Book Review: Animation Unleashed
Ellen Besen and Bryce Hallett Discuss Principles of Cartoons
Oct 29, 2008 Dominic von Riedemann
Ever wondered how animators use "squash and stretch"? Ever asked "What's an in-betweener?" Ever thought about that great idea you had for a Disney movie, and wondered how to pitch it to John Lasseter?
Then Animation Unleashed: 100 Principles Every Animator, Comic Book Writer, Filmmaker, Video Artist, and Game Developer Should Know – written by award-winning National Film Board of Canada director Ellen Besen and illustrated by Bryce Hallett – is the book for you.
In clear, easy-to-understand prose, Besen shows the ideas that make those wonderful sequences from Disney, Looney Tunes and Pixar (among others) work so well.
Animation Unleashed: Guide for Aspiring Animators
This book is intended as an introductory course in animation, so Besen breaks it all down into several chapters that deal with everything from developing story ideas to understanding timing in sequences, and using synched sound and sound effects to spice up your work. Hobbyists could get a lot from this book too, as well as veterans who feel the need for a refresher.
For abstract and non-narrative animators, there's even a chapter to help you get your game on (gotta know the rules before you can break 'em!). Besen even allows you to violate the tyranny of reading a book from start to finish via her references at the bottom of each section. These allow you to jump randomly between chapters.
Any quibbles are minor. Besen could've given her references more context: instead of talking about 101 Dalmations, she could have easily put in "Walt Disney's 101 Dalmations" or "101 Dalmations (Disney, 1961)."
That seems like overkill when discussing films that "everyone" knows. But when Besen's referencing sequences from more obscure works, it's helpful for the reader to know a bit more about where the film comes from so that they can find and watch it more easily. Besen puts the credits in an afterword (starting on page 228), but it would've made the book stronger if those references were actually in the text.
Also, while illustrator Bryce Hallett's drawings are hilarious and imaginative, it would help readers understand some of the concepts betterif they had included stills from the movies Besen was discussing.
That said, animation studios would likely have charged an extortionate fee for stills – even for an academic book – so it's understandable that Besen and Hallett would generate their own images instead of using ones from classic animation.
The Final Analysis
Animation Unleashed: 100 Principles Every Animator, Comic Book Writer, Filmmaker, Video Artist and Game Developer Should Know isn't for a general audience. Much of the material in here is geared towards newbies who are interested in animation, but don't understand how it all works. However, even the casual reader will find watching their next animated flick a little more rewarding after reading it.
But, if you've ever wanted to pitch a script to Disney, write a comic for Dark Horse, develop a computer game for Blizzard, or make your own animated shorts to show on YouTube, the advice hidden in these pages is invaluable to making your animation, and storytelling, that much stronger. 9/10.
(Thank you to Bryce for sending the review copy)
Fun Fact: No, I can't help you pitch your wonderful story idea to Disney.
Animation Unleashed
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