Motion Graphic Design and Fine Art Animation: Principles and Practice

I have several other animation books and this book condenses most of the information into a well organized and well printed book. I am alos impressed with the DVD that is included as it gives several examples of motion graphics and fine art animation. I am using this book to teach a tim-based media course at an art school and it is a great resource which combines animation and commercial motion design principles in a way that will be easier for students to understand. The book unlike other book which should really be printed in colour is beautifully printed and bound-not cheap at all. This perhaps explains the price. I do wish however that the author would have included more about some of the early fine art animators like Norman McLaren and Oskar Fischinger. I guess 'Experimental Animation' by Cecile Starr and Robert Storr cover this but that book is black and white and doesn't provide av examples. Overall however it is a good book that takes a slightly new direction.

Jon Krasner's approach to motion graphics is a natural for learning the medium as an artform and commercial process. Rather than simply teaching tools and how to mechanics as most books are prone to doing, he builds an understanding of the media from the bottom up-from ideas to execution with an experienced eye for the use of tools and special effects. The emphasis is on how to organize ideas and build a coherent, interesting visual animation using the tools. This book has the added advantage of retracing a history of motion graphics that will introduce the reader to the ideas and artists that pioneered the form and its evolution to the desktop digital environment. The author then introduces the reader to a wide array of processes and software applications for developing varied approaches to animation. It is as good an approach to the subject as I've seen, and a valuable introduction to motion graphics animation.

Maybe like me, you remember the days when Desktop Publishing was in its infancy and millions of ugly pages were created by people who had no talent or experience in design, but did own new software that would let them create those ugly pages very quickly. But not all designs just sit on a page; they move across screens large and small. And again, as hardware and software become ever more powerful, we're in danger of being deluged with video and motion graphics that suffer from a lack of understanding of the fundamentals of good design and production. But this book just might keep history from repeating itself. The writer offers insights into the history of motion graphics and then shines a spotlight on groundbreaking examples of more recent work. He talks about concept & design (and even how to come up with good ideas) and then takes you through production and distribution of the work. Some of it is pretty basic, but that's what happens when you're trying to create a book that covers ALL the bases. This guy is apparently a teacher and there's definitely a method to his approach. And BTW, the accompanying DVD alone is worth the price of the book! It's got a great sampling of work and then the creators of that work talk about what they did and why they did it. You might not recognize the names, but you will certainly recognize some of the images. If you're looking for a how-to book tied to a specific piece of software, I don't think this book is for you. But if you want a clear and complete understanding of the past, present and future of motion graphics you, this is one is a winner.

i really enjoyed the approach of this motion graphics book. If you are familiar with books that come out in this area, they are all generally geared towards either learning software or recording the latest and greatest designs being done. Nothing wrong with that kind of approach, but this book takes on some new territory, including a look at the history and roots. Even more importanly it tries to cover the toughest element of all- having an IDEA. This book does a good job explaining that motion graphics start with ideas, not knowing which buttons to push. Of course everyone in the this area needs solid information also, which a number of writers do well with. Still, a well rounded approach makes beginners and professional consider the big picture. History, concept and practical information all in one. I would highly recommend this.