Apple Pro Training Series: Motion [Paperback]

Damian Allen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321278267 | ISBN-13: 978-0321278265 | Publication Date: November 8, 2004

This Apple-authorized guide to Motion lifts the curtain on Apple's revolutionary new software for motion graphics design. A comprehensive book-DVD combo, it starts with motion graphics fundamentals and takes you step by step all the way through Motion's powerful advanced features, delivering comprehensive training-the equivalent of a three-day course-in one project-based book. Professional, hands-on projects help you learn as you go. All the files you need are on the DVD. Readers will harness the magic of Motion's Real-Time Design engine, behavior-based animation, and remarkable gesture-driven workflow using a graphics tablet. Topics covered include particle dynamics and behaviors, multi-layer composites using transfer modes, keying and compositing bluescreen elements, stylized title animation, and DVD motion menus, plus dozens of visual effects techniques using filters and transformations, and much more. Whether you're just entering the motion graphics field or are already an accomplished designer, this book will have you working in Motion in record time.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Damian Allenis a commercial artist and creative director living in Los Angeles, California. He has designed and directed motion graphics projects for British Airways, Coca-Cola, Toshiba, Epson, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and several multinational financial and telecommunications companies. Damian lectures around the world on compositing theory and visual effects design using apple's Shake compositing platform.

Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press (November 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321278267
• ISBN-13: 978-0321278265
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,169,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Damian Allen is a commercial artist and creative director living in Los Angeles, CA. He has designed and directed motion graphics projects for British Airways, Coca-Cola Amatil, Toshiba, Epson, Pfizer and several multinational financial and telecommunications companies. Damian lectures around the world on compositing theory and visual effects design using Apple's Shake compositing platform. He is the co-author of Encyclopedia of Visual Effects and Apple Pro Training Series: Shake 4 Quick Reference Guide.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Apple Pro Training Series books so far..., November 23, 2004

By 

Jem Schofield - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Apple Pro Training Series: Motion (Paperback)

As both an instuctor and user of Motion, I can honestly say that this is one of the best Pro Training Series books out there. It is obvious that Damian took the time and cared about creating a book that would work well in both a self paced and classroom environment.

The book is well laid out and actually follows a real world type motion graphics project as it takes you through the app. It is well paced, easy to follow and flows very well. It also has a fair amount of humour that helps things move along.

An excellent book to learn the app and well worth the price of admission.

My hat goes off to Damian for doing a great job on this book.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well done Damian... a great foundation book for Motion, January 29, 2005

By 

kirei90 "kirei90" (Tokyo Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Apple Pro Training Series: Motion (Paperback)

Well-done Damian. A great foundation course to the introduction to Motion. Thank you.

I just completed this. The author has managed to convey a comprehensive working knowledge of Motion in a (fairly) straightforward manner that has given me a clear insight into the benefits in using this new motion graphics application. The rest will be up to the user to pursue by themselves

Key topics covered: keying, particle creation, the modifying and expanding and randomization of, gestures, audio editing, covering unusual new filters (Slit scan), using Generators, Text animation and behaviors, graphics and behaviors, particles and behaviors, matte tracking, mask animation, color adjustment and a few more.

Highlights for me were using some of the new unusual filters (slit scan) and generators and of course the use of particle generators. A super highlight was use of behavior additions for text animation (similar to A.E text behavior scripts.)

Overall, I think you would be silly not have this book and motion sitting side by side. A great purchase that has opened up for me new creative possibilities that I was previously unaware of and giving me a good working knowledge of the software. Thank you.

FOOTNOTE:

Well, Apple too must be congratulated for the conception of this software. It has filled a big whole that has been lacking in after effects for sometime now (a flexible and simple to use particle system). Also, this new method of animation using "behaviors" is really interesting and forward thinking. (Creating animation key frames that would be almost impossible to key by hand.) Great work.

Interesting to note the similarities between Apples motion and Combustion. They seem to work almost in the same way.

Negative points;
Difficult for students to purchase both the software and the necessary graphics card as well to use motion.
At present, Illustrator layers are not supported and importing vector graphics is not as well. No paint options and no 3d layers as well. Rasterized images only.
Real time playback will depend on your system setup. I could not get this to full frame rate even with RAM preview for certain animations. (Text animation projects).
.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, with excellent production quality., May 10, 2005

By 

z "zeejay67" (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Apple Pro Training Series: Motion (Paperback)

I've read a lot of how-to software books, but this is one of the best. The author dives right into a project from the get-go, giving you a good feel not only for how to accomplish things, but how to establish good work habits for using the application productively, which is important.

The production quality of this book is excellent too, compared to most other software books I've read. (The Peachpit Press Wow! series of books is likewise high-quality too.) The book is very clearly laid out, easy to navigate and hop around in, not too dense, and best of all - the whole thing is in full color, and the screen-shots are big enough to be clear and easy to read. Very nice. Damian's writing is both instructive and enjoyable to read, too.

Not much else to add here beyond what the others have said. If you have an interest in learning Motion, you couldn't find a better place to start.