DIRECTING, DIALOGUE AND ACTING From Richard Williams' The Animator's Survival Kit comes key chapters in mini form. The Animator's Survival Kit is the essential tool for animators. However, sometimes you don't want to carry the hefty expanded edition around with you to your college or studio if you're working on just one aspect of it that day. The Animation Minis take some of the most essential chapters and make them available in smaller, lightweight, hand-bag/backpack size versions. Easy to carry. Easy to study. This Mini focuses on Directing, Dialogue and Acting. As a director, whatever your idea is, you want to put it over, so the main thing with directing is to be clear - very clear. The Director's job is to hold everything together so that the animator can give the performance. Richard Williams shows how that performance can be achieved with flexibility and contrast. With Acting and Dialogue, the temptation is to try to do everything at once - Williams' advice: do one thing at a time.

Animation is one of the fastest-growing fields in film and television, and it is also integral to video games and web development. Once an esoteric and hard-won skill, technology has advanced to the point that simple animated projects can now be produced on a home PC. Its many enthusiasts have fuelled a range of new courses in universities, and in public and private colleges. Drawing on their extensive experience in the field, the authors offer a systematic overview of the role of the animation producer and the production process. They explain how to develop a concept, pitch it to obtain funding, and find a market. They offer detailed advice on recruiting a team, managing different stages of production (including overseas suppliers), quality control, budgeting and scheduling. They also outline the key aspects of 2D and 3D production. From project development, seeking investment to pre- and post-production, for film, television, and the web, The Animation Producer’s Handbook is the ‘one-stop shop’ for budding animators everywhere.

Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video is the definitive book on the subject for beginning filmmakers and students. The book clearly illustrates all of the steps involved in preproduction, production, postproduction, and distribution. Its unique two-fold approach looks at filmmaking from the perspectives of both producer and director, and explains how their separate energies must combine to create a successful short film or video, from script to final product. This guide offers extensive examples from award-winning shorts and includes insightful quotes from the filmmakers themselves describing the problems they encountered and how they solved them. The companion website contains useful forms and information on grants and financing sources, distributors, film and video festivals, film schools, internet sources for short works, and professional associations.

If Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs represented the Animation industry’s infancy, Ed Hooks thinks that the current production line of big-budget features is its artistically awkward adolescence. While a well-funded marketing machine can conceal structural flaws, uneven performances and superfluous characters, the importance of crafted storytelling will only grow in importance as animation becomes a broader, more accessible art form. Craft Notes for Animators analyses specific films – including Frozen and Despicable Me – to explain the secrets of creating truthful stories and believable characters. It is an essential primer for the for tomorrow’s industry leaders and animation artists.

From basic acting techniques and exercises for keeping the voice in top condition, to marketing and promotion of the actor, The Art of Voice Acting covers it all. Now in its fifth edition, this essential book is packed with expert advice on job opportunities and career management tips; it is the ideal resource for anyone wanting to maximize their success in the industry. Complete with a companion website and QR codes that link directly to additional material such as audio for every script included in the book, more exercises, and voice relaxation techniques, this is the complete package that gives voiceover actors, and those in related fields, a clear, no-nonsense introduction to the business and art of voice acting. New and updated in this edition: All new scripts and voice exercises More voice and acting techniques Coverage of new trends, including online demos and online auditions Additional coverage of audiobooks and new information on home studio technology All new contributions from some of the top voice talent in the world

Looks at the artistry and production process of cel animation in a friendly, how-to manner. This book guides animators through various steps of planning and production and includes examples of actual production forms, organization tips, screen shots, and sketches from the pre- to post-production processes.

There is a lot one could say about animation in Europe, but above all, there is no consistent European animation. It is as disparate as the various countries involved. Audiences will certainly recognize American or Japanese animation, but in Europe, it can range from Czech, Polish, and Hungarian to Greek, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and British. Animation in Europe provides a comprehensive review of the history and current situation of animation in over 20 European countries. It features numerous interviews with artists and producers, including rare documents and firsthand accounts that illustrate the rich history of animation in Europe. Additional features include • An extensive chronology with key events in European animation • A Who’s Who of producers, directors, writers, and animators working in Europe • An examination of the origin of European animation and its influence Animation in Europe is the first book devoted entirely to this topic and, therefore, will be of value for animation buffs as well as practitioners and researchers.