Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Elemental Magic Volume ll, The Technique of Special Effects Animation



It is out now, ready to ship from all major bookstore warehouses, and Amazon's got a crapload ready to go too! If you are anywhere near Vancouver or Vancouver Island, drop me a line when you get a copy and I'll arrange to meet you sometime and sign it and give you a custom drawing on the title page too. Alternately, drop me a line from wherever you may live, and if I ever chance to meet that destination in my many travels, we'll do it that way, wherever that may be!

http://www.amazon.ca/Elemental-Magic-II-Technique-Animation/dp/0240814797/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318354231&sr=1-2

12 comments:

Andy Latham said...

I can't wait to get this, I loved the first one. Such a fascinating part of animation. I wish I lived over there as I'd definitely be asking for a signed copy.

I have a question for you Joseph. Have you ever thought about trying to animate effects as they might be in an alternate universe? I don't know what got me thinking about this, but I wondered what interesting effects could be got from imagining physics to work differently.

Matt Timms said...

heading out after work to pick this up! cant wait to read it! If your ever in the UK I would love to meet up for a signing! that would be awesome.
cheers J for another amazing book im sure!

Matt

(some of my FX work hehe)
http://vimeo.com/matttimms/videos

Unknown said...

Ordered it :D
I cant wait :D

Unknown said...

Andy, I talk about it a little bit in this second book, more than in the first one. What is really fun is to start out with real-world physics and then twist things out of place, or simply break a rule or two of how the physics would work in nature as we know it. All it takes is even the most subtle of changes to the physics of a given effect, to make it look like something from another universe where things don't work properly. Even simply playing back some live action special effects in reverse and or slow motion, we immediately see how 'otherworldly' a simple event can appear, simply because the physics have been altered in some way.

Unknown said...

More about this later...you can drop me an email

Åke Mora Temnerud said...

Hi Joseph,

I got yoru book last week. It is as wonderful as the first one. Congratulations!

Reading through it I have seen you talk about a website for the book.

What is the adress for the website of Elemental Magic II?

Cheers,

Ake

Martin Lindsey said...

Hi Joseph. A classmate and a professor referenced your first book in class over the last week. Was getting ready to buy it and didn't realize a second book was out. What's the difference between the two?

Would like to have you as a guest speaker of DePaul's animation program some time.

www.martinlindsey.com

Andrea K Haid said...

Your books look amazing! Are there ebook versions for sale?

Mark Tompkins said...

Hi Joseph, just reading through your second book now, your first volume proved to be very helpful to me in my professional job so just taking the opportunity to say thanks and am looking forward to seeing the new content online when it comes,
All the best,
Mark

Serge said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Serge said...

Thanks for writing this book of yours Joseph. it is both inspiring and so informative.

Question though; Any notes on when and or if your accompanying website elementalmagicbook.com is still in the works?

I love to plunge further (no pun intended) :]

Serge V Richard

Mary said...

Hi Joseph! I recently bought your book (almost a decade later wow) because I want to start my journey as a 2d effects animator.

I just graduated college and I've come to realize effects might be the best choice for me, since I love to observe tiny details, dynamics and I'm particulary in love with the ocean haha.

But I was wondering if you had uploaded somewhere else all the videos and animations you mention in it, since the website you provided doesn't work... And I'd surely love to see them.


Thank you for writing this book, you have no idea how much it has helped me and made me fall in love all over again with the animation.


Wish you're healthy and happy!

Mary