Talented animation artists often neglect successful storytelling in favor of strong visuals, but now you can have both with this complete guide to adaptation for animation. Veteran independent filmmaker Hannes Rall teaches you how to draw and adapt inspiration from copyright-free materials like fairy tales, myths, and classic literature, making it easier than ever to create your own compelling narrative. Particular focus is given to making the adequate narrative and visual choices when transferring a text from page to screen: How to create a successful adaptation. With sections on subjects like transcultural adaptations, visual poetry and production design, this book is just the right mix of practical advice, lavish illustrations, and industry case studies to give you everything you need to start adapting your story today. Key features: Learn to apply concepts of adapting classic and modern literature for animation in different techniques Exclusive interviews with animation legends Giannalberto Bendazzi, John Canemaker, Ishu Patel and Georges Schwizgebel Lavishly illustrated with 325 color images (mostly never published before) that give thrilling insights into the visual development of award-winning animated adaptations

Master game design and digital art principles simultaneously with this all-in-one guide to creating games in the cutting-edge game engine Unity. Reworked for C# and Unity 2018 & 2019, and bursting with images and tutorials, Penny de Byl's Holistic Game Development with Unity will help the reader gain the multidisciplinary skills needed to succeed in the independent game industry. Holistic Game Development with Unity includes new coverage on Augmented Reality, Networking, and Virtual Reality such as the Oculus Rift. Supplementary material, including instructional videos, discussion forums and art assets are provided in the companion website located at www.holistic3d.com. Learn to combine the beauty of art and the functionality of programming in de Byl's third edition for Unity game development. Key features: Art and programming in Unity, the only one-stop shop for individual developers and small teams looking to tackle both tasks. Proven step-by-step tutorials show you how to design and structure an entire game in Unity with art assets. Revised to cover the Unity game engine versions 2018 and 2019. New coverage of Nav Meshes, Augmented Reality, Mobile Builds and Mecanim. An introduction to essential two- and three-dimensional mathematical and physics concepts. A portfolio of royalty free reusable game mechanics. Revamped and expanded accompanying website, www.holistic3d.com, features project source code, instructional videos, art assets, author blog, and discussion forums. Additional challenge questions and lesson plans are available online for an enhanced learning experience.

This edited collection of chapters concerns the evolving discipline of procedural storytelling in video games. Games are an interactive medium, and this interplay between author, player and machine provides new and exciting ways to create and tell stories. In each essay, practitioners of this artform demonstrate how traditional storytelling tools such as characterization, world-building, theme, momentum and atmosphere can be adapted to full effect, using specific examples from their games. The reader will learn to construct narrative systems, write procedural dialog, and generate compelling characters with unique personalities and backstories. Key Features Introduces the differences between static/traditional game design and procedural game design Demonstrates how to solve or avoid common problems with procedural game design in a variety of concrete ways World's finest guide for how to begin thinking about procedural design

Go behind the scene of the behind the scenes to learn how the business of producing the dazzling visual effects we see in movies and on TV works.
With decades of combined VFX production and supervisory experience in Hollywood, the authors share their experience with you, illuminating standard industry practices and tips on:

* preproduction planning
* scheduling
* budgeting
* evaluating vendors and the bidding process
* effective data management
* working on-set, off-set, or overseas
* dealing with changes in post-production
* legal issues (contracts, insurance, business ethics), and more

Also included are interviews with established, successful Hollywood VFX Producers about their career paths and how they got to where they are now.
From pre-production to final delivery, this is your complete guide to visual effects production, providing insight on VFX budgeting and scheduling (with actual forms for your own use) and common production techniques such as motion control, miniatures, and pre-visualization. Also included is a companion website (www.focalpress.com/cw/finance-9780240812632) with forms and documents for you to incorporate into your own VFX production workflows.

This collection is a study of the value of craft as it can be understood within the study and practice of animation. The book reconsiders the position of craft, which is often understood as inferior to 'art', with a particular focus on questions of labour in animation production and gendered practices. The notion of craft has been widely investigated in a number of areas including art, design and textiles, but despite the fact that a wide range of animators use craft-based techniques, the value of craft has not been interrogated in this context until now. Seeking to address such a gap in the literature, this collection considers the concept of craft through a range of varying case studies. Chapters include studies on experimental animation, computer animation, trauma and memory, children's animation and silhouette animation among others. The Crafty Animator also goes some way to exploring the relationship craft has with the digital in the context of animation production. Through these varied discussions, this book problematizes simplistic notions about the value of certain methods and techniques, working to create a dialogue between craft and animation.

Drawing and sketching are central to the art of animation and can be crucial tools in designing and developing original stories, characters and layouts. Sketching for Animation offers a wealth of examples, exercises and tips from an army of professional animators to help you develop essential sketching, technical drawing and ideation techniques. With interviews and in-depth case studies from some of today's leading animators, including Bill Plympton, Glen Keane, Tori Davis and John Canemaker, this is a unique guide to turning your sketchbook - the world's cheapest, most portable pre-visualisation tool - into your own personal animation armory.

The essential fundamentals of 3D animation for aspiring 3D artists

3D is everywhere--video games, movie and television special effects, mobile devices, etc. Many aspiring artists and animators have grown up with 3D and computers, and naturally gravitate to this field as their area of interest. Bringing a blend of studio and classroom experience to offer you thorough coverage of the 3D animation industry, this must-have book shows you what it takes to create compelling and realistic 3D imagery. Serves as the first step to understanding the language of 3D and computer graphics (CG)Covers 3D animation basics: pre-production, modeling, animation, rendering, and post-productionDissects core 3D concepts including design, film, video, and gamesExamines what artistic and technical skills are needed to succeed in the industryOffers helpful real-world scenarios and informative interviews with key educators and studio and industry professionals

Whether you're considering a career in as a 3D artist or simply wish to expand your understanding of general CG principles, this book will give you a great overview and knowledge of core 3D Animation concepts and the industry.

Digital Forensic Art Techniques: A Professional's Guide to Corel PainterTM illustrates hands-on techniques to digitally create forensic art for police and investigative purposes. Coverage focuses specifically on how to utilize the software to create realistic human likenesses, including composites of suspects and drawings of persons in unidentified remains cases. Drawing digitally is like using any tool in art: a pencil, a charcoal stick, a conte' crayon. A stylus is just another tool to master. Digital work is easier for artists to send to the case detective, and the work always reproduces exactly as it was completed. Another benefit to working digitally is that one can use video conferencing with a witness online to provide services remotely world-wide. This enables police departments who have never had access to a forensic artist to have a sketch done within hours of the crime. Chapters address the more basic functions to serve as a primer for those transitioning to working digitally. There is also instruction on light and shadow, and bones and muscles of the skull. All of the discussion is intended to make the reader see things as an artist to improve drawing skills and overall digital techniques. In short, Digital Forensic Art Techniques is a practical, easy-to-follow manual for working forensic artists that will give readers a solid base from which to start. It serves as an essential resource to greater skill and comfort with the hardware and software, thus furthering current best practices and technological advances in the field.

Is art created with computers really art? This book answers 'yes.' Computers can generate visual art with unique aesthetic effects based on innovations in computer technology and a Postmodern naturalization of technology wherein technology becomes something we live in as well as use. The present study establishes these claims by looking at digital art's historical emergence from the 1960s to the start of the present century. Paul Crowther, using a philosophical approach to art history, considers the first steps towards digital graphics, their development in terms of three-dimensional abstraction and figuration, and then the complexities of their interactive formats.

A pro isn't just a person who can do it well. It's a person who can do it well every time, on demand and on deadline; which is why the key to being a professional creative is having a great creative process. Whether it's writing a book, animating a shot, designing a game level or composing a soundtrack-ultimately, we're all facing similar challenges. Since we share challenges, we can also share solutions. This book is a practical guide, featuring a universal creative process that can streamline any serious creative work, on any scale. Key Features Universal approach: applies to any process that starts with an idea and ends with a refined product. Profound and light: combines conceptual ideas with practical tips and fun anecdotes. Caricatures and samples: helps visually clarify ideas and processes. Variety of creative fields: draws on examples from writing, animation, game design, 3D modeling, music, sculpting and more Printable summaries: provides visual outlines that can be used as cheat-sheets.

Can we learn through play? Can we really play while learning? Of course! But how?! We all learn and educate others in our own unique ways. Successful educational games adapt to the particular learning needs of their players and facilitate the learning objectives of their designers. Educational Game Design Fundamentals embarks on a journey to explore the necessary aspects to create games that are both fun and help players learn. This book examines the art of educational game design through various perspectives and presents real examples that will help readers make more informed decisions when creating their own games. In this way, readers can have a better idea of how to prepare for and organize the design of their educational games, as well as evaluate their ideas through several prisms, such as feasibility or learning and intrinsic values. Everybody can become education game designers, no matter what their technical, artistic or pedagogic backgrounds. This book refers to educators and designers of all sorts: from kindergarten to lifelong learning, from corporate training to museum curators and from tabletop or video game designers to theme park creators!

Finish Your Film! Tips and Tricks for Making an Animated Short in Maya is a first-of-its-kind book that walks the reader step-by-step through the actual production processes of creating a 3D Short film with Maya. Other books focus solely on the creative decisions of 3D Animation and broadly cover the multiple phases of animation production with no real applicable methods for readers to employ. This book shows you how to successfully manage the entire Maya animation pipeline. This book blends together valuable technical tips on film production and real-world shortcuts in a step-by-step approach to make sure you do not get lost. Follow along with author and director Kenny Roy as he creates a short film in front of your eyes using the exact same methods he shows you in the book. Armed with this book, you'll be able to charge forth into the challenge of creating a short film, confident that creativity will show up on screen instead of being stifled by the labyrinth that is a 3D animation pipeline.

After Effects for Designers teaches design students, artists, and web, graphic, and interactive designers how to design, develop, and deploy motion design projects using Adobe After Effects. Author Chris Jackson balances fundamental aspects of time-based design with related techniques, and explores the principles of animation; composition and layout; visual hierarchy; typography; cinematic storytelling; 3D modelling; compositing, and more. Each chapter contains unique, step-by-step project exercises that offer timesaving practical tips and hands-on design techniques, teaching readers how to effectively use the tools at their disposal in order to conceptualize and visualize creative solutions to their own motion design work. Readers will build professional-world examples in every chapter and, as a result, learn how to both design effectively using After Effects and practically apply these skills in client-based work. An accompanying companion website includes complete project files for the book's chapter exercises, and additional video tutorials.

This book explains the creation of animation from concept to production. Instead of focusing on singular aspects of animation production, talented animators can learn to make better films by understanding the process as a whole. Veteran independent filmmaker Hannes Rall teaches you how to develop an animation project from the very start of conceptual exploration though to completed production. Subjects like script, storyboarding, character and production design illuminate the pre-production process; later chapters explain the production process applied to different animation techniques like 2D animation, 3D computer animation and stop motion. This book is just the right mix of practical advice, lavish illustrations, and industry case studies to give you everything you need to start creating animation today. Key Features Learn the concepts of film animation production from an expert instructor Interviews with legends Andreas Deja, Hans Bacher and Volker Engel Robust coverage of the pre-production process, from script to storyboarding and visual development Includes a glossary and further reading recommendations

Situational Design lays out a new methodology for designing and critiquing videogames. While most game design books focus on games as formal systems, Situational Design concentrates squarely on player experience. It looks at how playfulness is not a property of a game considered in isolation, but rather the result of the intersection of a game with an appropriate player. Starting from simple concepts, the book advances step-by-step to build up a set of practical tools for designing player-centric playful situations. While these tools provide a fresh perspective on familiar design challenges as well as those overlooked by more transactional design paradigms. Key Features Introduces a new methodology of game design that concentrates on moment-to-moment player experience Provides practical design heuristics for designing playful situations in all types of games Offers groundbreaking techniques for designing non-interactive play spaces Teaches designers how to create games that function as performances Provides a roadmap for the evolution of games as an art form.

Certified by Autodesk, Darren Brooker's new edition teaches the production techniques behind real-world work. The tutorials take you from the fundamentals of lighting, right through to advanced techniques.

This book explores the development of the video game as a new form of interactive media and a template for future modes of entertainment. While television programs and movies are predominantly passive enterprises, video games engage the audience and provide not only audio-visual stimulation but also an enriching interaction that creates a heightened sense of immersion. Through a detailed discussion of gameplay and game design principles, Natkin explores the nature of this interaction and its impact on the entertainment industry. He explains the developmental process behind game design and the new concepts of narration and entertainment it has introduced. He then considers the future of gameplay with its potential for developing new means of artistic expression and its liability to be abused as an outlet for propaganda and coercion.

This instructional drawing book is intended to guide the reader through a story-telling based approach to gesture drawing, utilizing different techniques and exercises that encourage and develop creative problem solving as it relates to observational studies. This book clearly outlines a work flow and process with a simple exercise program that encourages the artist to ask questions and create work that engages not only their audience but themselves. Rich illustrations are included throughout that depict this workflow and also different drawing and mark-making techniques, and how to apply the exercises throughout the course of the book. Included are video drawing tutorials and examples. Key Features The approach to drawing as explained in the book is broken down into simple, clearly defined concepts. Each chapter outlines a further step in the drawing process, ending with a technique or exercise the reader can then execute to begin applying each concept to their work. Ample amount of illustrations drawn exclusively for this book or taken directly from the author's physical classes to clearly show the reader individual concepts, exercises, techniques, ideas, etc., so the reader may feel comfortable enough to follow the program. Each chapter includes a chapter objective as well as a summary and ample amount of illustrations which relate to the chapter objective. Key Terms will also be highlighted and defined so that they may be referenced throughout the book without causing unnecessary confusion. Companion video tutorials that show the reader different topics and exercises for reference.

Punk Playthings Provocations for 21st Century Game Makers "Punk was an attitude. It was never about having a Mohican haircut or wearing a ripped T-shirt. It was all about destruction, and the creative potential within that." Malcolm Mclaren Warning: If you want a silver bullet solution for efficient game making or a step-by-step guide to receiving Indie Game Dev hero worship, you're in the wrong place. Put the book back on the shelf. Punk Playthings is an antidote to complacency and orthodoxy. Packed with probes and provocations that explore game making through fresh lenses for uncertain times, it challenges gaming monoculture by constructing a trading space for ideas and learning from across domains and cultures. Punk Playthings has zero respect for boundaries between mediums, industries, sectors, specialisms or disciplines. Instead, it challenges you to expand your cultural capital, think laterally and make new connections. Punk Playthings advocates a truly independent mindset and DIY approach for creating playful experiences with cultural resonance. It proclaims creative entrepreneurship as the true legacy of punk. Punk Playthings is not for everyone. But it might be for you.

Animation has a lot to do with acting. That is, character animation, not the standardized, mechanical process of animation. Acting and animation are highly creative processes. This book is divided into two parts: From film history we learn about the importance of actors and the variety of acting that goes into animation; then, we will turn to the actor's point of view to describe the various techniques involved. Through exhaustive research and interviews with people ranging from the late Ray Harryhausen, Jim Danforth, Joe Letteri, and Bruno Bozzetto, this book will be the primary source for animators and animation actors. Key Features Interviews with industry legends are found throughout this exhaustive work on animation From film history we learn about the importance of actors and the variety of acting that goes into animation, then turn to the actor's point of view to describe the various techniques involved Coverage of acting from Vaudeville to Rotoscoping to Performance Capture Case studies throughout bring the content to life while providing actionable tools and techniques that can be used immediately

Game AI Pro3: Collected Wisdom of Game AI Professionals presents state-of-the-art tips, tricks, and techniques drawn from developers of shipped commercial games as well as some of the best-known academics in the field. This book acts as a toolbox of proven techniques coupled with the newest advances in game AI. These techniques can be applied to almost any game and include topics such as behavior trees, utility theory, path planning, character behavior, and tactical reasoning. KEY FEATURES Contains 42 chapters from 50 of the game industry's top developers and researchers. Provides real-life case studies of game AI in published commercial games. Covers a wide range of AI in games, with topics applicable to almost any game. Includes downloadable demos and/or source code, available at http://www.gameaipro.com SECTION EDITORS Neil Kirby General Wisdom Alex Champandard Architecture Nathan Sturtevant Movement and Pathfinding Damian Isla Character Behavior Kevin Dill Tactics and Strategy; Odds and Ends

In 1995 Chinese animated filmmaking ceased to be a state-run enterprise and was plunged into the free market. Using key animated films as his case studies, Shaopeng Chen examines new generation Chinese animation in its aesthetic and industrial contexts. He argues that, unlike its predecessors, this new generation does not have a distinctive national identity, but represents an important stage of diversity and exploration in the history of Chinese animation. Chen identifies distinct characteristics of new generation filmmaking, including an orientation towards young audiences and the recurring figure of the immortal monkey-like Sun Wukong. He explores how films such as Lotus Lantern/Baolian Deng (1999) responded to competition from American imports such as The Lion King (1994), retaining Chinese iconography while at the same time adopting Hollywood aesthetics and techniques. Addressing the series Boonie Bears/Xiong Chumo (2014-5), Chen focuses on the films' adaptation from the original TV series, and how the films were promoted across generations and by means of both online and offline channels. Discussing the series Kuiba/Kui Ba (2011, 2013, 2014), Chen examines Vasoon Animation Studio's ambitious attempt to create the first Chinese-style high fantasy fictional universe, and considers why the first film was a critical success but a failure at the box-office. He also explores the relationship between Japanese anime and new generation Chinese animation. Finally, Chen considers how word-of-mouth social media engagement lay behind the success of Monkey King: Hero is Back (2015).

The success of storytelling in games depends on the entire development team-game designers, artists, writers, programmers and musicians, etc.-working harmoniously together towards a singular artistic vision. Interactive Stories and Video Game Art is first to define a common design language for understanding and orchestrating interactive masterpieces using techniques inherited from the rich history of art and craftsmanship that games build upon. Case studies of hit games like The Last of Us, Journey, and Minecraft illustrate the vital components needed to create emotionally-complex stories that are mindful of gaming's principal relationship between player actions and video game aesthetics. This book is for developers of video games and virtual reality, filmmakers, gamification and transmedia experts, and everybody else interested in experiencing resonant and meaningful interactive stories. Key Features: The first book to define a common visual and interactive language for understanding and orchestrating sophisticated stories in video games Accessible to industry professionals as well as non-developers Featured concepts apply to all media with an interactive component including: transmedia, gamification and interactive art The definitive framework for designing interactive stories

Foundation Adobe Edge Animateis a project-oriented book that will walk you through the features ofEdge Animate - Adobe's exciting new motion and interaction tool forweb standards development. Edge Animate is an application that allows web designers and developers to make full use of many of the features of CSS3, JavaScript, and HTML5. Edge Animate enables you to animate graphics without the need to hand code everything using canvas or SVG. It exports well-formed, standards-compliant code that you can either use to create new web products, or add directly into existing projects. It also features full JavaScript and DOM manipulation, enabling you to get under the hood and create fantastic interactive experiences. Using a unique project-oriented focus you will be creating carefully developed projects designed to give you the skills and confidence necessary to undertake interactive and web design experiences aimed at devices ranging from smart phones to the TV set in your living room. Along the way you will discover how many of the tools in the Adobe Web Design CS6 collection can be fully utilized to create expressive and engaging web applications. This includes: Building interactive projects using the Edge Animate timeline and coding tools. Learning how Fireworks, Photoshop, and Illustrator are used for Edge Animate content creation. Discovering how pages created in Dreamweaver and Muse can become fully interactive and contain motion graphics in Edge Animate. What you'll learn Use Edge Animate to create web sites and applications Create web graphics without the need to hand code in canvas Add JavaScript animation and interactivity to your projects Integrate Edge Animate content with your own HTML5 projects Easily handle DOM events Combine Edge Animate with Dreamweaver and Muse Who this book is for

Web standards developers needing a simple tool to create interactive experiences in HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript Table of Contents Learning the Edge Animate Interface Creating Timeline Animations: Part 1 Creating Timeline Animations: Part 2 Creating Graphics for Edge Animate Working with Type in Edge Animate Adding Interactivity in Edge Animate Edge Animate and the Web Adding a Bit of "Wow"EdgeAnimate and Digital PublicationsEdge Animate Goes Mobile

In a follow-up book, which re-iterates the principles of "Digital Creature Rigging: The Art & Science of CG Creature Setup in 3ds Max", and enhances their relativity with advanced wing, tail and tentacle setups. This book will discuss advanced rigging techniques in 3ds Max, while readers create a fish, octopus and a Game of Thrones style dragon! Key Features This is the next step in CG creature setups in 3ds Max. Although 3ds Max specific, the techniques and foundations will work for any 3D application. By following the step-by-step guides in this book, you can finish and complete a portfolioready. Each chapter will include an introduction and a summary, giving significance to the start and end of each chapter where our readers can rest! This book includes a companion website where chapter supplements and core files and documents could be easily accessed.