Animation Books

A lot of books focus on telling you what to do. This is great as it enables you to get the job done.

Far too often people who write technical manuals think that is all the learner requires in order to retain knowledge.

Thank goodness this book doesn't stop there. It tells you WHY things should be done this way in addition to the HOW. I've found this process much more reliable as a means to transmit information in a sticky format.

I've been working with Flash video for years and have found through trial and error how to get videos to work properly.

This book finally explains in plain english things like keyframes, interlacing for web, exactly how the new CODEC works.

Ultimately, every new thing this book taught me was set in cement by the logical explanation of the why.

Very good book that covers all from the beginig to the deploying to better deploy your video content. I am pleased to have gotten this book

As promised, this book offers a lot of food of thought, and provides an excellent framework for creating a professional-quality online video player.

The authors offer a strong argument against using the stock FLVPlayback components of CS3, and if you adopt their methodology (even if you skip Chapter 5 at first), you'll get plenty out of this book. You're sure to find some useful information, even if you don't drink all the design-pattern Kool-Aid.

This is a very excellent book. It cures any intimidation someone might have dealing with video in flash. The chapters were very easy to understand, and the samples were very fun to do. This book does really well at showing the potential and creativity of working with video in flash.

This book is a much-needed resource and road map to creating all kinds of Flash video for the web. Authors Larson and Constantini begin with a chapter on project archaeology and conclude with a chapter on live video. In between, they cover all the nooks and crannies from encoding, the big picture of Object Oriented Programming, dynamic playlists.....in others words: Flash Video from soup to nuts. Coming from a traditional non-web video background in editing and graphics, this book is quite simply the book I'd been hoping would appear once I began to dabble in Flash development. Up to this point, most Flash books usually have a standard chapter or two about video. This book is the whole enchilada and delivers a fantastic "forest for the trees" perspective on planning, creating and deploying Flash video websites. The text is very well-articulated on subject matter that is quite complex. Whether you're an advanced specialist ready to dip right into the Action Script and get your own Flash video ball rolling or you need a quick primer in order to talk the talk with a Flash colleague, this book is your pixel-perfect friend. From a technical standpoint, there is a lot here, but one can browse very easily for quick solutions. From a creative standpoint, there are many inspiring examples and recipes to apply everything from a simple YouTube interface to a more ambitious video wall a la Nam Jun Paik to a website. Ultimately, I enjoyed the book mostly in how it challenged me to approach Flash video as its own art and craft, however new. From cue points to video skins to custom players; the sky's the limit. Let this book be your breath of fresh FLV air.

After reading this book, I was VERY happy to have spent the money to pick this one up!

What struck me most, just from reading the table of contents, was the breadth of the content that is found in Flash: the Future. Not only is there information on creating Flash content for PocketPC 2002, but the book also covers Flash for Broadcast (DVD, iTV, and consoles), as well as the Nokia 9200 series. This book covers all of these topics extremely well. Just over half of the book devoted to developing content for the Pocket PC.

There are several different authors who contribute chapters in this section, and each authors' respective expertise in each different topic is evident throughout the section. For example, in each chapter you will find valuable tips and tricks that only come from such experience.

Flash: the Future is a well written and well edited title, and I strongly recommend picking it up if you are serious about Flash development.

Mr. Torrone, in his 11/15/02 review of this book (below), presents himself as if in error, complicitous (with Amazon), or simply self-serving, as his assertion that "Amazon has a special ..." is 100% FALSE. NO "special"; rather, merely two books bundled together with no savings over separate purchasing. In addition, Mr. Torrone conveniently fails to mention the fact that *Flash Enabled* is authored by Mr. Torrone himself. In error? Complicitous? Self-serving? You be the judge.

Collaboratively written by computer program and gaming experts Jon Warren Lentz, Bill Turner, and Ian Chia, Flash: The Future is a no-nonsense, highly accessible, step-by-step guide to creating content and applications for platforms such as handhelds, wireless devices, video/DVD, Pocket PCS, and more. Flash applications, Pocket Internet Explorer, Flash animations, ActionScript techniques, eMbedded Visual Basic, Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++, and much, much more are all deftly covered with illustrative examples and walk-through explanations. An accompanying CD-ROM contains code and examples drawn from the text, as well as bonus developer tools for the Pocket PC. Flash: The Future is a highly recommended addition to any personal or professional Computer Graphics/Design reference collection.

the book starts off listing various ppcs in comparison and then by goes through (in very good detail) the layout considerations to take when creating flash apps for pocket pcs. many aspects are covered in a way that's very easy to follow along with. a lot of this information will save you plenty of headaches down the road. softkeys (mapping of the device's cursor input) is covered in extreme detail and the source files for all of this is covered very well. c++ (etc.) wrappers are explained in detail so as to hide the ppc's menus, going fullscreen, and more. source code for these techniques are supplied as well on the cd. very valuable stuff. the code is explained in nice detail. classes in c++ and AS are covered in an appendix and are very worthwhile inclusions. transfering flash to television and dvd is covered in depth (and is a first in a book like this.) using flash animations in your dvd menu systems is shown in a step-by-step walkthrough. many of the perils of transfering flash to video/television is covered and workaround techniques are explained. the future of flash on devices is a running theme throughout the book and offers many great insights. the use of XML Socket, loadvars versus XML, etc. is covered. there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained in this well-paced book on the subject of flash on things other than the desktop. it's a bit more technical than flashenabled. the collection of the two books together == a 5 out of 5. these should be your flash device bibles when you want to get involved in creating apps and experiments to run on devices. WONDERFUL stuff. a defacto standard for mobile and other-than desktop Flash deployments. The CD alone is worth price of admission. And that chris pelsor is such a viking!

This book is well written, and the author knows what he's talking about. However, I found he repeats things and often complicates simple things. After reading the chapter about PocketPC Flash technology I found it offered no more information than the Macromedia SDK (free on their website). He does offer some additional advice on PPC game development such as color and art optimization; common sense to most Flash developers. The book attemps to explain how to program a complete game in ActionScript, but does not elaborate on the details of ActionScript (ie: mentions the use of arrays, but doesn't explain their complex charictaristics). If your looking to learn ActionScript, this is not the book. Overall, this book has the advantage of being one of the first in it's catagory.

I think is an awesome book, it has taught me a lot about polygons in a game character for design purposes, over all great find and loved it! This book has helped me with my game design class in College. Creating games, and having fun now! Thanks Loved It!

Reading the reviews for this book I knew that it would not be an easy ride but this book is just poorly written.

I have been using 3d programs for over 7 years and decided to buy this book to better learn maya and gain an understanding of games characters.

Its teaches very little because as you do the tutorials you start to realize he often uses different methods to what he instructs you too do. Often the book skips big areas and even maya features with vague sentences that explain nothing

Saying all this I have still picked up a few valuable tips from this book and as much as it could be improved I still don't think it was a waste of money but a revision is desperately needed. This book with a little extra work could easily be indispensable.

Very comprehensive book on character animation.
McKinley explains every step of the character development and its animation.
Could do a bit more on animation itself. He doesn't talk about environment either.

this book is really helpful to those advanced or noobs in maya(im the noob) and the instructions are very detailed, 10/10!!!

I've read the book through and I have to say it certainly hit its demographic; those who wish to extend their basic Maya skills to game art in all aspects (up to and including tips on simply getting a job as a game artist) should buy this book. If you're attempting to learn Maya or 3D altogether than you might as well pass on this book.

About the only point lacking in this book is its narrow scope -- no mention of particle effects not directly associated with the model, no mention of Sub-D modelling, etc. That critique mentioned, he had a topic to cover -- and what was on topic was covered thoroughly.

If you wish to pick up a book about learning to develop game art with polycount a concern, specifically modelling humanoid creatures, this book is for you -- and as a bonus you'll learn to have a respectible reel to demonstrate your added talents. If you don't know Maya, take that first step first -- then pick up this book, its a fairly light load (1-2 days read) so the benefits won't take too much time out of your day.

Rated 4 out of 5.

Pros:

>It is very detailed in its explainations (with illustrations)
>Sidebar interviews and profiles act as built-in study-breaks making you not need to stop reading
>The narrow demographic gives the reader exactly what he wishes without confusing him with stuff he either knows or doesn't care about knowing.
>Inside knowledge of the game industry is shared, including reel making.

Cons:

>Again, narrow demographic may have this book in the hands of many who it doesn't belong. Know what you buy.

GREAT Vintage look at HANNA-BARBERA and the BEST H-B book out there. I am possibly doing the RANKIN/BASS TREASURY with the same publisher! EXCELLENT QUALITY!

The Hanna Barbera Treasury

The team of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera are legends in the animation industry. Their production of Tom and Jerry, Yogi Bear, Scooby Doo, the Flintstones, Johnny Quest, Magilla Gorilla, Top Cat, Huckelberry Hound, Space Ghost, Hong Kong Fooey, The Jetsons and Wacky Races over three decades has branded any H-B Production with a quality few can achieve.

Animation industry expert, Jerry Beck, has compiled an impressive...no, a very impressive tome that celebrates the achievments of the H-B Studio. Insight Editions, as their previous books attest, have collaborated enthusiastically and the result is stunning! Every page is a testament to the creativity the team was able to capture on celluloid. Even the first page, with a collage of Jetsons, Huckleberry Hound, Jetsons, Yogi Bear, and Flintstones with postcard style art cards is indicative of the care taken.

Mr Beck provides a short biography of the pair to start the book off, and from there, it's all entertainment and side trips down memory lane. I love the Noah's Ark mural on page 15 that includes all of their characters. The negative shots are pretty cool too. A short discussion of the process of animation is included as well as a fascinating discussio of the voice actors behind the faces.

That is just the warm up act. The rest of the book winds up to 10,000 rpm and keeps on humming with feature sections on each character/show the studio created. Licensed goods, animation art, and rare images of the characters themselves decorate the pages and book. Intelligent design is the keyword for the sections as imaginative fold outs, paste ins and mini coloring books add the cool factor to the whole book. There are animation cels, stickers, postcards, coloring books, playing cards, how to build your dream home, story boards, a mini comic book, and a mask. I had to tell myself...I am an adult...I am an adult...

I cannot praise the book enough, nor verbalize my appreciation of Mr Beck's research and presentation. Give this book and Insight Editions an award NOW!

Look for it at your favorite bookstore or online at [...].

Tim Lasiuta

Yabba Dabba Doo

This is a book that is kind of cool if you like Hanna Barbara artwork. It's filled with great drawings, and images of various Hanna Barbara merchandise. One really cool aspect of this book is that many of the pages have some sort of pull-out "something-or-other" including mini reproductions of Hanna Barbara comics, coloring books, storyboards, model sheets, and even masks.

The only problem with this book is that other than the artwork, the book is useless. It is filled with text, but mostly that text is used to give you a brief summary of the various Hanna Barbara cartoons. I'm sorry but I already know the premise of Yogi Bear, but the book treats you like you've never hear of these cartoons. Couldn't they have used that space to give us interesting facts about the production of these cartoons?

If you are expecting anything more than just a pretty book to pull out now and then, don't buy this book.

One of the reviews for this book said this and I quote: "Nice to Look At, But There Are MANY Factual Errors" What a line of Bull. I am also a Hanna Barbera fan. If a reviewer is going to make such a stupid comment, then, WHY DIDN'T HE BACK IT UP WITH FACTS IN HIS REVIEW!!!

The second negative comment and I quote is..."Great Looking- Short on entertainment". After making the statement short on entertainment he or she went on to explain all the entertaining segments this book has.

If the reviewers are going to down anything related to THE HANNA BARERA TREASURY, at least supply the readers with facts and not fantasy and incorrect information.

Man, am I angry...This is one of the most entertaining books on cartoons and the life and times of two cartoon icons...Hanna and Barbera were the best. I'll end with this question. Who in today's world of cartoons without using CGI or Computer technology could ever accomplish what these two geniuses' did. Even Walt Disney didn't have that luxury in his time. As a footnote Disney's work was the best, however, as a human being during the time he lived he gave the impression of a racist. Just look at the old tapes of the "MICKEY MOUSE CLUB". You won't find ethnic diversity in any of Disney's early works. In fact many of his cartoons during his life are banned, as they should be. Some of Disney's most disturbing early works even had a step 'N' fetched theme. Thank goodness times have changed and the Disney enterprise realized Walt's shortcomings. Research Walt Disney for yourself and you'll see I am not making this up. Come on...Prove me wrong!!!

Hanna-Barbera NEVER... AND I MEAN NEVER HAD A RACIAL SLUR, COMMENT, OR CARTOON PRODUCTION IN ANY OF THEIR WORK.

On of the trends among higher end collector's books over the past couple of years have been to pack them with all sorts of extra treasures and trinkets. I guess since if DVD's have extra features, why not books as well. The latest such book is Insight Editions' The Hanna-Barbera Treasury which spotlights the legendary animation company with a look at their history, its many famous cartoons and characters, and including all types of interesting memorabilia.

The studio was formed by Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera in 1944 as they worked for the MGM studios producing the Tom & Jerry series of cartoons. The HB animation of that time period easily rivals the best animation being produced by Disney or Warner Brothers and the Tom & Jerry cartoons still hold up well sixty years later. But what really made HB great was their embrace of the new medium of television, and their realization that they had to sacrifice some quality to remain profitable. Many animation studios folded in the 1950's when it became so cost prohibitive to produce cartoons.

Hanna-Barbera decided to start stressing characters over animation. It gave them a bit of an undeserved bad rap from animation snobs who frowned upon their repetitive animation techniques. But, simply put, they did what they had to do to remain profitable and as a result, created some of the most memorable characters in animation history. Even Disney cannot boast as many notable characters as the HB studio. The book takes a look at two dozen of their most famous characters in chronological order, beginning with Tom & Jerry in the 1940's. The history and creation of each show is covered with all sorts of interesting stories and anecdotes. Rare photos of period merchandise are also pictured as well as those "extras" I spoke of earlier.

The studio's most prolific period was the 50's and 60's and leading things off was that irresistible, laid-back pooch, Huckleberry Hound. Huck was literally the first prime time cartoon star, often rating in the top 10 TV shows in many cities. Huck also produced the first animated spin-off series, Yogi Bear. The extras in this section are reproductions of puzzle cards, which reflect Huck's many different occupations.

Yogi Bear appeared on the Huckleberry Hound show in 1957 and got his own TV show in 1961, and his own big screen theatrical film "Hey There, it's Yogi Bear" in 1964. You'll see early production sketches of the character which vary fairly radically from the finished product. The Yogi section comes packed with a mini, facsimile coloring book.

The 1960's was simply incredible for the Hanna-Barbera studio. The 60's saw the birth of characters such as Snagglepuss, The Jetson's, The Flintstones, Top Cat, Jonny Quest, Atom Ant, Birdman, Space Ghost, and Wacky Races.

The Flintstones remain one of the great pop culture Icons of the 60's, with a plethora of mass-merchandising products, everything from books to toys and comic books to vitamins. The Flintstones section includes a repro animation cell, sketch guides, and more puzzle cards.

The 70's saw the rise of perhaps the studios most popular and enduring character, Scooby Doo! It's also here that the book unfortunately concludes. This is the one drawback to the book. The 70's featured a lot of memorable characters who are omitted: Hong Kong Phooey, Captain Caveman, Josie & the Pussycats, and Dynomutt are all left out of the book. The Hanna-Barbera Treasury is not meant to be a comprehensive guide to all their shows but rather a spotlight on their biggest stars. While I would have liked to have seen more coverage of the 1970's, hopefully this means there will eventually be a volume 2.

I've been so happy with Jim Heid's previous iLife books that I didn't check to see if this one included a tutorial DVD. To me, that was the really great resouce - with the actual book being a good reference/bonus.

Unfortunately, the DVD is gone. For those of us who pick up information a lot faster when we're watching how something is done, it's a real loss. I'm sure that the book's content will be excellent (as usual) but I can't recommend it as highly as I have previous volumes (especially as there doesn't seem to have been a corresponding price drop for the disk-less package).

When I first got this book I thought I may have wasted my money. Such a large portion of the volume is devoted to iTunes and iTunes easy enough to use that it doesn't need instructions, right? I'm glad to say that I was mistaken. There are lots of features and settings that aren't immediately obvious and I'm now using an old iBook connected to my stereo system as a remote media server accessible from the other three computers on the network.

My original reason for getting the book was to learn Garage Band and I'm not disappointed. I'm still learning but I'm now able to set up background music to practice my guitar to as well as make some decent sounding home recordings. Any problem is not Garage Band but my non-compliant fingers. Oh well.

iMovie coverage seems good, though I've only played with a couple of videos, as does iDVD. There's a nice section on iPhoto, too, though I'm now using Adobe Bridge and Photoshop instead.

I enjoy the format that is heavy on pictures and offers a nicely digestible amount of information per page. Highly recommended.

Well structured and written - each double page covers one feature of the software. Pictures are in colour and very clear. Useful comments point to all buttons on dropdowns shown.

I really like the way this book takes you through each of the iLife '08 applications. Each two-page spread covers an individual topic or task you want to accomplish. The descriptions are easy to understand and in many cases the author lists steps to accomplish each task. Just like a cook book.
Because all these applications are constantly updated/improved you can find them on a companion web site. So, this book will not go out of date soon. A very helpful book.

I have been a big fan of Jim Heid's iLife books (and videos). I first discovered Jim on the Apple web site beginners video tutorials for iLife '05. I was so impressed by his video tutorials, I bought the iLife '05 book. I recommended the book and bought the book for several friends who were iLife users - experienced and novice. I continued to use the iLife '05 book when I upgraded to iLife '06.

I particularly like the way the books are laid out. The book is consistent throughout with the structure and layout of each chapter and each page. The "one complete topic per page" template is very effective for a beginning-to-end read because it carves all of the applications into wonderful "bite sized" pieces that anyone will find easy to understand. It is also great for a reference because you can find the 2-page spread relating to your particular interest, and know just how to read the page to get what you are looking for.

The only disappointment in the iLife '08 book - no accompanying DVD. I LOVED the DVD that came with the iLife '05 book. That book covered all the bases - you could sit down with the DVD and in about an hour get a great introduction and be off and productive in using any of the applications. You could then go to the book and read it, or just use it as reference, but you'll quickly find yourself "drawn into" reading the entire book, because each topic is so well written and there are so many "gems" you can find.

Despite the lack of the DVD :-( I still highly recommend this book as the "Must Have" companion to iLife.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. One of my hobbies is collecting Disney records, so this was perfect.

This book definetly brings back childhood memories for me.
I used to have a collection of Disneyland book and records.Plus I always wondered what Robie Lester and Lois Lane actually looked like.(And why they each had their own version of Tinker Bell's little bells.)

A must for any nostalgia buff!

This book was as I expected and brings back memories when I used to sell this product in my country and even had the many picture disc LPs issued with soundtracks from the Disney animated features like Snow White. I always like good books about record labels and their product. An unhappy experience was visiting the plant near Disney in Burbank where the records were produced/pressed. The plant was old and interesting but work contracted to them I placed never got done and money lost in 1978-79 and the lies from them and their lawyer were unbelieveable.

This book tells the story of Walt Disney Records, formerly known as Disneyland Records and Buena Vista Records. The record company is one aspect of the Disney empire that hasn't been extensively covered before, so there is a lot of information here that you probably haven't read before. The book does a very good job of telling the record company's story, giving credit to some talented people who deserve to be remembered. Disney fans should read this book.

The recording end of Walt Disney Productions hasn't really been given the short shrift--in 1997, R. Michael Murray put together a wonderful pricing guide for Disneyland and Buena Vista's musical output that fills in a lot of gaps left behind here. Still, authors Tim Hollis and Greg Ehrbar do a fine job at bringing forth the personalities and histories of many Disney singers who weren't usually credited on record labels, and these talents are worth re-discovering. Some of the basic information regarding certain albums is treated too blithely (and often, a description or detail seems wrong, as when they say Annette's first solo album was on the Disneyland label...it was if you count "Songs from Annette & The Walt Disney Serials", which wasn't an Annette album per se). And too often the authors write off an album's success by saying "million of copies were sold". How many millions? Did the record chart in Billboard? Did it spawn any singles? Apparently, 45rpm singles were the bane of the early recording industry, and the authors pretty much dismiss their importance; however, that doesn't excuse the omittance of chart information, even on some of the more popular titles. Did any of Annette's albums chart, and, if not, what kept the Disney brass interested in her as an albums artist? There is wonderful background information on unsung heroes such as Bob Grabeau, Teri York, Robie Lester and Ginny Tyler, but the writers couldn't come up with ANYthing substantial on the Sylte Sisters or the Vonnair Sisters? The early Disney recordings via the Hansen label, 78rpm artists like William Lava, the 'Zorro' records and 'The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh', are almost completely forgotten, which makes this NOT the definitive book on the subject. It's a nice beginning, how about a second volume?

If you are wanting to learn about digital video, get this book. The book is written lightly and personably--as if you are sitting there talking to the author. The most valuable part of the book is the section on creating DVDs. The author takes you through every aspect of creating a professional DVD with a menu, background music, and advanced authoring.
The author also has provided information on video editing and shooting techniques. I love his approach and the layout of the book. The book is appropriately written for the audience it addresses (beginner to intermediate videographer).
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the CD that is included only has trial versions of commercial software on it. I would have liked for him to discuss and provide some free software for video capture and editing. No disappointments though. This is a good book and has been quite valuable to me.

Having already struggled with a little bit of filming and editing, I found many of my prior frustrations described and clarified in this wonderful book.

Jan Ozer, the author, is blessed with an ability to explain technical concepts clearly. (Where was he when I was studying physics in high school?)

The chief virtues of this book are:
1) superb graphics -- of equipment, of software screenshots, and of Mr Ozer's beautiful models (his small daughters)
2) explanations written clearly and concisely, and with a fine dry wit, as if Mr Ozer were at your home talking us through the process.

At this writing (early 2007), this book may appear a bit dated. However, the concepts Mr Ozer explains so well will be with us for years to come. I can't imagine there's a better introduction to amateur video than this book.

This book is a must-read for anyone trying to create DVDs from analog videotape! His chapters on cameras, capturing video, working with audio, choosing software, and creating DVDs are indispensable!

My impressions of the book:

(1) It was better than I expected. A lot of beginner material but he does cover some key concepts. I agree that his tone is not too novice-targetted, nor is it too technical. He uses Microsoft Movie Maker 2, Pinnacle Studio 8 and Ulead VideoStudio 7 for most of his illustrations. Unfortunately, although the book came out this year, as is common with software, Pinnacle is up to Version 9 and Ulead up to version 8. He does cover other prosumer editors like Vegas, Liquid Edition, and Premier, but the book is primarily focused on users of consumer editors and equipment, not the professionals. That was Ok with me.
His advise on equipment and technique was interesting to read although, in my opinion, he did not spend enough time on accessories. This is not the best book for advice on accessories. Most of his time is spent on video editing software. As is also unfortunately common, he did not talk about set-top stand-alone DVD recorders, which some people use for archiving. I found his advise on "The Basics of Shooting" to be quite helpful.

(2) The book can be a bit wordy and he overuses the adjective "lovely" to describe software features, effects, pictures, etc. It sounds a little odd sometimes.

(3) For equipment and software, his focus on Sony camcorders sound unnecessarily. Similarly, he sometimes sound like a salesman for Pinnacle Studio. Now, I happen to like Sony camcorders (I am on my third) and Pinnacle Studio (warts and all) but I would have preferred more balanced descriptions. So, if you do not have Pinnacle or Ulead VideoStudio (both of which I have) you may feel a little put out.

Overall, a useful book. It could be better, but for $20.39 on Amazon, I think anyone relatively new to digital video would find the book helpful and worth the money.

This is a field that spans both hardware and software. Unlike, for example, Photoshop, which is a pure software construct. If you're going into digital video, the hardware issues alone can be daunting. Important things like choosing an internal analog capture card. Who are the main vendors? What are the salient features to compare? Ozer gives you these data.

In software, you have to pick some video editor. These run the gamut from the entry level Microsoft Movie Maker 2 to more powerful and expensive alternatives like Pinnacle Edition, Sonic Foundry Vegas or Adobe Premiere Pro.

Many other issues are shown in the book. Along with simple editing techniques. Enough to get you started. Ozer's writing style should be clear enough to many. And he gives you a lot of material to digest. Including various utility programs on the accompanying CD.

Great book to get you started on silverlight. Once I got past Part 1, the book does a great job showing examples on how to use the silverlight elements.

This is a good book for an introduction to silverlight, but the argument are not treated so deeply. This book contains an overview of the silverlight engine with a good amount of basic example, it is a good book for everyone that does not know anything about silverlight and want to read the first book on the argument

I bought this hoping to learn SL. It only contains information on 1.0 which is very buggy. Granted that the author points out all these issues, but after reading the first few chapters it became apparent that even SL 1.1 is probably significantly improved. I didn't think it was worth the time to learn all the tricks to get around 1.0 issues. The author even states that when 1.0 was released, 1.1 was already in beta. I returned and decided to wait until SL 2.0, which should be in April 2008 or so.

This book was perfect for me. I'm a Flash guy with decent knowledge of JavaScript and I really understand now what's involved if I want to target this plug-in. I like that the book always provided the raw XAML, yet never over-complicated things with obtuse examples that only a Windows developer would understand. Concise writing, nice graphic design and relevant examples, what more do you want?

I should point out that those unfamiliar with basic JavaScript may have a hard time wrapping their heads around how all these pieces interact, but that's more the nature of the technology rather than a fault of the book.

As a person who has read all the official documentation cover to cover and other Silverlight books cover to cover I can say that this is the best book on the subject.

Even though I had already read over 500 pages on the subject I was still able to find over a hundred things that I had not encountered anywhere else. One example is animation. He explains how you can set animated "to" in Javascript and you don't need a "from". A animation problem that previously had me stuck for a week was solved with 10 lines of code.

The examples are small and easy to follow. The coding is first rate. The "side bars" all contain priceless information. There is no fluff, if he wrote it down it's important. He also has all the code from the book online (http://www.adamnathan.net/silverlight/code/) where you can alter the examples in your web browser and see the results.

I also read his Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed (WPF) (Unleashed) and that is the best book on that subject so it is not surprising that he was able to nail this one perfectly.

this is an excelent choise for those beginning in the world of stop motion animation. got to have it.

I am in the middle of producing my own stop motion film and this book has really helped guide my production.... from creating armatures to set construction to animation... this book has a little of everything for those of us who have chosen this "lost art" of stop motion animation. This is a great book for anyone that is serious about getting their stop motion film made... I am constantly referring back to it because it is loaded with useful information. So I would definetly reccomend this book to anyone interested in making their own stop motion animation.

While it is not a substitute for hands on experience it will get you up to speed. This book is a fantastic introduction to anyone interested in this subject. Students of the art will get a basic primer to all facets of the stop-motion process. If it is not provided as college course reading you should pick up a copy for your self studying.

This is a truly wonderful book, Susannah and Focal Press should be applauded for putting out a stop motion book in these CGI saturated times. I couldn't fault it in any way and I would say it should be a must have for any stop motion enthusiast. Susannah definately knows her stuff, I found it easy to follow the tips were great and there is heaps of information to study.

As a visual person, I learn well when I see things demonstrated visually. That's why I like this book; lots of nice four-color photos of armatures, puppets, techniques for building them in great detail. What other book provides a close-up image of an armature joint? The language is a bit difficult to understand at times, because it is written and published in Britian, but that just confirms its authenticity. England is a world stop-motion mecca as home to Aardman Animations, creators of "Wallace and Gromit." I highly recommend this book to anyone interested specifically in stop-motion puppet animation.

If I ever get working copies of the two DVD-ROMs included with this book, I look forward to actually starting to use it and giving a better rating. But so far, it has taken weeks of emails to receive ONE of the two replacement discs, with no explanation or indication of whether I will be receiving the other one. Apparently there is occasionally a bad batch of discs, so check as soon as you get yours that all the files copy across to your computer correctly.

The book presents a really useful range of techniques structured in an appropriate sequence that builds skills. The overall quality of the book is very good. Highly recommended.

This is not just another "how to" book it goes beyond the technical to cover the why of editing. The author uses actual feature film footage to convey the decision process for the art of editing.

I haven't exactly read this book yet, but I do own one and love it. It's so helpful. If anyone is interested in editing these are great books to read.

This extraordinary book/dvd set is much more than a simple "how-to" manual. And, in its own way, it's all really more than a book on editing. It really addresses the entire film making process, albeit from the POV of an editor. Possibly it is most valuable in its emphasis on tone and genre. The exercises are truly instructive, in every sense of the word. My own method of getting through the lessons was to read the chapter all the way through, first. Then go back, at the computer, with the footage loaded and follow, step-by-step. One word of warning - this really is an advanced program. I don't suggest getting this book as a primer for first time users. Get it if you already have some proficiency with the basics of FCP. Otherwise I think it'll be a bit overwhelming. For me, this way actually better than sitting in a classroom learning from a live teacher (something I've done, as well). Highly recommended.