Paul Wells - The Fundamentals of Animation

Fairchild Books

An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Imprint previously known as AVA Publishing

www.bloomsbury.com

This electronic edition published in 2016 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

FAIRCHILD BOOKS, BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

First published by AVA Publishing SA, 2005

This 2nd edition is published by Fairchild Books, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Copyright Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2016

Paul Wells and Samantha Moore have asserted their right under the Copyright,

Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Authors of this work.

All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organisation acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the authors.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978-1-4725-7526-5 (PB)
ISBN: 978-1-4742-4178-6 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1-4725-7527-2 (ePDF)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Wells, Paul, 1961-

The fundamentals of animation / Paul Wells and Samantha Moore. pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4725-7526-5 (alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4725-7527-2 (alk. paper)

1. Animated films. I. Moore, Samantha (Filmmaker) II. Title.

NC1765.W43 2015

Series: Fundamentals

Cover design: Louise Dugdale

Cover image: Beryl and letters courtesy Joanna Quinn/BAF/

National Media Museum

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Contents

Introduction

The art challenges the technology and the technology inspires the art. Technical artists are coming from computer graphic schools, and learning sculpture, drawing and painting, and traditional artists are learning more about technology. The more we get their cross-pollination the more we will stretch the boundaries of this medium.

John Lasseter

Animation and Popular culture

Animation is one of the most prominent aspects of popular culture worldwide. It informs every aspect of the visual terrain that surrounds us every day. It is present in its traditional form in the films produced by Disney, PIXAR, Dreamworks and Ghibli, and in television sit-coms like The Simpsonsand South Park. Equally, it exhibits its versatility in every ad break, as anything from washing machines to cereal packets take on the characteristics of human beings and persuade us to buy them. Computer-generated (CG) animation finds close affiliation with the computer games industry.