CompuServe Messages

>>There are lots of books available on traditional animation at art stores. Sean Platter knows and probably owns a few good ones.<< >> Sean Platter, where are you???<< Thanks for the reference Martin! Sorry, it's taken my awhile to get thru all these posts! YES! I do know lots of good ones! (. . . but you're interested in books, right?) 🙂 Here's a list I had posted a few months ago. These books should be Commanded Reading for anyone getting into ALL kinds of character animation. Every paper animator (from Disneyites to Hanna-Barbara types) in the LA area own copies of these books and they are invaluable! Believe me, when I started my career animating He-Man (groan……) I was commanded to get these. So now I command all lurkers and CIS regulars, "GO! BUY! NOW!" — "Animation" by Preston Blair published by Walter T. Foster $2.95 YES!!! This is that really cheap, corney looking, oversized, animation book you've seen at your local art stores. But look past the drawings and look at the ideas. VALUABLE!!! — "How to Animate Film Cartoons" by Preston Blair published by Walter T. Foster $2.95 YES!!!! This is that OTHER really cheap, corney looking animation book! The two books above go into comedy timing, squash and stretch, character construction, planning walk/run cycles, mouth shapes for dialogue, staging, paths of action, different types of rhythms that motion creates, secondary motion, anticipation, impact, recoil, the "take", designing traditional characters, follow through, etc. If your Mom & Pop art store does not carry these books, they can be ordered directly from the publisher (not related to either Martin Foster or Frank Foster!): Foster Art Services, Inc. 430 West Sixth Street Tustin, California 92680–9990 — "Animals in Motion" by Eadweard Muybridge published by Dover Books +/- $30. This is a book that contains 100+ year old stop-motion photos of all kinds of animals walking, galloping, jumping, flying from multiple camera angles. Kinda like a 100 year old motion capture system that can sit on your bookshelf! — "Humans in Motion" by Eadweard Muybridge published by Dover Books +/- $30. Same as above but with the figure – this is an incredible reference tool !!! It even documents two nude women dancing together (gasp!), and amputees getting around! — "Disney Animation – The Illusion of Life" by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson published by Abbeyville Press. This is the classic book on Disney-style character animation. It's been out of print for a few years, and in this town of animators, is now claiming a price between $125-$300 depending on who you talk to (it's original price was around $60-$80). In the midwest and places that aren't populated by pesky animators <G>, I'm sure you can find it for much less. Other books that would be good are books for studio photographers or feature film photographers (for tips on lighting and compsition), and books on film theory (for tips on storytelling using editing and camera angles). Well, Martin, that's my list. WHEWW !!!! My posts have been getting pretty huge lately. Sorry. Sean Platter