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Summary: The foundations for Flash animation...
Review: In the two years since this book appeared, Flash's popularity has skyrocketed. Professional studios now use it for broadcast. Numerous independent animators use it to show their work to millions on the web. The term "Flash" has even become an unindelible part of web nomenclature. Not only that, it has liberated countless wannabe animators. It has made the once impossible possible.
To a person just starting out in animation, the immense learning curve involved may not make itself readily apparent. Not only should animators know how to draw (on paper or on a computer) but they should also know some basic animation principles. On outlining these principles, this book does a pretty good, but not indepth, job. When discussing the use of Flash, it's even more sketchy. There's a reason for this. In the introduction the author states: "This book is intended to teach you about animation first and Flash second." So the focus on animation theory shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
So no, this book won't teach anyone everything they need to make incredible Flash animation. No one book can do that. However, it will give wannabe animators a great basic foundation for continuing on with Flash animation. Consequently, the book's title seems a little vague and could mislead people who don't skim the introduction before buying it. Those who buy the book thinking that THIS IS ALL I NEED!!! will likely end up disappointed.
Still, the book covers a lot of ground. Lots of juicy stuff gets introduced here for newcomers. The most important of which include: some basic animation history up to the time of Flash; Stretch and Squash; basic character design; flexibility and follow-through; staging; exaggeration; arcs; walk and run cycles; dialogue. Also, regardless of the author's "Flash second" claim a lot of Flash topics get discussed: timeline; drawing; tweening; frame rates; symbols; Onion skinning; tips on special effects (fire, water, lightning, glass); file size issues; sound. The final chapter on preparing Flash for broadcast is probably a bit dated by now, but again it includes some useful information.
Also, the book attempts to be version-independent. Flash 5 is mentioned in chapter 10, but apart from that no references to versions appear. This fits with the overall goal of the book: to give a bird's eye view of what it means to use Flash for making animation.
The interviews that scatter the book don't elucidate much. They really only give a cursory view of working in animation. Unfortunately, the audio interview with Iwao Takamoto (on the CD) contains a lot of noise. Parts of it are unlistenable.
In the end, "The Flash Animator" would satisfy a beginner who wants to learn about the various principles underlying animation. Knowing these principles will improve anyone's animation abilities. Readers who have animated in Flash and have already read books on animation may pick up some tips or new ways to go about accomplishing an effect, but no new startling revelations will bop the cortex.
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Summary: This Sandro Guy.....
Review: Sandro Corsaro is a talented individual with an unmistakable and extremely expressive animation style, and for the first time he discusses his method in print! Sandro covers traditional animation techniques and how they can be applied to the Flash authoring environment in order to create captivating and entertaining web content. Though Sandro is not the only author to tackle this topic, his dynamic style and solid method shed an atypical light on the subject which will give you insight and innovative ideas you never would have had otherwise. All in all this book should be looked at as the ultimate "how to" for anyone interested in cartoon style animation for web and broadcast.
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Summary: Cutting Edge Professional
Review: Sandro Corsaro is truly blazing new trails for media experts anxious to take digital animation to higher levels. Corsaro has clearly and crisply presented how traditional animation can be creatively expanded. He is the master Flash Animator who has earned his well-deserved reputation. This book is a treasure. The quality of exhibits and the clarity of the technology explanations makes this book a must have for those interested in animation.
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Summary: How to use traditional animation concepts in Flash
Review: The Flash Animator by Sandro Corsaro teaches traditional animation techniques to create broadcast-quality Flash animations and illustrates point-by-point how to use traditional animation concepts in Flash. The accompanying CD included with the highly recommended instructional and reference book contains all of the example files used in the text, plus a collection of exclusive SWF files. The range of topics covered varies from simple ball bounces to complex character design, sound, and optimization issues. Unlike a traditional animation book, The Flash Animator illustrates both the concept of the animation and explains point-by-point its optimal use in Flash.
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Summary: fun approach
Review: This book is a rariety in the technical world of computer books. A bit pricey at the store, but worth the wait on amazon. It really does take a new appraoch to teaching flash animation. The cartunes were laid out in a very orderly fashion and the lessons were not all jumbled together. I have other flash animation books that deal with "principles of animation" and the poor designs & layout are quite confusing. The Flash Animator is great lesson in computer book design, even if the price was a bit much;)ps-I love the little skateboarding guy on the back!
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Summary: Visually exciting!
Review: This book is a terrific. It explains flash animation and entertains at the same time with creative examples and illustrations. Great ideas and the CD Rom is a bonus. Sandro Corsaro is truly cutting edge and has a vision of the future that will allow fash animation to lead the way to affordable uses and adaptations of this entertaining art form.
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Summary: Visually Stunned!
Review: This book is certainly a one of a kind for Flash. I own quite a number of flash books, this one is by far the most visually stimulating. The dual breakdown of traditional animation coupled with its appplication to Flash MX was amazing. I have yet to see a flash book that exudes such curiousity through its visual layout. The flip book in the top corner was a nice add in also. The book is broken up into parts with each chapter ending with an interview. Each interviewee had a different animation background, which made for some very interesting answers. It was intruiging to hear how traditional artists view flash artists and vice versa. I particuarlly enjoyed the interview with the creator of Scooby Doo. His sketches are definetly harken back to another era of animation. The included CD was a nice bonus. Although I am not a big fan of bathroom humor, I found the cartoons quite humorous. The example flash files where very helpful. I always feel, with these types of books, you never get enough source files to play with. This CD has plenty, including a number of all important cycles. It was a HUGE help to have the files on the cd to follow along with. My only criticism of this book would have been to include a section of interactivity. While this book is an flash animation book, I have always felt one of Flash's biggest assets is its interactive component.
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Summary: Finally a book with a real ANIMATOR as the author...
Review: This book is incredible. It focuses on animation principles first, not just the way Flash animates stuff. Although when it dives into Flash tutorials, it isn't just the vague "click on the paintbrush, draw on your stage, and experiment with what you like..." The tips are practical ways to achieve cool effects, add depth, minimize file size, etc... I'm tired of reading books which treat Flash animation as just a fun thing to do in your spare time. This book treats Flash cartooning with the respect it deserves. There are no second rate illustrations in here either, nothing but cartoons from some of the top animators on and off the web. The only downside to this book is that there are going to be alot better animations popping up on the web now after this book, making it even harder for me to find a job...
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Summary: GREAT BUY!
Review: This book is very different from any other flash book out on the market. The author is obviously a talented artist who knows the difference between illustrating and animating.....a concept with which many people seem to have confused with the advent of flash.
The writing was really handled well. The book does a great job of breaking down an animation principle first and then explaining it's direct correlation into flash. The artwork was realy top notch and quite varied, unlike other books. Like many readers have expressed I believe that the success of this book is due to the keen layout design and unique knowledge of the author. I hope to see more flash animation books like this in the future.
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Summary: FA :)
Review: This book was da bomb! Very cool character designs and well explained examples. I agree, it doesnt get into a lot of techincal stuff, which I liked....so if you are looking for a programmimng or scripting book, this is not it! Computer geeks be warned!!!! A must for anyone who wants to pep up their animation skills! S.W.
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