Blue Sky : The Art of Computer Animation

From Library Journal
Most people can conceptualize animation easily in the form of the flip cards we made as children or as the crude Claymation movements of Gumby. However, 3-D computer animation takes some explaining. According to Weishar (animation, NYU's Tisch Sch. of the Arts), it's the most revolutionary development in feature films since the introduction of color. The book goes behind the scenes at the cutting-edge, Academy Award-winning Blue Sky Studios and uses their recently released film Ice Age to illustrate computer modeling, rigging, texture mapping, and special effects. Weishar entertainingly details the technological wizardry used to create 3-D animation of everything from storms and smoke to fully realized film sets and woolly mammoths. Highly recommended. Literature Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
Blue Sky Studios programs photo-realistic, high-resolution, double- take-inducing, computer-generated character animation for movies and television. Its eye-popping effects have added pizzazz to The Sopranos, Alien Resurrection, and Joe's Apartment, to cite a few credits, and its endearing animated short Bunny won an Academy Award in 1998. On March 15, 2002, the company will release its first full- length film, Twentieth Century Fox's surefire success Ice Age—in which Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, and Denis Leary provide the voices of Manfred, the woolly mammoth, Sid, the sloth, and Diego, the sabertooth tiger—three characters who take an unforgetable journey. Featuring examples from these and other breathtaking works, Blue Sky takes readers frame-by-frame through the 3-D animation process. Techies already worship Blue Sky for its state-of-the-art CGI software: this hip, informative book brings fans of such huge hits as Toy Story and Shrek in on the fun.


Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

Most people can conceptualize animation easily in the form of the flip cards we made as children or as the crude Claymation movements of Gumby. However, 3-D computer animation takes some explaining. According to Weishar (animation, NYU's Tisch Sch. of the Arts), it's the most revolutionary development in feature films since the introduction of color. The book goes behind the scenes at the cutting-edge, Academy Award-winning Blue Sky Studios and uses their recently released film Ice Age to illustrate computer modeling, rigging, texture mapping, and special effects. Weishar entertainingly details the technological wizardry used to create 3-D animation of everything from storms and smoke to fully realized film sets and woolly mammoths. Highly recommended. Literature Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices