Stop-Motion Books

Anyone remotely interested in animation should pick up this book. It is amazing. It is truly the perfect reference book for anyone who wants to animate, and do it well.

This is one of the best books on frame-by-frame 2D non-vector animation. The only problem is, Richard Williams overdoes it by a large margin. He is a man possessed with talent, and he demands perfection of himself. That is a hard way to do things, no? In every other respect, this book is excellent. By the way, the culmination of Richard Williams' style of work is the movie The Cobbler and the Thief, available online on [...]. The exact title to search for is this: The Thief and the Cobbler (2007 Recobbled Cut) [v2.0]

This is one of those books that has helped me out alot. If you are a beginning animator in need of learning the principles of animation or if you have had difficulty figuring out how to create walk cycles and facial character animation, then this book is for you.

I give this book 5 stars simply because it was written in a style that's easy to read and understand and uses common terminology. The best part about it is the readability and resourcefulness of the content. Everything a student needs to learn the subject matter in a motivating format!

If you like normal animation and if you like 3d animation or if you like stop motion animation...you'll find all information needed and much more inside this unique book!

Mark F. Berry's Dinosaur Filmography is wittily and entertainingly written and based on thorough knowledge of both real dinosaurs and the special effects used to recreate them. Berry has pulled together information from many little-known fan magazines, but he does not rely on recycling old material. He has done original research by interviewing several filmmakers, mostly effects artists. Berry's commentaries are full of infectious enthusiasm about the better films, but he is also
genuinely critical. He understands what makes dino movies
tick.

There are about 200 illustrations, about two dozen of them in color. Each entry includes a brief synopsis, critical commentary, notes on participants and the production of the film, and a section on special effects. Berry includes films but not TV; thus he has entries on the two Flintstones theater films but not the TV series. He includes animated features and some of the most important animated shorts, such as Gertie the Dinosaur, but not all cartoon shorts featuring dinosaurs. Documentaries are omitted.

Appendices briefly cover films with brief dinosaur scenes or minor saurian plot elements, abortive projects and the Japanese giant monster films. There is a major bibliography of books, magazine articles and online resources. Dinosaur Filmography
puts in the shade all previous dino movie books, except for
Stephen Jones' Illustrated Dinosaur Movie Guide (1993), which
has much shorter entries than Berry and is nine years older, but
is still worthwhile for Jones' sharp comments and excellent illustrations.

Mark Berry's 'The Dinosaur Filmography' is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in some time. It is meticulously researched and extremely thorough. It is also engaging in its analysis, which is often accompanied with first hand anecdotes from some giants of the dino-film industry. It is the kind of book I dreamed about having when I was a kid. Every dinosaur movie I've ever heard of, and some that I haven't, are here. Many are accompanied by photos that I've never seen, which is a real treat - especially for some of the classics, such as King Kong, where I thought I had seen them all. This is one of those books that you will never get tired of. It is equally entertaining whether reading for a couple of hours or paging through for a couple of minutes.

The timing of this review coincides, not so coincidentally, with the time of year. Every October I pour over TV guides to see if any of the classic (and not so classic, but I love them just the same) dinosaur or giant B-monster movies will be on. Unfortunately for at least a couple of years running, I've seen all too few. Since there seems to be a specialty cable channel for just about every subject, why couldn't there be one on dinosaur and giant monster movies? I'm sure I'm not the only one who waxes nostalgic for the charm of these films - whether they be classic Harryhausen flicks or the rubber suit jobs that thrilled us as kids regardless (Unknown Island and The Land Unknown come quickly to mind). In addition to being a great read, Berry's Dinosaur Filmography book is the perfect resource for such a channel. Next October I'll be scanning the channel guides again in the hope that somewhere a cable programmer came to the same conclusion.

As a kid growing up, like most kids , I loved dinosaurs. That affection let me into a life long love of films in general, and that wonderful sub genre, the dinosaur movie. From Knig Kong and Harryhausens magnificent creations to the drek of Bert I Gordons enlarged Iguanas, I saw them all *(not to mention all the wonderful distant radioactive relative from Japan!) This book has all the well known (and not so well known) films of this genre. Filled with synopsis, commentary on the films and FX, great photos, and a lively, informative and wonderfully readable text. Never stooping to wild over intelectualization of the films, this book is a great treat and deserves a place of honor on any film lover, science fiction, or dinosaur fans shelf! Some Japanese kaiju fans might feel slighted, but Godzilla and Company are more fantasy creations than dinosaur, but there are listings of those films in the appendix. Another great McFarland book, and THE book on Dinosaur movies!!!

We love this book, my 22 month old son and I. The illustrations are simple and sweet and the book has a nice rhythm to it... we can recite it without reading.

This is a wonderful book that both of my children have enjoyed. My one year old loves to hear the animal noises and claps at each turn of the page. It is the perfect length for little squirmers too.

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.....

I've never even come close to understanding even one of Newton's laws. I only made it through Physics in college because my brother-in-law is a science whiz, and I took the course over the internet. I am so happy to have come across this book though. For the first time in my life, I think I get it! Robertson's explanations address all of my (to what some people may believe) silly questions respectfully - as if I am the one who is logical for questioning and not grasping it! He explains the rationale behind the concepts in a humorous (sometimes laugh out loud) way - and I walked away wishing I could take a stab at that college physics class once more.

The first two pages were very bad, but it was all uphill from there. It got better and better as it went along, much like the Green Lantern part of this series, although the end of this was better than that. A faster than light universe wrecking serial killing super beast - how do you stop it, that is the problem. This novel cleverly involves his aunt Iris, the Justice League, and The Flash. It is really intriguing to see a writer delve at length into what he is thinking while superspeeding, which you can get in comics, but only in tiny, tiny parts.

Oh, and a new term for the geeks - cryptospeedsters, that was great.

"Flash - Stop Motion" is about The Flash, aka Wally West, who finds that his new enemy is actually faster than he is, and he is killing people in Keystone City who have the metagene that creates other Speedsters. OK, I admit that the story in and of itself was kind of weak, and I thought the prose was too thick. When it described the exact (theoretical) science behind Speedsters, Speedforce, and other speed associated skills, it bogged down in very boring detail. And trying to understand what Flash was doing when he was fighting Superluminoid on a certain speed level that is actually a different plane of existance was hard to imagine. But where it did sucssed was in detailing Wally and his feelings about himself, his powers, his place with the Justice League; mostly his feeligns of failing and inadequacy. Wally really comes off as a real man here, not a superbeing (like Superman) or superegotistic (Batman can be at times a little hard to bear). I like that he could share his enormous responsability with someone, like his wife. I learned a lot about Speedsters, and the previous Flashes (Barry Allen and Jay Garret). So, read this more for the character development, the action can be rough going.

Was it Wally West portrayed as a greater whiner than even in his most whiny days in the comics?

Was it the awful characterizations of the other JLA members, speaking and acting not at all like their comic (or cartoon) counterparts?

Was it the big deus ex machina at the end that helped defeat the villain, change DCU continuity, and resolve all of Wally's character woes?

Was it other odd continuity gaffes, like suggesting that Iris Allen has never actually met Batman?

Was it the Flash, in the very first sentence of the book, "flying" through the air at superspeed and duking it out with meteors?

I have no idea. But this is probably the weakest of the DC JLA novels I've read to date. Mark Schultz has written some good stuff in the past, but this isn't representative of it.

The Flash was the first of the every-man super-heroes (i.e. what if a regular guy had an accident and got super powers), which includes characters like Spider-Man. In this story Wally on an almost spiritual lever, like Luke Skywalker. The villain is a high-tech Frankensteinian creation of science gone awry. I hope that there will by more novels of the Flash as good as this one.

Were it not for the horrible ending, this book would have been a solid four stars.

Following up on Mythos, the Flash gets his solo effort in the JLA novels. The author does a good job focusing on the Flash without ignoring the other members, or going out of the way to remove them from the scene so the Flash can take center stage.

The Flash is nicely presented as a younger hero, very powerful yet insecure against the legends of the JLA, and the otherworldy antagonist is effectively creepy and interesting.

After building up the powers of this extra-dimensional SuperLuminal in anticipation of the final encounter the author does the unforgiveable. From out of nowhere another hero summons the Flash to Quantum-Paradise and gives him godlike powers, temporarily, and advice on how to defeat the entity as well as a healthy dose of quantum physics hand-waving to explain the powers of the Flash. Afterwards the new powers go away, and so does the convenient savior albeit with a "shock revelation"

So much promise with what had been a good character driven novel focusing on the Flash and his civilian and superhero life just thrown away by this Deus ex Machine ending.

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.

to see some of my friends mentioned in this book, as well as a couple of sites I frequent regularly. Everything, right down to the stopmotion software I use is presented in this book, and the author is a nice guy, very quick to write back, and supportive of raw talents in stopmotion. Great teacher, great book!

First, I must say that the book's cover was designed good enough, and previous reviews in this page, were so appealing that made me expect a little more of stop-motion movie related examples than what I found.

However,basic and rough exercises through the book (and the CD-ROM)are useful enough for any stop- motion beginner to keep him/her motivated without expecting outrageous results.

The book offers also some interesting data through the appendix section. I believe it's a good starting reference, but not outstanding alone.

If you are interested for more in depth stop-motion references, check this other titles available from amazon. I believe you wont be decieved:

Books

*Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) by Susannah Shaw.
(Full of average difficulty stop-motion tips and exercises)

* Stop Motion: Passion, Process and Performance by Barry J C Purves
(A really passionate book about stop-motion, its origins and particular procedures through case studies and interviews. Fully recommended-)

DVD

There are a great number of commercial stop-motion DVDs through amazon U.S., but I really would like to recommend this less commercial title from amazon UK. I really hope it's still available by the time you read this (you could still find it in other european websites with international shipping services, but I believe this kind of information is banned in amazon):

*Peter & The Wolf - Sergei Prokofiev
DVD ~ Suzie Templeton
(A must have!)

I was curious about stop-motion animation and decided to invest in this book. I have to say that is very useful and well explained. The examples are great and the book guides you step by step on how to get started. It is worth the money.

I ordered this book and am very impressed. While on the way to the book store Christmas Eve, with a nasty ear ache, on the phone, and very content, I called the bookstore in advance to pull anything off of the shelf for my purpose. When asked to check for books about stop-motion animation, I was told that there is a book on 'the art of stop-motion animation'. I said order it. There I was driving to the book store to do the usual checking the shelf, to look in the arts section (for my intended mission) on clay animation, or puppets.... anything about stop-motion animation?, I asked. Yes. Order it I said. I have the book now. And I have not put the book down since. My goal is to learn how to make puppets like the one in Rudolph, and all the Rankin & Bass specials. I got a lot more from this book. It is right in line with everyting you will want to know about stop-motion animation. The author has the passion for the art. Extensive background on the history of rare antiquated movies in the art and also contact with very recent directors and producers from movies like 'Corpse Bride' and 'The Night Before Christmas.' Also within this book is golden information from those who have private studios and offer courses with valuable knowledge in the field of puppetry for stop-motion animation. The book is easy to read, very informative from what is needed to film, how to animate, and even interviews with teachers, and Professionals within this field. It is an art that will survive and will continue to, even along side CG (Computer Graphics). It is almost like a class college book,(regarding the lay-out and the interviews with associates-a special bonus added!), yet is so simple to ready. The author speaks like he is talking. It is and continues to be a very special treasure! The author even includes classes one can take a professional colleges. I find it fascinating and one that I will keep.

Hats off to this author!!! Now -- in persuit those who are serious in entrepreneurial venture, or hobby.

There are reviews pointing out that this book missed a few films but what it does include makes it one of the most detailed book on stop motion animation films. I grew up on Harryhausen, Danforth and the like ( I am a director/producer and originally wanted to be a stop motion animator) so this book is not only informative but nostalgic. Great resource.

Like the previous reviewer said; this book isn't complete, but it is full of incredibly obscure films. Pettigrew's research is scrupulous. He's interviewed all the concerned animators (the ones still alive) or people who knew them. So much is revealed about how tricks were accomplished and what materials were used. There's actually a lot to read about general film history, not just special effects history. One of the more impressive aspects is perhaps the fact that Pettigrew has waded through hours of pure crap in order to get to the stop-motion sequence to be reviewed. Some of the best animation in the world is contained within really, really bad movies. That's a heroic feat in itself. The only slight annoyance is Pettigrew's ratings of films and their special effects, which are very subjective. He constantly makes excuses for faults in his personal favourite films. Apart from that this will remain the ultimate book on stop-motion for quite a while, and is actually worth the hefty price tag. This book is a treasure-trove of information.

This HUGE (almost 850 pages) tome is the ultimate reference guide to the motion pictures that utilize the fine art of stop-motion photography. From the obvious (King Kong, Jason and The Argonauts) to the obscure (Winterbeast, Frostbiter), this covers them all. Almost. I did notice a few omissions, most notably the Lou Ferrigno HERCULES movies from the early 80's, both of which I believe employed this process. Also missing was Godzilla Vs. Destroyah, which used the process briefly, and Godzilla Vs. Biollante, which had test footage in this process (the book covers other films that stop-motion was only used as test footage for). It also misses a couple of movies that utilized footage from Planet of Dinosaurs (Galaxy of Dinosaurs and Time Tracers). But other than these minor gripes, the book is fascinating, full of great pictures of all the monsters you forgot about (remember the stop-motion creatures from Coneheads? Howard the Duck? Didn't think so. But you SHOULD.). A great buy at it's high price tag, and well worth every penny.

This is a fascinating look inside filmmaking. Most of the examples are from the 1960s and 1970s, but that does not lessen the impact or relevance.

The author is a master of the film editing craft. He also writes with insight and emotion. As you read, you'll learn how a film is "cut", how a film evolves, and what makes a film "work."

This book deserves a place in the bookcase of any student of the filmmaking art or craft.

Rosenblum edited feature films from the late 50s until early 80s, and is most noted for his collaborative efforts with Woody Allen in the 1970s. But his most interesting stories in the book are from a decade earlier when he was still experimenting. Though, I have only seen about half of the movies Rosenblum writes of, it makes the stories no less fascinating.

Rosenblum's major accomplishment in the book is to shed light on the importance of the film editor in motion pictures. He's not wrong in stating that their efforts have been largely ignored by critics and the public at large. What's interesting is that the editor as an influence in film is rarely even discussed by film critics and historians. It's probably because people are largely unsure of what an editor's true contributions are to any one motion picture.

Through the course of the book, Rosenblum takes apart THE RAID ON MINSKY'S, THE PAWNBROKER, and ANNIE HALL in depth. He also gives examples of how much an initial cut of a film can differ from the final cut.

I found the book quite informative, and learned more about film editing than I had expected.