Action! Acting Lessons for CG Animators

There is a belief among some animators (especially inexperienced ones) that computer software has become so good that all they have to do is push a couple of buttons and BAM! they have a character, ready for his close-up. But the fact remains that there is artistry needed to create characters, particularly how they move and act on screen. Action! Acting Lessons for CG Animators covers the basic elements of acting for CG animation, as well as advanced acting techniques that apply directly to CG animation. These techniques focus on externalizing, or making physical, internal intent and motivation, fundamentally important aspects of acting and character animation. It will also cover tools that allow the computer animator to work with actors in a professional production pipeline. The book will use Autodesk’s Maya—the leading software package used by the industry and educational institutions—as the primary animation tool discussed, but the techniques discussed are readily transferable to other animation software. Other acting books focus on the real world and/or the world of traditional, hand-drawn animation. This is the only book that focuses on acting techniques selected specifically for computer-generated characters.