In “Animator’s Review” we discuss a book, tool, or animation strictly from an animator’s perspective. You won’t have to rely on things like Amazon reviews which can be written by anyone at any time, whether or not they actually know animation. Find out if this is useful for you as an animator. Today: The Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams. Is it worth a look?
The Animator’s Survival Kit is by Who Framed Roger Rabbit director of animation Richard Williams. The book, which runs 382 pages, was first published in 2001 and then expanded upon in 2009. Inside you’ll find a comprehensive look at the principals of animation, with examples shown entirely in 2D drawings. The focus here is basics, basics, basics, but with the idea of applying them to the most complex animations you’ll ever do. (Including stop motion and 3D.)
The writing style is extremely friendly, almost as if Richard is talking to you over a cup of tea. In fact, the second half of the book is printed in a hand-written font, as if you’re peering directly into his personal sketchbook. (Don’t worry, the font is very easy on the eyes.)
Review: The Animator's Survival Kit Ipad App
Because this book hammers home the principals, one might think it’s a beginner book, but that is absolutely not the case. Likewise there are many sections dedicated to the process of 2D hand drawn animation, but 3D animators ignoring the book as a result would be severely missing out. The beauty of this textbook is that it gives you the building blocks and then says “Go build.” It does not hold your hand (though you can certainly gain a lot by copying the exercises inside) and it does not teach you to draw or model or compose shots. This is an animation book, through and through. And once you get the principals it shares into your blood, the sky will be the limit to what you can do.
If there is one downside to this book, it is that it does not come accompanied by video examples of the animations inside. Because animation is all about movement, it’s sometimes hard to capture that in a few still drawings. The images in the book do a good job as examples, but to truly feel the flow and timing they must be seen in motion. The good news is the book is available in Animated form. The bad news is the 16 DVDs that it takes up will cost you roughly $1000 US. Not something to buy on a whim, but at the same time, something that I believe is worth saving for and eventually getting. Yes, it’s that good.
If you were to go to an animation forum online and post a topic “Where should I start?” chances are very good that at least one reply will mention The Animator’s Survival Kit. This is not because tradition dictates this is where you start, but because it truly is a must-own for every animator on the planet. Beginner, Expert, or Master, there is almost certainly something new to be found (or reminders to keep in mind) as you tackle every project you do. From bouncing balls to bouncing walks to an alternate way to get more impact in a collision, The Animator’s Survival Kit should be on your bookshelf, if not sitting permanently right on your desk.
Review: The Animator's Survival Kit
The verdict: A must read no matter what skill level you’re in. There is so much packed into this book one read through will not be enough, so do yourself a favor and buy this one. It’s worth every penny.
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The Animator's Survival Kit
Save Every day it seems another few books for animators hit the shelves, and there are no lack of options for where to spend your hard-earned money. How do the pair of Drawn to Life books by Walt Stanchfield stack…For over a decade Richard Williams’ best-selling book The Animator’s Survival Kit has been an essential part of any animator’s library. Now in its second edition, the book has inspired a generation of young animators and received the highest praise from every area of our industry. Williams' 16-set DVD collection The Animator's Survival Kit Animated has received similar acclaim. It is priced at just under $1, 000 (arguably it is worth every penny), and although this may be affordable for the professional animator looking to tap into Williams' vast array of knowledge and expertise, the high cost does potentially put the collection out of reach of the average animation student. However there is now good news for those who fall into the latter group - Mr. Williams has released The Animators Survival Kit as an iPad app. And it is priced at a mere $35.
I dipped my toe into the app with some trepidation - it's really hard to do these things right. When publishers launch existing content in app form, the question is always whether or not they have brought anything new to the table. I'm pleased to report that the The Animator’s Survival Kit app is a not only put together beautifully, but it does indeed contain new content for those who already own the book. The app contains everything you'll find in the extended edition book, along with over 100 animated examples and a few bits of bonus content.
Throughout 17 chapters Williams takes readers on a journey through the animation process, starting with the basics such as life drawing, squash and stretch and timing, then working through to more advanced concepts such as lip syncing, acting, and animating animals. There's a video intro to each section, along with plenty of illustrations and animated examples. Many of the video examples are broken down and can be skipped through frame-by-frame - this is a really clever use of the app and really helps the reader get a clear understanding of the concepts Williams delves into. This is a really nice use of the iPad app format, and provides clear advantages over learning from a book.
Book Review: Expanding 'the Animator's Survival Kit'
One of the things that makes The Animator’s Survival Kit such an enjoyable read is the fact that this book is not only a gold mine of information on how to improve your animations, but it is also packed to the brim with anecdotes from Williams’ life. Not only do we get exposure to Richard Williams’ decades of experience and vast expertise, but we also gain insight into where that expertise came from. Williams is meticulous in crediting those who taught and inspired him over the years in a way that is rarely seen in these kinds of teaching materials.
There are also a few extra bonus items included on the app, such as Circus Drawings, a 9 minute film featuring Williams' drawings from as far back as 1953 that you're unlikely to find anywhere else. There are also a couple of other short pieces of animation by Williams that are worth checking out.
Naturally there is always room for improvement with these things. The ability to perform a keyword search and return relevant content would be useful. It would also be nice if the app remembered which exact page you were last on, instead of just the section. But these are minor criticisms of an otherwise perfect product. And the fantastic thing about the book now being in iPad format is that these kind of improvements can be made and rolled out to everyone fairly easily.
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Whether you're just starting out in animation, or if you're a seasoned pro, and no matter if you work in 2D, 3D or stop motion, this iPad app will make you a better animator. Those who will benefit most from the app are readers who at least have an understanding of the basics, as much of the content is dedicated to improving the animator, not necessarily training one from scratch. But I personally believe that anyone with even as much as a passing interest in animation will enjoy The Animator’s Survival Kit iPad app. Even for the non-animator, this is a
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