Elemental Magic, The Art of Special Effects Animation

329 Pages·2009·30.15 MB·English

by  Joseph Gilland

Now, fi nally classical effects animation gets its day in the sun with
Joseph Gilland’s fascinating new book. It’s a revelation of the amaz-
ing blend of the art and craft behind the magic of this wonderful
artform.
—Don Hahn, Academy Award-nominated Producer of Beauty and
the Beast and The Lion King
Veteran Disney animator Joe Gilland’s informative book delivers,
for the fi rst time, the real nitty-gritty on the art of hand-drawn special
effects. The mysteries of how to believably animate abstract forms
representing rain, fi re, smoke, etc. are revealed in articulate prose,
revelatory graphs and elegantly beautiful sequential imagery.
A must-have guide for animation pros, teachers and students!
—John Canemaker, Academy Award-winning animator, interna-
tionally-renowned animation historian and teacher.
Joseph Gilland will excite any artist with the prospect of animating
a water splash. And that is just for starters. Elemental Magic is an
essential reference not only for special effects artists, but for charac-
ter animators. An excellent performance sparkles all the more when
the special effects are right. Animated applause for Joseph Gilland
and his wonderful book, Elemental Magic.
—Ed Hooks, author, Acting for Animators
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Elemental Magic
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Elemental Magic
The Art of Special Effects Animation
Joseph Gilland
With a Foreword by Michel Gagne
Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier
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Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gilland, Joseph.
Elemental magic : the classical art of special effects animation / Joseph Gilland.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-240-81163-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Animated fi lms—Technique.
2. Drawing—Technique. I. Title.
NC1765.G49 2009
741.5(cid:3)8—dc22
2008046558
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-0-240-81163-5
For information on all Focal Press publications
visit our website at www.books.elsevier.com
09 10 11 12 13 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in China
Dedicated to my parents, Frank and Tommy

Contents
Foreword by Michel Gagne XI
Preface XV
Acknowledgments XXV
Chapter 1 - A Brief History of Classical Animated Special Effects 1
Chapter 2 - The Art of Drawing and Animating Special Effects 15
Chapter 3 - The Specifi c Effects Categories 73
Chapter 4 - Liquids 87
Chapter 5 - Fire, Smoke, and Explosions 161
Chapter 6 - Magic 225
Chapter 7 - Props and Everything 249
Chapter 8 - The Last Element 293
Index 297