Puppets and People

de S. S. Wilson

This is a very special book about the special-effects technique used to create such lifelike film fantasy characters as the original King Kong and all the deep-space action in Star Wars. It is the first complete and accurate account of dimensional animation: a unique combination of art, craft, and science that has enthralled millions of moviegoers with its seemingly magical power to make inanimate figures move and excitingly interact with live actors. Each phase of this fascinating process is fully detailed. Readers are taken right into the animators' studios to see how they work. Construction of the puppets is shown to be a task requiring extraordinary precision and artistry. The complex methods of animation are clearly explained through understandable, step-by-step descriptions of how each movement to be filmed is measured and controlled to get the most realistic effect. And the secrets of combining puppet animation with live action are revealed in totally accessible explanations of the use of such cine matic processes as rear projection, front projection, static matte, and traveling matte. S. S. Wilson, himself a maker of award-winning dimensional animation films, writes with the vigor, clarity, and urgency of one deeply committed to making sure his readers understand and appreciate even the most technical aspects of his subject. Every term is carefully defined; elucidating diagrams have been specially prepared to graphically depict important facets of the animators' art; numerous illustrations, many of them never before published, relate information furnished in the book to actual feature films in which dimensional animation was employed. Although the book provides unmatched coverage of the technical elements of dimensional animation, it shows this form of filmmaking to have far more to it than technology alone. Puppets and People makes a strong case for considering special-effects animation an art and even offers several criteria for judging it as such. It is the first book to do this. And his examination of the animators' great patience, skill, and creativity convincingly demonstrates that the finest examples of their work are indeed artistic. Most film fans and all serious students of cinema techniques are sure to find Puppets and People entertaining, instructive, eye-opening reading. All the major contributors to the field are discussed and their work analyzed. The most memorable moments in dimensional animation are recalled in text and pictures. The history, development, and potential of this intriguing form of motion-picture making are explored, from closeup views of animated monsters and mythical beasts to objective evaluation of the possible impact of electronic special effects. This is an enormously interesting book of undeniable value.