Here you have a list of options that will show lots of mindfulness and intention from your part, to the animation artist in your life.
In Their Own Words - Jim Henson DVD from the PBS store
A very inspiring documentary from one of the most brilliant minds in the entertainment world.
Full of inspiring quotes and insight. You'll get to know more about the man that begat Sesame Street, The Muppets, Dark Crystal. Labyrintn, Fraggle Rock and the Creature Workshop (just to name a few).
The best thing about this gift is that you will help PBS in creating more awesome content for the generations to come.
American Experience: Walt Disney DVD from the PBS Store
Guess Walt Disney needs no introduction, as supporters and detractors know the man behind of the biggest household names in the world.
This documentary comes loaded with lots of facts about the man behind the myth, the same Walt Disney became (you'll see what I mean by the end of it).
This has to be the best resource to learn about Walt Disney, only second to visiting the Walt Disney Family museum, which is another great gift on its own ;)
Combine this with the Jim Henson DVD for extra PBS good karma, or combine it with any Disney classic on DVD or Blu-Ray for extra brownie points.
And hey, you know you can borrow these gifts later on don't you?
The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki from Amazon
On the pricier end of the spectrum you have this jaw dropping collection of Hayao Miyazaki's work on Blu-Ray.
This is the gift you give for those in love with the mastery of this 20th century genius. It's is not only 11 movies, you'll give out a finely crafted package with a beautifully printed companion book, and tons of extras!
How to make sure somebody is a Hayao Miyazaki fan you ask? Well, there are two major giveaways: They even own a Totoro in any possible incarnation/combination, or they have a piece of Hayao Miyazaki's art, in any possible media, in full display. I can tell you there is no such thing like a closet Hayao Miyazaki fan, so there you go.
Just in case, this collection it's not everything Miyazaki-san has touched, because something like that will come down to the price of a motorcycle. But don't worry, they will find a way to sell it to us through a convenient payment plan ;D
I'm recommending this gift because I'm quite sure you'll remember the face of the person who gets it. However, I warn you that you might end up buying one for yourself. So think wisely and binge away with no regrets!
Books, Books, plenty of Books!
Now in the list are a series of Books that I recommend, because I've either read them or reviewed them.
Whatever is not on this list is not necessarily bad, it's just I don't have the time and resources to own all the animation books I want.
Animators love books on any related subject. From design, technical matters, arts and biographies, there is little to no chance that you will go wrong.
You should know by now the recipient's taste, and you should have heard from the hundredth time how much she/he loved this or that show (that's animator's lingo for any live action content with animated characters, animated feature films or shorts, games cinematic, TV series, etc), to the point you want to push them off a cliff. But don't worry, animators are passionate, hard working people, go to google and type "<the show's name> book art" and put it into your shopping cart.
So without any further ado, here they are in no particular order (and I am using Amazon out of convenience):
The Nine Old Men: Lessons, Techniques and Inspiration from Disney's Great Animators by Andreas Deja
Andreas Deja pours his soul on this beautiful hard cover that gives you a front seat view of the masters behind Disney's magic.
Cartoon Character Animation With Maya: Mastering the Art of Exaggerated Animation by Keith Osborn
Keith Osborn, one of the best talents in the industry, shares his knowledge about how to do cartoony animation in Maya (the ubiquitous software used for computer animation).
A must have manual to have by your side by when your animation seems to be going nowhere, or when you want to specialize in looney looking shots.
You can transfer what you learn into any animation software. You will only lose the Maya specific tools you need to accomplish some of the teachings, but that's it.
Cartoon Animation (Collector's Series) by Preston Blair
Preston Blair, A seasoned Disney, MGM and Hanna-Barbera animator, pours all his notes into one book to help everybody with an interest in animation.
It might be an oldie but is a very good one to give. Its very easy to follow, appealing and straight to the point approach will get anybody started in no time. And it will serve them as a good reference as they gain more experience.
And this should be all folks! Thanks for visiting my blog. Hopping this lists helps to take some stress off your Christmas shopping.
Remember you can get most of the books from local shops, and they will help you to get a copy if they don't have in store.
Also remember Amazon prime gives you 2 day express shipping for free, plus you get to enjoy their exclusive series The Man in The High Castle!
May you and your loved ones have a beautiful Christmas full a great memories for the awesome years to follow!
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