So familiar yet so intriguing, animation pops up in almost everything we see. Now, for the first time, the history, techniques, and thinking behind this medium is thoroughly explored. Full-color photos.

Basic Animation Stand Techniques describes the use and importance of the animation stand in making animated films for the screen. The book describes the fundamental operation and construction of the animation stand where the film camera is mounted. The text explains in detail how the animation stand holds the camera, which points vertically straight down on the table containing the artwork. The selection describes the zoom movement, the light box, and the cell punch. Then the book discusses the three kinds of methods of animation, namely, modification, substitution, and mechanical movement. The book teaches some basic techniques of animation as well as the use of superimposition, image replacement, back projection, aerial image, fades, or mixes. The text explains exposures at different sized fields and camera exposure sheets, the latter containing detailed instructions on how to shoot each single frame. The book also notes the settings that can be achieved on a modern animation stand, including the counters and calibration of gears and wheels. For example, a movement can be as precise as a hundredth of an inch, while a rotation can be made in a tenth of a degree. The book also provides a fairing table, different exposures for different films, and a method to approximate the amount of film stock left in a magazine. The text is valuable for artists, animators, animation technicians, film directors, and others working in the film industry.

An exposition of state-of-the-art techniques in rendering and animation. This book provides a unique synthesis of techniques and theory. Each technique is illustrated with a series of full-color frames showing the development of the example.

The Fundamentals of Animation by Paul Wells offers an illustrated and visually stimulating introduction to the key elements of animation. It discusses the key principles and processes involved in animation, exploring the entirety of the creative process from finding and researching a concept, through the preparation and techniques used, to the execution of the work. Each stage is presented in an engaging visual style, accompanied by examples and analysis of contemporary student and commercial animation. The book also discusses the links between animation and the styles and narratives of other areas of popular culture, aligning theory and ideas to practical advice. It includes a section for aspiring animators examining career paths, portfolios and the structure of the creative industries.

Apple’s Core Animation framework enables Mac OS X, iPhone, and iPod touch developers to create richer, more visual applications–more easily than ever and with far less code. Now, there’s a comprehensive, example-rich, full-color reference to Core Animation for experienced OS X and iPhone developers who want to make the most of this powerful framework. Marcus Zarra and Matt Long reveal exactly what Core Animation can and can’t do, how to use it most effectively–and how to avoid misusing it. Building on your existing knowledge of Objective-C, Cocoa, and Xcode, they present expert techniques, insights, and downloadable code for all aspects of Core Animation programming, from keyframing to movie playback. Zarra and Long thoroughly review similarities and differences between Core Animation on the Mac and iPhone, helping you write code that can easily move between platforms. They also present a full chapter of innovative techniques and proven “rules of thumb” for optimizing Core Animation’s real-world performance. Coverage includes: Taking full advantage of Core Animation’s lightweight layers and views Using keyframes to gain complete control over your animations Creating startling effects with Core Animation transforms Leveraging Core Image’s powerful filtering capabilities from within Core Animation Playing QuickTime movies using Core Animation’s QTMovieLayer Using the OpenGL layer to achieve greater control over movie playback Integrating advanced Quartz Composer visualizations into your user interfaces How to use helper layers to draw gradients, composite shapes, and replicate sublayers Adding mouse and keyboard user interaction points, and much more...