Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation, Second Edition (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) [Paperback]

Susannah Shaw (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0240520556 | ISBN-13: 978-0240520551 | Publication Date: March 11, 2008 | Edition: 2

To make great animation, you need to know how to control a whole world: how to make a character, how to make that character live and be happy or sad. You need to create four walls around them, a landscape, the sun and moon - a whole life for them. You have to get inside that puppet and first make it live, then make it perform.

Susannah Shaw provides the first truly practical introduction to the craft skills of model animation. This is a vital book in the development of model animation which, following the success of Aardman's first full-length film, Chicken Run, is now at the forefront of modern animation.

Illustrated in full colour throughout you are shown step by step how to create successful model animation. Starting with some basic exercises, you will learn about developing a story, making models, creating set and props, the mechanics of movement, filming, postproduction and how to set about finding that elusive first job in a modern studio.

Susannah Shaw is Programme Development Manager for the Animated Exeter festival. She was head of the Bristol Animation Course from 1996 to 2000 at the University of the West of England and former camera assistant at Aardman (working on 'A Close Shave' among other films).

* The best-selling full-color practical introduction to the craft skills of model animation
* Benefit from the advice of top international animators such as Nick Park and Tim Hittle
* Discover everything you need to know to be a model animator in a modern studio!

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A wonderful introduction to a rather complicated and unique art form.'
Ray Harryhausen director of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, and Jason and the Argonauts

'Don't attempt stop motion before you read this book! Susannah has covered everything in this no-nonsense approach to the industry.'
Richard Goleszowski director of Creature Comforts and Rex the Runt

'contains a huge amount of valuable information for the budding stop-frame film maker. A great addition to the film craft library.'
David Sproxton, co-founder and Managing Director of Aardman Animations
"...a mine of information. This book gives an unrivalled detailed technical overview of the subject."
The Times Higher Education Supplement

"... clear and concise text...This is the perfect book for anyone contemplating getting into model animation."
Dope Sheet

'Practical, informative and full of quotes from key characters in the story of the stop-frame industry. I wish I'd had this book when I was a student.'
Joan Ashworth, Head of Animation, Royal College of Art

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 2 edition (March 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240520556
• ISBN-13: 978-0240520551
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too many holes, April 2, 2009

By 

J. McGowan (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation, Second Edition (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) (Paperback)

I knew nothing about stop motion before I read this book so I did learn a lot but there is no way I could make a stop motion film yet. The book leaves too many holes. For example, while the book mentions dope sheets and story boards (and show small, difficult-to-read examples), it doesn't tell how to do them. The book also wastes a lot of time and space with extended quotes from people in the industry. For the most part, they are "funny day at the office" stories and not terribly helpful to a beginner. Overall, I think this book is trying to be everything to everybody so although many, many topics are touched upon, nothing is covered in enough detail. Also note that most everything is British, from prices of equipment to supplier and studio resources. So, if you're curious about the world of stop motion but don't care about doing it, this would be a good book. If you want to actually do stop motion, you'll need something better than this.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book, terrific primer for beginners, January 19, 2011

By 

Will Kalif "StormTheCastle" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation, Second Edition (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) (Paperback)

Stop motion animation, by it's very nature is a multi skill endeavor. You need to know about timing, how bodies move, the effects of gravity, how to shoot video, how to take pictures, how to tell a story, and how to make movie sets and miniature figures! Wow, that seems like a lot and I hope I didn't scare you off.

My point is that stop motion entails a lot of different kinds of things --- And this book touches on all of these things. And it does it very nicely. You get a little bit of the history of stop motion and learn about some of the seminal works in the genre. And you get good information about how to make things move in a way that looks natural. And you get some good information about lighting, building sets and building figures.

This is simply an excellent introduction to actually doing stop motion animation. I used this book to make a short animation.

You can't go wrong and if you don't know much about how to do animation but want to learn this is a great place to start.
Highly recommended. It covers a lot of technical stuff in an easy to understand and not so technical way which is just terrific. Whether you are a amateur or aspiring professional you will benefit from this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stop motion should be..., December 12, 2011

By 

thinking - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation, Second Edition (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) (Paperback)

This book was very informative, easy to use and had tactics that were helpful. This is definitely a book that should be a part of your on-hand arsenol resources for doing stop motion and having an impact through your creativity on all your future audiences.