About the Author

Barry Purves is a stop-motion animator and director with more than thirty years' experience. His films have won more than 60 major international awards, including Grand Prix's, Best Director, Best Film, and Oscar and BAFTA nominations. He has been involved with such diverse works as The Wind in the Willows, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Chorlton and the Wheelies, Rupert Bear, Mars Attacks!, King Kong and Hamilton Mattress. Barry has held master classes in most of the major animation studios and colleges around the world and is the author of Stop Motion: Passion, Process and Performance.

Table of Contents

Introduction. How to get the most out of this book. What is stop-motion?: The beginnings; The illusion of movement; Physicality; A continuous performance; Special effects; Wholly animated films. Focusing the idea: Stories and themes; Approaching the story; A change of perspective; Out of the mouths of...talking umbrellas?; Atmosphere and substance; Economics. The puppets: Telling the story with puppets; The physical puppet; Telling characteristics; Stylised movement; Replacements; Eyes; Hands; Puppet size; Clay; Other techniques. Preparations: Working with others; Sets; Costume; Colour. Tools and techniques: Practicalities; The camera; Lighting; Sound; Dialogue; Special effects; Editing. Movement and performance: Animating on the set; Lively movement; Helping the movement; Performance. Conclusion. A brief history of stop-motion; Picture credits. Acknowledgements. Working with ethics.

Reviews

"To say this book is a perfect companion for anyone interested in stop-motion at any level is a tremendous understatement...the wide range of photographic examples alone make this book a must have...I am very excited to find a book that would make for a perfect textbook should I ever teach again." - Mark Osborne, co-director of DreamWorks Animation's Oscar-nominated Kung Fu Panda. "If you are interested in stop motion character animation - past, present or future - then Barry Purves' Basics Animation: Stop-motion is for you. Who better to guide us through the history of the medium, the techniques and process of filmmaking than master animator Purves (Screen Play) himself." - Jerry Beck, Cartoon Brew.