Product Description
Creating a 3D Animated CGI Short presents an insightful behind-the-scenes tour of the entire production process for 3D artists, animators, and independent filmmakers who are interested in creating their own CGI shorts as well as for those who are simply fans and enthusiasts of CGI films in general. This book presents detailed examples of every step of the production process; from initial concept through character design, set design, modeling, texturing, lighting, camera animation, character animation, lip sync, rendering, post-production, compositing, and all the way to film festival submissions and online web distribution. It truly has something for everyone interested in CGI films.Using readily available off-the-shelf hardware and software such as modo, LightWave 3D, FPrime, HD Instance, Peak, Shake, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand and more, Creating a 3D Animated CGI Short shows how to produce a complete 3D animated CGI Short, including how to fund the production by taking on paid freelance projects along the way. Where other filmmaking books typically describe industry standard methodologies that are most effective for larger productions, this book shows how to drastically simplify and condense those processes and focus only on the essential elements that will enable a single artist or filmmaker to complete a CGI short on their own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Its OK
Interesting book that talks about one mans experience making an animated short with problems he faced.On the downside, he should be a spokesperson for Apple computers and Lightwave software, he seemed to biased on using software and hardware that he has stock in.

About Time There Was a How-To Book on Animated Shorts!
I don't often write reviews, but this book, Creating a 3D Animated CGI Short: The Making is the Autition Archives - Fault Effect by Michael Scaramozzino, left me no alternative. First, there are very few books available to the independent filmmaker - especially when it comes to animation. This book by Mr. Scaramozzino fills a large void and is most definitely welcome. And second, it is a well-written detailed account of this project.

Fault Effect is a beautifully animated and artistically brilliant animated short written, produced and directed by the author, Michael Scaramozzino. And this book I am reviewing is about how Mr. Scaramozzino created Fault Effect.

Okay...what does it offer? Essentially this is a step-by-step how-to book showing how Michael created Fault Effect pretty much on his own with standard off-the-shelf software along with lots of perseverence and determination. From concept to final creation, it is chock-full of what to do and what to look out for. He offers very useful advice when it comes to making your own short (or feature if you are so inclined) and explains what the differences are between large productions and smaller ones such as Fault Effect. I've found lots of useful information that I will be using in my own short and I'm looking forward to implementing quite a bit of the info he provided. And the included DVD is just an added bonus and contains color pictures of everything in the book as well as the Fault Effect short and award-winning BlastOff! short.

The only thing I would have liked to see more of would be a little more balance between Mac and Windows programs in the post production area. Michael is primarily a "Mac Guy" and avoids Windows programs pretty much completely in favor of an all-Mac flavor. I can't really fault him for this, since most everything written today is Windows/PC-centric. I guess it's about time that we had a great book for mostly Mac-users too. This of course does not mean that the book is ONLY for Mac users. On the contrary, most of the procedures Mike writes about can be used by either camps and even for 3D software other than Lightwave, which is his software of choice. The concepts are identical, just the software would be different.

All in all, this is a great book and must-have asset for the independent animator. It's not often that I feel I've got my moneys-worth out of a product, but in this case I feel I've got much MORE than I paid for. It's not easy to spend money in this economy, but this was an easy decision and I couldn't be more pleased with this book. Now I'm REALLY anxious to get my short completed! Kudos to Michael Scaramozzino for having the patience and temperament to write this wonderful book! ... Read more

Product Description

The Making of FINAL FANTASY: The Spirits Within book will feature an inside look into the making of the movie. The book includes storyboards, the movie script, concept sketches, and images of the characters, sets and props from the movie. Behind-the-scenes information and interviews with the creative minds behind this ground-breaking production. The book brings to light the truly staggering level of work and detail involved in the movie's development.

Customer Reviews (20)

Amazing!!! Very good!!!
A very good book! It shows all process since sketch to final rendered and composed movie. A guide to everyone what work with 3D or is a Final Fantasy's fan.

Nice companion to the movie
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2W8052Y06H6Q2 When the movie first came out, it showcased to the world what computer graphics is capable of, especially on the human animation and acting part.

This book provides a nice look into how Final Fantasy The Spirits Within was created.

The concept art included are mainly designs of vehicles, sets, props and storyboards. Since this is a "Making of" book, it talks extensively about how the art is related back to the story. Among them are subjects like creating flames, flares, using motion capture for acting, composition and other general production techniques.

Character design is lacking in the book. Even though several pages are devoted to each character, there wasn't any concept art on how they come up with the characters. All that is included are the bio stats, film stills, and 3D rendered posed models.

This is a great book companion to the movie.

(Check out my Amazon profile for other books I've reviewed.)

Nice Book for 3d animation Lovers
I like this book, because I made 3d animations, I can see how to made these great movie and the hard work is back stage, you can see many ideas how take life from a small pice of paper, nice book.

Waiting a more detailed book... hurry up writers
This is a great book for a great movie. Final Fantasy is a mark in the industry of games, and now in movies too.
Unhapply, the authors dont explain technical approaches, what is very important in a film like this.
But i have used it in my animation classes, and specially the roughs, sketches and scene previews have turn on the ligh over the head of my pupils.
I hope someone could write a book about analisys of the technical aspects of this mark in animation industry.

Behind the scenes
If you ever wanted a great behind the scenes book on the movie that is the greatest ahievement by computer animation with realistic 3d characters, check this book out.

This book features full page color on every page turn.Interviews with all the creative people that made it happen, original script accompanied by all the storyboards, character designs, as well as many "how we did it information" on animation, motion capture, lighting, VFX. compostiting, and final production.

Great buy for any animator. ... Read more

Product Description

To coincide with the video premiere of Disney’s very first animated classic, here is the ultimate volume on the masterpiece for every devoted fan and collector. Like the film it celebrates, this exquisite book is a landmark of its type. 192 pages of full-color and black-and-white photographs.

Customer Reviews (3)

amazing
This is an amazing book that you can consider like 'The Art Of' series...its well written and the pics are astonishing...i mean original cells backgrounds and so on...i highly recommend this book to everyone who's always been a disney fan!

Coffee Table Book with Substance
This book offers a clear and concise introduction to the development of Walt Disney's first full-length animated feature. The book's use of stills, roughs, and concept art vividly illustrate much of the "magic" that goes into making an animated film. Not only that, but the book's incorporation of technical details provides enough "insider information" to appeal to those wanting to know more about the how of animation. In fact, I used the book's section on the multiplane camera to introduce the invention's importance to an introductory class in animation. It worked wonders!

Also nicely developed in the book is how Snow White set the production and narrative standards for the Disney's subsequent films. It's nice to see a coffee table book with substance!

Gorgeous artwork; good intro to animation process
I loved the artwork and descriptions of the animation process.(The display of the art is organized to also help explain the process.) Also "behind the scenes" recollections of how the movie was made as well as a discussion on how to conserve, and prepare for sale, animation artwork.This can be equally appreciated by those with serious or casual interest in animation art. ... Read more

Product Description
Replete with drawings, models, and original artwork, a detailed profile of Walt Disney's Imagineers traces how the company's engineers combined science and imagination to create Walt Disney World and the rest of the Disney empire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

Disney book
Not a bad used copy slight signs of use but a fairly good copy. Delivery good as it was shipped from USA.

Nice used book in great shape
this is a great book and the transaction was as expected... on time, in the condition stated and a good price point.

Disney Imagineering
I received this book two days ago and havent been able to put it down since! After an intial flick through the amazing photos, I have begun to read it from cover to cover and each page is a delight on its own. It is such a wonderful look at Imagineering and the magic of Disney that it will be opened continuously no doubt for years to come.

Just okay
My 14 year old son has dreams of being an imagineer when he grows up. As I was planning our first trip to Disney World, I came across this book, and thought it would be great for him to read through, and get a lot of his questions answered.He reported back to me that he thought the book was a little boring.I looked through it, and I agree with him.It's not as exciting or interesting as I expected it to be.The pictures and illustrations are great, but the information is just not that enlightening.

Greatest Disney Book BY FAR.
This has to be one of the best Disney books I've read. I recently bought it at the Walt Disney Family Museum, and I just cant put it down! Its informative, colorful, and a great Disney Geek book! I recommend this to anyone interested in how the imagineering process works, and how they do the things they do! If your a Disney Geek, You aren't yet complete with this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This book/disk package includes POLYRAY Ray Tracer and Dave's Targa Animator, along with 75 ready-to-run movie examples for the PC Director. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

Incredible: a must have for artists and movie lovers!
Amazing book, well edited, full of illustrations and drawings from the Making of the movie.

This edition comes with some extra stuff like cards, maps, brochures, and even stickers!

You'll love this!

Worth every penny!
If you are inclined to buy one of these movie art books - then this is the one to get. It is one of the most unique books, with slides and pullouts, awesome art and information about Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.If you enjoyed the movie, then you will be amazed and entertained with this book - it is a bit expensive, but worth every penny.

If you loved the film, you can't miss this book
This book has been my best purchase in months; it seems made with a lot of care and love for animation, and it's full of little surprises such as stickers and Flint's inventions' designs hidden in paper envelopes.
To me, it's an indispensable purchase if you enjoyed this marvelous movie.
Not to mention Amazon's super-low price, which should definitely help you decide to buy it in case you have any doubts.

Awesome!
I am a big fan of computer animated films, also because I make them as well. This book is colorful and very informative. I recommend!

Excelente libro de arte
Me encantan las películas de pixar, pero sus libros de arte no son tan buenos como este,que está lleno de material extra, muchos bocetos, muy bien ordenada la información.Concuerdo con otra opinión, uno de los mejores libros de arte de una película jamás publicado ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Black Enterprise, published by Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc. on April 1, 2005. The length of the article is 608 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Betting on 'Blak': comic book creators hope their hip-bop superhero becomes a hit.(Making It)
Author: Sufiya Abdur-Rahman
Publication: Black Enterprise (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2005
Publisher: Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc.
Volume: 35Issue: 9Page: 43(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book!
This book is great because it has some Behind the scenes pictures at Klasky Csupo. ... Read more

Product Description
This lavish celebration of "A Bug's Life", the new computer-animated film, profiles the innovative minds behind the movie, its cutting-edge animation techniques, and the movie's unforgettable, lovable characters. Full color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Would Buy from This Seller Again!
I was nervous about getting this "pre-owned" book, and wasn't sure in what condition it would be sent to me in. I'm happy to say, it's in great shape and I'm happy with the purchase. I had a good experience with this seller and would recommend buying from them.

The Art of A Bugs Life
Nice Book. A little bit of damage. But what do you expect from a second hands book?

Visual insights, art & insider's info abound!
This collector's edition of A Bug's Life deserves ongoing mention is a fun accompaniment to the film, requiring good reading skills or parentalassistance but pairing film clips with an outline of the story. Visualinsights, art and insider's info abound.

The book for every animators.
This book is very much to own for animators and who that love this movie

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A hardcover and full color book on the making of a bugs life.Absolutely wonderful!!Interviews with the directer and clips from the movie.Also encludes many of the story-boards they used.I loved it !!!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description

Since its top-rated debut on CBS in December 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas has been one of America's most beloved television shows. Year after year, fans of all ages tune in to the Emmy-winning Christmas special that has earned a permanent place in the nation's popular culture.

This collector's treasury contains the entire script of A Charlie Brown Christmas, illustrated with full-color stills from the animated film. Producer Lee Mendelson and animator Bill Melendez pay tribute to the program with personal memories and reflections about the show, including charming anecdotes about their long friendship and working career with Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz. Offering rare, behind-the-scenes insights, they also share memories of the late, great jazz pianist/composer Vince Guaraldi and provide never-before-published background sketches, storyboards, production sheets, and other materials that bring the making of the show to life.

A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition also brings the sound of the show home with the piano/vocal musical scores for Guaraldi's "Christmas Time Is Here" and "Linus and Lucy," two songs that have become standards of American popular music.

As the very first Peanuts special, A Charlie Brown Christmas brought Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang to television. In addition to breaking the mold by using jazz music (which exposed millions of people to jazz for the first time and inspired a generation of jazz pianists), A Charlie Brown Christmas broke new ground by using real children for the voices instead of adult actors. Schulz, Mendelson, and Melendez created these and other innovations that made A Charlie Brown Christmas a unique and timeless work of animation art.

A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition celebrates this award-winning and history-making show with warmhearted memories, fascinating trivia, and colorful animation art that will delight fans of all ages.

Customer Reviews (20)

nice book, omplete
I am using the book because it has the only script for "A Charlie Brown Christmas" The kids are loving it!

A classic for fans both young and old
You don't need to have grown up with Charlie Brown to appreciate this, but of course this will bring back lots of great memories if you did. The book includes reminiscences about Charles Schulz and also lots of glimpses into the creative process (artwork sketches, animation cells, sheet music).

Probably 40 percent of the book (essentially the second half) is the illustrated script for "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in its entirety.

Paperback, but thick and almost coffee table book quality.

A Treasure
A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition is a treasure for those -- like me -- who love this Christmas classic.It is a great "behind the scenes look" that includes photos of the cast of characters whose voices are so familiar.Give it as a gift to the "Peanuts Fan" in your life.
Philip D. Halfacre
Author, Genuine Friendship

A Christmas Treat for Peanuts' Fans
While we've been treated to many Charles Schulz documentaries and remembrances over the years, "A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition" is the first book to focus on the first Peanuts' television special. The book includes in-depth interviews with producer Lee Mendelson, animator Bill Melendez, and Vince Guaraldi's children. This book is the ultimate backstage pass to the recording studio, with interviews with the original child actors who voiced the characters and sang on Guaraldi's "Christmas Time is Here." As a bonus treat, the script and original animation art round out the book.

A Very Nice Collection of Material!
I loved this book!It has material for every fan of the famous TV special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas".I may not be musical, but if you are, this book includes the music.I am fond of the discussions of the people involved in creating the production of the TV show and the script.I will be using the script in my classroom for Reader's Theatre.The book has a lot of material that has meaning for me personally.I was young when this special was shown on television and it was always one of my favorites.The book was not a disappointment to read and own.I am very glad I bought it. ... Read more

Product Description
Wes Craven began his career in fear with a notorious low-budget shocker called Last House On The Left. Szulkin's book tells the inside story of the making of this landmark film through in-depth interviews, rare photographs and extensive research. Featuring stills from unreleased out-takes and commentary from Wes Craven, this book is the definitive record of one of the most legendary, iconoclastic horror movies in history. Now in a fully revised, updated and expanded second edition - with a contracted price too (gasp!). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Really into it
The best way to describe this book is reverent.This is a seriously in depth look at Wes Craven's demented debut, Last House on the Left.

Szulkin has done a ton of research.There are countless references in here to obscure genre work, foreign films, etc, etc.Plenty of pictures, too, big, bright and shiny pictures of various artwork from the film and its unofficial 'sequels', grisly scenes, and more.Whatever you think of the film, this is an impressive book.

Last House on the Left is definitely demented, but looking at the current state of the horror genre, it holds up pretty well.The raw, grainy quality and the depiction of the kind of sick, stark horror you read about in the papers--this is definitely not a movie that glorifies crime and murder as other slick, entertaining films do.Craven would do similar things later in the decade with The Hills Have Eyes, another ultra low-budget but creepy study of an American family.

Video nasty buffs and horror fans will highly appreciate such a respectful book about an oft-disrespected and reviled film.I mean, this is the second, revised edition(!)That is dedication, folks.

midnight confessions
hello last house fans, as a close confidant of david szulkin and last house star david a hess, i must say people have to read this graphically detailed monster of written class. this 70's film student text book hasinspiration.szulkin has touched the heart and soul of wes cravensmasterpiece. All cult fanatics will read this book

a paramount reading,
the importance of the movie,is overshadowed by Szulkin's "under the microscope" details and facts.And those details and facts are exactly why you can not put this book down.The index alone is a treasure listing ofthe the greatest horror/slasher/sci-fi/camp...movies ever made. I cannotwait to see what Szulkin's next subject will be....

1970's Horror
This book is a must for any fan of 70's horror.The genre had a feel to it in the 70's, and this book shows that feeling. Great book for any aspiring filmaker.

'Last House' a great synopsis of the cult classic
I'm 30 years old and always wanted to see "Last House" at the drive-in where it always played, and at the midnight showings, just to see what everyone was talking about.By the time I could see it by myself, all this stopped w/video!You can imagine my delight in having all the hype recaptured in this book! Well written, with plenty of behind-the-scenes info, and an update with the actors/actresses in the movie.I felt like I was back in time!If you've wanted to know what everyone's been talking about, and how the "House" set the standard for terror (which it did, when you compare the slasher movies to it), get this book.It's well worth the price! ... Read more

Product Description
The Pixar Touch is a lively chronicle of Pixar Animation Studios' history and evolution, and the “fraternity of geeks” who shaped it. With the help of animating genius John Lasseter and visionary businessman Steve Jobs, Pixar has become the gold standard of animated filmmaking, beginning with a short special effects shot made at Lucasfilm in 1982 all the way up through the landmark films Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and others. David A. Price goes behind the scenes of the corporate feuds between Lasseter and his former champion, Jeffrey Katzenberg, as well as between Jobs and Michael Eisner. And finally he explores Pixar's complex relationship with the Walt Disney Company as it transformed itself into the $7.4 billion jewel in the Disney crown.Amazon.com Review
Product Description

The roller-coaster rags-to-riches story behind the phenomenal success of Pixar Animation Studios: the first in-depth look at the company that forever changed the film industry and the "fraternity of geeks" who shaped it.

The Pixar Touch is a story of technical innovation that revolutionized animation, transforming hand-drawn cel animation to computer-generated 3-D graphics. It’s a triumphant business story of a company that began with a dream, remained true to the ideals of its founders—antibureaucratic and artist driven—and ended up a multibillion-dollar success.

We meet Pixar’s technical genius and founding CEO, Ed Catmull, who dreamed of becoming an animator, inspired by Disney’s Peter Pan and Pinocchio, realized he would never be good enough, and instead enrolled in the then new field of computer science at the University of Utah. It was Catmull who founded the computer graphics lab at the New York Institute of Technology and who wound up at Lucasfilm during the first Star Wars trilogy, running the computer graphics department, and found a patron in Steve Jobs, just ousted from Apple Computer, who bought Pixar for five million dollars. Catmull went on to win four Academy Awards for his technical feats and helped to create some of the key computer-generated imagery software that animators rely on today.

Price also writes about John Lasseter, who catapulted himself from unemployed animator to one of the most powerful figures in American filmmaking; animation was the only thing he ever wanted to do (he was inspired by Disney’s The Sword in the Stone), and Price’s book shows how Lasseter transformed computer animation from a novelty into an art form. The author writes as well about Steve Jobs, as volatile a figure as a Shakespearean monarch . . .

Based on interviews with dozens of insiders, The Pixar Touch examines the early wildcat years when computer animation was thought of as the lunatic fringe of the medium.

We see the studio at work today; how its writers, directors, and animators make their astonishing, and astonishingly popular, films.

The book also delves into Pixar’s corporate feuds: between Lasseter and his former champion, Jeffrey Katzenberg (A Bug’s Life vs. Antz), and between Jobs and Michael Eisner. And finally it explores Pixar’s complex relationship with the Walt Disney Company as it transformed itself from a Disney satellite into the $7.4 billion jewel in the Disney crown.

Little-Known Facts from The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company by David Price

• Pixar, not Apple, made Steve Jobs a billionaire. Jobs bought Pixar in 1986 from Lucasfilm for $5 million. In 1995, the week after the release of Toy Story, Pixar went public and Jobs’s stock was worth $1.1 billion.

• Ed Catmull, Pixar’s co-founder, dreamed as a youth of becoming an animator, but decided in high school that he couldn’t draw well enough. Instead, he became an early visionary of computer animation as a graduate student in the 1970’s. "Computer animation was sort of on the lunatic fringe at that time," remembered Fred Parke, a fellow Ph.D. student in Catmull’s class at the University of Utah.

• When John Lasseter joined Pixar—which was then the computer graphics department of George Lucas’s Lucasfilm—he had just been fired from his dream job as an animator at Disney. He became the first person to apply classic Disney character animation principles to computer animation.

• Before it became an animation studio, Pixar went through years of struggle and multi-million-dollar losses. It started as a computer company and John Lasseter’s short films, such as Luxo Jr. and Tin Toy, were promotional films to help sell the company’s computers.

• Pixar was almost bought by…Microsoft? Yep: Jobs remained worried about the company’s finances even after Pixar made a deal with the Walt Disney Co. in 1991 to produce Toy Story, Pixar’s first feature film. The Pixar Touch details the effort to sell Pixar to Bill Gates’s company while Toy Story was in production.

• When writing Toy Story, to find inspiration for the relationship between Buzz and Woody, Lasseter and his story department screened classic "buddy" movies, including 48 Hrs., The Defiant Ones, Midnight Run, and Thelma & Louise.

• John Lasseter has instilled an intense commitment to research in the studio’s creative staff. To prepare for the scene in Finding Nemo in which the fish characters Marlin and Dory become trapped in a whale, two members of the art department climbed inside a dead gray whale that had been stranded north of Marin, California.

• To learn how to make a realistic French kitchen, the producer and first director of Ratatouille worked as apprentices at an elite French restaurant in the Napa Valley.

• Pixar deliberately avoided making the humans in The Incredibles look too realistic. They knew that as animated human characters became too close to lifelike, audiences would actually perceive them as repulsive. The phenomenon, known as the "uncanny valley," had been predicted by a Japanese robotics researcher as early as 1970. Thus, the details of human skin, such as pores and hair follicles, were left out of The Incredibles’ characters in favor of a more cartoonlike appearance.

• The signature of most Pixar feature films is characters who appeal to children (toys, fish, monsters…), but who have adult-like personalities and are dealing with adult-like problems.

• Prior to the acquisition of Pixar by Disney in 2006, Lasseter loathed the idea of Disney making sequels to Pixar films without Pixar’s involvement—as Disney’s contract with Pixar allowed it to do. "These were the people that put out Cinderella II," Lasseter remarked.

• Pixar is more than an animation studio. Pixar’s innovations in computer graphics technology pervade movies today. Special-effects houses like Industrial Light & Magic (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) use Pixar’s software to create out-of-this-world places and characters.

(Photo © Simon Bruty)

... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Pixar's own story...
...is just as fascinating and character-driven as all of their wonderful films. David A. Price does a peerless job with his account of how George Lucas, Steve Jobs, John Lasseter, Edwin Catmull, Alvy Ray Smith, Loren Carpenter, and Alex Shure worked, sometimes against the balance sheet, to legitimize digital 3D animation and make Pixar the creative presence that it is today. This excellent thrill of a read delves into the personnel responsible for the ubiquitous and seemingly foolproof company, even gifting the reader with a history of computer graphics along the way.

Reads just like a captivating biography
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R299VYG4VLLI7T This video presents an overview of my opinion of The Pixar Touch, from it's earliest beginnings through WALL-E.

The Characters Who Created Pixar
David Price's The Pixar Touch gives us the history of the people who formed and ran Pixar, the Hollywood animation movie company that created Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars and Ratatouille.

As described, it's a rich, very long, tortuous, fated (or more accurately graced) history of clever people who had a dream and wouldn't let it go over a period of 30 years. Personally, I'd move on. However, luckily for us, a handful of dreamers imagined developing a full length 3D animated feature film entirely on computer. Given the off the shelf software for creating Anime movies that I saw in the Apple Store yesterday afternoon, this would seem like an easy issue for a teenager with $3000 today, who can take stock cartoon characters, move them around, fill them in, and save them onto a DVD disk in a matter of hours.

However, when these guys started in the 1960s there was no color graphics software, no animation software, no way of automatically filling graphical shapes of images, no way of capturing computer images and putting them onto film, no high resolution computer screens, and no computers powerful enough to make images other than line drawings move on a screen. Think what there was before TRON - and that was a terrible movie in every sense, despite the hype at the time. These are all things that a PC or standard MAC can do today, regardless of creative capability and the subtleties of making a film worth watching.

To get us to this point, the guys who formed Pixar went through a process of developing 3D graphics software in university, researching how to fill and move shapes easily, created computer languages that described how to control animation graphics, built and sold computers powerful enough to render early animation, and worked through the computing, academic, aerospace, auto, medical imaging and advertising industries to finance themselves. The characters involved ranged from boffin (academics), nerd (Steve Jobs) and creative (George Lucas).

I read this book because someone told me that Pixar was the only Hollywood movie company ever to have a blockbuster with every single one of its film releases, and that I could learn the secret to their success. The key secrets were: (1) people watch stories and empathize with characters in movies not technology (2) dream higher than anyone else (3) don't give up, despite 30 years of hard work and delays (4) the production quality of the product has to be better than anyone else (5) you need oodles of money and lots of time.

If you can do all of these things (I won't, because I don't have the patience), then you'll produce 8 blockbusters in a row, just like Pixar.

The bottom line - it's good book, all about the characters who put Pixar together. From these character descriptions, you can see why Pixar succeeded.

a Cinderella story, a rags-to-riches phenomena, and a triumphant business experience that began with a dream
The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company
Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

I do not like animated films, and I don't go to see them (with the exception of taking my grandkids when those situations dictate my presence). The only reason this opening comment is relevant is because Price's book "is a story of technical innovation that revolutionized animation." This is truly a Cinderella story, a rags-to-riches phenomena, and a triumphant business experience that began with a dream (It is the dream of Pixar's technical genius and founding CEO, Ed Catmull), remained true to the ideals of its founders (antibureaucratic and artist driven), and ends up a multibillion-dollar success (adapted from the front jacket). Not knowing anything about animation (and having no interest in it at all), I found Price's book fascinating. I love the stories he tells and how he incorporates biographies of people like Catmull, who turned down Disney when it approached him to help design the Walt Disney World attraction Space Mountain. He talks of Steve Jobs who was thrown out of Apple Computer and bought Pixar Studio for just $5 million, then immediately discovered he had to spend twice that to keep it afloat. Price also mentions John Lasseter who advances from a skipper on Disneyland's Jungle Cruise to the principal creative advisor of Disney and Pixar animation. I loved his discussion, as well, of how computer animation developed. This is a superb book full of well-supported facts (there are 16 pages of notes), that is both engaging and entertaining.

Excellent book about the evolution of Pixar
This was an excellent audiobook.It was 9 hours of fascinating content, showing the evolution of Pixar from its humble beginnings through its development into the premier animation studio. ... Read more

Product Description
Stop-motion puppet animation is one of the most unusual and demanding art forms in the world. It uses a variety of skills, including design, sculpting, metal work, mold making and casting, taxidermy, filmmaking, storytelling and acting, and can be seen in the simplest commercial spots on television to more complex animated shorts and science fiction and fantasy feature films.

This work explains research and design of puppets, and details the fabrication of stop-motion puppets around a metal armature skeleton using the build up and foam injection processes. The former technique uses pre-cut blocks of foam formed with a pair of scissors or other instrument into the shape desired and attaching them to the armature. In the latter technique, the character is sculpted in clay over the armature. This clay sculpture is then replaced with foam by using a plaster mold and injection gun techniques. Finishing techniques described include the making of hair, eyes, eyelids, teeth, horns, nails, and chitinous (insect-shell-like) surfaces. The manual also covers the process of creating replacement heads using rubber molds (such as RTV) and urethane castings. A glossary and bibliography complete the extensively illustrated work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

overpriced book
Content of this book is useful to learn the advanced techniques of puppet making. But nearly $50 for a 70 page xrox-copy quality binding material is an outrageous overpricing.

For completists only!
I am not sorry I purchased this book but I must agree with several other reviewers that the information contained in this book is rather shallow and the poor quality (printed on cheap paper, muddy b/w photos, etc...) only underscore the problem. The same info can be had in a number of superior quality books that also feature sections on other aspects of stopmotion filmmaking (storyboarding, lighting, camera work, etc...) for a lesser price. Also I must say aside from the poor photo reproductions featured the actual work on display is less than inspiring. The majority of books available on the subject feature cartoony characters this book attempts to present a more balanced example by demonstrating the construction of a fantasy monster creature unfortunately the results reveal a distinct lack of artistic ability in reproducinglifelike dynamic anatomy and detail.Also the chapter on sculpting employs a TERRIBLE and bizzare nude female character that seems inapropriate for the purposes of casting a workable model, this assessment is borne out by the fact that no model derived from this poorly done sculpture is demonstrated.Buy this only if you wish to fill out your book collection on the subject.

Great book
Book came very quickly and in great shape. That's all I ask. Thanks so much.

Adequate description of stop-motion puppets but overpriced
As the title of the manual suggests, the book is a primer of learning the fundamentals of foam injection and build-up techniques, material which is (especially the unique process of build-up technique) difficult to find when wishing to create realistic Ray Harryhausen/Willis O'Brien-type animation puppets (as outlined in the build-up chapter of the manual).

The book is called "A Manual of Foam Injection, Build-Up, and Finishing Techniques", not "The Manual...", and therefore one would assume before purchasing it that is yet another text on creating stop-motion puppets, and would be a viable addition to one's stop-motion library.The copy at the back the manual (as well as in web advertisements) indicates that this manual also covers the creation of replacement models for animation.This topic was discontinued by the author for a later manual that he is writing on stop-motion animation, lighting and cinematography.Prior to going to press, the author contacted the published to edit the replacement models topic out of the advertisements, but they did not do so.

If would behoove web/book advertisers of this manual (or any book/manual) to include the page count of a given manuscript, so that consumers can know the size of the book in question.

The cost of this manual is, in my opinion, overpriced, but the pricing was the decision of the publisher, not the author.The manual is also printed on substandard paper stock.

Other stop-motion books currently on the market do not cover build-up technique as detailed as this manual, especially as it pertains to a machined armature.Virtually all stop-motion books on the market cover sculpted puppets using only wire armatures.

The manual adequately explains what it set out to do, namely to explain the process of foam injection and foam buildup techniques.A chapter is devoted to basic sculpting techniques to initiate a beginner in the amenities of muscle structure and its importance to the creation of more realistic stop-motion models.This was, however, not the crux of the manual per se, which is why only one chapter was devoted to sculpting.

The primarily complaints seem to be in its cost and the quality of the paper stock and images, as well as absence of more material to make the book more "saleable".However, further detail explanations of other types of anatomies (i.e. quadrupeds, fantasy creatures, etc.), would have driven the cost of the manual up exponentially.The manual is overpriced as it is.

An entire chapter is devoted to the foam injection technique, and is explained in a simple and concise easy-to-follow explanation.As such, the manual has been geared to people interested in the art form, but who do not have advanced skill levels in sculpting, mold making, and foam injection.

Regrettably, the publisher chose to use black and white photographs, and at low resolution.As such, the images suffer.It would have been preferable to use higher resolution images, and in color.

If a kitchen oven cannot be used for foam injection in one's home, one might try to be resourceful enough to not give up and think of an alternative solution; namely, to use a kiln oven in a garage or other room that is out of harms way.It is common knowledge in the visual effects/stop-motion community that hot foam can be difficult and toxic to work with.The manual only confirms this.

Given the subject matter and material covered within the manual, it should be less expensive, given what one gets for their investment.One should consider contacting the publisher if they feel that the manual is overpriced, or at the very least return the item if they are not satisfied.

Overpriced - Not Comprehensive
I would probably be more forgiving if this book were less than half the price it is, but since this is nearly a $50 investment I have slightly higher expectations.

As an earlier reviewer noted, this book is 74 pages in length (including an index and glossary). If it weren't bound, this book could have been stapled together. I don't have a problem with a short book if it is packed with unique, focused insight into a topic, but unfortunately in my opinion this book only achieves this on a shallow level.

This is a book focusing on a specialized technique by an industry professional. I would expect it to contain a wealth of insight reinforced by a number of examples outlining different levels of complexity and various challenges facing foam puppet builders. Instead this book offers one simplistic example of sculpting a figure on a wire armature. It then takes the reader through a single example of the steps to create a foam injection puppet and an example of the foam build up technique. In about 25 pages the author covers sculpting, mold making, foam mixing, injecting, baking, removing the cast and painting. It feels more like an instruction pamphlet than a resource on the topic. I would have liked to see multiple examples illustrating varying levels of complexity. How would the author have dealt with a 4-legged puppet?

After reading this book (in about an evening) I'm left with many basic questions, such as materials appropriate or to be avoided in armatures for foam injection, issues surrounding undercuts in puppet sculptures, poses puppet sculptures need to be in for an injection mold, and there's practically nothing on feet anchors, a topic I believe there must be enough information out there to fill a few pages. I also completely agree with a complaint from a previous reviewer. Most of the illustrative photos in the book are low resolution, pixilated and muddy. Nowhere near the quality of the beautiful colour photo on the cover. In my opinion there is no excuse for this in a published book, especially at this price.

For the price of this book you could get a number of books focused on various aspects touched on in this book. For mold making I recommend The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook, by Thurston James ($13.59). I also recommend Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) by Susannah Shaw ($23.07 )which looks at foam injection puppets (in almost as much depth) plus other puppet building techniques along with information on lighting, animation and set building, for less than half of this book's price.

Also, a word of warning for those of us who thought we could create foam injection puppets at home. The author states that standard ovens in our kitchen don't generate a consistent enough heat and special curing ovens that have fans to circulate heat are required to bake foam. He also notes that curing foam releases toxic fumes, something you probably don't want in your kitchen. So homemade foam injection puppets seem to be out of the question.
... Read more

Product Description
Stop-motion puppet animation is one of the most unusual and demanding art forms in the world. It uses a variety of skills, including design, sculpting, metal work, mold making and casting, taxidermy, filmmaking, storytelling and acting, and can be seen in the simplest commercial spots on television to more complex animated shorts and science fiction and fantasy feature films.

This work, with over 200 photographs and illustrations, demonstrates the construction of armatures for film industry stop-motion puppets and the technical aspects of how to machine metal into the desired shape. It describes in detail the milling machine and the metal lathe, the two main tools used in constructing the armature, other cutting tools, and how the anatomical makeup of the puppet determines the armature design.

The book then examines the six main types of joints used in armature construction: the sandwich plate ball-and-socket joint, the ball-and-socket collet joint, the step-block ball-and-socket joint, the swivel joint, the hinge joint, and the universal joint. Also described are the different types of metals used in armature construction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Terrfic Resource for Armature Machining
I was very reticent in purchasing this book after reading all of the reviews.It is true that the pictures are not the highest resolution, are in black and white and the total number of pages is few.However that doesn't negate what a wonderful resource this book is.This is the first book I have seen that goes into such depth in how to machine armatures from aluminum and steel.Other books gloss over this process.This text is focused solely on that process which is exactly what I was looking for.If you are looking for text that covers the whole scope of stop motion animation, this is not that book.However, if you are looking for further insight into this specialized process, this book is a great investment.

hmmmmm
This book is not bad. If you are into old school animation. It is a profesionally leveled book with lots of insight into building armetures and machining. For me it is a bit to precise to the subject area but a perfect one for anyone in stop motion . I would give 5 star

Buy used, not new!
First I'll state that as a shop manual the information contained within this book is great and indispenable.The author cleary describes the processes and tools needed to build stop motion armatures.What is disappointing is the quality of the book itself. I have a few books for which I have paid fifty dollars for (The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation, Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life, Industrial Light and Magic: The Art of Special Effects) and I have never had buyers remorse.The same cannot be said here. The cover belies the interior quality. This book is approximately one quarter inch thick with poor quality paper stock which I can only describe as better than a childs coloring book. All of the photographs are black and white.Many are extremely grainy with contrast that is too high and resolution so poor that it is hard to see what is being described accurately (See figures 2-10, 3-4, 3-5, 3-10, 4-9, 4-10, 4-13 as examples).Not what I expected at this price point.The same information also applies to Stop-Motion Puppet Sculpting.I strongly suggest you either buy used or take what I have written into consideration before purchasing new. (Should be three stars not two)

Essential book for any stopmo animator or enthusiast!
This one-of-a-kind text is a wonderful primer on machining your own armatures.It clearly details the various joints and explains their construction.I highly recommend this book for all stop-motion animators, even if you don't plan on building armatures yourself. ... Read more