Flash Character Animation Applied Studio Techniques

Rating:
Summary: Learn by deconstruction
Review: (contributor) Working with flash native files that were created by professional animators and reading how they were done is a great way to learn tips and tricks. The books layout and design is the best I've seen on the market.

Rating:
Summary: Learn by deconstruction
Review: (contributor) Working with flash native files that were created by professional animators and reading how they were done is a great way to learn tips and tricks. The books layout and design is the best I've seen on the market.

Rating:
Summary: Flash - Character Animation
Review: An excellent reference book. I found this publication easy to read and comprehend. Utilized the information and step by step illustrations to create animation as described. I found it to be an excellent learning tool for beginners and intermediate users. I have advanced personnel on staff who found the applications described most accurate and complete with additional and background materials that serve them on a daily basis. The addition of interview materials was also most informative and resourceful. It added depth and value to the publication. Recommend it highly to those seeking to begin or expand their graphic skills and talents. Thumbs up!

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't live up to the title. 150 pages worth while reading
Review: Don't think that just because there are 400+ pages, this book is a stellar value. Compared to what else you could buy, I think there is better value out there. If your interests are cartooning in Flash, take a hard look before you decide to plunk your money down. Even though this is a new book, © 2001, it wasn't written specifically for Flash 5. The title is Flash Character Animation: Applied Studio Techniques, but it doesn't start living up to the name until at least 60% into the book.

The introduction was well written and informative. It set a good tone for the book. Too bad that was the best part for the next 263 pages. In the introduction it stated that this is an "intermediate" book geared towards someone who had working knowledge of Flash and/or went through the help files. Then the book goes on to explain things like you know nothing about the program. On the plus side, the author used screen shots throughout the book, with almost all the pages containing something visual to help enhance the explanation.

Chapter 1 was a "write-off". It was too easy. Chapter 2 didn't get much better, explaining a cut and paste method for a walk cycle of a badly drawn ostrich. Chapter 3 talked about making the ostrich move in place and moving the background. Unfortunately it took 17 pages to do so.

Chapter 4 was about importing a background image, taking a symbol of a locust and reusing it to make multiple locusts. Chapter 5 was an introduction to drawing in Illustrator. Chapter 6, the author takes a symbol of a skunk, rotates it, scales it, skews it and flips it.

**** The first 165 pages (6 chapters) are NOT intermediate material nor are they good examples of character animation. ****

Chapter 7 was shaping tweening two silhouettes, chapter 8 a poor chapter on lip-syncing, chapter 9 was a walk cycle. Unfortunately here they only covered one method, and didn't talk about grouping symbols/the hierarchy or a parent/child relationship of groups of symbols. Chapter 10's focus was sound illustrated by a horrible Gumby-like animation.

*****Up until now, this book has displayed poor quality art and is a dud.*****

Starting with chapter 11, the book finally starts to pick up. Chapter 11 talked about transitions and techniques in a Flash cartoon. Chapter 12, 13 and 14 go through examples and opinions of people in the industry and their techniques. Chapter 15 went through some advanced techniques, dissecting a cartoon. Chapter 16 turned into an infomercial for pileatedpictures.com and continued through Chapter 17's subject of 3D in Flash. Finally chapter 18 focused on outputting your work.

The artwork in the latter third of the book is remarkably better than the beginning. This book is overpriced. This isn't a book you would use as a reference either. The last few chapters are interesting and are in a favorable light, mostly because the first 2/3 of the book was a waste of my time and money. 2 stars.

**I can't explain how others are rating this book highly?!? It is NOT worth the money!**

Rating:
Summary: Good for newbies, don't go if you're a pro.
Review: I got this book when starting to get somewhat serious about Flash animation hoping it would teach me to do some serious animation. I was somewhat dissapointed that it didn't teach me anything I didn't already know from another book or from tutorial reading on the internet.

The book is good if you're starting out in Flash, infact, it's very good for that. It walks you through tweening, frame-by-frame animation, and the works. However, just by playing around and using common sense, I already knew all this.

The examples this author uses are very...creative and unique. That's not a bad thing, except you can't really apply them to everday animation.

All in all, this book is a good book if you're starting out. It will get you through the basics and a little more. If you're an intermediate or pro user, don't spend the money for it. I think the only way to get to know what you want to know is message boards or just practicing...

Rating:
Summary: This book made me restless
Review: In my opinion the best part of the book are chapters 12 and 13 which talk about animators Mark Fiore and Todd Gallina.
The other chapters just didn't interest me.
I prefer "The Art of Cartooning With Flash" and "Flash 5 Cartooning" over this book.



Rating:
Summary: Purcell is not an artist
Review: The only worthwhile part of this book, is when Purcell intrerviews people who Flash for as a job, and questions them on techniques, tips, and tricks. These pages are very helpful (especially sound). You can tell Purcell himself is no an artist. If you check out the tutorials he wrote, they're just so stupid, and not useful (fighting skunks, a walking ostrich, etc.). However, the CD is great, and hearing pros talk about Flash is something new, it's a worth a buy, but don't bother with the tutorials, they're a waste of time.

Rating:
Summary: Flash - Character Animation
Review: This book has been incredibly helpful and easy to use. The real-world samples helped solidify the techniques I was having trouble with and have given me enough comfort with the process that I can concentrate on what inspired me most about Flash in the first place - breathing life into my characters!

Rating:
Summary: A Great Find!
Review: This book has been incredibly helpful and easy to use. The real-world samples helped solidify the techniques I was having trouble with and have given me enough comfort with the process that I can concentrate on what inspired me most about Flash in the first place - breathing life into my characters!

Rating:
Summary: This book is helpful!
Review: Up front I will admit I have a bias (my company Pileated Pictures is featured on the book), but having been a professional involved with Animation and interactivity for years, and knowing the other people involved with this book, I can honestly say it is very useful and pragmatic, getting into fundamental concepts behind character animation in Flash, and a good luck at several techniques. My two cents.