Book Description

Looney Tunes: Back In Action! doesn't skimp on the action part.This calendar concentrates on the brightly colored and kinetic scenes of the $100 million blockbuster. ... Read more

Book Description

The official tie-in to Columbia Pictures' hit holiday movie, from the co-director of the animated hit The Lion King--with over 200 illustrations, the script and story behind Sony Pictures Imageworks' latest state-of-the-art computer and imaging wizardry that brought E.B. White's classic mouse to life on-screen. Though only a three-inch mouse, Stuart Little represents as huge an advance in filmmaking as his long-ago predecessor, a mouse named Mickey. Now digital characters, complete with personality performance and lifelike qualities, share the screen with live actors--both human and feline. All of these elements were combined to make a seamless film. The result is nothing short of astonishing. How did they do that? Stuart Little: The Movie and the Moviemakers answers that question in stunning detail. Including the shooting script, and illustrated throughout with photos, paintings, blueprints, line drawings, computer graphics, and footnotes, this book explains how the movie incorporates groundbreaking visual effects technology in the realm of photo-realism by the artists and innovators \ of Sony Pictures Imageworks. The book also details the development of innovative software by Alias/Wavefront and other leading digital firms. For film buffs and fans of Stuart, Stuart Little: The Movie and the Moviemakers is a joyful celebration of the evolution of E.B. White's beloved 1940s classic mouse into an actor for the new millennium.

The cast features: Geena Davis as Mrs. Little, Hugh Laurie as Mr. Little, Jonathan Lipnicki as George, Michael J. Fox as the voice of Stuart, Nathan Lane as the voice of Snowbell the Cat. Filmmakers include: Director Rob Minkoff (The Lion King), Producer Douglas Wick Wolf, Working Girl), Special Effect Supervisor Jerome Chen (Contact), Senior Visual Effects Supervisor John Dykstra (Star Wars: A New Hope), Animation Director Henry Anderson (Coca Cola's Polar Bears). ... Read more

Book Description

At once biography and filmography, David Ehrlich: Citizen of the World is an eclectic homage to a charismatic artist. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the most complete film-by-film guide to anime with more than 750 listings of films and videos. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Ultimate Companion Guide to Anime!
If you're looking for the perfect companion to keep you informed in the anime movie buisness, then this is the book for you. Not only does it contain titles on every anime movie or series between 1983 to 1995, but it also gives you your money's worth of information. From important people that had to do with the anime, to translations for beginners, a short summary of the anime, references to other anime, and side notes to keep your interest. Every anime that this book has recommended is a must see. This is a great book if you're looking for an anime but don't know whether or not to see it. It still brings a tear to my eyes.

An excellent source for reviews and opinions of anime.
The Anime: movie guide, has a wonderful display of illustrations, reviews and information protruding from its pages. Although it is in great need of an update now, it has a wonderful selection of top ten lists, a very well made index and even a few helping words to get the new anime fan started. An excellent layout and page format. The only area I disliked was the way the categories were placed, I felt the icons on The Complete Anime Guides were much easier to use. Despite this negative area, The Anime: Movie Guide by Helan McCarthy is truly a book in which all anime fans should partake in.

Not COMPLETELY complete, but pretty darn close.
If you ever needed to look up an anime OVA or movie title, be it the original Japnese title of it's English translation, you could probably find it here. I've only noticed one omission, but found a lot of other titles I've never heard of. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Not just for animators... it's the web!
This book was recommended to me by another web/multimedia developer. He told me that I should read it, that it was the web industry in a nutshell. The main difference is the web has a very compressed time line. I first read the book over a year ago... it still reads like prophesy.

Talking Animals and Other People by Shamus Culane
This is a "must have" for anyone who wants to create animation. Although not a how-to book, it has an incredible amount of insightful and useful information that is pertinent to those starting out or thinking about starting out their animation career. Shamus writes his animation life story in a way that will entertain and enlighten you. Many of his adventures and experiences are as relavant today as when they happened to him long ago during the Golden Age of animation. The author gives you a ring side seat as he is introduced to animation and evolves as an animator and producer. This was a book that I wish had no end; it actually made me sad to reach the final page.

A must....
This book is a must.It is extremely useful for those who want to animate cartoon characters.Shamus description of his life which he shares with the animation history is a very brilliant and inspirated storytellig.This is the book that all animator's should buy. It contains all the valuable information about american animation and all those wonderful pioneers who created the most amazing industry in the world: animation.Do not hesitate! Just buy this book and you will love it. I bet!

Excellent memoir from the curmudgeon of animation
James "Shamus" Culhane is not a name that is instantly recognizable to the general public, as is Chuck Jones, but his contributions were every bit as significant. Like Jones, he can be maddeningly arrogant and dismissive of the efforts of his fellow animators, but the truly annoying thing is that he is often right. Culhane worked at virtually every major cartoon studio during its "Golden Age", and generally improved the output of every studio with which he was involved--however briefly. He turned the Fleischer's version of Popeye into a fluid, living character, whereas before Popeye seemed to move like some sort of animatronic figure at Disneyland. He directed one of the few bright spots at Walter Lantz, a Woody Woodpecker cartoon called "Barber of Seville" (which garnered an Academy Award nomination). He also takes us where few other books in animation dare to go--the early days of cartooning for television (did you know he was one of the first producers to make animated commercials for TV? The Ajax elves were his). He even attempted to get in the ground floor of the TV animated series market, though his efforts did not succeed.

This is a must-read, if for no other reason than it avoids rehashing the same material covered again and again by previous books, and gives us an insight into the inner workings of an animation studio as few other books do.

The Best of its Kind-a Great Memoir!
I've probably read every book on animation written in english-both in and out of print; Shamus Culhane's book, while an autobiography, is also a detailed insider's view of what it was really like to work in animation's "golden age". And word for word, as a history-it's the best of them all. Culhane spares no one(least of all himself)in his funny, always passionate-and often downright angry-stories of his career which went from New York in the early 'thirties, to depression Los Angeles and the fabled Disney studio, pre-"Snow White", to Fleisher, Warner Bros., Lantz, and finally running his own small studio. A cracking good read! ... Read more

Book Description

Disney magic.Those four simple syllables have been used from the earliest days of Disney animation to describe not only the films themselves, but also the very real experience they provide to moviegoers.Beginning in 1928 with Steamboat Willie, the first animated short with synchronized sound, to the eye-popping Disney animated features of today such as Treasure Planet, Disney has delivered, and fans have responded in kind.This unique relationship has produced unparalleled results.fifteen of the 125 highest grossing films of all time are Disney animated features.Of the top ten animated features, eight are Disney titles, with The Lion King reigning as the top-grossing animated film of all time with a box office of $772 million.In September 2002, the Monsters, Inc. video and DVD sold a record of five million copies the first day of its release.Once again, this calendar honors the tradition of Disney magic by showcasing every animated Disney feature - including 2003's Finding Nemo - and many memorable film shorts.Each full-color page presents a classic scene and an interesting fact or quote inspired by the film.In addition, the popular flip animation feature returns for added enjoyment throughout the year. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Disneyphiles, start flippin'!
I'm one of those Disneyphiles who can't seem to get enough of the Disney trivia. I collect Disney pictures for collages, and in fact I have the past 8 years of these calendars "archived" and I look forward to it coming out every year. This year's has the best quality printing to date, and while it doesn't have the greatest variety of films and shorts (the 1997 and '98 were probably the best), it still delivers a range of characters and scenes. Anyone with even a casual interest in Disney will want this for her desk, and it makes a great Christmas gift. ... Read more

Book Description

Animated cartoons are part of a multi-billion dollar mass communications industry that began shortly before the turn of the 20th century. The first cartoons appeared almost with the birth of the film industry. Beginning with the late 1920s, cartoon “shorts” appeared in almost every double feature. But by the late 1960s, the major studios had eliminated the theatrical cartoon shorts, only to resurrect them for a younger television audience. Cartoon Monickers is the story not only of cartoons, but of the film and television industries, and American social values. ... Read more

Book Description

This gorgeously illustrated book by the animator, artist, and director of The Secret of N.I.M.H. and All Dogs Go to Heaven describes in detail the technical and artistic processes involved in crafting storyboards, the visual blueprints of animated films. Using pages of beautiful storyboard images from his classic films, Don Bluth takes readers from the breakdown of a script to the finished boards. Loaded with technical tips and insights into the creative imagination, Don Bluth's Art of Storyboard will satisfy anyone interested in animation. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Disney's Sketchbooks - Great Resource for Artists!
This fine addition to the Disney Sketchbook series has many of the wonderful sketches done by Disney's animation department for Lady and the Tramp, including many pieces from the storyboards, and several sketches of scenes that never made it into the final film.

Artists that would like to study the Disney style of drawing and animation should find this volume a terrific addition to their collection despite its rather high price. As a student of art, and a fan of the Disney style, I highly recommend any of these books for your library.

A must-have for animation fans!
The Lady & the Tramp sketchbook is just a beautiful book to add to any Disney fan's collection. This book is HUGE and it is full of wonderful sketches of all of the characters (even minor ones) and full color photos from the movie. This is an excellent book for anyone who loves Disney animation. ... Read more

Book Description

Acting for Animators, is the first book about acting theory and technique written specifically for the animator. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

I'm glad I bought this book!
I've been working in animation for 7 years professionally and bought this book with some hesitation, based on the negative reviews here. As it turns out, I LOVE THIS BOOK! There isn't the polish and thickness that I'm used to seeing in other books, but the heart of it is extremely useful. If you want to create a film (student, festival, or even Hollywood) you need to know the contents of this book. Otherwise, nobody will really care about all the work you've done to animate your characters. Further, I've added myself to Ed's monthly newsletter email list. It's a terrific support for what he teaches in his book. I believe you can sign up for it at the Acting for Animators website.

Acting for Animators
As a novice animator recently graduated, I am really glad I picked up this book. I bought it more out of curiosity than anything else. I am glad to say that I was surprised to find this much useful information in such a consice form. The book highlights many different acting forms and excersices without rambling on endlessly, and more importantly does so from an animators point of view. An animator has to approach acting from an almost backwards way, which is addressed a lot in this book. Another nice feature is that the auther cites many other references and books on the subjects he discusses, so you are free to study even further on subjects that are impotant to you. The nice thing about that is that he's done the research for you. Hooks keeps things light, easy to understand, and interesting for artists and animators of all skill levels. The only minor complaint I could voice about this book would be the lack of artwork displaying the points discussed. After reading the book myself I think this is due to the fact Hooks is trying to avoid making a generic, cookie cutter, how to book. He succeeds, so I won't complain too much. Overall, best money I've spent on an animation book in a long time! I don't care how long you've been in the industry, you'll learn something from this book!

Any actor should read this also!
While targeted towards animators, non-animator actors will find this book useful. I am studying acting myself, as well as traditional hand-drawn animation, and read this book in less than a day, absolutely drawn into Ed Hooks' teachings. A wonderful overview of 'method acting' and other theories of acting. I lent it to my acting teacher, and even she learned some new stuff from it.

A Must Have Book for Animation Students
Ed Hooks delivers a consise and insightful look at the background and fundamentals of acting for animators.

the least useful animation book
Of all the books about animation I found this to be the least useful. The important stuff is so diluted that the reader has to go through several pages before finding something useful. The live action included in the cd was also disappointing. For example, you can find a sketch where a guy slap a girl's butt: how useful (and tasteful) is that? If you are into animation, you are much better off with Richard Williams's 'Animator's Survival Kit'or Frank Thomas''Illusion of Life'. ... Read more

Book Description

Stylish, delicate, and edgy, Der Mond collects the color illustrations of one of the most acclaimed manga artists. The book includes 74 pages of paintings and designs from Neon Genesis Evangelion, plus 50 pages from The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia, Blue UrU, and other works, including Sadamoto’s Eric Clapton CD cover. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is a Master of his art.
I really enjoyed this book even though it doesn't really have many words in it at all. I really like the art for Evangelion and also the other series in here as well. I also found out that Yoshiyuki also did a few album covers for some famous American singer. This book features the art of Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Wings of Hominese, and a two more I am not very sure about. This book is just a must have for anyone who likes anime and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. I absolutely love his work because of the way it is portrayed on paper with cg, and water color. Not only that it is also because I have something that is from one of my favorite series (Eva). He is a great big insparation to me and I know what the truck I am talking about because I am a fellow Anime artist as well.

Availability
although this is a great book at a great buy, the shipping took about a month. this book seems to have a low avaliability so if you can just go the the local book store and buy it instead.

High quality English re-release of Japanese original
This book is a nice collection of artwork from Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. Mr. Sadamoto did much of the character design work for Neon Genesis Evangelion, Nadia and various other anime. His Evangelion work takes up about two thirds of the book. There's no doubt the book is very pretty to look at. Mr. Sadamoto's talent is evident throughout. However, unless you are a fan of his works, you may not appreciate this book. I believe a friend of mine put it best when he said "Yes. It's very pretty. What is it?"

On the Technical side, I am very impressed with the job Viz did on this book. The book was originally released in Japanese. I own both this version and a copy of the original Japanese version. The English version for sale here is nearly identical -- except the Japanese text has been translated into English. Viz kept the original size and Japanese style Right to Left reading format. They even used the same Roman fonts. This attention to detail is very nice. The quality of the paper is very high for an anime art book of this price. The quality of the printing is also very high considering the price. It is crisp and clean and free of screening artifacts.

I believe fans of Mr. Sadamoto's work will enjoy this book. Others may not appreciate it as much but the contents are very pretty none the less.

Sadamoto, true Grace through Art
Given one glance through this book, otaku or not, you'll find yourself immersed in this man's art! Not to be underestimated, and most importantly, to be appreciated by all, this book gives new meaning to the term Art Book.

Beautiful Angels
The artwork of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is simply amazing to behold. One cannot help but be moved by it. Even Eric Clapton, who'd never seen Sadamoto's anime designs, was impressed, and asked Sadamoto to design the cover to his Pilgrim album, the art for which is found in this very collection.
It's gorgeous renderings of his work from Evangelion, Nadia, and Wings of Honneamaise, as well as some original pieces created for this collection.
It's a beautiful collection, well worth picking up. ... Read more