[John_Halas_OBE,_Harold_Whitaker,_Tom_Sito]Timing for Animation(pdf){Zzzzz}

A classic of animation education since it first published in 1981. For more than 25 years, copies of Timing for Animation have been sitting dog-eared and spine-split on desks and workstations around the world wherever animation is produced. All you need to breathe life into your animation is at your fingertips.

All the vital techniques employed by animators worldwide are explained using dozens of clear illustrations and simple, straightforward directions. Learn how animations should be arranged in relation to each other, how much space should be used and how long each drawing should be shown for maximum dramatic effect. Fully revised and updated, the second edition includes timing for digital production, digital storyboarding in 2D, digital storyboarding in 3D, the use of After Effects and much, much more!

Timing shows weight, mood, and power and can make or break an animation - get it right the first time with these tried and tested techniques
Get straight to the good stuff with simple, no-nonsense instruction on the key techniques like stretch and squash, animated cycles, overlapping, and anticipation.

Publisher: Focal Press; 2 edition (September 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0240521609
ISBN-13: 978-0240521602

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Among my favourite books, Timing for Animation (Focal Press), by Harold Whitaker and John Halas ranks high. Originally written in 1981 (and newly revised in 2009) this slim volume presents a thorough analysis of the many kinds of timing issues one encounters in producing a narrative style animated film. Timing on Bar Sheets, Movement and Caricature, Newton's Laws of Motion, Objects Thrown Through the Air, Timing a Slow Action, Timing a Fast Action, Timing to Suggest Weight and Force... these are only a few of the many chapters included. A thoroughly compiled manual, it's an old and current favourite."--Animation World Network
About the Author
Known as the "father of animation" and formerly of Halas and Batchelor Animation unit, John produced over 2000 animations, including the legendary "Animal Farm" and the award winning "Dilemma". He was also the founder and president of the ASIFA and former Chairman of the British Federation of Film Societies.
BAFTA-nominated professional animator and educator for 40 years, many of his students number among today's most outstanding animation artists.
Tom Sito is an Adjunct Professor of Animation at USC, Woodbury College, and UCLA and has written numerous articles for Animation Magazine and Animation World Network. Tom's screen credits include the Disney classics THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989), BEAUTY & THE BEAST (1991), ALADDIN (1992), THE LION KING (1994), WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBITT (1988), POCAHONTAS (1995), FANTASIA (2000) and SHREK (2001). Tom is President-Emeritus of the Hollywood Animation Guild Local 839 IATSE. He is vice president of the International Animator's Society (ASIFA/Hollywood) He is a member of the Motion Picture Academy, the National Cartoonists Society and Hollywood Heritage. In 1998 he was named in Animation Magazine's list of the 100 Most Important People in Animation.

"A Prerequisite For All Animated Projects." Timing For Animation: A Critical Review
By Andre Lawrence TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on December 6, 2009

Update: July 2, 2011
I received a comment from J Fella with regards to a comment that I made in reference to another book but one that has no correlation to the subject of this book. I can't for the life of me remember why I had mentioned it. Maybe it was because I was reviewing 6 film books that month and the one mentioned really, really impressed me.

This book, TIMING FOR ANIMATION, is more of a theoretical than applicable book. And, as such, it should be viewed in that context. Having this book for almost 2 years now, and picking it up on random occasions, I've had a change of heart about it's worth. But, since this book has been the foundation text for animators for almost 30 years, I felt (and still do feel) that we should have seen more examples of animated films whose success was, at least, in part attributed to this work. That omission makes it a 4-star and not a 5-star book.

Again, thanks to J Fella, for the constructive criticism, it is warmly received and needed.
******* ******* *************

TIMING FOR ANIMATION is a newly revised version of one of the film industries revered books on animation since it was first published in 1981. This second edition is essentially an addendum to the first edition and not an adjustment to the material.

*Introduction-- What is this book about and how it should be used?
**Sub-topics
***Pro's and Con's
****Conclusion

*Timing For Animation is not exactly a thematic book on animation. It is a sub-topic. Timing For Animation is essentially a philosophical discussion about the execution of movement for any and all scenes within a project


A roadmap out of the uncanny valley
By Brian Connors VINE VOICE on January 16, 2010

I can't think of much higher praise for this book than the fact that I loaned it for a bit to a friend of mine who does animation and she fell in immediate raging lust with it.

"Timing" seems inadequate to describe exactly what this book covers -- what it amounts to is a discussion of character motion in animation and how to avoid that cheezy, limited-motion Filmation/old anime style of production. Fundamentally it's about flow -- the little things about motion, like followthrough on a swinging arm or the appearance of inertia in a dance move -- and how attention to these things makes an animation look much better. The book's primary focus is on old-style cel animation and the styles that derive from it, but there's really no reason to limit its lessons to that particular genre.

Not being an animator but just an interested outsider, there isn't much more I can say about this book that I haven't already. If you are an animator, though, you really should have this.


What's the most important thing--Timing!--in animation?
By S. Horwatt VINE VOICE on January 22, 2011

This is an update of a classic 30-year-old book giving instruction on all aspects of timing for creating animated films. When I say "all aspects," I mean it talks about tools for developing the timeline of a piece, the various constraints of timing on various animated media (tv, film, etc.), drawing techniques to properly illustrate the timing of an animated character's actions, the interplay of the timing of dialogue and illustrated actions, etc. The preface indicates that a driving force for the new edition is the revolution of digital animation. I have not read the original edition, but the quantity of material included on digital animation seems relatively light, so I'm not sure how much was really added for this edition. However, keeping this book in print seems like a boon to animators, because it really does contain a wealth of information on this critical topic.