Authors Angie Jones and Jamie Oliff offer up a new book, THINKING ANIMATION: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN 2D AND CG, which, as its title suggests, is designed to help traditional artists embrace new technology needed to stay employed. THINKING ANIMATION (www.thinkinganimation.com) is a one-of-a-kind book that emphasizes how artists can use traditional animation techniques and principles with today's computer-generated animation technology. Released June 27, 2006, the 300-page book is available from Thomson Course Technology (www.courseptr.com) for a retail price of $39.99.
Written by seasoned animators with experience in both 2D and CG, THINKING ANIMATION is aimed at experienced animators, yet offers instruction that is still accessible and valuable to the novice animator. This full-color book includes numerous interviews with experienced contributing authors from a wide range of backgrounds, including stop-motion, visual effects, traditional animation and CG. THINKING ANIMATION is non-software specific.
It contains a history of the field of animation, as well as insight into how today's CG studios operate. It embraces the future of animating with the computer while still retaining the core values that traditional animators use as formulas and principles. It provides many full-color images, hands-on tutorials unique, current techniques that readers can apply directly to their animation projects.
The book includes forewords written by Floyd Norman, an author of books himself and a traditional 2D artist for Walt Disney Studios and Hanna-Barbera Prods., and Richard Taylor, director, designer, and CG pioneer.
Jones graduated from Atlanta College of Art in 1994. Her first introduction to animation was at Lightspan, a San Diego studio of more than 150 traditional animators. Although she was trained at a fine art school, she wasnt afraid of the computer and for the past 12 years she has worked on numerous productions, including STUART LITTLE 2, Disneys 50th anniversary commercials, ODDWORLD: ABES EXODDUS, GARFIELD, DINO CRISIS 3, SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED and X2: X-MEN UNITED.
Oliff was trained in classical animation at Sheridan College of Art and Design. He has worked in the animation industry for more than 20 years. An award-winning director and long-time feature film animator, Oliffs credits include the first season of THE REN & STIMPY SHOW, many feature-length animated pictures, such as THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, MULAN, HERCULES, THE EMPERORS NEW GROOVE and CGI animation on titles ranging from KANGAROO JACK and SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED to NATIONAL TREASURE.
