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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hope You Have Room on Your Bookshelf, August 24, 2010
This review is from: Creating Animated Cartoons with Character: A Guide to Developing and Producing Your Own Series for TV, the Web, and Short Film (Paperback)
Of course most of you reading this are interested in animation, and some of you may even dream of making your own animated television show someday. I know I do. I've had that dream since I was seven, and I've been working toward my goal by animating since I was ten. Unfortunately, even if you think you have a good concept for a show, you have no idea how to get it made, so your idea will probably just sit in your brain and you'll eventually take it with you to the grave. Or at least, that's how it used to be. Luckily, the creator of Rocko's Modern Life and Camp Lazlo wrote a book that can help. Now you can know everything you ever wanted to, thanks to Joe Murray's Creating Animated Cartoons with Character: A Guide to Developing and Producing Your Own Series for TV, the Web and Short Film. (Goodness me, that's a long name for a book). Creating Animated Cartoons with Character give readers the insight into what goes into creating an animated series from concept to bible to pitch to production, all using examples from Murray's own career as well as those of his friends, such as Stephen Hillenberg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants. Will you need an agent? Will they steal your ideas? The answers to questions every aspiring creator has are answered here. This book will force the reader to examine his or her motivation for attempting to make an animated series, as well as giving the reader a realistic idea of what to expect, or rather, what not to expect. Murray brilliantly explains how to create likeable characters and how to prepare a pitch. He also offers practical advice that can be used in just about any job, like not being a jerk and keeping your ego in check. Murray packs Creating Animated Cartoons with Character full of fun and interesting anecdotes as well as old artwork and notebook sketches. There's also a chapter about other means of creating your series without pitching to a network or studio and using the web instead. It was researching for this very chapter that led Murray to create Frog in a Suit and KaboingTV. With cheap animation programs available to the public, anyone can theoretically create their own webtoon without selling the rights to some huge company. It's impossible to read this book and not compare it to David B. Levy's Animation Development: From Pitch to Production. Both books cover similar ground, though Levy's book focuses more on pitching while Murray's book focuses more on creating the show and characters as well as working on the show assuming you're lucky enough to get a deal. The real difference though is the attitudes of the books. While Murray's book is very optimistic, David Levy's book makes you wonder whether or not you should even bother to attempt to create an animated series. Both of those attitudes are understandable, considering Murray was successful twice and Levy has yet to succeed after ten years of trying. I believe it's important to read both books, especially since Murray's book can give you the optimism you need to actually believe you have a chance. As Joseph A. Holmes said, "Never tell a young person that something cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for somebody ignorant enough of the impossible to do that thing." Joe Murray's Creating Animated Cartoons with Character: A Guide to Developing and Producing Your Own Series for TV, the Web and Short Film is a book that has been long overdue. If you've ever been interested in creating your own show, or just want to know what goes into creating one, you should check this book out. It's occasionally funny, but most importantly of all its informative and encouraging. Creating Animated Cartoons with Character is a must-have, and belongs on the shelf of anyone who considers him or her self an animation enthusiast or a dreamer.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent, visual, and stylish read from the ground up., September 16, 2010
This review is from: Creating Animated Cartoons with Character: A Guide to Developing and Producing Your Own Series for TV, the Web, and Short Film (Paperback)
Animation is a woefully little-examined field, and while nowadays several animators often write or blog about their experiences and techniques, it's much more difficult to find a streamlined, straight-forward examination of the entire process. Joe Murray, creator of hit shows Rocko's Modern Life and Camp Lazlo, does exactly that. With a clear, comprehensive style, visual record, and insightful Q&As with other big-name animation experts, Murray pretty much answers every possible question one may have along the lines of developing a cartoon from the ground up. Pitching, design, character, scheduling, working with networks - everything is explained in as much detail as possible. There are some moments early on where the details are skipped, like how he moved on from local comic-newspaper artist to a full-fledged studio, but the details are about the network cartoon business, not so much his life before then. I would say that the only issue I have is that there's a heavy use of metaphors, and while I understand it has such a writing trope to help the younger or the unfamiliar understand the business better, Murray is clear and concise enough with his initial explanations of events that it makes such analogies moot. If you are curious about the business, eager to pitch your own cartoon, or looking to work in animation in any format, I would highly recommend this. Very down-to-earth and approachable, informative without being condescending, and - well, let's be frank: it's the entire approach by the guy who created one of the best animated shows in mid-90s. That alone makes it a must read.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Entertaining Book for Any Fans of Cartoons or Animation, September 2, 2010
This review is from: Creating Animated Cartoons with Character: A Guide to Developing and Producing Your Own Series for TV, the Web, and Short Film (Paperback)
Joe Murray has created a very amazing book that is at once entertaining but also insightful into the creation of many of our favorite animated shows. I discovered Rocko's Modern Life by accident when my two children were growing up in the 90's. At the end of the first episode, I was hooked at how different the show was and how entertaining for children AND adults. The book, "Creating Animated Cartoons with Character" draws you into the world of creating characters and developing them into a series. It is amazing to read the process from inception to fruition and seems almost impossible the steps that the creators of a successful series must take to realize their dreams. This is one of the few books where I am not skimming and pulling out what I need from the page and moving on to the next. I am thoroughly enjoying reading each and every word and coming along on the journey. Joe brings you into his world and you feel his passion and devotion to his art. It is also an amazing "Do It Yourself" guide to budding animators, cartoonists and artists. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants an enjoyable look at the world of animation today. It is also a terrific coffee table book that sits out in the living room next to the autographed picture of "Rocko" that Joe was generous enough to provide. Everyone, young and old, thinks it is way cool! Great Fun! Bryan B.
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