The industry of computer animation is only twenty-five years old. In that time, artists and scientists have moved from rudimentary flying logos to the seemingly human movements and expressions of computer-generated characters. The evolution of animation has changed the look of television, feature films, and video forever. Computer-generated visual effects have become so refined, it is hard to tell where reality leaves off and the digital interpretation of reality (or more likely, fantasy) begins. Through computer animation, filmmakers take us to worlds that exist only in imagination: through the pages of this book, take a look behind-the-scenes as Pixar, New Wave International, Industrial Light & Magic, USC Film School, Mainframe, (Colossal) Pictures, Medialab, Microsoft Softimage, Lamb & Company, Alias/Wavefront, and Pacific Data Images create rich and amazing new worlds of computer animation.

chapters include:
+A brief history of the industry
+Step-by-step breakdowns of animation projects---from concept to completion
+An inside look at eleven top animation studios and software developers, including Pixar, Microsoft Softimage, Industrial Light & Magic, Mainframe, Medialab, Pacific Data Images, Alias/Wavefront, and many more