Ideas for the Animated Short ─ Finding and Building Stories

Animated shorts constantly challenge our notion of animation and storytelling techniques with memorable moments, heartwarming characters and amusing plotlines. Pixar shorts like Andre and Wally B proved that computer animation was possible; Tin Toy laid the groundwork for what would become Toy Story; and Mike's New Car exposed Pixar's finely tuned funny bone. These short films, premiering in front of feature films or online laid the groundwork for new techniques, great storylines and engaged audiences around the world. From demo reel creation to festival shorts, students and professionals alike are creating animated shorts that are dynamic and eye catching but the time constraints of these shorts are challenging in their own right. The unique format of the animated short of two to five minutes in length presents a practical and aesthetic challenge that is rarely addressed in the classroom. Ideas for the Animated Short is a comprehensive and practical blueprint for creative and unique animated short creation with a focus on the strength of a compelling story. Ideas for the Animated Short is your answer. A comprehensive guide to the animated short, this title is an invaluable asset for aspiring animation professionals, students and independent filmmakers. Explore the process of developing a short from conception to final delivery and adapt the industry's best practices in your own workflow. Written by three leading animators, artists and professors, Ideas for the Animated Short is written from the unique perspective of a professional animator adapting creative stories into incredible animated shorts. .

Follow from start to finish the creation of an animated short from the pre-production thought process to story development and character design. Explore the best practices and avoid the common pitfalls of creating two to five minute shorts. Watch a specially created animated short, demonstrating the core techniques and principles at the companion website! Packed with illustrated examples of idea generation, character and story development, acting, dialogue and storyboarding practice this is your conceptual toolkit proven to meet the challenges of this unique art form. The companion website includes in-depth interviews with industry insiders, 18 short animations (many with accompanying animatics, character designs and environment designs) and an acting workshop to get your animated short off to a flying start! With all NEW content on script writing, acting, sound design and visual storytelling as well as stereoscopic 3D storytelling, further enhance your animated shorts and apply the industry best practices to your own projects and workflows.

* This unique creative toolkit for idea generation and refinement is short and to the point, focused on the basic principles you need to know
* The companion DVD contains professional and student animations (including preparatory sketches and storyboards) to demonstrate effective techniques and imaginative results
* Packed with inspirational interviews and behind-the-scenes work from top professionals from Sony, Pixar and Disney

Karen Sullivan, Ringling School of Art and Design

Kate Alexander, Associate Director Education and Touring, Florida Studio Theatre

Aubry Mintz, Professor, California State University

Ellen Besen, Animation filmmaker/mentor; author of Animation Unleashed published by MWP