- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Aurum Press Ltd (22 Nov 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1854109405
- ISBN-13: 978-1854109408
- Product Dimensions: 29 x 25.6 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
593,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #48 in Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Film > Film Genres > Animation
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Inspired by the film "King Kong", at the age of 13 Ray Harryhausen knew his future lay in special effects. Following on from his mentor Willis O'Brien, creator of Kong, Ray took the art and skill of stop-motion animation one step further, weaving his magic on dinosaurs, aliens and mythological creatures alike. From humble beginnings working in his father's garage animating a selection of Fairy Tales, to blockbuster movies on location in the Yemen, Italy, Malta and Spain, Ray has seen and done it all. The last great animator before the introduction of CGI, he takes us through the pleasures and pitfalls of 60 years' bringing inanimate objects to life. Learn how Raquel Welch was picked up by a flying dinosaur in "One Million Years BC", why the octopus in "Mysterious Island" was only a sixtopus, and what Medusa's blood was made from in "Clash of the Titans". From the flying harpies in "Jason and the Argonauts" to battling skeletons in the "7th Voyage of Sinbad", Ray explains the films' journeys, from original concept through to the critics' reviews. Anecdotal, insightful and honest, "An Animated Life" features hundreds of photographs from Ray's personal archive. It explains the basics of special effects and stop-motion animation, what working with the film stars of the day was like (Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith and Lionel Jeffries to name but a few) and how his creations were really the stars of the movies.
Inside This Book
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Animated Life by Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton,
By
This review is from: Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life (Hardcover)
From the point of a lifelong fantasy film buff, a stunning book. Profusely illustrated with many previously unpublished photos and drawings.Many of his up until now secret cinematic techniques for bringing his stop motion animated characters to the big screen. The story of a young boy starting out in Los Angeles who's whole life was changed by seeing the 1933 epic film, King Kong at age 13. How he persevered throught the years to become the world's leading fantasy filmaker from the 1940's till his retirement in the early 80's. Lucas and Speilberg both consider Ray a major influence in their careers. This is the book film and fantasy lovers have been waiting for.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fabulous insight into memory lane,
By Mr J Coe (Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life (Hardcover)
Some of my most vivid childhood memories revolve around the creations of Ray Harryhausen, so it was as a fan of the movies, rather than a scholar of animation, that I bought this book. Firstly, the text: Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton deserve huge credit for writing such vivid recollections. The book is laid out chronologically, and is hefty in detail. However, the text will appeal to a broad readership. Stop-motion techniques and insights into the making of the movies abound, but even the casual film-fan will enjoy the enthusiasm and clarity of the writing. Filled with interesting memories, facts and inspiration, reading this book is rewarding for all. Each and every Harryhausen project is charted - including those that failed to reach the screen. Of course, the bulk of the tome recalls the making of those fabulous movies for which Ray is famed. Secondly, the illustrations: Ray appears to be proud of his work and the amount of material he archived during the various stages of his career is astounding. That body of material has been plundered, with great effect, for this book. We have orginal storyboards, pre-production drawings, reproduction movie posters, location photographs, animation photographs, cast and crew photos - the lot. All beatifully presented and well referenced. I could go on, but you get the picture by now: If you are interested in movies; an animation enthusiast; enjoy a great read about somebody who loves his work; or, like me, are just a big fan of those ground-breaking movies; I urge you - buy this book, you won't regret it. Wonderful in its own right, and a perfect companion piece for the films.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A FASCINATING INSIGHT,
By DOC CHINNERY "MAD" (wirral UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life (Hardcover)
I purchased this book as it brought back memories of some classic effects films I watched as a child. What I did not expect was that it would provide such a fascinating insight into the painstaking production of some tremendous animation sequences. I was particularly impressed by the concept artwork and storyboards for these action films. This book would make a great teaching aid to anyone interested in the history of special effects or the development of animation from artwork to moving image. Excellent commentary and analysis throughout.
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