Hey there, Parka, many thanks for helping Anonymous007 by providing such a clear description of the content and aims of "Setting The Scene", and thanks also for alerting me to Weiye Yin's beautiful and informative book - I look forward to reading it and (from the information you kindly provide) to recommending it to all the students I work with. As you point out, my own plan was not to attempt to provide a "how to" book; Ed Ghertner and Mark T. Byrne have both already provided excellent books that inform and instruct would-be Layout Artists. By contrast one of the main aims of "Setting The Scene" was (and is) to help contemporary students of animation understand more about the historical relationship between animators and cameras. Many students of CG animation may never see (or prepare artwork to be photographed on) a traditional rostrum camera, but I believe it is nevertheless really important for ALL animation artists and technicians to understand the way in which the techniques and procedures of designing, lighting and photographing scenic artwork for hand-drawn animation originally evolved. "Setting The Scene" looks at the way in which the early pioneers of animation borrowed from (and expanded on) the existing practices of set design for theatre - and how, in recent years, the "overlap" has been greater between set design for CG animated features and level design for the Games industry. Just as it is costly for Parka to get hold of copies of new books to review - it is expensive for students to build up their own libraries. So I hope very much, if you're a student yourself, that your college or university library will be able to get hold of a copy - if you guys reckon it seems worth adding to your reading and reference list. I was very fortunate to have such an enthusiastic publisher - and to have the help, support and encouragement of the 100+ different artists, technicians, camera operators and scene planners who were kind enough to agree to be interviewed. I owe all the most useful and inspiring parts of "Setting The Scene" to them - and to the generosity and expertise of countless archivists and animation historians. Many thanks in the meantime for your interest in the project - and I hope you may find something in it to enjoy. With very best wishes, Fraser MacLean, Scotland
Hey there, Parka, many thanks for helping Anonymous007 by providing such a clear description of the content and aims of "Setting The Scene", and thanks also for alerting me to Weiye Yin's beautiful and informative book - I look forward to reading it and (from the information you kindly provide) to recommending it to all the students I work with. As you point out, my own plan was not to attempt to provide a "how to" book; Ed Ghertner and Mark T. Byrne have both already provided excellent books that inform and instruct would-be Layout Artists. By contrast one of the main aims of "Setting The Scene" was (and is) to help contemporary students of animation understand more about the historical relationship between animators and cameras. Many students of CG animation may never see (or prepare artwork to be photographed on) a traditional rostrum camera, but I believe it is nevertheless really important for ALL animation artists and technicians to understand the way in which the techniques and procedures of designing, lighting and photographing scenic artwork for hand-drawn animation originally evolved. "Setting The Scene" looks at the way in which the early pioneers of animation borrowed from (and expanded on) the existing practices of set design for theatre - and how, in recent years, the "overlap" has been greater between set design for CG animated features and level design for the Games industry. Just as it is costly for Parka to get hold of copies of new books to review - it is expensive for students to build up their own libraries. So I hope very much, if you're a student yourself, that your college or university library will be able to get hold of a copy - if you guys reckon it seems worth adding to your reading and reference list. I was very fortunate to have such an enthusiastic publisher - and to have the help, support and encouragement of the 100+ different artists, technicians, camera operators and scene planners who were kind enough to agree to be interviewed. I owe all the most useful and inspiring parts of "Setting The Scene" to them - and to the generosity and expertise of countless archivists and animation historians. Many thanks in the meantime for your interest in the project - and I hope you may find something in it to enjoy. With very best wishes, Fraser MacLean, Scotland