc., and each contains several related tips. The individual "hacks", although usable by themselves, often relate to material in other examples, and are clearly and conveniently cross-referenced in the text. Many of the longer examples can be downloaded from the books web page http://examples.oreilly.com/flashhks.

And, as promised, the tips are pretty nifty. Some are showy, like #33 - Particle Effects. And some are sneaky, like #20 - Use Complex Shapes as Masks (by using a hairline split, invisible to the eye but recognized by the processor, to open enclosed areas.) But even the coolest tricks would be useless if you couldn't understand the instructions. Fortunately that isn't an issue here. The text is easy to read and well organized with clear examples and illustrations. I especially appreciated the tons of URLs to websites with further examples of great Flash work. Another nice feature is how other programs such as Photoshop, Fireworks, and Poser can be used in conjunction with Flash.

This title is one of a series of "Hacks" books by O'Reilly, a list of which can be found at http://hacks.oreilly.com. Billed as "a community for developers and power users of all stripes" I went there anyway and felt only slightly over my head. But it looks like the real deal for the power hungry. I `m a long-time fan of the seriously usable content and simple direct presentation style of O"Reilly technical reference manuals. This book ventures into more creative realms than their usual titles but stays true to form.

I didn't know who he was before buying the book but you bet I learned who he is and what he's done. Great person to read and learn from. The book was very inspiring but specially was technically estimulating to the level that for the first time in my life I think I can give it a shot and write something. He explained writing the script not as an art but a science. Most of the times when he mentioned that writing is also an art he refered to this a "something that takes years to develop" so instead of making me feel bad about this, he went ahead and taught me the basics, the basic structure, the basic approach and it was killer to have some actual samples of his work the reinforcing his words. The books is technical so dont expect an "about my life" book which is great... it's clear that Jeffrey has forged his talent and reputation by his work and not by saying how great he is. The book starts technical and ends in a more conversational way when Jeffrey tells you his "points of view" on different media types including internet. One thing I would love to ask him is to release an updated edition or even a new book on writing for a) writing for the internet and b) full length picture writing. When he wrote this book, internet animation was booming, now it's here so, some advice from him on this regard would be useful.

I'm not saying it's a bad book. On the contrary. It's very good.
But you have to know what you are buying.
It's a book for writing Scripts for ANIMATED SERIES FOR KIDS.
The case study with which you will go through this hands on course is
THE MUTANT NINJA TURTULES.
This will be great for some but not for all.

I am a published comic book writer developing an idea for an animated series and have been thoroughly impressed with `How to Write for Animation'. In it, Jeffrey Scott takes you through the entire process of animation writing, and provides examples for every step. He demonstrates how to write a premise, beat outline, outline, and script. He then tells you how to make contacts in the industry, including finding an agent. What I especially like about the book is the wealth of information Jeff shares on how to develop a series idea, including writing a bible and pilot script and how to pitch the idea to Hollywood.

A previous reviewer misstates Jeff as saying that writing a feature is impossible. This is not the case. What Jeff did write was that `to the best of my knowledge, at the time of this writing, no spec animated screenplay has ever been sold or produced'. He goes on to write, `Someone IS going to sell an animated spec one day and it might as well be you.' (Emphasis added). This book will equip you to do just that.

For those of you wanting to take the next step in your animation writing career, I highly recommend Jeffrey Scott's Cartoon Writing Apprenticeship Program offered through his website (www.jeffreyscott.tv). In this program, you learn directly from the master and I can tell you from personal experience that Jeff does an incredible job of teaching you how to improve and polish your writing.

The book and the apprenticeship program are incredible resources to help you succeed as an animation writer.

I'm in the process of writing a proposal for a new animated series and though familiar with writing in general have no experience in animation. Scott's book is a clear, step-by-step primer and is a terrific source of info for the beginner. Every writer approaches his work differently, of course but I find Scott's one-block-at-a-time method of putting together a solid animated story to be highly efficient while leaving room for a good deal of creativity and fun at the same time.
When I feel my energy and ambition start to flag a bit, opening up Scott's book and reading a couple of pages is a great way to get the fires burning again. He writes in a clear, friendly style that neither condescends nor misses any of the major questions a newbie might have.
"How To Write For Animation" is obviously the product of a highly experienced pro - which is much to the benefit his readers.
Highly recommended.

I was disappointed in this book since it focussed almost exclusively on creating TV series scripts, and drew virtually all examples from one of Scott's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles scripts. When it comes to features, there's only a small chapter and Scott basically says 'Forget about it - no film scripts have ever been bought from outside a studio - they're only developed in-house by execs.' There's also only one paragraph devoted to creating 'direct-to-video' projects, and no mention whatsoever of strategies for writing for independent films or any less 'orthodox' ways to get your work seen and developed.

Given all the other glowing reviews I read, I expected more.

I understand that this is a tips and tricks book, not a user manual, but I was disappointed by the frequent referals to other software packages like Final Cut Pro, Quicktime Pro and other products. Tell me what I can and can't do with the product I already own!

The manual could do a much better job covering the basics.
The novice iMovie and iDVD user is faced with understanding where one product leaves off and the other begins. To an experienced user, this may be obvious, but for me, at least, it took a long time to figure out that something as simple as chapter buttons are are not available through either product. (The iMac help desk expalined this to me).

If you're a sophisticated user, I suppose this book has some cool ideas. As a novice, I'm very disappointed.

Say you make a fairly great movie with the worlds greatest program: iMovie. Still, you think your newly birthed video masterpiece lacks something. Perhaps it's a unique blend or a splashy title. At the moment of export you might stop and wonder: "Should I upgrade to Final Cut Pro?" I can answer that question for you, just follow the following formula: (Money you plan to earn from this movie)+(Money you plan to earn with next 10 movies)/(cost of Final Cut Pro)=Justification. If "justification" is greater than 1, I say buy the program. If not it is far wiser, fiscally speaking, to stick with iMovie.

Does that mean you're stuck? Have you reached the absolute limits of iMovie? Are you forever wondering in a morass of lifeless titling and yearnings for a few special effects? Heck no, if you're willing to mess around with a couple other programs for a bit. Of course saying you're not stuck and showing you how to unstick yourself are two different things. So, you'll have to trust me, you're not stuck. That tidbit should be worth a nickel. To actually get unstuck you'll have to pony up $40.00 for iMovie 2 Solutions . With this handy offering by Erica Sadun you'll be pleasantly surprised at just how much you can get out of iMovie if don't mind mixing in a few other apps.

iMovie 2 Solutions is not really so much about iMovie, it's more about extending iMovie with the careful use of a few programs. That is not to say iMovie 2 Solutions doesn't have iMovie specific info, it does in spades (want to change the default "My Great Movie Title"? See page 4). Most of the iMovie specific tips are redundant or of little value. The value lies in combining iMovie with programs such as QuicktimePro, Adobe Photoshop Elements (nee Photoshop LE, I suspect if you have a copy of Photoshop LE most of the tricks will still work) and a few other assorted programs. It might seem strange to buy a book ostensibly about iMovie that focuses so heavily on other programs. Trust me again when I say it's money well spent as long as you realize iMovie 2 Solutions is in no way an iMovie tutorial or reference but indispensable if you want to trick out your movies to the maximum level of Jurassic Parkness..

By now the interested reader will begin wondering: "Just what kind of stuff will this book show me how to do?" I can't list all the tricks iMovie 2 Solutions covers (that's a lie, I could actually list all the tricks, but this is a review not an index) but I can point out a few that seemed particularly cool to me. Ones I particularly include: the "Big Titles" trick, See through Big Title trick, Movie in Movie trick and customized QuickTime skin playback tip. and, my uber fave, use iMovie to work on a silver screen sized movie instead of the default TV sized screen (a tip worth $999 clams for those who posses nice cameras but not Final Cut Pro). The aforementioned tips just scratch the surface of iMovie 2 Solutions there is plenty more movie making goodness contained within the wraparound softcover.

So we have established the book contains useful tips and/or tricks. Hence it's time to get down to style and presentation. After all, the world's most clever tip isn't worth much if it is presented in an obscure incomprehensible format. This is not a problem with iMovie 2 Solutions. The tips are presented in easy to follow steps illustrated with small thumbnail sized photos. The average number of steps seems to be about ten but range up to a still manageable twenty actions to get the desired effect. The writing is fairly comprehensible providing you know a bit about iMovie a little about Photoshop and a smidgen of QuicktimePro. If you don't know much about those programs I strongly suggest you read the book from the very beginning, it makes the going much easier.

iMovie 2 Solutions also comes with a super nifty CD that contains every program the author asks you to use to augment iMovie and a visual tutorial of each chapter. If you're on a 56k connection the 40-dollar price tag is worth the disc alone. If you're a Mac user from way back the disc is reminiscent of the floppies that came with the earliest Mac Bibles. By that I mean the disc is chock full of nifty utilities and such. You can have plenty of fun with the stuff on the disc without bothering to read the book.

Summation time: This book shows you plenty of stuff you never thought you could with iMovie at a reasonable price and gives you the tools to follow through.

MacMice Rating: 5 out of 5 *Power iMovie Users MacMice Rating: 3.5 out of 5 *Average iMovie Users