The Alchemy of Animation: Making an Animated Film in the Modern Age [Paperback]

Don Hahn (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 7, 2008 | Age Range: 10 - 11 years

The Alchemy of Animation: Making an Animated Film in the Modern Age is a step-by-step introduction to animated filmmaking from one of the foremost producers of animated features. By drawing (sorry!) upon more than seven decades of Disney’s classic and beloved animated films, this stunning book explores the role of the directors, story artists, songwriters, and animators who each play an integral role in the creation of an animated feature.

This book includes a special focus on the digital techniques of filmmaking and fresh, behind-the-scenes work from the most current Disney films, including Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, and Bolt, as well as showing other forms of animation such as the stop-motion of Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Don Hahn's name is synonymous with some of the most critically acclaimed animated motion pictures of this generation, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast, (the first animated film ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture (and before the Best Animated Film category was established). He was also the associate producer for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the groundbreaking 1988 film that pioneered new techniques for combining animation and live-action. His other film credits include Fantasia/2000 and Atlantis. He is currently at work on his next Disney animated film.

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 - 11 years
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Disney Editions (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423104765
• ISBN-13: 978-1423104766
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.4 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Performing Arts > Film
  • #42 in Books > Arts & Photography > Graphic Design > Animation

More About the Author

Don Hahn produced the classic Beauty and the Beast, the first animated film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar from the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. His next film The Lion King, broke box office records to become the top grossing traditionally animated film of all time and a blockbuster Broadway musical. Hahn also served as associate producer of the landmark film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. His other credits include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Disneynature films Earth, Oceans, and African Cats and the short The Little Matchgirl which earned Hahn his second Oscar Nomination

He is currently Executive Producer of Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, a stop motion animated feature due out in 2012. His new book Brain Storm - Unleashing Your Creative Self, is on sale now.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Just like going on an animation studio tour April 4, 2009

By Parka TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Length: 0:16 Mins

This book is like a pass that will give you access to a tour in an animation studio. The tour guide here is Don Hahn, who has been in the animation industry for years, directing some popular movies like The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, etc.

Don Hahn brings us down to the production floor, visiting every department, talking about the people and their role in movie production. You may have seen many making-of videos from DVDs but this book is the one stop source to the introduction to animation.

The book introduces the process of animation from idea creation to the ending post production work. It looks at three forms of animation that exist today and talks about how they are created. They are the computer-generated, 2D hand-drawn and stop-motion production.

Included concept art, sketches, set photos, sculptures, storyboards, 3D renders and some discarded ideas are included. This is like walking along studio corridors looking at all the art pinned on the boards.

The roles and responsibilities of every crew working on the film is explained. In a sort of way, it's also a guide to finding what kind of jobs are available in the animation industry. For the longest time, I've been trying to find out what a clean-up artist does and now I know, which is to "clean up" characters making sure they are consistent in style.

For people interested in the animation industry or how animated movies are made, this book provides a very good introductory background.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars So that's how they do it! October 8, 2008

By Gary Gisel

Format:Paperback

I've long been a fan of animated movies, enjoying the story and the art but also being fascinated by what it must take to get one of these movies from concept to the screen.
The Alchemy of Animation does a great job of pulling back the curtain and explaining the process.

This book would be well worth the price for the plethora of pictures alone. It includes images from all stages of the process from initial concept through the final versions used in the movies. While that is a great reason to buy the book, it isn't the best part. The book is full of insight and information about animation. In particular I appreciated the focus on the story as the key element, regardless of the art form chosen and the way that the differences and similarities between traditional animation, stop motion and computer animation are highlighted.

If you are a fan of animation, or are looking for a great gift to give someone who is a fan I strongly recommend that you pick up a copy of this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book lots of info April 18, 2013

By stephen clark

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book had great content and pictures, don Hhn is a get movie maker and is very knowledgable, however when I recieved this book it came with some stickers that said used two stickers were both on the cover and back and were also large and would not comeoff the front or back.. other then this small annoyance its a great book