Books / Films
A compilation page for the books and films I’ve posted in this blog:
Yuri Norstein and the Tale of Tales: An Animator’s Journey,
by John Wood, 2006.
Recommended to me by my animator friend Amy Lovera. I haven’t finished this yet, but it has been an inspiring and eye-opening account of a film that I didn’t feel much of a connection to in school. Now I am hungry for detailed accounts of other animators’ processes and experiences
The Films of Jacques Becker,
Le Trou (1960), Touchez pas au Grisbi (1954), Casque d’or (1952)
I came upon Le Trou randomly at the library and had to go back for more. I’m not sure how to describe these properly, but somehow the filmmaker gets you right into the worlds of the characters, because of the calm pacing and attention to the mundane details that really bring a person to life in a way anyone can relate to. Also, the lighting and cinematography is lovely to experience. I did some sketches of still frames, and doing so allowed me to more fully appreciate the care that was put into lighting certain scenes. Maybe the black and white film makes this more noticeable, but I can’t remember the last time I looked at a recent film with so much awe for the lighting. I was also impressed by the flow of shots and the careful use (and not over-use) of camera moves to keep this flow going.
Leaving Microsoft to change the world : an entrepreneur’s odyssey to educate the world’s children,
by John Wood, 2006.
This book at first seemed like it might be vaguely interesting, but now I am halfway through after two days and have not been able to put it down. Inspiring and motivating. One individual’s passion CAN make a difference.
And then, you act: Making Art in an Unpredictable World,
by Anne Bogart, 2007.
This small book is a surprising treasure trove of fresh art-related thoughts and advice, written from an experienced perspective that I instantly had respect for and was hungry to absorb. There will be much highlighting and note taking from this one.
