The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company
by David A. Price
from Knopf
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.
Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators, Second Edition
by Mike Mattesi
from Focal Press
Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators
Capture the force in your life drawing subjects with this practical guide to dynamic drawing techniques - packed with superb, powerfully drawn examples that show you how to:
* Bring your work to life with rhythmic drawing techniques
* Create appealing and dynamic poses in your drawings
* Experience the figure's energy in three dimensional space
* Use the asymmetry of straight and curved lines to clarify the direction of force in the body
* Build on your foundational anatomy and figure drawing skills to animate your drawings
*Apply the theory of force to your on-location and animal drawing observations
Whether you are an animator, comic book artist, illustrator or fine arts' student you'll learn to use rhythm, shape, and line to bring out the life in any subject while Mike Mattesis infectious enthusiasm will have you reaching for your pencils!
Mike Mattesi is the owner and founder of Entertainment Art Academy (www.enterartacad.com) based in Southern California. He has been a professional production artist and instructor for the last fifteen years with clients including Disney, Marvel Comics, Hasbro Toys, ABC, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, DreamWorks and Nickelodeon.
Audience level: Intermediate to advanced
* Discover and master the techniques of rhythmic drawing and bring your work to life
* Learn from a professional production artist who has successfully taught his unique techniques for the last fifteen years
* Written in an accessible, enthusiastic style which will have you reaching for your pencils!
Prepare to experience a brand new thought process on the drawing of life and the expression of energy. This important concept is also the least talked about subject in figure drawing classes today. Artist Michael Mattesi is your guide on an exciting and provocative journey through multiple methods of thinking using easy to understand critiques of dynamic drawings. Learn to approach drawing through Michael
The Animator's Survival Kit
by Richard Williams
from Faber & Faber
The Art of WALL.E (Art of)
by Tim Hauser
from Chronicle Books
Pixar Animation Studios, the innovators behind Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Ratatouille, has again reinvented the genre with WALL E. When a robot searching for a connection finds EVE, a sleek female probe-droid from outer space, he embarks on an adventure-filled journey across the galaxy. Inspired by classic films, and a brave venture in its own right, WALL E is set to awe audiences this summer. The Art of WALL E includes more than 250 imaginative pieces of concept art, including storyboards, full-color pastels, digital and pencil sketches, character studies, color scripts, and more. The astute text—featuring quotes from the director, artists, animators, and production team—unearths the filmmakers' historical inspirations and reveals a studio confidently pushing the limits of animation.
Creating Characters with Personality: For Film, TV, Animation, Video Games, and Graphic Novels
by Tom Bancroft
from Watson-Guptill
• Character design is the key in many industries—and they're all covered in this book
• Practical step-by-step exercises
• Contributors include Glen Keane, Supervising Animator, Disney
From Snow White to Shrek, from Fred Flintstone to SpongeBob Square-Pants, the design of a character conveys personality before a single word of dialogue is spoken. Creating Characters with Personality shows artists how to create a distinctive character, then place that character in context with a script, establish hierarchy, and maximize the impact of pose and expression. Practical exercises help readers put everything together to make their new characters sparkle. Lessons from the author, who designed the dragon Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy) in Disney's Mulan—plus big-name experts in film, TV, video games, and graphic novels—make a complex subject accessible to every artist.
The Art of Ratatouille
by Karen Paik
from Chronicle Books
From the hit-makers at Pixar Animation Studios who brought us Buzz Lightyear, Nemo, and Mr. Incredible, now comes Remy, the furry star of Ratatouille. A lovable rat (yes, a rat!), Remy is driven by his passion for fine cuisine to become a chef against all odds and with madcap adventures along the way at the most famous restaurant in Paris. The Art of Ratatouille includes more than 200 of the artistic ingredients in this heartwarming film: storyboards, full-color pastels, digital and pencil sketches, character studies, maquettes, and more. In this exclusive movie tie-in book for adults, effusive quotes from the director, artists, animators, and production team reveal the genius at work inside the studio that changed cartoon heroes forever.
Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation
by Hans Bacher
from Focal Press
Hans Bacher is acknowledged as one of the greats of production design for animation and he has been given unparalleled access to Disney's archives to uncover eye-popping examples of both his own work and that of his colleagues. With illustrations from Bambi, Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, Brother Bear and many more - it is a visual feast of never-before-seen artwork, complete with insight from the artist on how and why they were designed as they were.
Key features and benefits:
* Sneak a peak behind the scenes! With 400 never-before-seen illustrations from classic films like Bambi, Beauty and the Beast and Lilo & Stitch
* Learn from one of the true industry greats!Hans Bacher is one of the best known production designers in the industry
* Beautiful and insightful - offers inspiration to designers in animation, film and game
Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination (Vintage)
by Neal Gabler
from Vintage
Neal Gabler's meticulously researched biography, Walt Disney offers the full story (Gabler is the first writer to gain complete access to the Disney archives) of the American icon. Readers will discover the whole story, witnessing Disney's invention of a "synergistic empire that combined film, television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise." What fans don't know could fill a book (this book in fact), and we asked Gabler to point out a few of the juicy bits. Read our interview with him, and his "10 Things That May Surprise You" list below. --Daphne Durham
Q: Why Walt Disney?A: When you write about someone as grandiose as Walt Disney, you may tend to get a little grandiose yourself, so forgive me. But I had always set the task for myself to examine the forces that helped define American culture in the twentieth century and those individuals who might be regarded as the architects of the American consciousness. Walt Disney was certainly one of those forces and one of those architects. His visual sensibility is arguably one of the two most important in the last century, along with Picasso's, yet Picasso has received dozens of biographies and Walt Disney had, when I began, not received a single full-scale, fully-annotated biography. I wanted to fill that gap in our cultural studies. I thought that if one could understand Walt Disney, one could go a long way to understanding American popular culture.
Q: One thing that strikes you when reading the book is that Walt Disney never had any money. With all his success how is that possible?
A: It is astonishing that Walt Disney was always--and I do mean always--in dire financial straits until the opening of Disneyland. The primary reason wasn't that his cartoons weren't making money, because they were--at least until the war in Europe when the loss of that market meant disaster for the features. But even as they were making money, the studio was losing money because Walt was constitutionally incapable of cutting corners, enforcing economies, laying off staff. The only thing about which Walt Disney cared was quality. He thought that quality was the way to maintain his preeminence, though quality also had the psychological advantage of letting him perfect his world. The problem was that quality was expensive. To cite just one example, Walt spent more than a hundred thousand dollars setting up a training program for would-be animators, though even then the return was small because Walt was so picky that very few of the candidates actually qualified to work at the studio. Money meant very little to Walt Disney. It was only a means to an end, never an end in itself.
Q: When did Walt first conceive of the idea for Disneyland and what were the initial reactions to the idea?
A: It is very difficult to determine exactly when Walt hatched the idea for Disneyland, though he seems to have been thinking about it for a long time, at least since the early 1930s. Certainly by the time he was taking his daughters, Diane and Sharon, to amusement parks on Sunday afternoons in the late 1940s, he had formulated the idea to establish a park that was clean and wholesome and where parents wouldn't be afraid to take their children. The original plan was to build the park on a plot adjacent to the studio in Burbank, where there would be a train, a town square, an Indian village and kiddieland rides, but as Walt's ideas expanded, so did the need for a bigger plot. As for the reactions to his idea, Roy was initially reluctant, as usual, and Walt's wife, Lillian, was firmly opposed, though she had also been opposed to his making Snow White. Still, Walt exaggerated the opposition as a way, I think of elevating his own foresight and determination. In fact, as the plan grew closer to realization, corporations sought to be included as lessees, and even banks, that had been skeptical, became more receptive. When the park opened, it was an instant success.
Q: What do you think has been Walt's most lasting impact/legacy on American culture?
A: One could answer this question in a dozen different ways depending on one's priorities, but I think his largest bequest is a matter of the American mind. Walt Disney helped change the national consciousness. He got people to believe in the power of wish fulfillment--in their own ability to impose their wills on a recalcitrant reality. That's what Walt Disney did all his life. He managed to replace reality with his illusions--what some people now refer to disparagingly as Disneyfication. He sold us on the idea of control because Walt Disney was himself a master of control. We see the results everywhere--from film to theme parks to virtual reality to virtual politics.
1. He is not frozen. His body was cremated, and his ashes are interred at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California, near his studio.
2. Mickey Mouse's original name allegedly was Mortimer but Disney's wife Lillian objected because she thought it too "sissified."
3. Some of the names originally considered for the dwarfs in Snow White were: Deafy, Dirty, Awful, Blabby, Burpy, Gabby, Puffy, Stuffy, Nifty, Tubby, Biggo Ego, Flabby, Jaunty, Baldy, Lazy, Dizzy, Cranky and Chesty.
4. Walt Disney suffered a nervous breakdown in 1931 and descended into depression after the war, concentrating his attention on model trains rather than on motion pictures.
5. Fantasia was the result of a chance meeting between Walt Disney and symphony conductor Leopold Stokowski at Chasen's restaurant.
6. During World War II the Disney studio became a war factory with well over 90% of its production in the service of government training, education and propaganda films.
7. The studio stopped production for six months on Pinocchio because Walt felt the title character wasn't likable enough. During this time he devised the idea of introducing Jiminy Cricket as Pinocchio's conscience.
8. Walt Disney received more Academy Awards than any other individual--32.
9. Disney modeled Mickey Mouse on Charlie Chaplin and that Chaplin later assisted the Disneys by loaning them his financial books so they could determine what kind of proceeds they should be getting from their distributor on Snow White.
10. MGM head Louis B. Mayer once rejected the opportunity to distribute Mickey Mouse cartoons shortly after Walt had invented the character because Mayer said that pregnant women would be frightened by a giant mouse on screen.
The definitive portrait of one of the most important cultural figures in American history.
Walt Disney was a true visionary whose desire for escape, iron determination and obsessive perfectionism transformed animation from a novelty to an art form, first with Mickey Mouse and then with his feature films–most notably Snow White, Fantasia, and Bambi. In his superb biography, Neal Gabler shows us how, over the course of two decades, Disney revolutionized the entertainment industry. In a way that was unprecedented and later widely imitated, he built a synergistic empire that combined film, television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise. Walt Disney is a revelation of both the work and the man–of both the remarkable accomplishment and the hidden life.
To Infinity and Beyond!: The Story of Pixar Animation Studios
by Karen Paik
from Chronicle Books
In 1986, gifted animator John Lasseter, technology guru Ed Catmull, and visionary Steve Jobs founded Pixar Animation Studios. Their goal: create a computer animated feature, despite predictions that it could never be done. An unprecedented catalog of blockbuster films later, the studio is honoring its history in this deluxe volume. From its fledgling days under George Lucas to ten demanding years creating Toy Story to the merger with Disney, each milestone is vibrantly detailed. Interviews with Pixar directors, producers, animators, voice talent, and industry insiders, as well as concept art, storyboards, and snapshots illuminate a history that is both definitive and enthralling.
The Essential Blender: Guide to 3D Creation with the Open Source Suite Blender
by Roland Hess
from No Starch Press
Blender is a free and open source 3D creation suite that is a real alternative to commercially available 3D design software. A cross-platform software package with millions of downloads annually, Blender is now one of the world's most popular 3D design tools.
Although Blender is free, it's intended for design professionals and others motivated to become 3D artists. The Essential Blender will provide you with the knowledge you need to help integrate Blender into your work and begin to master its powerful creation tools.
If you've never tried 3D design before, an introductory chapter will familiarize you with relevant terminology and concepts. If you're already experienced with commercial 3D software, The Essential Blender will get you up to speed with Blender quickly. After a tour of Blender's 3D modeling, animation, and rendering capabilities, you'll learn how best to use Blender for these tasks:
The book is modular in its approach, with each topic addressed independently and accompanied by hands-on tutorial sections.
The combined expertise of key members of the Blender community, coupled with the experience of editor Roland Hess, bring you The Essential Blender-the definitive guide to Blender. You'll find a wealth of 3D design information inside that will help you to unlock your artistic potential and get the most out of Blender.
Includes a Complete Version of Blender 2.44 on the CD-ROM. Covers Windows, Mac OS X, Linux (x86 and PowerPC), Solaris, FreeBSD, and IRIX.
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Artograph Animation Disc animation disc
The 14 in. diameter revolving work surface can be fitted with either of the two enclosed peg bars; the industry standard Acme peg bar or the round peg bar for mounting common three hole punched copy paper. Disc mounts onto any flat illuminated surface (not included). Non-slip foot pads included. The Animation Disc, although it can be used with any light box, is specifically designed to be mounted in the Artograph , sold separately.
Artograph Animation Light Box animation lightbox
The Animation Light Box is an ideal work center for your animation and cartooning projects. Constructed of stainless steel, this light box offers a comfortably slanted 16 in. x 18 in. surface for more convenient viewing and tracing. The revolving 14 in. diameter surface is flush-mounted for a completely unobstructed flat work surface. Accurate 90 degree edges offer precise reference for measuring and attaching T-squares. Brilliant illumination results in a bright viewing window that is free of annoying hot spots or shadows. Revolving work surface can be fitted with either of the two enclosed peg bars; the industry standard Acme peg bar or the round peg bar for mounting common three-hole punched copy paper. Non-slip foot pad included.
Watson-Guptill How to Draw Animation How to Draw Animation; Learn the Art of Animation from Character Design to Story
Learn the art of animation from character design to storyboards and layouts. In this comprehensive how-to-draw animation book, bestselling author Christopher Hart explains all the essential animation principles. He analyzes human and animal movement and anatomy, shows how to draw children, and discusses character development. He also interviews Roger Allers, co-director of Disney's The Lion King, and includes his industry insights for those interested in breaking into the world of professional animation. Paperback, 144 pages.ISBN 823023656 Watson-Guptill
Barron's The Complete Animation Course The Complete Animation Course ISBN: 0764123998
This book covers everything you need to know about animation, from the art of storytelling to cel, stop action, and 3D computer-generated animations. Richly illustrated with animation stills, frame grabs, and artwork, the book is an invaluable resource for beginner and advanced animators. Author: Chris Patmore Format: paperback, 160 pgs., 8 3/4 in. x 8 3/4 in. Publisher: Barron's, 2003
Allworth Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive ISBN: 1581154453
Whether you want to break into the animation industry or ?toon up? to a better career, this comprehensive guide will show you how. An award-winning filmmaker and animation artist surveys the field and shares the advice of more than one hundred professionals in the business of making toons. Learn how to: Get the most out of school Build a portfolio that will get you work Cope with unemployment Keep your skills marketable for years to come Network effectively Learn from on-the-job criticism Pitch and sell a show of your own Also included are invaluable resources such as animation schools, societies, film festivals, studios, Web sites, and publications. Book specifications: paperback, 242 pgs., 6 in. x 9 in. Publisher: Allworth Press, 2006.
Dover Cartooning, Caricature and Animation Made Easy Cartooning, Caricature and Animation
Appropriate for artists of varied skill levels, this treasury of illustrated step-by-step instructions is rich in the period style of the 1920s and '30s. It features practical advice on depicting faces, motion, anatomy, caricatures, animated features, and political cartoons. Dover Publications 2003. Paperbound, 80 pages. Book measures 8 3/8 in. x 11 in. ISBN 0486431525
New Holland Publishers Draw Animation Draw Animation ISBN: 9781845376741
Teach yourself how to draw and make fun animated short films with this all-encompassing guide. The book is written and illustrated by Paul Hardman, a professional cartoonist whose work has appeared in many films, magazines, and newspapers. Format: paperback, 96 pgs., 8 1/2 in. x 11 in. Publisher: New Holland, 2007
Walter Foster How To Series: Animation 1 HT26 Animation 1 ISBN: 0929261518
This cartooning book in the How to Draw and Paint Series is packed with fundamental cartooning and animation techniques, along with practical information and helpful tips to get beginners started quickly and easily. The book covers a variety of cartooning styles and teaches readers how to render residents of the cartoon world with simple step-by-step instructions. Book specifications: Paperback, 44 pgs., 10 1/4 in. x 13 3/4 in. Publisher: Walter Foster, 2003
Watson-Guptill Anime Mania: How to Draw Characters for Japanese Animation Anime Mania
The interest in Japanese animation, or anime, continues to grow, and who better to show you how to draw than best-selling cartooning and animation author Christopher Hart? Just like manga (Japanese comic books), anime has a distinct and instantly recognizable style. It's less action driven than Western animation, focusing more on the characters within the stories. Keeping this in mind, Chris Hart has gathered all the information readers will need to create authentic anime characters. Anime Mania is a must-have for anyone interested in this increasingly popular animation genre. More than 400 illustrations, 150 in color. Paperback 144 pages, 8 1/2 in. x 11 in. July 2002. ISBN 082300158X
HarperCollins Action Anatomy: For Gamers Animators and Digital Artists Action Anatomy ISBN: 006073681X
Experience real human body structures and movements with this indispensable guide to the digital expression of anatomical mechanisms. Impressive graphic details, along with clear explanations, explore the character animation of each body part and movement as illustrated for art directors, designers, and animators. Packed with 650 full-color computer-graphic visuals, and covering more than 280 useful topics, with commentaries on every body part, bone, and muscular movement, this comprehensive body-animation graphic manual is a must have for every digital artist and designer Book specifications: paperback, 176 pgs., 8 1/4 in. x 10 in. Publisher: Harper Design, 2004.
