Developed specifically to ease the transition for high beginner Spanish students to the intermediate level, Animate offers a highly manageable and... complete scope and sequence for a one-semester course. The text opens with a concise, three-chapter review of concepts typically studied in high school and focuses on areas that are problematic for high beginners. The program's functional, integrated-skills approach combines culturally rich input with contextualized practice, promoting self-expression and providing ample opportunities for successful communication. Students acquire communicative skills while developing an awareness and appreciation of Hispanic cultures. Consistent recycling of material builds confidence, and a balance of practical and humorous content makes learning Spanish enjoyable.

Developed specifically to ease the transition for high beginner Spanish students to the intermediate level, Animate offers a highly manageable and... complete scope and sequence for a one-semester course. The text opens with a concise, three-chapter review of concepts typically studied in high school and focuses on areas that are problematic for high beginners. The program's functional, integrated-skills approach combines culturally rich input with contextualized practice, promoting self-expression and providing ample opportunities for successful communication. Students acquire communicative skills while developing an awareness and appreciation of Hispanic cultures. Consistent recycling of material builds confidence, and a balance of practical and humorous content makes learning Spanish enjoyable.

One of the first and best books on the art of animation. This book offers tips on drawing anatomy, motion, and how motion pictures are made. Used as a... primer on animation, Walt Disney relied heavily on its advice and teaching. Both a valuable guide to animation and an extremely rare classic.

Animator Nancy Beiman demonstrates how animators need not be constrained by the bodily limitations that restrict human actors. Students will learn how... species, weight, and design affect character actions, so that no two character performances are ever alike.   The book also examines the ways in which an individual character’s movements vary with the emotional or narrative context. Hundreds of thumbnail drawings show how cloth, paper, wood, stone, animal, invertebrate, winged, aquatic and mechanical beings can live and move without losing their non-human qualities.  

Modern science and western culture both teach that the planet we inhabit is a dead and passive lump of matter, but as Stephan Harding points out, this... wasn't always the prevailing sentiment and in Animate Earth he sets out to explain how these older notions of an animate earth can be explained in rational, scientific terms. In this astounding book Harding lays out the facts and theories behind one of the most controversial notions to come out of the hard sciences arguably since Sir Isaac Newton's Principia or the first major publications to come out of the Copenhagen School regarding quantum mechanics. The latter is an important parallel: Whereas quantum mechanics is a science of the problem--it gave rise to the atomic bomb among other things--Gaia Theory in this age of global warming and dangerous climate change is a science of the solution. Its utility: Healing a dying planet becomes an option in a culture otherwise poised to fall into total ecological collapse. Replacing the cold, objectifying language of science with a way of speaking of our planet as a sentient, living being, Harding presents the science of Gaia in everyday English. His scientific passion and rigor shine through his luminous prose as he calls us to experience Gaia as a living presence and bringing to mind such popular science authors as James Gleick. Animate Earth will inspire in readers a profound sense of the interconnectedness of life, and to discover what it means to live harmoniously as part of a sentient creature of planetary proportions. This new understanding may solve the most serious problems that face us as a species today.

Long considered "children's entertainment" by audiences and popular media, Hollywood's animation has received little serious attention. Eric Smoodin's... Animating Culture is the first book to thoroughly analyze the animated short film. Smoodin argues that cartoons appealed to a wide audience--not just children--and did indeed contribute to public debate about political matters. He examines issues often ignored in discussions of animated film--issues such as social control in the U.S. army's "Private Snafu" cartoons, and sexuality and race in the "sites" of Betty Boop's body and the cartoon harem. His analysis of the multiple discourses embedded in a variety of cartoons reveals the complex and sometimes contradictory ways that animation dealt with class relations, labor, imperialism, and censorship. His discussion of Disney and the Disney Studio's close ties with the U.S. government forces us to rethink the place of the cartoon in political and cultural life. Smoodin reveals the complex relationship between cartoons and the Hollywood studio system, and between cartoons and their audiences.

Animating Difference studies the way race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender are portrayed in recent animated films from 1990 through the present.... Ranging from Aladdin to Toy Story to Up, these popular films are key media through which children (and adults) learn about the world and how to behave. While racial and gender stereotypes may not be as obvious as they may have been in films of decades past, they often continue to convey troubling messages and stereotypes in subtle and surprising ways.

Let world-renowned animator Preston Blair introduce you to the magical world of cartooning and animation! Whether youÆre creating traditional or... computer art, you'll find valuable information in this book, which covers the most important aspects of cartooning, such as working out layouts, planning scenes, and synchronizing mouth action. It also provides instruction on drawing a variety of believable animated characters, with tips on using lines of action to create realistic motion. Widely considered one of the best cartooning references available, this book is an essential library addition for every aspiring animator.

Whether a novice curious about the cartoon production process, a visual arts student who has not yet experienced that big break, or a seasoned... professional looking for valuable insight, Animation Development is the go-to guide for creating the perfect pitch. David Levy has been through every aspect of the pitching process--preparation, hope, rejection, success--and now he wraps up his valuable experience to deliver this comprehensive guide on the industry and process. Animation Development will help readers discover how to tap into their creativity to develop something personal yet universal, push projects through collaborations and partnerships, set up pitch meetings, get legal representation and agents, and manage the emotional roller-coaster common to the pitching and development process.

Drawing on numerous classics of Russian animation, this text is designed for a wide range of learners from advanced novice to intermediate to provide... interesting authentic cultural materials in the study of the language. Each lesson is based on a well known and available animation and provides exercises in Russian language skills and a springboard to the discussion of Russian culture.

Just add talent!Award-winning animator Tony White brings you the ultimate book for digital animation. Here you will find the classic knowledge of many... legendary techniques revealed, paired with information relevant to today's capable, state-of-the-art technologies.White leaves nothing out. What contemporary digital animators most need to know can be found between this book's covers - from conceptions to creation and through the many stages of the production pipeline to distribution. This book is intended to serve as your one-stop how-to animation guide. Whether you're new to animation or a very experienced digital animator, here you'll find fundamentals, key classical techniques, and professional advice that will strengthen your work and well-roundedness as an animator.Speaking from experience, White presents time-honored secrets of professional animaton with a warm, masterly, and knowledgeable approach that has evolved from over 30 years as an award-winning animator/director.The book's enclosed CD-Rom presents classic moments from animation's history through White's personal homage to traditional drawn animation, "Endangered Species." Using movie clips and still images from the film, White shares the 'making of' journal of the film, detailing each step, with scene-by-scene descriptions, technique by technique. Look for the repetitive stress disorder guide on the CD-Rom, called, "Mega-hurts." Watch the many movie clips for insights into the versatility that a traditional, pencil-drawn approach to animaton can offer.

The art. The craft. The business. Animation Writing and Development takes students and animation professionals alike through the process of creating... original characters, developing a television series, feature, or multimedia project, and writing professional premises, outlines and scripts. It covers the process of developing presentation bibles and pitching original projects as well as ideas for episodes of shows already on the air. Animation Writing and Development includes chapters on animation history, on child development (writing for kids), and on storyboarding. It gives advice on marketing and finding work in the industry. It provides exercises for students as well as checklists for professionals polishing their craft. This is a guide to becoming a good writer as well as a successful one.

Suddenly anime is . . . exploding. But where did Japanese animation come from, and what does it all mean? Written for fans, culture watchers, and... perplexed outsiders, this is an engaging tour of the anime megaverse, from older arts and manga traditions to the works of modern directors like Miyazaki and Otomo. Read about anime standbys like giant robots, samurai, furry beasts, high school heroines, and gay/girl/fanboy love—even war and reincarnation, plus all of anime’s major themes, styles, and conventions. At the end of the book are essays on 15 of fandom’s favorite anime, including Evangelion, Esca-flowne, Sailor Moon, and Patlabor."A good resource and guide to the foundation, historical development and overall themes in Japanese animation and serves as an excellent reference source whether you are an established fan or a person who wants to learn about the cultural aspects of this specific and increasingly popular genre. It is an easy yet thorough read on the myriad of societal aspects and cultural references Japanese animation holds." -- Active Anime

This new edition of the groundbreaking popular book is a must-have for both seasoned and new fans of anime. Japanese animation is more popular than ever... following the 2002 Academy Award given to Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. It confirmed that anime is more than just children's cartoons, often portraying important social and cultural themes. With new chapters on Spirited Away and other recent releases, including Howl's Moving Castle--Miyazaki's latest hit film, already breaking records in Japan--this edition will be the authoritative source on anime for an exploding market of viewers who want to know more.