The Animator's Survival Kit: A Working Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Computer, Stop-motion, Games and Classical Animators (Applied Arts) (Paperback)

I was fortunate enough to attend one of Richard Williams 3 day seminars in the art of animation a few years ago. Reading this book reminds me of those 3 packed days of Richards non-stop knowledge and expertise being poured out and all of us students trying desperately to absorb every word.

Many of the nuggets of information that the hundreds of hopefuls were desperately trying to scribble down were inevitably missed at the time. Well, given that practically everything he said over those 3 days were gems of information that came straight from the masters of animation all those years ago, we were bound to miss much of what he said. That's what makes this book so invaluable - a ton of priceless information finally in a form that can be dipped into as and when it's needed.

Packed with hundreds of drawings to illustrate the theory, the information in this book is appropriate for all forms of animation be it traditional 2D cell or 3D computer animation. I am in the computer games industry and estimate that only around half a dozen out of the 340+ pages of this book aren't relevant to me. So, if you're starting to learn animation or think you're an expert, buy this book.

This is an essiental must buy book for beginners learning animation or students studying on an animation based course (particulary the BSc) I started my university course with absolutly no knowledge about animation, after playing the many Final Fantasy titles, watching the inspirational CGI and FMV sequences with the indepth story, leading onto Shrek, Ice Age, Lilo and Stitch, I did not know where to start, how to go around it and what to do! This book was extremly helpful, there is no words to describe my gratitude to Richard, teaching you everything you need to know! the history of animation, how to draw, timing of animation, from the basics- stationary figures to walking ,running jumping and skipping, to flexibility, weight, anticipation, dialogue, acting, emotion and directing, this is the start point of animation today.. with this bible you won't go wrong! If your stuck in the deep end, this book is a portable lifeguard! its just that good, don't take my word for it! try it out for yourself!

First, this book is a classic. Every once in a while, the question comes up: "What books should I buy if I want to learn animation?" I guarantee you, from now on, every such list will have this book no more than third from the top. Most will have it at the top. There is no doubt in my mind that everyone who is studying animation will own a copy within the next six months. Buy the hardback; this one will get used, and a paperback won't survive it. Although many will want one of each, a hardback for the desk and a paperback to peruse everywhere else.

The Illusion of Life is about 90% inspiration and anecdotes, with 10% priceless instruction. Survival Kit reverses those proportions, and then some. If you have The Animator's Workbook by Tony White, Survival Kit picks up where White leaves off. White's book is a great supplemental workbook to Williams'. Williams goes into much more detail on how to animate, and why. The amount of detail is almost overwhelming. He is a very clear and precise writer, and in the drawings, he uses alternating colors to keep the information coherent.

The subject matter is the same as in any good book on animation: straight-ahead vs. pose to pose; why learning to draw realistically is important; animating on ones and on twos; spacing; walks; runs, jumps, and skips; flexibility; weight; anticipation; takes and accents; timing, staggers, wave and whip; dialogue; acting; animal action; directing; and review. But there is no other book, probably no other three books, that have all this in such depth and detail, presented so accessibly. What Preston Blair and Tony White suggest (and very well, too!), Richard Williams nearly exhaustively explains. If you can't learn animation from Williams' book, you probably can't learn animation.

Plus, there is the nearly ten percent of the book in which Williams shares his struggles and triumphs on the road to becoming what he is today: a three-time Academy Award-winning master of the animator's art. Very inspiring.

The production values are high. The paper is WHITE and glossy, the text (most of which is hand-lettered) is easy to read, and the drawings are to die for.

If you're at all serious about animating, you will acquire several books on the subject. This one will be among them, right at the top of the heap. You are going to love this book!