Stop Motion: Passion, Process and Performance (Paperback)

by Barry J C Purves (Author)
Key Phrases: corpse bride, folly stick, first stop motion, Screen Play, Hamilton Mattress, The Wind (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"This is a must-have book for anyone interested in the art of animation and I urge you to buy it and see for yourself what a feast for the eyes and the intellect it is!" .. World Animation Journal

Book Description
In-depth discussion of the creativity behind making stop motion animated films from the masters of the craft - including Tom Brierton, Adam Elliot, Mark Hall, Peter Lord, Ken Priebe, David Sproxton and many others.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press (December 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240520602
• ISBN-13: 978-0240520605
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #434,873 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Passion being the key word!, January 9, 2008

By	Michael Brent "Darkstrider" (BELLEVILLE, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've got pretty much all the stopmotion books in print, and this one is really something else entirely. It's not a text, not a beginner's lesson book and not just an appreciation for the art form (and, as Mr. Purves proves, it really IS an artform). Rather it's a very passionate reflection on the creative process of making stopmotion, and on the larger aspects of creativity in general. Barry is one of the best among animators.... and has frequently been writer and director of his own films, resulting in some of the most startling and original animation to date (such as his brilliant Achilles or my favorite Rigoletto). He expounds with great articulateness and intelligence on the strengths and weaknesses of the various forms of animation, revealing his obvious love for stopmotion above all the rest. And as he does, he reveals truths about animation that you had always felt but couldn't quite put into words.

He also shares a wealth of his own hard-earned tips and techniques, some about animating, but more on the art of storytelling and on how best to utilize the special properties that stopmotion alone has. It's not a book about "how to animate" but rather Why.... and he stresses the importance of playing to the particular strengths of our quirky art. If it can be done in live action or CGI or drawn animation, then why use stopmo? As many, he feels the sheer potential of stopmotion has only begun to be tapped, and he expounds at great length on how that might be done. And reading his words, it's difficult not to feel the same inspiration he obviously does.

Every animator should read this book.... even if you're just scooting Lego figures across the bedroom floor in front of your webcam (unless that's the extent of your ambition). He really illuminates the magic of stopmotion, what it does best and what it shouldn't be made to do. I just finished reading it for the first time, and I'm about to begin again.....

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Puppet Psych 101, January 21, 2008

By	Pram Maven (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

When I first started animating, there were no books on stopmotion, only books on 2-D cartooning and filmmaking. Even so, they were dated.

Since then, a few books about the craft came out, but this is the only book I've ever read that was written from the point of view of a professional stopmotion animator that covers the "why" more than the "how" aspect of putting a soul into a puppet and making it move in a way that removes all doubt in the viewer that it is, in fact, alive.

I found the book to be inspiring and so full of useful information, that I've had it for more than a week already and still haven't finished reading it.

A must-buy for anyone who is making their own stopmotion-animated film.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For anybody that already is a stop motion animator, March 11, 2009

By	Anna (Amsterdam, Holland) - See all my reviews

This may not be exactly a "Stop-Motion for Dummies" book. And it most definately isn't an introduction to the world of stop-motion either. It's much more of an "insider" book, from the hands of one of the greater stop-motion artists of our time. It shares experiences, holds more information about the medium than any book i've encountered so far, and all it really does is make me a better animator. I'm a happy camper!