Animated Storytelling

Animation is a limitless medium for telling stories. Artists can create worlds, defy gravity, flip from factual to fantasy, and transport audiences to places they never imagined. The challenge is having the discipline to reel it in and be intentional about your storytelling choices. This book shows you how.

In Animated Storytelling, learn how to create memorable stories using animation and motion graphics by following 10 simple guidelines that take you through the stages of concept development, pre-production, storyboarding, and design. Explore traditional linear storytelling and learn different processes for creating successful nonlinear animated stories, and also discover the wonders of experimental filmmaking.

Award-winning filmmaker, educator, and motivator Liz Blazer uses clear examples and easy-to-follow exercises to provide you with the instruction, encouragement, and tools you need to get your designs moving.

Whether your goal is to create exciting shorts for film festivals, effective messaging for broadcast or online, or simply to gain a deeper understanding of the medium, Animated Storytelling simplifies the process of creating clear and engaging stories for animation and motion graphics so you can get started easily.

Animated Storytelling teaches you how to:

• Write a creative brief for your project

• Find and communicate your story’s Big Idea

• Create tight stories with linear and nonlinear structures

• Explore experimental filmmaking techniques

• Use storyboards to communicate your visual story

• Use color to clarify and enrich your story

• Define the rules for your animated world

• Ease into the challenging task of animation

• Make the work you want to be hired to do

• Share your work with the world!

“Equal parts inspiring and practical, Animated Storytelling is a step-by-step guide that takes aspiring storytellers from raw idea to final render to distribution.

–Justin Cone, Co-founder, Motionographer

“This book is the instruction manual for navigating the complex world of animated storytelling. It's informative, inspirational, and extremely entertaining to read. Anyone working (or hoping to work) in the field of animation needs to read this.

–Joey Korenman, CEO & Founder, School of Motion

LIZ BLAZER is a filmmaker, art director, designer, animator, and educator. She has worked as a development artist for Disney, director for Cartoon Network, special effects designer for MTV, and art director for the Palestinian/Israeli Sesame Street. Her animated documentary Backseat Bingo traveled to 180 film festivals in 15 countries and won many awards, including awards from the HBO Comedy Arts Festival, Animation Magazine, and the International Documentary Association. As an educator, Blazer emphasizes storytelling and pitching as she guides her students to bring their art to life through animation.

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