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Animation Unleashed: 100 Principles Every Animator, Comic Book Writers, Filmmakers, Video Artist, and Game Developer Should Know | 
 enlarge | Author: Ellen Besen
Creator: Bryce Hallett
Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $15.99
You Save: $10.96 (41%)
New (27) Used (4) from $15.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 150134
Format: Illustrated
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 280
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 10.9 x 7.4 x 0.7
ISBN: 1932907491
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.4334
EAN: 9781932907490
ASIN: 1932907491
Publication Date: October 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new book. Shipped from our NYC store. Slight Shelf wear to cover. Pages are clean and unmarked.
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Product Description
Make your animation say what you want it to say. Animation's potential as a powerful tool for communication is just beginning to be understood. This book reveals key principles, useful for both professionals and beginners, which will help you harness the full power of this exciting and ever expanding medium.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
this book takes off like a rocket November 20, 2008
Yes!!! This is the type of book I've been waiting for. I work independently at my animation projects and live in an area that is quite isolated so I often have to rely on reference material. ANIMATION UNLEASHED is of great benefit to me. Ellen Besen has created a wonderful work that deals with a lot of material that isn't covered in the other books that I own. I find it fills in many of the blanks that existed in my other reference material.
This book follows the film process from beginning to end discussing the thinking process and the questions one must consider when developing your ideas. Everything from writing a script, developing characters, film structure, sound, animation techniques and performance right through to backgrounds and special effects are treated in the same exploratory manner. Each chapter is broken up into very informative, concise, and well written sections all accompanied by Bryce Hallett's wonderful illustrations. It doesn't necessarily dig deeply into the nuts and bolts of technique, but explores the decisions one should consider during the creative process to best communicate your story.
It takes off like a rocket with some very important and helpful information. It begins with a discussion of analogy and its relationship with animation. In the first few sentences the author begins to lay a new foundation for thought on how to take advantage of your story idea. The book explores the role caricature plays in animation, twisting and turning the subject in ways that open your mind to aspects of its use that aren't always obvious, but very essential to a successful film. The same process is applied to encourage new thinking about movement in your animation, the use of fantasy and reality, as well as creating your own universe. There is a discussion concerning the uncovering of core ideas by encouraging the use of visual exploration to avoid generic thinking. I have found this book very helpful from beginning to end in helping me avoid just that.
Ellen Besen and Bryce Hallet have done a wonderful job here. This book will be a valuable and essential tool in my library. I would encourage anyone interested learning about film making to add it to their library as well.
I Heart This Book. October 24, 2008
As someone that doesn't know a whole lot about animation, this book was an incredible find.
I am not an animator, but I easily applied the principles outlined in this book to my creative writing and comic production. It is amazingly inspiring and the topics discussed are backed by illustrations that make the points unbelievably clear and easily understood.
I think this book is excellent for anyone creative, or anyone interested in improving their craft. I will also, shamelessly admit that its become my new favourite colouring book.
A great guide for any writer, screenwriter, or artist October 23, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'm not an animator, but for me-- as a writer-- the strength of "Animation Unleashed" wasn't that it explained animation (it actually delves very little into the practical processes of animation or how animated films get made), but how it teaches you to think like an animator. In animation, the book explains, everything is analogy... everything takes place in alternate or heightened reality. As a result, artists and writers approach animation slightly differently... it's more visual, sound and music are used in unique ways, characters are larger, the types of stories that succeed are slightly different, etc. That's where "Animation Unleashed" is invaluable... by detailing how animators and animation writers create cartoons, it helps non-animation writers think about traditional writing and storytelling in new ways. This is a book I'll reach for whenever I'm blocked... or can't break a story... or can't get my ahead around a particular character. It's also a book I'll use just to get my imagination thinking differently. Whether you're an animation writer or not, this is a great addition to your writing-book library!
 A must for anyone interested in Animation October 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I don't "get" animation. Oh, sure, I enjoy the stories. One of my favorite all time films is "Pinocchio." I love the Pixar films - a solid run of quality production that is unparalleled (though I think that "Wall-E" was not their best effort).
What I don't "get" is the time and energy put into it. I recall watching a behind the scenes segment on Ardman Studios and the production behind the short "Wallace and Gromit" films. Making those stop-motion claymation films would make my head explode.
After reading "Animation Unleashed" I get it. "Animation Unleashed" with wonderful illustrations by Bryce Hallett, goes into fine detail on all things animated. Showing the reader what goes into it, from the nuance of a raised eyebrow, to the detail that goes into computer generated fare.
Touching on everything from character development (whether your character is a life-like person...or is a chair) to the aspects of sounds, shadows, details (both large and small).
This book is an extremely thorough reference book and a must for anyone who is thinking about animation.
My only issue with the book is that Ms. Besen references a LOT of animated films that I am not familiar with. Though she lists them at the end of the book, it would be great if, at some point, a DVD is packaged with the book to include the animated films she mentions. Or, a reference at the beginning of the book to go on-line and try to view (assuming they're on YouTube) the animated films she mentions.
All-in-all, this is a very interesting book about nearly all aspects of animation.
There's more to animation than you think... October 8, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I must admit that I have always regarded animation as a lesser form of filmmaking, so the analysis in Animation Unleashed caught me by surprise. Who knew that Disney animated features, Warner Bros shorts, NFB animated shorts, etc were so full of innovative filmmaking techniques?
Part of what's interesting here is how deceptively simple many of the key points seem: for example, the idea that you can use caricature not only in the character design but in the acting, the scenery, the soundtrack and even the editing seems obvious once it has been pointed out but is not necessarily an easy idea to arrive at in the first place.
It's also worth noting that a lot of what is presented here is equally applicable to live action filmmaking, particularly hybrid filmmaking, like the importance of creating a history for imaginary characters which encompasses not just personal background but the evolution of the character's entire species in order to invest such creatures with logical characteristics.
In total, a real eye opener which has already changed the way I view and make film.
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