Animation Magic

Highlighting Disney's animated classics, Hahn describes why the story is the bottom line of the filmmaking process and the significance of each creative element used to form the finished film. Captivating facts--how computers assisted animators in The Lion King, why a Beauty and the Beast animator asked to get in a cage with a gorilla--add color and detail to this comprehensive, full-color book.

Grade 4-8?This lovely volume presents a behind-the-scenes story of the creation of Disney animated films. The text is informative, entertaining, and easy to follow. Hahn neatly organizes the creative process in three sections that deal with the initial idea, its execution, and finishing touches. Each member of an animation team is discussed in a separate, color-highlighted block of text. The effect is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also works to convey the information effectively. The same format is used to introduce different types of characters and music used in the films. This book is a browser's delight. Each page achieves maximum visual interest. Readers will leave it with new respect for the tremendous amount of work that goes into an animated film and for the artists' talent. The animation process is ably demonstrated through concept art, rough sketches, pencil tests, and photographs of voice actors and animators at work. This title focuses solely on traditional Disney cell animation, rather than on stop-motion or computer techniques. With this limitation in mind, it is of interest both to fans of animation and to budding animators.?Tim Wadham, Dallas Public Library, TX
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In Disney's Animation Magic: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at How a Disney Film Is Made, producer Don Hahn distills the difficult and detailed process of animated feature film creation into an easily understood narrative. From the birth of an idea, to voice-overs, special effects and computer-generated imagery, each phase is generously illustrated with sketches, movie stills, scenes of artists at work, flow charts and even a photo of the opening of Pocahontas in New York's Central Park. )
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4^-6. Film producer Hahn introduces the process of making an animated film, using the team at The Disney Studios and their work to show how these complex projects grow from ideas to finished products. The pages look lively and colorful, if sometimes overcrowded with shaded bars of text and multiple full-color pictures. A few photographs show the artists, editors, actors, and musicians working their behind-the-screen magic, but illustrations from Disney's animated films, particularly the recent ones, dominate the pages. Children interested in filmmaking will find this informative, and browsers will enjoy an entertaining backstage tour. Carolyn Phelan