Whether you’re looking for that perfect gift for the animation & visual effects student in your life, or simply need a way to unplug and get away from in front of an LCD screen, books are a great solution. The books listed here are fantastic resources for animation and visual effects students at all levels.
Did we miss a good one? Have ideas for additions to the list? Send us your suggestions by email: acelab-at-drexel-dot-edu .
The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation
Amazon Description:
The most complete book ever written on the subject, this is the fascinating inside story, told by two long-term Disney animators, of the gradual perfection of a relatively young and particularly American art form–which no other movie studio has been able to equal.
The Animator’s Survival Kit
Amazon Description:
The definitive book on animation, from the Academy Award-winning animator behind Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Animation is one of the hottest areas of filmmaking today–and the master animator who bridges the old generation and the new is Richard Williams. During his fifty years in the business, Williams has been one of the true innovators, winning three Academy Awards and serving as the link between Disney’s golden age of animation by hand and the new computer animation exemplified by Toy Story.
Perhaps even more important, though, has been his dedication in passing along his knowledge to a new generation of animators so that they in turn could push the medium in new directions. In this book, based on his sold-out master classes in the United States and across Europe, Williams provides the underlying principles of animation that every animator–from beginner to expert, classic animator to computer animation whiz –needs. Urging his readers to “invent but be believable,” he illustrates his points with hundreds of drawings, distilling the secrets of the masters into a working system in order to create a book that will become the standard work on all forms of animation for professionals, students, and fans.
Stop Staring: Facial Modeling and Animation Done Right
Amazon Description:
The de facto official source on facial animation.
If you want to do character facial modeling and animation at the high levels achieved in today’s films and games, Stop Staring: Facial Modeling and Animation Done Right, Third Edition, is for you. While thoroughly covering the basics such as squash and stretch, lip syncs, and much more, this new edition has been thoroughly updated to capture the very newest professional design techniques, as well as changes in software, including using Python to automate tasks.
Shows you how to create facial animation for movies, games, and more
Provides in-depth techniques and tips for everyone from students and beginners to high-level professional animators and directors currently in the field
Features the author’s valuable insights from his own extensive experience in the field
Covers the basics such as squash and stretch, color and shading, and lip syncs, as well as how to automate processes using Python
Breathe life into your creations with this important book, considered by many studio 3D artists to be the quintessential reference on facial animation.
Pixar Storytelling
Amazon Description:
Pixar Storytelling is about effective storytelling rules based on Pixar’s greatest films. The book consists of ten chapters, each of which explores an aspect of storytelling that Pixar excels at. Learn what Pixar’s core story ideas all have in common, how they create compelling, moving conflict and what makes their films’ resolutions so emotionally satisfying. The book also examines Pixar’s character development, unique, intricate story structure and use of theme, all of which are key to the studio’s storytelling achievements. This book is great for writers interested in writing for animation or mainstream feature films, animators or aspiring directors who want to know how some of the best animated films work, and even Pixar fans or film buffs who are interested in learning more about the awesome world of storytelling.
The Art of (Movie or Game of your choice)
“Art of” … books are an entire category unto themselves. Search for “Art of ” followed by the name of virtually any animated, fantasy, super hero or science fiction movie made in the last decade or two, and you are almost certain to find a corresponding book filled with inspirational artwork from the film’s design process. Here are a few ideas…
Some Links to Art Of… books:
Art of Pixar: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Pixar-Complete-Scripts-Animation/dp/0811879631
The Art of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Rogue-One-Star-Story/dp/1419722255
The Art of Kubo and the Two Strings: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Kubo-Two-Strings/dp/1452153159
The Art of Moana: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Moana-Jessica-Julius/dp/1452155364
The Art of Spirited Away: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Spirited-Away-Hayao-Miyazaki/dp/1569317771
The Art of the Iron Giant: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Iron-Giant-Ramin-Zahed/dp/1608878880
The Art of The Jungle Book: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Jungle-Book-Ellen-Wolff/dp/1608877914
Special Effects: The History and Technique
Amazon Description:
We’ve all sat spellbound in our seats at the cinema and thought, “How did they do that?” as another stunning special effect unfolds in front of us. These effects are the product of a whole range of movie-making techniques and visual trickery that make us believe in the exploding spaceships in “Star Wars” or talking animals in “Babe”. This book goes behind the scenes to look at the methods that are used to create this world of make-believe, exploring subjects such as optical compositing, blue screen processing, projection methods, animation, animatronics, matte art, digital production, pyrotechnics and sound effects. It is illustrated with film stills, production shots and specially commissioned diagrams.
Digital Compositing for Film and Video 3rd Edition
Amazon Description:
This practical, hands-on guide addresses the problems and difficult choices that professional compositors face on a daily basis. You are presented with tips, techniques, and solutions for dealing with badly shot elements, color artifacts, mismatched lighting and other commonly faced compositing obstacles. Practical, in-depth lessons are featured for bluescreen matte extraction, despill operations, compositing operations, as well as color-corrections.
