The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators
If you're serious about animation, this is the book you'll return to again and again. Richard Williams, the three-time Academy Award winner and creative force behind Who Framed Roger Rabbit, has spent fifty years at the heart of the industry, and it shows on every page. He's a rare figure who worked alongside the hand-drawn pioneers of Disney's golden era and then adapted fluidly as computer animation took hold. That breadth of experience gives this book a weight that few technical guides can match. Drawing from his sold-out master classes held across the United States and Europe, Williams lays out the core principles that underpin all forms of animation, whether you're working with pencils, pixels, stop-motion puppets, or game engines. His guiding philosophy, 'invent but be believable', runs through the whole text like a quiet instruction, and it's more useful than any amount of dry theory. Hundreds of illustrations support his points, making abstract ideas tangible and immediately applicable. What makes this genuinely valuable is Williams' commitment to sharing hard-won knowledge rather than guarding it. He distils what the great masters understood intuitively into a clear, practical system that beginners can follow and experienced animators can build upon. Accessible without being simplistic, thorough without becoming tedious, it sits comfortably as the standard reference for students, working professionals, and enthusiastic observers of the craft alike.
- Author: Richard Williams
- Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Genre: Film & Cinema
- ISBN: 978-0865478978
- Pages: 392 pages