Producing Animation (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) [Paperback]

Catherine Winder (Author), Zahra Dowlatabadi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0240804120 | ISBN-13: 978-0240804125 | Publication Date: June 13, 2001 | Edition: 1

Drawing heavily from the authors' twenty years of combined experience, Producing Animation offers a clear overview of this exciting industry and a comprehensive guide to the process of developing a project from conception to final delivery. Written from the perspective of a producer, this book offers the foundation of how a project is created in addition to describing the role of the producer at each phase. Answers are provided to many of the most commonly asked questions about animation ranging from how to enter the business to the average cost and schedule for a prime-time animated series.



Producing Animation has the first-of-its-kind comprehensive chart of accounts for animation, named the Animation Budget Builder, which can be individually tailored for each project. Visit www.MovieMagicProducer.com for more details. Students, aspiring producers, investors, television and
studio executives, artists, film line producers wishing to branch into animation, and legal advisors will find this an invaluable tool. The chapters specifically geared to the pre-production, production and postproduction processes offer animation producers a wealth of practical advice. Numerous illustrations outline the different steps of production. Forms the authors have devised to help streamline the process are also included.

Observations from a wide range of industry professionals such as; studio heads, creators, directors, producers, writers and members of the production crew, give the reader insight into what it takes to be successful in this business. The authors' personal anecdotes at key process checkpoints relay firsthand experience, illustrating some of the pitfalls a producer must learn to circumvent. Detailed information on preparing a thorough production plan including the budget, schedule, and crew plan can also be found in this book.

Complete guide to identifying, pitching, selling, developing,and producing an animated show
Provides comprehensive information on production planning, budgeting, scheduling and tracking your project
Includes a detailed description and flow charts of the production process for traditional (2D) and 3D CGI

Editorial Reviews

Review

"comprehensive in outlineing modern production practices in animation. this is an invaluable as technology is to redefining some areas of animation."

From the Publisher

Producing Animation has the first-of-its-kind comprehensive chart of accounts for animation, named the Animation Budget Builder, which can be individually tailored for each project. Students, aspiring producers, investors, television and studio executives, artists, film line producers wishing to branch into animation, and legal advisors will find this an invaluable tool. The chapters specifically geared to the pre-production, production and postproduction processes offer animation producers a wealth of practical advice. Numerous illustrations outline the different steps of production. Forms the authors have devised to help streamline the process are also included.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 1 edition (June 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240804120
• ISBN-13: 978-0240804125
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Portrays production well, producers not so., July 24, 2001

By 

Nancy Beiman "Northernexpress" (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Producing Animation (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) (Paperback)

I am an animation artist who has also worked as a producer and production manager. PRODUCING ANIMATION attempts to explain an under-researched topic, but also helps perpetuate the idea that you need to have five managers for every artist on an animated picture. Top heavy management and overproduced films that are in production before their story is set are the true reasons for the skyrocketing costs of animation in the past few years. There are some horror stories here, such as the 'executive' who thought he could rewrite dialogue...after the picture had been animated. The authors also decry an 'artistic supervisor' (could that possibly be a director?) who (oh dear) wanted to make changes. The executive got his changes. The artist, they imply, did not. They also claim that artists have to be told by production people when to give up their artwork so that they can meet the production schedule. So the blame for production delays is invariably placed on the artists, who are a 'rag tag team', not highly trained professionals. Portions of the book are useful: blueprints for schedules (nothing about 'complexity of the film' setting the neat little figures back though.) Anyone who wishes to produce animated films and who does not have any idea what the artists do on the project (and sadly that describes a good many producers) would do well to read the sections on the PRODUCTION PLAN and PRODUCTION CREW.

There is one helpful quote at the beginning of this book from Warner Television executive Ken Duer. "...it would only make sense to let the directors direct and be creatively responsible for the project and let the producers manage and create a 'stage' for creative artists so that the artists can do what they do best."

They didn't need to write any more about the 'function of the producer' after that. But it was amusing to see the authors attempt to justify the existence of a 'line producer' whose job descriptions are duplicated by the associate producer; and they actually admit that the associate-executive-in-charge-of-assistant-to-the producer titles are more a product of 'what an agent or representative is able to negotiate for their clients, wholly independent of their actual ability.'

Artists, buy this book and read it. Know who you are dealing with. Producers, read it and learn, but have some respect for the artists. They are, after all, the ones actually producing something.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical & Thorough!, October 3, 2002

By 

Rob Bradfield (Pasadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Producing Animation (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) (Paperback)

Contrary to some of the reviews posted on this book, this book is NOT the death of art NOR is it a book designed to "beget executive monkeys". In fact, at the 2001 World Animation Celebration (sadly, there was no WAC this year!), the book was singled out as THE resource on the topic of producing animated entertainment. Much better and more specific to the field than buying a book on film or TV producing and adapting the concepts. Just because the book is more practical, business-minded and analytical than it is artistically oriented does not mean that it isn't relevant to the field. More to the point, it is ESSENTIAL to the field. THESE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.

To the artistic types who seem to be bashing this book on the basis of it not being written from a creative-end point of view, I'd just like to say that without a producer, your idea is just that, an idea. If you want your property to be seen by someone besides friends, family and the occasional festival judge, grow up and realize that the "business of the business" is inseperable from the art of animation. It's kind of like the old "if a tree falls, in the woods..." cliche.

If you want a book that discusses the actual PROCESS of animation, this isn't the book for you. But then again, it doesn't puport to be a book on how to animate.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tremendous wealth of info on animaton production, May 1, 2003

By 

T. Schott "tschottoon" (TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Producing Animation (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) (Paperback)

Okay, you bought every book out there on how to create animation and you have a project you're trying to produce. Well, up until now you would have to track down [costly] freelance producers to put together your budgets and schedules and lose a big percentage of your creation to people who don't hand out trade secrets for free.

Not anymore! This book is packed with charts and diagrams of animation production that can be fit to whatever type of project you are planning on pitching. To the purist this book would seem to be the end of the world. Just because the book describes top heavy management doesn't mean we are obligated to follow [along]. "Producing Animation" lists every job out there, so we can pick and choose which ones are redundant and need to be streamlined.

This book has no place in a purists library. If all you want to do is have your work viewed at experimental film festivals keep working with your small group of volunteers. But those of us who need a resource to take our ideas to TV or the theater need look no further, because as of yet there is nothing else.

Thanks to Catherine and Zahra, you've probably taken much flack for putting this info out there for animators to buy.