Let me rephrase that : this is a must-have book for anyone interested in any kind of animation or film making , period.
Beautifully illustrated, meticulously researched, "Setting the Scene : The Art and Evolution of Animation Layout" by Fraser MacLean goes beyond a simple "coffee-table art book" (although it is certainly handsome enough to rate as a coffee table art book) , rather the author goes into the real nuts and bolts of layout using examples from well-known films and from some less well-known films from various animation studios. This book fills a void in providing highly detailed information on the art and craft of Layout . HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
-David Nethery
"The art of animation layout takes center stage for the first time in this gorgeous, full-color volume. Animation fans and students can finally take a behind-the-scenes peek at the history of layout, the process by which artists plot scenes and stitch together the many elements of animated works. With in-depth text by veteran animator Fraser MacLean, this extraordinary book features previously unpublished art from major studios’ archives—including Warner Bros., Pixar, Walt Disney, and more—as well as interviews with some of the biggest names in animation and a foreword by Academy Award–winning director Pete Docter. From the genre’s earliest pioneers to the digital world of contemporary cinema, Setting the Scene provides an enchanting journey into the history of animation."
Fraser MacLean has worked for Passion Pictures, Cambridge Animation Systems, Telemagination, and Walt Disney Animation Studios, on such films as Space Jam and Tarzan. He currently runs Penciltown Animation and resides in Edinburgh, Scotland. Pete Docter is a longtime Pixar filmmaker and the Academy Award–winning director of Up and Monsters, Inc.
An example of one of the many illustration in the books showing the craft of the Layout Artist at work .
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Another book on Layout ? An embarrassment of riches indeed ! --
