Product Description

Product Description
Animated short films are a unique form of storytelling that allows you to bring your characters and ideas to life. If you’ve ever considered telling your own visual story but haven’t been sure of how to get started, you’ve come to the right place. Written by experienced animators and producers, this book provides practical and insightful ideas into how to use Autodesk® 3ds Max® for your own short fi lm productions.It is about using the tools in 3ds Max to create short films that are on par with feature films. It teaches 3ds Max users everything about animated fi lm creation from coming up with a story, storyboards, character rigging, and animation to lighting, lip syncing, facial animation, and editing. The book provides a unique look at film production through the use of an actual film, Vacant Planet: A Curious Bit of Scrap as a case study. This case study is evaluated through a series of tutorials in you will create using methods similar scenes to those found in Vacant Planet. Using the insights and techniques highlighted in the case study, along with the files on the companion DVD-ROM, you will work through the entire process and be ready to turn your own stories into animated tales.The book does assume prior 3ds Max knowledge and is written for users who want to turn their skills toward creating short films. This is a must-have book for 3ds max users, film artists, and character animators who want to use Max’s animation power to the fullest!

KEY FEATURES:* Details the entire process of creating a short fi lm from story inception to using 3ds Max to produce the film* Provides the only complete guide to detailed animated film production with 3ds Max* Uses a real film series, Vacant Planet, to instruct through tutorials and case studies* Includes color inserts illustrating the techniques covered* Includes a DVD-ROM with the entire short Vacant Planet: A Curious Bit of Scrap, and the sample animations from the book. It also includes all of the tutorial files, a fully set up character that readers can animate with right away, and clips of original dialogue to animate to

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTSWindows 2000 or Windows XP 256 MB of RAM and an Intel P4 1.4 (or equivalent AMD processor) or better. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Had a lot of potential but fell short of the mark
I would have like to give this book a 5 stars like the other guys but like I said I think the book had a lot of promise potential but miss the mark. so to me I could only give it 2 and a half star because it seem like only half of the information was there which was alot of good information but at the same time some subjects were left out or wasn't covered enough or just skimmed over that should have been covered through tutorials and exercises like almost the end of the book on the subject like rendering,compositing and post-production work etc. maybe he could have used combuston or adobe after effects, there were no exercises or tutorial coveringany of that.

The book started great with the concepts of characters and story boarding etc.but did not end with a real finished "professional short film". as the title leads you to believe.

In some case no explanations on the how and why. like you do a little of rigging, skinning and animation then you get to facial animation but there is no real talk about morph targets explanation about them how to set them up for animation. its like you are just thrown into facial animation with no explanation of morph targets or how that is set them up, then there are file(s) missing from the cd which is supposed to go along and follow with the book and some type o's .

I e-mailed the authors which sometimes it seem to take sometime getting a response back from them on issues and questions about the book.and even then answers semmed kind of vague or I didn't really feel like he answer my question(s) that was asked. I would think if I was going to put out an book I would have and or make the time to respond back to those who may have questions about the book. which brings me to another thing. I have gotten other books in the past dealing with 3d, and I have never had to write the author because something didn't make sense. well, maybe once because of a type-o. usually the book explained it well enough.

so there was no question as to what that the author(s) were trying to say or the point they were trying to get across. I said that to say just because you know something and do it well, does not mean you can teach it well because one of the reviews here talk about how the authors had all of the experience working in the 3d field. and that is probably true. but knowing something and teaching something is totally different.

"Professional short films" thetitle itself is a bigrange to cover. and the book does not do that well covering it. I know that because having went through the book I still have questions which makes me want to go back through the book but I know the answers are not there.

The book probably should have been called "Animation 101". don't get me wrong, I did walk away from the book feeling like I did learn alotand the book was somewhat inspirational. but at the same time I have more question about things that weren't answered that should have been answered along with the other information I did learn.

When I think of the word film(s) or movie. I don't know about you but II think of a finished film or movie it'slike if you went to see a movie. you wouldn't go spend money to watch a half finished film ormovie, would you? it would be like watching a 3d animated film and part way through the film everything goes dark or the character(s) stop moving and animating or their mouths are moving but there is no sound.the projects in this book should have lead up to a finished product but they didn't nor did the book itself lead up to a finished products.

It was like the book left you hanging. which is where I also feel the bookfell short of its mark. I did walk away knowing more than I did before I read this book and feeling more confident about what I was doing but at the same time I walked away a not as confident and uneasy about areas I still have questions that I didn't really think were covered or answered. I gave it a 2 and a half stars but I'm going to change it to a 3 stars. (if I could).

Good, Inspirational Book!
I would suggest this book wether you are just starting out in 3D or getting ready to animate..I found it a good source of inspiration, Even tho I still have no time for my own projects! :-)

Well worth the $$

How to do Professional Quality Annimation
As can be seen from looking at any list of movies there has been a dramatic increase in the number of annimated films. Of course this comes from the advailability of powerful software to assist in the production of such films rather than the manual drawing required in earlier days.

Originally only the highest performance computers were capable of producing computer generated graphics. The 1982 movie 'TRON' a mixture of live action and computer generation used a Cray supercomputer to do the graphics using custom written software. Now computers with several time the performance of the Cray are avaiable on the desktop.

To go with the powerful computers has come standard, commercially packaged software oriented to annimation. In this book Autodesk 3ds Max is used to produce short films that may be called for by industrial or advertising users.

The two authors have years of experience in computer annimation using 3ds Max. They bring a view from the front line of users needing a film rather than just a teacher going through the features of the program. In fact it presumes that you have the basics of the program understood and are now ready to do useful work.

From devising a story and storyboards to rigging characters and animation
Chris Neuhahn and Josh Book's Professional Short Films With Autodesk 3DS Max teaches how to use the tools in 3ds Max to create short films, from devising a story and storyboards to rigging characters and animation, using different techniques in the process, and editing to produce a polished product. An actual film, Vacant Planet: a Curious Bit of Scrap, is used as a case study and files on the accompanying DVD-ROM help users develop their own stories for an animated tale. You have to have prior 3ds Max basics down to benefit: this is for the user who wants to move on to more professional pursuits in the short film format.
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Product Description
Chapters: Charles Emerson Winchester Iii, Ethan Winthrop, Frasier Crane, Josh Lyman, Sara Sidle, Patrick Bateman, Foggy Nelson, Lexie Grey, Gacha Gacha, Doctor Druid, Betty Ross, Shirley Schmidt, Nina Myers, Robert Langdon, Jaz Hoyt, Ric Lansing, Miranda Hobbes, Ben Matlock, Alberto Falcone, Vivisector, Abbey Bartlet, Claire Kincaid, Gustav Graves, Toofer Spurlock, Connor Owens, Ally Mcbeal, Thurston Howell, Iii, Professor Charles Kingsfield, Sidd Finch, Elle Woods, Michael Holden, Louis Winthorpe Iii, Quentin Compson, Tina Mcgee, Wyman Ford, Claudia Joy Holden, Scott Lancer. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 208. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, M.D., is a fictional character, a principal on the television series, M*A*S*H, played by David Ogden Stiers. He was introduced in the first episode of the show's sixth season, "Fade Out, Fade In". Charles Emerson Winchester III was born in Boston, Massachusetts, a third generation of a very wealthy family of Boston Brahmins who are anti-Franklin D. Roosevelt Republicans. After finishing his secondary studies at Choate, he graduated summa cum laude class of '39 from Harvard College (where he lettered in Crew and Polo), completed his MD at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge in 1943, and worked at Massachusetts General Hospital. Before he was drafted to join the US Army at the start of the Korean War, he was on track to become Chief of Thoracic Surgery. Although he shows apparent interest in heart surgery, he claims to be an expert in pediatrics. Winchester had a sister named Honoria (pronounced ah-NOR-ee-uh), and a brother named Timmy who died when Charles was very young. In another episode, it was revealed he had a nephew named Felix, although it is not made clear if this is Honoria's son (she is expli...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=2479691 ... Read more

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Chapters: Takayuki Suzuki, Charles Adair, Alex Nimo, Dan Antoniuk, Darren Sawatzky, David Hayes, Josh Saunders, Kevin Goldthwaite, Memo Arzate, Scott Benedetti, Cameron Knowles, Kevin Forrest, Josh Wicks, Jason Mclaughlin, Leonard Griffin, Steve Cronin, Tony Mcmanus, Gavin Wilkinson, Ivan Becerra, Scot Thompson, Jaime Ambriz, Keita Mandjou, Byron Alvarez, Cameron Dunn, Brian Farber, Takuro Nishimura, Bryan Jordan, Tom Poltl, Mike Chabala, George Josten, Rodrigo López, Alan Gordon, Chris Brown, Brad Knighton, Chris Bagley, Antouman Jallow, Alex Bengard, Mubarike Chisoni, Keith Savage, Ray Burse, Tom Taylor, Miguel Guante, Shaun Higgins, Vardan Adzemian, Ryan Pore, Neil Dombrowski, Paul Conway, Mamadou Danso, Stephen Keel, Scott Bolkan, Johan Claesson, Brian Visser, Josh Cameron, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 194. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt:Appearances (Goals). National team caps and goals correct as of May 2, 2009Takayuki Suzuki ) (born June 5, 1976 in Hitachi) is a Japanese footballer currently playing for Portland Timbers in the USSF Division-2 Professional League. Suzuki has spent the majority of his playing career with Kashima Antlers, playing six stints for the team over the course of ten years, in between short periods playing in Brazil and Belgium. Suzuki played 87 games in the J. League for Kashima, scoring 17 goals, and helping the team win the J-League Championship in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2001. On January 28, 2006, Suzuki signed with Red Star Belgrade during the 2005/06 season winter break. Takayuki Suzuki had not scored for 1790 minutes/46 games consecutive, until he scored a couple of goals in a 11/4/06 Serbian Cup game against Radniki Ni as Red Star rolled to an easy 5-0 road victory. However, Suzuki's time in Serbia was a disappointment...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1478068 ... Read more

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By

Washington Irving Oliver Wendell Holmes Benjamin Franklin "Josh Billings" "Mark Twain" Charles Dudley Warner James T. Fields Henry Ward Beecher and others
... Read more

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The Rapture is a Christian belief that forms a major part of the current teaching and expectations of fundamentalist and other evangelical denominations. In its most popular current form, the doctrine involves Jesus Christ returning from Heaven, while the saved, both dead and alive, will rise up in the air and join Jesus in the sky.

In RAPTURED, join us as we consider these questions and more:

* Will Christ come for His church before the tribulation or after?

* What was it about the Thessalonian church that caused the Lord to choose to give this information to them?

* What is the lifestyle of the church in Thessalonica that we should see in our own lives? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Rapture of Believers and The Second Coming of Jesus
Jesus clearly predicted that He will come back.It takes careful study of Scripture to see the difference between Jesus coming for His church and Jesus coming with His church.John Hargrove has shown the difference between these two events, using verses from the Bible, especially First and Second Thessalonians.We see hope for those who accept Jesus as their substitute for sin. Accepting the fact that He took our punishment, keeps us from enduring the Wrath of God during the tribulation.John also shows the lifestyle of a person who can expect to be raptured. A well-wrtten book.Triumph of the Soul ... Read more

Product Description
Three Bestselling Kindle Books Together in One Omnibus:

RAPTURED
Christians and the End Times

The Rapture is a Christian belief that forms a major part of the current teaching and expectations of fundamentalist and other evangelical denominations. In its most popular current form, the doctrine involves Jesus Christ returning from Heaven, while the saved, both dead and alive, will rise up in the air and join Jesus in the sky. In RAPTURED, join us as we consider these questions and more:

Will Christ come for His church before the tribulation or after?
What was it about the Thessalonian church that caused the Lord to choose to give this information to them?
What is the lifestyle of the church in Thessalonica that we should see in our own lives?


A SHEPHERD'S HEART
A Guide For those Who Serve the Lord

Today's churches face many unique challenges. In A SHEPHERD'S HEART, Dr. John R. Hargrove gives an overview into the lifestyle God requires for those who are called upon to shepherd His flock. Although written for today's modern pastors, A SHEPHERD’S HEART is also a practical guideline for anyone desiring to follow the Lord and live a life worthy of Christ's calling.


PEARL OF GREAT PRICE
A Christian Parable

"Again the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great price, he sold everything he owned and bought it," Matthew 13:45-46. And thus begins the Pearl of Great Price. Jesus spoke tenderly of a priceless pearl in His sermon about the Kingdom of Heaven. Have you ever wondered what or who it is? Join us, and find out inside....


Acclaim for the books of John and Verna Hargrove:

"KURT AND CAPTAIN ANNIE is a wonderful, heart-warming story. Mr. Hargrove is a fabulously talented writer who captures the exuberance of youth and the spirit of adventure. I've set this one aside to read again."
—Elaine Babich, author of You Never Called Me Princess and Relatively Normal

"The story ends with some major cliffhangers, leaving the reader with hope for a sequel to this fascinating book. I know I will be looking forward to it!"
—Kwips and Kritiques on Verna Hargrove’s Glorious Companion

"Congratulations to Mrs. Hargrove for a moving conclusion to a wonderful series!"
—Wild On Books on Verna Hargrove’s Mesopotamian Maiden

"Mesopotamian Maiden is a deeply moving and fascinating look at life before the Great Flood. I loved this book!"
—J.R. Rain, author of Moon Dance and The Body Departed


About the Authors:

Dr. John R. Hargrove is a Bible teacher and author. Among his numerous books are Triumph of the Soul and Roadmap to Righteousness.

Verna Hargrove is a Bible teacher and author. Her books include Scaling New Heights and First Step for Christians. ... Read more

Product Description
Three Bestselling Kindle Books Together in One Omnibus:

EXCELLENT BEGINNINGS
The Big Bang – from the Bible’s Perspective!

Bible teachers John and Verna Hargrove take you back in time to the story of Creation and a study of the earliest men in the Book of Genesis. Since there is a Grand Design, there must be a Grand Designer. Since Creation has taken place, there is obviously a Creator. There is indeed. He is God.

In the Bible, we will see that God does not speak verbally to everyone, but chooses specific people to talk to, and asks them to go as prophets for him. Those were usually men of great faith. We soon learn that the Bible is not a story of great men, but of a great God. The Lord still communicates with us today. In this study, we will assume the Creation story is the true one. If you are not sure about that, we invite you to settle down and read what God has to say about it.


HEROES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
Great Men of the Bible

The Bible is filled with wonderful heroes. From the powerful Samson to the cunning King David, these larger than life characters have captivated the imaginations of Christians for millenia. Now in Heroes of the Old Testament, Bible teachers John and Verna Hargrove will bring to life all the major characters in the Old Testament. So join us on a hero’s journey, and may you gain inspiration and insight into your own walk with the Lord.


FIRST STEP FOR CHRISTIANS
A Guidebook for New Christians

Are you a new Christian? Or do you just want to start studying the Bible for the first time? So often when a person becomes a new believer in Christ, they want to read the Bible. They just do not know where to start. If this describes you, this guide will be the perfect place for you to learn basic facts and general subjects in each of the Books of the Bible. A portion of scripture has been selected from each book to show you the flavor of each author.


Acclaim for the books of John and Verna Hargrove:

"KURT AND CAPTAIN ANNIE is a wonderful, heart-warming story. Mr. Hargrove is a fabulously talented writer who captures the exuberance of youth and the spirit of adventure. I've set this one aside to read again."
—Elaine Babich, author of You Never Called Me Princess and Relatively Normal

"The story ends with some major cliffhangers, leaving the reader with hope for a sequel to this fascinating book. I know I will be looking forward to it!"
—Kwips and Kritiques on Verna Hargrove’s Glorious Companion

"Congratulations to Mrs. Hargrove for a moving conclusion to a wonderful series!"
—Wild On Books on Verna Hargrove’s Mesopotamian Maiden

"Mesopotamian Maiden is a deeply moving and fascinating look at life before the Great Flood. I loved this book!"
—J.R. Rain, author of Moon Dance and The Body Departed


About the Authors:

Dr. John R. Hargrove is a Bible teacher and author. Among his numerous books are Triumph of the Soul and Roadmap to Righteousness.

Verna Hargrove is a Bible teacher and author. Her books include Scaling New Heights and First Step for Christians. ... Read more

Product Description
PEARL OF GREAT PRICE
A Christian Parable

"Again the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great price, he sold everything he owned and bought it," Matthew 13:45-46. And thus begins the Pearl of Great Price. Jesus spoke tenderly of a priceless pearl in His sermon about the Kingdom of Heaven. Have you ever wondered what or who it is? Join us, and find out inside....


Acclaim for the books of John and Verna Hargrove:

"Kurt and Captain Annie is a wonderful, heart-warming story. Mr. Hargrove is a fabulously talented writer who captures the exuberance of youth and the spirit of adventure. I've set this one aside to read again."
—Elaine Babich, author of You Never Called Me Princess and Relatively Normal

"The story ends with some major cliffhangers, leaving the reader with hope for a sequel to this fascinating book. I know I will be looking forward to it!"
—Kwips and Kritiques on Verna Hargrove’s Glorious Companion

"Congratulations to Mrs. Hargrove for a moving conclusion to a wonderful series!"
—Wild On Books on Verna Hargrove’s Mesopotamian Maiden

"Mesopotamian Maiden is a deeply moving and fascinating look at life before the Great Flood. I loved this book!"
—J.R. Rain, author of Moon Dance and The Body Departed


About the Authors:

Dr. John R. Hargrove is a Bible teacher and author. Among his numerous books are Triumph of the Soul and Roadmap to Righteousness.

Verna Hargrove is a Bible teacher and author. Her books include Scaling New Heights and First Step for Christians. ... Read more

Product Description
The Bible is filled with wonderful heroes. From the powerful Samson to the cunning King David, these larger than life characters have captivated the imaginations of Christians for millenia. Now in Heroes of the Old Testament, Bible teacher Verna Hargrove will bring to life all the major characters in the Old Testament. So join her on a hero’s journey, and may you gain inspiration and insight into your own walk with the Lord.


Acclaim for the books of Verna Hargrove:

"The story ends with some major cliffhangers, leaving the reader with hope for a sequel to this fascinating book. I know I will be looking forward to it!"
—Kwips and Kritiques on Verna Hargrove’s Glorious Companion

"Congratulations to Mrs. Hargrove for a moving conclusion to a wonderful series!"
—Wild On Books on Verna Hargrove’s Mesopotamian Maiden

"Mesopotamian Maiden is a deeply moving and fascinating look at life before the Great Flood. I loved this book!"
—J.R. Rain, author of Moon Dance and The Body Departed


About the Author:

Verna Hargrove is a Bible teacher and author. Her books include Scaling New Heights and First Step for Christians.
... Read more