Not just an update to Kit's 1979 classic, this is practically a whole new book!

This really is a proper modern course book for the new digital age that students and amateurs of today can pick up and work through. It is as thick as the bible, and very well written. Interesting and very very easy going - for a technical book.
Better still. It makes you want to put the book to one side and try things out all the time.
This book teaches you the rules, but also encourages you to break them.

It contains three sections.

1) Fundamentals: contains activities in drawing skills and generating ideas. As well as an equipment overview.

2) Techniques: includes the full spectrum of animation categories discussed in full, basic production steps, working with sound, storyboarding and planning.

3) Tools : attempts to give a breakdown of costs involved in producing your own animations with emphases on 'low end' computer based environments which simplify the whole process within one workspace.

If you need an idea of what you can expect from animation school, this book is a good place to start.

The book is fully illustrated in b/w. Which was obviously to keep costs low, that having been said; considering the subject matter is that of moving images, the inclusion of a CD-ROM or DVD would have seemed an obvious option. In fact it seems crazy that it does not come with any digital media at all. A few seconds of each animation covered within these pages and a small app. that could allow you to view them frame-by-frame would have been so helpful. It was a missed opportunity here.
1 star removed due to these annoying facts.

Review for: 1998 edition ISBN 0-517-88602-2 ( )