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Book ReviewsCGI Filmmaking: The Creation of Ghost Warrior |
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Book: CGI Filmmaking: The Creation of Ghost Warrior
Written by: Timothy Albee |
Publisher: Wordware Publishing, Inc.
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5
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Laying the groundwork for your own 3d short
Rating:
5 / 5
Did you ever admire someone's abilities who shares an interest with you? Wouldn't you love to speak to him/her and ask them questions how they got to that point in there career to help guide you? Say a chef, and artist, maybe someone who succeeded in business?
Well, being somewhat deeply involved in 3D as a hobby/freelance, I, along with many of us, know of Tim Albee. He has a deep background in 3D and has worked at some fine studios. But, more importantly for me, he's dived into making his own shorts. This is of special interest to me, since i don't expect to be working at pixar anytime soon. That being said, there are certain issues that arise for the artist looking to make his own short. Tim walks you through his journey. From start to completion. How he work up a script, how to design characters, ways to cut corners. He even goes into improvised ways of doing your own audio! Then he wraps up with different ways to market your film with actual websites and film festivals all while giving you "insider" tips.
In short, if your have dreams of making "your own" animated short, with a limited budget, this is the book for you.
Unimpressed.
Rating:
1 / 5
This book, to the uninformed, might seem like something special however, it seemed more like self promotion on a product that is over hyped and severely lacking in quality content... the DVD of Kaze.
If you are lacking self confidence and have very little knowledge of how to work with 3d and create a short, you may want to invest in this book. Mr. Albee is constantly touting how amazing and special he you are. This seems to me like a thinly veiled attempt at fooling the reader into liking the book. While it is a good marketing technique it is not what the someone needs if they truely want to succeed in the film industry.
It does seem that Mr. Albee definitely has a bit of technical experience and must be commended for finishing his DVD and writing a book about it. The animation of the DVD is riddled with problems though. Intersections, sudden stops, no overlap, arms moving rapidly with no impact on the body, broken wrists, obviouly constrained controls and much more. The camera moves and staging are alright for a student film but, full of novice mistakes that cg artists commonly make.
After reading the book and seeing the DVD, I would suggest your time is better spent with books on animation such as "The Animator's Survival Kit" and "The illusion of Life". Books on filmaking and production such as "Story", "In the blink of a Eye" and "Film Directing Shot by Shot". These are quality books that will help you grow. They will not pat you on the back and tell you are great when you may not be. The production process is very hard and it's very difficult to become good enough to produce the quality that the big studios require. This book doesn't really put you in the right direction.
Lead Dog Spock
Rating:
5 / 5
My review for this book was published in Keyframe magazine (issue #37) but it wasnt enough for me. I still feel the need to spread the word about this great body of work to other anxious readers! The way Albee describes the path to the finished product is more than simple for the average person but the results are anything but! To put this power in the hands of any one with the will to use it is a gift to the human race! I hope this encourages others, in all walks of life, to share their knowledge just as freely as Albee shares his own.
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