Flash Cartoon Animation: Learn from the Pros [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Glenn Kirkpatrick (Author), Kevin Peaty (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
You want to make an animated film. You've got the idea. You've got Macromedia Flash. But where do you start?

What's the best way to script your cartoon, how do you start animating with Flash, what do you really need to know in order to get your ideas out there, and make you famous?

Who better to ask than two talented professionals, who've not only worked for Disney, but also run the hugely successful cult website - funnyazhell?

Kevin Peaty and Glenn Kirkpatrick draw on their many years of studio experience and their knowledge of Flash to show you the best way to create great Flash cartoons that look as good as traditional animated films.

This book follows the professional process, taking a creative idea from storyboard stage, through layout to publishing, via a detailed look at animation techniques, that will give you the kind of insight normally only gained from years spent in the industry.

In depth and detailed, the book follows the production of a cartoon from inception to final output - looking at all the decisions and skills that have contributed to its appeal.

Whether you're completely new to Flash, or are making your first steps into the world of Flash cartooning, this book will let you work alongside the professionals to make your own animated masterpiece.

From the Publisher
The book uses downloadable Flash files so that you can build your own movie, and has free online support, as well as community forums to help you immerse yourself in the world of Flash cartooning.

As with all books from friends of ED - our support is fast, friendly and free.

Even if our dedicated support team are unable to solve your problem immediately, your queries will be passed onto the people who put the book together, the editors and authors, to solve. All foED authors help with the support on their books, and will either directly mail people with answers, or (more usually) send their response to an editor to pass on.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Wrox Press; illustrated edition edition (December 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903450985
• ISBN-13: 978-1903450987
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,655,402 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The animator who cried wolf didn't read this..., June 13, 2004

By	ewomack "ewomack" (MN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Flash Cartoon Animation: Learn from the Pros (Paperback)

Beginning Flash animators will probably find no better starting place than this book. It includes just about everything the neophyte animator needs for a good start. The book traces the evolution of a Flash cartoon from idea to actuality, with a bonus chapter on publishing to the internet and the inevitable issues that arise at that phase. Coming up with a story can stall the most stalwart animator, and the first chapter is dedicated to this brain bulging dilemma. There may be nothing more important for a successful cartoon than starting out with and ultimately following a plan, and the book reiterates this idea almost ad nauseum - but for good reason. A script can easily translate to a storyboard, which will slowly morph into the final product. Plans will only save time and frustration in the end (a very hard learned lesson that can leave permanent damage). Many beginners may leap right into Flash with an abstract or incomplete idea thinking "I'll get the ending eventually, now let's get to drawing!" (I've never done this, no way, not me, no no...) A toon abandoned from frustration typically results. The authors do a great job of driving this home (so don't skip the first chapter). A great introduction to Flash's drawing tools follows the story line chapter (a subject that could fill an entire book). Discussions concerning style permeate the chapter (e.g., advantages of the brush tool over the pencil tool, etc. - readers make the choice in the end depending on personal preference). A surprising discussion on Art Direction follows. Beginning animators probably grossly underestimate the importance of mapping out characters for consistency, composition with color and space, and ease of animation (i.e., don't create characters with multitudinous moving parts and hard to animate elements). I did. Next, the book outlines the basics of storyboarding and some basic concepts of cinematography (e.g., establishing eyelines, camera positioning, etc). The authors stress the importance of making an animatic (basically a rough draft for an animation that typically involves animating the storyboard) for a toon. This probably comes down to personal preference as well (I've never made an animatic, but these guys do have massive and impressive experience). The most important chapter, "Animation Principles", provides the basic theoretical foundation for what makes a toon tick. The inexperienced will find vital principles here: squash and stretch, staggering, depicting weight, anticipation, cycles, following through, and animating acting. All animators should have these concepts down to an almost second-nature degree. Everyone who reads this book should also supplement it with another book on animation principles (the authors provide a short list of possible titles). This information will improve a toon's quality and professionalism exponentially. Of course the authors eventually discuss animating using Flash, but not in detail until chapter eight. They put great weight on theory, as they should. It will pay off in droves in the end. The authors themselves say "you could learn in a sentence something that has taken other Flash animators weeks and months of toil to discover, by which we mean ourselves of course!" Having learned a lot of things the hard way myself (this book was no where to be found when I began animating with Flash 4 some years back), I support this advice with great weight. Heed it. Read before animating for the first time. In fact, read this book before animating for the first time. As a bonus, the authors construct an actual toon throughout the book to emphasize the priciples discussed. This also provides some hands-on experience with Flash.

The book includes numerous typos and a few bizarre references (e.g. chapter eight says "You have probably heard of the animation term 'tweening'"; yes, because chapter five has already discussed it). These in no way detract from the discussion. Overall the book flows in an extremely readable way. Any and all Flash animation beginners should read it cover to cover.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Looking to learn Flash animation - start here., May 22, 2004

By	"sgwhelden" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flash Cartoon Animation: Learn from the Pros (Paperback)

As a student of television and video design, I've worked with earlier versions of Flash. When I purchased Studio MX 04, I wanted to add some strong titles to my Flash library and purchased a number of books here at Amazon. Of all the books I own, this book is the best title for someone getting started with animation for the web or for television and video. The black and white drawings and illustrations skillfully convey how to get your ideas across with Flash. The explanations of camera angles and shot types are thorough and detailed. Excellent examples of complete storyboards show the new animator how to develop boards and explain the role of storyboards in the finished product. Profusely illustrated throughout, Flash Cartoon Animation is another wonderful title from Friends of ED. The authors, animation professionals from Australia, are gifted teachers who not only know the software but are thoroughly grounded in the language and techniques of film and television.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, January 25, 2003

By	Darren Jacobi (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

Having been interested in animation for some time, but put off by traditional expensive and time-consuming methods, I was excited when a friend recommended this new Friends of ED book. With no previous Flash experience, I was cautious, but this book really did make it easy and fun. I'd made my first simple animation within days, now I'm hooked!

Highly recommended.