Don Bluth's Art Of Storyboard [Paperback]

Don Bluth (Author), Gary Goldman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 23, 2004

From Don Bluth - master animator, artist and director of such cartoon classics as The Secret of N.I.M.H., An American Tail, The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Anastasia and Titan A.E. - comes Don Bluth's The Art of Storyboard, a one-of-a-kind textbook that describes in detail the technical and artistic processes involved in crafting storyboards for animated films, the visual blueprints that lay the foundation for the animators magic. Don Bluth takes readers on a journey as only an artist of such vast skills and filmmaking experience can, going from the breakdown of a script, through story conferences with Don Bluth Films collaborators Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy, and onto the finished boards. Loaded with technical tips and insights into the tapping of the creative imagination, The Art of Storyboard also features page after page of Bluth's beautiful storyboard illustrations, many in full color. Whether used as an inspiring tool for professional and aspiring animators or just for the sheer joy of seeing how the written word is channeled through the animator's mindscape on its way to the screen, Don Bluth's The Art of Storyboard is a fascinating peek behind the curtain of film's most creative storytelling medium.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (November 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595820078
• ISBN-13: 978-1595820075
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #976,629 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The man could swing a marker with the best of them..., May 25, 2008

By 

Brian C. Sydnor "Ronin" (Richmond, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Don Bluth's Art Of Storyboard (Paperback)

"Don Bluth's Art Of Storyboard" is a great "crash-course" for those interested in storyboarding. I loved the references to musical tempo as well as the commentary on the boards of past Bluth films.

The storyboards for "The Secret Of NIMH" are covered in detail, and are among the most beautifully staged boards I've seen! Bluth (and crew) used pen and grey markers to convincingly portray texture, perspective, and relatively sophisticated lighting (personally, markers and I never got along, so I can appreciate the difficulty level). Many cinematography and acting cues seen in other, more technical books are cleverly and entertainingly utilized in the storyboards of films like "NIMH", "All Dogs Go To Heaven" and "Anastasia".

Overall I'd say this is an excellent tool for beginners. It can also be a great gift for the experienced story artist who just happens to be a Don Bluth fan...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don Bluth's Storyboarding Book, August 28, 2008

By 

Jonathan Politi "Jonathan Politi" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Don Bluth's Art Of Storyboard (Paperback)

Admittedly, I was drawn to the book (no pun intended) from the many hours I spent as a child playing the animated game, Dragon's Lair. The book is great for the examples that it provides from Bluth's studio animations -video games and feature film animations. It provides great insight into the process, although you can tell that it is a little dated in technique (computer references are a little lean). But the drawings, pages and pages of storyboards, and the transcripts from pre-production conversations are invaluable for providing creative insight. I would highly recommend this book to accompany other materials on the storyboarding process (such as Storyboarding Design Course by Giuseppe Cristiano). This is a great book and a has a wealth of content.Don Bluth's Art Of Storyboard

5.0 out of 5 stars Love the Bluth, November 26, 2008

By 

johndjoy (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don Bluth's Art Of Storyboard (Paperback)

Short on pages, but not on useful information: a fabulous book for people who want to actually control the process of animation. The only real shame about the book is how the material is becoming rather dated: it's kind of sad to see such an influential legend drown in a meaningless sea of CG, when he poured so much thought and energy into the craft.