A Century of Stop-Motion Animation: From Melies to Aardman (Hardcover)

~ Ray Harryhausen (Author), Tony Dalton (Author)
Key Phrases: corpse bride, armatured model, animation table, King Kong, David Allen, The Lost World (more...)

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Product Description

This lavishly illustrated tribute to stop-motion model animation—the technique behind special effects for more than half a century—traces the history of the genre through the eyes of the industry’s greatest pioneer. From crude model animations in the 1890s through the first animated feature and into the computer age, Ray Harryhausen and his co-author, Tony Dalton, reveal the patience and ingenuity of animators and explain the development of the technology. The insights of Harryhausen, the pioneer whose name is indelibly linked with stop-motion, add a rich extra dimension to this history, packed with cinematic monsters, fantasy creatures, the imaginings of Tim Burton and Aardman, and much more. Never-before-published stills and photos of the artists at work, sketches and storyboards for projects both realized and abandoned, and a host of recently unearthed memorabilia make A Century of Stop-Motion Animation a must-have for all fans of animation and film.

About the Author

Ray Harryhausen is revered as the master of special effects in the pre-computer age. His timeless work includes Jason and the Argonauts and The Clash of the Titans. He received an honorary Oscar in 1992 and a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in 2003. Many know his name from the elegant restaurant Harryhausen’s in the animated movie Monsters Inc. He lives in London. Tony Dalton has known Harryhausen for more than thirty years. A film historian and writer, he runs his own archive research company. His previous books, also co-written with Harryhausen, are Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life and The Art of Ray Harryhausen. He also lives in London.

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Product Details Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Watson-Guptill (September 30, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0823099806 ISBN-13: 978-0823099801 Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.8 x 1 inches Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #386,924 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #85 in  Books > Entertainment > Movies > Cinematography

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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
corpse bride, armatured model, animation table, model animation, lire action, clay maquette, matte line, test reel, other animators, aerial wires, miniature set, animated models

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
King Kong, David Allen, The Lost World, Jim Danforth, Phil Tippett, New York, Clash of the Titans, Planet of Dinosaurs, Mighty Joe Young, George Pal, One Million Years, Voyage of Sinbad, Jim Aupperle, Los Angeles, Gene Warren, Projects Unlimited, Marcel Delgado, Herbert Dawley, Doug Beswick, First National, Karel Zeman, Great God Porno, Peter Lord, Jurassic Park, Fay Wray

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	80% buy the item featured on this page: A Century of Stop-Motion Animation: From Melies to Aardman 4.2 out of 5 stars (4) $31.50
	8% buy Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation, Second Edition (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) 4.0 out of 5 stars (3) $17.09
	4% buy The Art of Ray Harryhausen 4.8 out of 5 stars (13) $19.77
	4% buy The Art of Stop-Motion Animation 4.6 out of 5 stars (5) $34.99

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4 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Wealth of Information About the History of Stop Motion Animation, April 9, 2009 By  Sacramento Book Review "SacramentoBookReview.com" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews Stop motion animation has been around almost as long as the movies themselves. As far back as the 1890s, short films for children were being made using dolls filmed one frame at a time. But it was Willis O'Brien's use of the technique in King Kong that really made its impression on the public. Ray Harryhausen used the technique in many of his movies, most notably Clash of the Titans and the Sinbad movies. Here is a wealth of information about the history of stop motion animation, its pioneers, and the current generation of practitioners. While it does use a great deal of Harryhausen's archives, there are plenty of rare and little-seen pictures from other film makers. Some of the techniques of doing stop motion animation are shown, not enough to make this a how to guide, but enough to show the development through the generations. Several reprinted layouts from Science & Innovation magazine from the early 1920s show how the filmmakers produced the effects of dinosaurs in the 1925 The Lost World. One chapter on how stop motion was used in conjunction with CGI in Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Dragonslayer. The final chapter on contemporary stop motion studios is mostly about Aardman and Tim Burton, and is unfortunately fairly short. Overall, A Century of Stop Motion Animation is a treasure trove of information and behind the scenes photographs of many classic films, from more than 100 years of what was once cutting-edge special effects. A great reference guide for the history and basic techniques behind stop motion and the many practitioners of the craft. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars the best stop-motion animation book ever, April 23, 2009 By  Walter J. Bogdan - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    now i dont know how many books on stop-motion have been written but i cant believe that there is a more complete book on the subject.if you are a willys obrian/ray harryhausen fan you will find this book very informative.throw in the rest of the stop motion history and you have in this book a vertible whos-who on the subject. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book!, January 21, 2009 By  John Doe (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews A Century of Stop-Motion Animation: From Melies to Aardman This is an absolute must-have for stop-motion fans, and Harryhausen fans. If you know what this book is about, you'll be extremely glad you bought this! I'd give it more than 5 stars, if that was possible.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 2.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what one would expect As an animation student, I was kind of expecting this book to give an overview of puppet / model animation through time (as the title would suggest), but when i started reading,... Read more Published 8 months ago by Anna Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823099806
• ISBN-13: 978-0823099801
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #386,924 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #85 in

  Books > Entertainment > Movies > Cinematography

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wealth of Information About the History of Stop Motion Animation, April 9, 2009

By	Sacramento Book Review "SacramentoBookReview.com" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

Stop motion animation has been around almost as long as the movies themselves. As far back as the 1890s, short films for children were being made using dolls filmed one frame at a time. But it was Willis O'Brien's use of the technique in King Kong that really made its impression on the public. Ray Harryhausen used the technique in many of his movies, most notably Clash of the Titans and the Sinbad movies. Here is a wealth of information about the history of stop motion animation, its pioneers, and the current generation of practitioners. While it does use a great deal of Harryhausen's archives, there are plenty of rare and little-seen pictures from other film makers. Some of the techniques of doing stop motion animation are shown, not enough to make this a how to guide, but enough to show the development through the generations. Several reprinted layouts from Science & Innovation magazine from the early 1920s show how the filmmakers produced the effects of dinosaurs in the 1925 The Lost World. One chapter on how stop motion was used in conjunction with CGI in Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Dragonslayer. The final chapter on contemporary stop motion studios is mostly about Aardman and Tim Burton, and is unfortunately fairly short.

Overall, A Century of Stop Motion Animation is a treasure trove of information and behind the scenes photographs of many classic films, from more than 100 years of what was once cutting-edge special effects. A great reference guide for the history and basic techniques behind stop motion and the many practitioners of the craft.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best stop-motion animation book ever, April 23, 2009

By	Walter J. Bogdan - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

now i dont know how many books on stop-motion have been written but i cant believe that there is a more complete book on the subject.if you are a willys obrian/ray harryhausen fan you will find this book very informative.throw in the rest of the stop motion history and you have in this book a vertible whos-who on the subject.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book!, January 21, 2009

By	John Doe (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews

A Century of Stop-Motion Animation: From Melies to Aardman
This is an absolute must-have for stop-motion fans, and Harryhausen fans. If you know what this book is about, you'll be extremely glad you bought this! I'd give it more than 5 stars, if that was possible.