CompuServe Thread

<<I'm looking for suggestions on books for character animation. I guess what I need are hints and tips which will bring my characters to life, adding weight and….character to them. Disney Animation The Illusion of Life by Thomas and Johnston Chapter 3, "The principles of animation", contains stuff that it takes quite a while to digest and practice but when mastered you really do have an illusion of life. Ed

Probably the best book ever written on the subject of character animation is Disney's "Illusion of Life". It is very comprehensive including story, scripting, emotion and other important yet subtle details that make Disney films the best there was and still is. It is their attention to detail that sets them apart from the others. I remember the anecdote where during the production of Bambi one of the artists(anatomy experts) found a dead fawn beside the road. He brought it to the studio to demonstrate the articulation and anatomy of the fawn to the animators for the film. During the first few sessions the fawn was still quite fresh but after a few weeks it began to decay to the point where upon moving some of the legs foul odours belched out of the corps. Many of the animators kept their distance but the guy who found it seemed more fascinated the more it decayed. I guess life as a Disney animator isn't just pencils and paper, you've also got to have a strong stomach! DaviD "3D animation is a procrastinators nigthmare, so MANY options" GouID

>>I'm looking for suggestions on books for character animation. I guess what I need are hints and tips which will bring my characters to life, adding weight and….character to them. << After spending 6-8 years of my life in the dark recesses of TV animation studios, there are a couple of other books used by all the animators that come in very handy (and they are VERY cheap!). They should be required by law for all character animators! — "Animation" by Preston Blair published by Walter T. Foster $2.95 YES!!! This is that really cheap, corney looking animation book you've seen at your local art stores. — "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! These books 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", desiging traditional characters, follow through, etc. If your Mom & Pop art store does not carry the 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 I feel these books are A MUST for every user of 3D Studio, Animator Pro/Studio, or anyone who calls himself/herself an animator (even of flying logos!). All my best, Sean Platter