Reddit Reddit reviews The Animator's Survival Kit, Expanded Edition: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators

We found 20 Reddit comments about The Animator's Survival Kit, Expanded Edition: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Arts & Photography
Books
Performing Arts
The Animator's Survival Kit, Expanded Edition: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators
NewMint ConditionDispatch same day for order received before 12 noonGuaranteed packagingNo quibbles returns
Check price on Amazon

20 Reddit comments about The Animator's Survival Kit, Expanded Edition: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators:

u/steeenah · 7 pointsr/animation

Awesome! Tell your parents you want this book for christmas, it's awesome for newbie animators. :) It's also got a few frog animations!

u/DarkSideofOZ · 5 pointsr/reddit.com

A good one at that. :) I might also suggest The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams

u/Zichu · 5 pointsr/gamedev

I started doing pixel art properly over a year ago, I have made progress, but it's probably slower than other people because I'm not an artist. I started programming and didn't focus much on the art side of stuff.

Animating is definitely tough, but it takes practice. I still use references for walking and running animations. It's not just about copying the reference, but deciphering how someone moves, where the arms and legs are positioned during each frame. Does the body drop down or go up. I have problems with attack animations and references are hard to come by because you want your own unique movements. I try to actually act out a movement and figure out what my body is capable of doing, if you can't do it in person, it might not look right in pixel art form.

Look up tutorials, practice with stick animation and simple shapes, like a ball. I recommend this book:

The Animator's Survival Kit https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0571238343/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ceDSyb7HCF7N3

A great read and will demonstrate movements, stretching and squashing of the body to accentuate a movement.

u/JedTheKrampus · 5 pointsr/gamedev

You could try akeytsu for animation. Or, if you just need to be better at animating, you could study this book. Software can't solve every problem.

u/thatbloodyguy · 4 pointsr/animation

download a program called monkeyjam if you want something free, it has a rudimentary stop-motion capability that works with most cameras.
don't worry about expensive equipment and software, those things aren't nearly as important as learning the basics and your tutors next year will be looking at the movement, not the image quality (provided you can actually see what's happening of course)

get this book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Animators-Survival-Kit-Richard-Williams/dp/0571238343/ref=pd_sim_b_1
it's very useful, and don't think that because you're doing stop-motion you don't need to know everything in it. I did a year of 2D animation to start with at uni, and only recently have I realised how much it helped me.
And I would say unless you're really interested in film-making (as opposed to being an animator or model-maker) then don't worry too much about editing at the moment. If you're set on making full films, then get yourself a copy Adobe After Effects and look up some tutorials online
Good luck with your portfolio! :)

u/nmrkb52 · 3 pointsr/IWantToLearn

My two cents is draw from reference. Real life is the best, but anatomy books are a decent substitute, then move to creating your own style or copying a style using what you gain from practicing realism. People say "practice" because the only other things you truly need are devotion and patience. The more you do it the better you'll become.

I'm way out of practice now, but when in school I started off drawing simple ovals to make up the human body, it looked ridiculous but that was the extent of my skill. I kept at it and I was able to see progress in a couple of months. I was still drawing simple ovals, but the proportions were getting better and more consistent.

Also, sign up for any public site and ask for critiques. People will more than likely give you some good tips. Don't get knocked down by people obviously being trolls, nor should you feel bad that you're making beginner's mistakes. My teacher used to tell me you have to draw as much as you can, have all the crappy drawings first, then all that's left are the good ones.

Good luck to you!

Another How-to Post

[Book Recommendation for Animation]
(http://www.amazon.com/The-Animators-Survival-Expanded-Edition/dp/0571238343/ref=pd_sim_b_1)

[Book Recommendation for Human Figure]
(http://www.amazon.com/Figure-Out-Beginners-Drawing-People/dp/1933027800/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341886111&sr=1-10&keywords=figure+drawing)


u/ford_beeblebrox · 3 pointsr/gamedesign

Starting out is an awesome advantage; not yet set in your ways you can find your own style.

While it is true some complex styles can take a lot of time, pixel art can be super simple and often less is more - like lessmilks's games

Working from something is easier than all at once so keep iterating - i.e. start with your current squares and add just squash and stretch to anticipate motion, or eyes to indicate move direction.

Pedro Medeiros has some great pixel art tutorial gifs

An free browser based sprite editor

Using a dedicated program with layers, pallettes and lighting control makes it much easier - this list of pixel art programs might help (Asesprite is great)

At the other extreme if you need lots of animation use a pixel art shader for blender3D
Or use some of the multitude of Free and Open Source pixel art at OpenGameArt and mod it for your needs.

Submit your stuff to /r/pixelart and request constructive criticism.

The Animator's Survival Kit is a great book (& on youtube)on the art of making drawings come alive as is The illusion of life

Look at spritesheets to see how others break animation down into frames.

Jan Willem of Vlambeer has a great talk on tricks to 'juice up your games'

u/DrewNumberTwo · 3 pointsr/gamedev

> The Animator's Survival Kit https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0571238343/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ceDSyb7HCF7N3

For anyone who really wants to get into animation, this is the book to get. You'll find it on every animator's bookshelf.

u/Slack_Artist · 3 pointsr/Art

Well, as a freshman in art school who has also had a few years in the real world I can offer some perspective. (BTW, my real world experence consists of street portraiture, landscapes and portraits by commission for about two years before going to school)..

You were probably the best painter/drawer in your school, but now you go to school with a bunch of others like you. Most everyone else is talented and if they don't appear talented it is likely they will blow you away in something like photography, or collage, or some other media with which you've never had much practice. So the field has been leveled and the only real difference between good and bad work is the amount of time you spend on it. There will be students who blow you away every week, and they spend more time on it than anyone else. There are students who suck on projects every week, and they spend very little time on their work.

Now, it is easy to tell who will be able to get work after graduating. Those that keep up their pace and keep working harder and getting better, they might have a fighting chance. A lot, and I mean a lot of people seem to plateau. Even more important than talent or skill is networking. I don't mean building a network of buddies, but talking to teachers, getting internships, doing freelance work, winning awards in your field, getting into exhibits, having a website, keeping contact with people you meet. Your network is a huge part of how you will achieve after you graduate, so try and get an internship as soon as possible.

For whatever reason, many of the students smoke waaaay too much pot and party waaaay too much. They place a lot of importance on their friends and having a boyfriend or girlfriend. Its a lot like any other school in that way.


As far as things you can do before going to school. If I were you I'd get some of the basic writing or english courses done at a local community college over the summer. That stuff takes up too much time and can really fuck up your art if you have to spend a lot of time thinking about paper writing. And if you are going to be in animation I suggest you read Animators Survival Kit because it is a good read. It has helped with my illustrations.

Even if you are going into animation. Your freshman year will likely consist of a lot of drawing in charcoal or pencil or whatnot

tldr; the playing field has leveled, because now you are among others just as good as you. time to build a network and start losing sleep. read Animators Survival Kit.

u/SkyZero · 3 pointsr/IWantToLearn

I would recommend getting something along the lines of:
The Animator's Survival Kit
Crash Course in Animation

I've never used Blender so I can't speak of that, but try getting a trial or educational version of Maya. There are a multitude of animator-friendly rigs you can use with that. Also join animation communities and read up on blogs. There is a ton of information out there regarding animation. Just keep in mind that animation works roughly the same was regardless of medium (2D, 3D, stop motion).

Here's a good site with a solid and helpful community:
11 Second Club
/r/Animation

u/neverwhere86 · 3 pointsr/animation

You'll need to get the basics down, using resources such as these will help you learn the Principles of Animation:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0571238343/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=30T6VO4VE88VV&coliid=I1WXJPDZ88EXNM
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drawn-Life-Classes-Stanchfield-Lectures/dp/0240810961/ref=pd_sim_14_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XGJ08AG811TMQCZ3Y3QZ

Then there's software such as OpenToonz (2d) and Blender (3D) that are free open source options for you to put your work into practice. YouTube tutorials and trial and error are a great way to learn. If you can't figure something out, Google it.
Lastly, draw. A lot. Every day. https://line-of-action.com/ is a great resource for reference images for anything from 10 second gesture sketches to full on concept poses.

Good luck!

u/mmmshortbread · 2 pointsr/StarVStheForcesofEvil

Yo. Animator here. Been in the industry for about 3 years, still struggling to get by, love every damn second of my stressful career.

First off, how old are you? Its never too late to start but the younger you are and the sooner you take it seriously, the more of a head start you get.

Get your hands on https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Animators-Survival-Kit-Richard-E-Williams/0571238343/ref=la_B001H6GEXI_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1495319955&sr=1-1
And study it. Take around a sketchbook and sketch everything you can. Study anatomy and take life drawing classes with a focus on gesture drawing. Go through existing animation frame by frame.

Observation, observation, observation. Learn how joints move, and how muscles slide over bones and under skin. Watch tutorials, learn Adobe After Effects and Toonboom Harmony.

If you want to persue it as a possible career, it is all about WHO you know. The animation world is unbelievably incestuous but most in industry are willing to talk and help. Join clubs, use social media, and be willing to approach and talk to everyone you can find. Be a pain in the ass!

Also, be willing to be a yes man. Very few people get a job in walt disney studios/warner bros etc, especially straight away, and you will probably find that most of your client jobs are boring corporate crap. These are your bread and butter as an animator but they are also a step towards your dreams.
I went into animation wanting to work on music videos and childrens shows and every new job takes me a tiny bit closer to those jobs.

Anyone wanting to get into animation (and put off/ inspired) drop me a message and i will answer any questions you might have.

u/gagaan · 2 pointsr/animation

Hi, sorry did not see your question.

A video tutorial

Also "Animators survival kit" is a pretty nice book to start with.

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/SFM

Someone posted this on SPUF. Don't know if it's any good or not, or what you're looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Animators-Survival-Expanded-Edition/dp/0571238343/

u/egypturnash · 1 pointr/woahdude

Start doing crude little shorts with the resources you have. If you have your own computer then you probably have SOME way of getting a bunch of still images into it and putting them together in a video editing program; there's a few programs out there that can do that. Use toys, Lego, jam armatures into stuffed animals, whatever, just start animating. Make little shorts, take random lines of dialogue and animate to them, parody scenes from popular movies you like, whatever. Build a body of work. Post it to Youtube. Find other people learning to animate - preferably stop-motion, but other 2D amateurs will have something worth saying as well - and trade critiques. Oh hey there's even /r/stop_motion, I dunno how good it is but it's right there on Reddit! Learn to take and give critique gracefully, separate your ego from the quality of your work and strive to always do something better than your previous best, or at least to not make the same mistakes you made last time. Watch the making-of DVD extras. Get a copy of The Animator's Survival Kit, it's one of the best books on animation currently available - mostly oriented to hand-drawn work, but you will learn a hell of a lot of things applicable to ANY form of animation from that book.

IIRC, Laika and Aardman are pretty much the only studios crazy enough to regularly do stop-motion features. If you can get in one of them as an intern then that would help a TON.

I can't give you any specific stop-motion references and tips; I'm an ex-animator but I was thoroughly a 2D kind of girl. Find stop motion communities and they can probably point you to the most awesomest references on the technical tricks unique to stop-motion.

u/435 · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Basically, you just need a standard camera. Stop motion, like other forms of animation, is essentially a series of stills, so you set up the scene, take a shot, move everything just -barely-, then continue on down the line.

If you're actually interested in doing this, I might suggest a few things. First, pick up a copy of The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams. It's an essential book on timing and basic animation principles that will help you immensely. You may also want to consider Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation to see how things progress and make sure you have a proper, showable film at the end.

Do know that it's a long, tedious process. But if you have a story you want to tell, it'll be pretty awesome. I just graduated with a degree in animation, and I happen to think it a wonderful artistic form that should be encouraged.

u/NotCreativeEnough · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Get a learning edition of Maya for free off autodesk's website, get some free rigs off creativecrash.com. Then you need Animators Survival Kit, Acting for Animators, then Timing for Animators. Then practice for years

u/BloodyThorn · 1 pointr/PixelArt

If you want some great tips on proper animation, you HAVE to read Richard Williams' The Animators Survival Kit. It is considered the Bible of the animation industry... AND it's a really fun read... and there is no way you'll come out of it not knowing most of what you need to know about animating anything.