Award-winning animator Tony White, who is also a full-time professor at the DigiPen Institute of Technology, has crafted the noteworthy book Animation from Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for the Digital Animator. Released on July 21st through Focal Press, the paperback comes with a DVD containing White’s film Endangered Species, showcasing some of animation’s finest moments. Likewise, the DVD presents plenty of other helpful tips and goodies for animators wanting to hone their skills. For a sneak preview of Animation from Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for the Digital Animator, please click “More.”
Animation from Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for the Digital Animator
Description
Focal Press is proud to announce a new publication where all you’ll need is talent! That publication is none other than Animation from Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for the Digital Animator by Tony White, who is a full-time professor at the DigiPen Institute of Technology (Washington State) and an award winning animator.
“From traditional to computer animation, from film to gaming, a great text for all who teach,” praises Robert Adams, Walt Disney Productions/Warner Bros. This comprehensive book gives today’s digital animators all the lessons they never had – classical animation techniques used by the most original animators of our time.
Animation from Pencils to Pixels is intended to be the most comprehensive book on the principles, processes, and profession of animation ever written. Within the covers of this book is just about everything required to conceive, produce, direct, animate, assemble, publish, and distribute an animated film. The tips and techniques in this book are timeless, applicable whether you want to make a traditionally animated or computer generated film, or a Web-based animation or a game.
The book includes a comprehensive DVD containing a full version of the author’s film, Endangered Species, which showcases the great and classic moments of animation’s history. In addition there is an extensive analysis section on Endangered Species, explaining how the film was made on a scene-by-scene basis, using movie clips and other demo material to illustrate the text. Completing the DVD is a unique and informative section on ‘repetitive stress disorder’ for animators (comedically referred to as ‘mega-hurts’), which will help make the entire process of animation a much more enjoyable and pain free experience for the long term professional.
ISBN-10: 0-240-80670-0
Publication date: July 2006
List price: $49.95
Format: Paperback, with Approx. 700 illustrations
Pages: c. 528
Foreward
The following is the “Foreward” included in Animation from Pencils to Pixels:
Mickey Mouse is only a little more than one year older than me, so I guess I have grown up and (hopefully) matured alongside the art of animation – Disney animation, that is – virtually from its very beginnings. Whether that makes me an expert on the subject is another question, but certainly I have been a long-time observer of the evolution of both the art and the business of animation for a good deal of its history.
In the last twenty years, the so-called “digital revolution” has brought sweeping changes to animation, or at least that is the perceived wisdom as we hear it from the outside world. You will hear that “everything has changed,” that “pencils are no longer required,” and most demeaning of all, “2D is dead!!”
Before we all go out and hang ourselves in despair, let me recommend that you sit down and watch Endangered Species, so you can see that animation has been in a state of evolution from its very inception, that it continues to evolve, and most of all, that there is nothing to fear.
What you will see, instead, both in Endangered Species and in this wonderful book, is a world of possibilities. The animator, whether young and full of aspirations, or mature and looking for new worlds, will find his or her answers here. This new world the computer has opened up to all of us is nothing more than the biggest, most diverse paint box yet available to artists. It has most certainly not – nor will it ever – replace the pencil.
Tony sees these truths clearly, and with his background as both a successful animator and a successful teacher, he has brought to the world a comprehensive – and eminently practical – guide to every aspect of the art.
My only words of advice to the reader would be: take this complete set of tools, go out and tell us a great story!!
Thank you, Tony.
Roy Disney
Contents
The following is the list of contents for Animation from Pencils to Pixels:
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1
• Development • Idea Creation • Intellectual Property and Copyrights • Purchasing or Optioning the Rights • Public Domain Material • Protecting Your Own Ideas • Proof of Ownership • Confidentiality Agreements • Works Created for Your Employer • “Endangered Species†• Evolving a Storyline • The Hero’s Journey: Story Structure • Summarizing the Storyline • “Endangered Species†• Scriptwriting • “Endangered Speciesâ€
Chapter 2
• Character Design • The Evolution of 2D Character Design • The Evolution of 3D Character Design • Animation Style • Guidelines for Character Design • Shape and Proportion • Head Heights • Model Sheets • Color Models • Foreground/Background Compatibility • “Endangered Species†• Concept and Environment Design • “Endangered Speciesâ€
Chapter 3
• Project Financing • Animation Markets • Movies • Television • Television Series and Specials • Television Advertising • Games • The Web • Direct-to-Markets • â€Endangered Species†• Scheduling and Budgeting • Figuring the Cash Flow • Contingency Planning • Investment, Marketing and Distribution Possibilities • Pre-Sale Distribution Outlets • “Endangered Species†• The Realities of Securing Production Finance • Advice on Sales Agents • Legal Advice • Presentation Packages • Logline • Storyline Synopsis • First-Draft Script • Key Character Designs and Concept Art • Sample Sequence Storyboard • Animated Taster • Development Budget • Evidence of Ownership of Rights and Intellectual Property • Key Personnel • Project Web site • Presentation of the Presentation Package • Short and Independent Film Developing • Presentation Packages • Story Synopsis • Series Bible, First-Draft Script or “Game Plan†• Key Character Designs and Concept Art • A Sample Sequence Storyboard • Animated “Taster†or Filmmaker’s Showreel • Project Budget and Schedule • Evidence of Ownership of Rights and Intellectual Property • Key Personnel • “Endangered Speciesâ€
Chapter 4
• Rules of Filmmaking • Camera Positions • Ultra-Wide Shot • Wide Shot • Mid Shot • Close-Up • Extreme Close-Up • Combining Camera Positions in a Scene • Camera Lenses • Standard Lens (50-100mm Focal Length) • Wide-Angle Lens (20-35mm) • Long Lens (85-600mm) • Zoom Lens (28-80mm; 18-35mm; 70-300mm) • Fisheye Lens (6-16mm) • Lighting and Filters • Camera Moves • Fixed (Locked Down) Shot • Tracking (Panning) Shot • Zoom Shot • Dolly (Crane) Shot • Staging • The Rule of the Line • Shooting Down the Line • Getting Around the Line • The Cut-Away Shot • Moving the Camera • Moving the Actors • Two Shot, Profile • Two Shot, Three-Quarter • One Shot, Three-Quarter Front • One Shot, Three-Quarter Front Close-Up • Eyeline • Three or More Character Shots • “Endangered Species†• Scene-to-Scene Transitions • The Cut • The Dissolve • The Fade • The Wipe • The Ripple and Other Special Effects Dissolves • “Endangered Species†• Screen Aspect Ratios • Standard Academy • Film Academy • Widescreen • Cinemascope • High Definition • “Endangered Speciesâ€
Chapter 5
• Soundtrack Recording and Editing • Talent Selection • Voice Recording • Recording for Animation • Recording and Cataloging Dialogue • Non-Voice Recording • Music Track Recording • Final Working Track • The Track Breakdown • Film Speeds and Conversion Ratios • “Endangered Speciesâ€
Chapter 6
• Storyboarding and Animatics • Storyboards • Storyboard Formats • Creating the Storyboard • Tips for Storyboarding • Reusing Drawings • Panning Sequences • Numbering Frames • Finish the Storyboard • “Endangered Species†• The Animatic (or Leica Reel) • Creating the Animatic • “Endangered Speciesâ€
Chapter 7
• Digital Desktop Production • Stages of Animation Production • Animation (2D and 3D) • Backgrounds (2D) • Environments (3D) • Special Effects (2D and 3D) • Checking (2D) • Scanning (2D) • Coloring (2D) • Compositing (2D and 3D) • Editing (2D and 3D) • Final Dub (2D and 3D) • Digital to Film Transfer (2D and 3D) • Production Team and Workflow • Director (2D and 3D) • Producer (2D and 3D) • Production Manager (2D and 3D) • Character Modeler (3D) • Production Designer (2D and 3D) • Animator (2D and 3D) • Assistant Animator (2D) • Inbetweener (2D) • Clean-Up Artist (2D) • Environmental Modeler (3D) • Background Artist (2D) • Checker (2D) • Scanner/Rostrum Cameraman (2D) • Inker (2D) • Colorist (2D) • Texturer (3D) • Lighting Artist (3D) • Compositor (2D and 3D) • Sound Editor (2D/3D) • Project Management • Progress Charts • Route Sheets • “Endangered Speciesâ€
Chapter 8
• Principles of Animation • Key Poses, Breakdowns and Inbetweens • Timing • Charts • Slowing-In and Slowing-Out • Extreme Positions • Arcs and Paths of Action • Holds • Emphasis • Anticipation • Weight and Weighted Movement • Flexibility and Fluid Joint Movement • Overlapping Action • Generic Walks • Keys • Passing Position • Inbetweens • Walk Cycles • Personality Walks and Timing • Runs and Run Cycles • Personality Runs and Timing • Silhouetting • Dialogue and Lip Sync • Laughter • Takes • Eyes and Expressions
Chapter 9
• Animating Step by Step • Key Poses • Attitude and Dynamics • Inbetweens • Adding Mouths • Staging and Camera Angles • Working with Characters • Extreme Action • Clean-Up • “Endangered Species†• Drawing for Animators • Drawing Terminology • Point of View (POV) • Horizon • Perspective • Vanishing Point • Foreshortening • Plane • Drawing upon Life
Chapter 10
• 2D Animation Overview • Script • Storyboard • Soundtrack • Track Breakdown • Designs • Animatic (Leica Reel) • Layouts • Dope Sheets and Production Folders • Pencil Tests • Pose Tests • Clean-Up • Ink and Paint • Backgrounds • Checking • Final Shoot/Composite • Final Edit and Dub • The Tools of the Trade • Lightbox • Peg Holes and Peg Bars • Field Sizes • Field Guides • Field Size Limitations • Overlarge Field Sizes • TV Cut-Off and Safe Titling • TV Cut-Off • Safe Titling • “Endangered Speciesâ€
Chapter 11
• 2D Animation Basics • Keys, Inbetweens and Timing • Charts and Inbetween Counting • Straight-Ahead Animation • Slowing-In and Slowing-Out • Working in Thirds • How to Inbetween • Paths of Action • Superimpositions • Multiple Superimpositions • Dope (Exposure) Sheets and Production Folders • The Dope Sheet • Frame Lines • Animator’s Notes •Audio Breakdown • Animation Layers • Shooting or Camera Instructions • Rules for Dope Sheets • The Production Folder • Special Instructions • Material Used From Other Scenes • Material Used in Other Scenes • Attached Dope Sheet • Flipping and Peg Bars • Using Peg Bars • Top Pegs vs. Bottom Pegs • Bottom Pegs Flipping • Top Pegs Flipping • Whole Scene Flipping
Chapter 12
• Finessing 2D Animation • Tracebacks • Eccentric Movement and Staggers • Takes • Squash • Stretch • Staggers • Panning and Camera Moves • Panning and Tracking • Side Peg Pans • Curved or Arced Pans • Repeat Pans • Panning Charts • Zip Pans • Camera Shake • Pan Speed and Strobing Problems • Shadows and Effects • Rotoscoping
Chapter 13
• 2D Vector Animation • The Value of Limited Animation • The Basic Approach • Writing for the Web • Storyboarding for the Web • Web Characters • Soundtracks • The Animatic • Vector Film Production • Animation • Design • Backgrounds • Inbetweening • Lip Sync • Fine Tuning • Being Resourceful • Non-Web Vector Animation • Games Production
Chapter 14
• The Paperless Animation Studio • When the Animator Is Ready, the Software Will Come • The Technology • Mirage • Cintiq • The Importance of Drawing • 2D or not 2D?
Chapter 15
• 3D Overview • The Importance of Drawing • Cartesian Space • Character Design • Polygons • Primitives • Character Modeling • Modeling to Suit Story Requirements • Rigging and Weighting • Forward and Inverse Kinematics • Creating the Bone Hierarchy • Adding Control Points • Manipulators and Nulls • Weighting • Lighting and Texturing • Environmental Modeling • “Endangered Speciesâ€
Chapter 16
• Creating 3D Movement • Blocking Out • Key Poses • Inbetweens • Fine Tuning • Timing, Timelines and F-Curves • Constant Testing • Traditional Principles of Movement • The Value of Caricature vs. Motion Capture • Sliders and Lip Sync • “Endangered Speciesâ€
Scene 70
• v-01: Blocking In • v-02: Add the Ups on Each Passing Position • v-03: Foot Adjusts • v-04: Increased Up on Passing Position • v-05: Foot Tidy Up • v-06: Side-to-Side Sway • v-07: Rotation on Body • v-08: Blocked-In Arm Action • v-09: Left Arm Bend • v-10: Increased Body Action and Start Head Turn • v-11: Right Arm to Match Left • v-12: Lighting Adjust and Final Render
Scene 71
• v-01: Blocking Out Positions • v-02: Right Arm Blocking Out • v-03: Body Adjust • v-04: Left Arm Blocking Adjustments • v-05: Body Adjust • v-06: Right Forearm Adjust • v-07: Left Forearm Adjust • v-08: Hands Adjust • v-09: Right Hand Fine Tune • v-10: Left Hand Fine Tune • v-11: Left Fingers Fine Tune • v-12: Right Fingers Fine Tune • v-13: Left Hand Adjust • v-14: Balance Hand Actions • v-15: Lighting Adjust and Final Render
In Conclusion
Appendix A
• Job-Hunting Advice • Showcasing Your Work • Drawing Portfolio • Showreel • Web Site • Finding the Jobs • Networking • Recruitment Officers • The Right Stuff • The Value of Experience • The Value of Familiarity • Words of Encouragement
Appendix B
• Glossary
Animation from Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for the Digital Animator is now available to own through such online outlets as Amazon.com and Developer Books.
