Freeman Heather. The Moving Image Workshop: Introducing animation, motion graphics and visual effects in 45 practical projects

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2016. — 439 p. — ISBN13: 978-1472572004.If you need a fun, hands-on introduction to core animation techniques - then look no further! Heather Freeman guides you through a wide range of practical projects, helping you establish and build skills in narrative animation, motion graphics and visual effects.
Each chapter begins by summarizing historical and theoretical concerns and connecting them with current practice and applications - all beautifully illustrated with stills from classic commercial and independent films, as well as contemporary examples from student work. Having established this context, the remainder of the chapter focuses on walking readers through their own creative projects.
Topics covered include early animation technologies and techniques, scenes and staging, character animation, animated type, visual effects and motion graphics, pre- through post-production and experimental approaches to motion graphics.
Dozens of sample files are available online, for experimentation and to get readers started on each exercise. The companion website also includes example animations as well as links to recommended software tutorials, recommended artist websites, blogs and animation channels.Underpinnings: the principles of animation
Chauvet Cave + Beni Hasan: Appeal + Solid Drawing
Magic Lanterns + Optical Toys: Squash and Stretch + Timing
Gertie the Dinosaur + The Cameraman’s Revenge: Staging + Secondary Action
Disney + Fleischer: Follow Through and Overlapping Action + Exaggeration
Hanna-Barbera + Ren and Stimpy: Arcs + Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose
Princess Mononoke + Merida: Anticipation + Slow In and Slow Out
Brain games: preplanning and preproduction
Preproduction: Research
Preproduction: Brainstorming
Screenplays: Showing Stories
Storyboards: A Step-by-Step Guide
Formats and Media: Your Final Presentation First
Materials and Methods: Choosing Your Tools
Collaboration: Working in a Team and Staying Organized
A thoughtful space: movement and composition
Emphasis and Unity
Pattern and Balance
Scale and Contrast
Synthetic life: character design and movement
Character Design: From Character Sheets to Sprite Sheets
Methods of Creation: From Digital Puppets to Stop-Motion
Wave Forms: Using Sound Effects to Create Rich Motion
Character Speech: The Lip Sync
Character Movement: The Walk Cycle
All words are pegs to hang ideas on: text animation
Kinetic Text: Typography on Screens
Manifestations of Text Animation: Intro Credits and End Credits
Lightning bolts and weathermen: motion GFX and visual FX
Motion GFX History and Definitions
A History of Visual Effects
Common Visual Effects Methods
Motion Graphics and VFX
Devious things: experiments in movement
Experimental Narratives
Experimental Stop-Motion
Growth of CGI
Animation in Innovative Games
Interactive Animations
Moving Imagery in the World
Your name in lights: venues for animation
Introduction to the Field: Internships, Education, and Experimentation
Venues for Your Work: Film Festivals
Other Venues: Gallery Spaces
Commercial Applications: Film, Broadcast, Web, and Mobile
The Right Side of the Law: Appropriation and Copyright