Synopses & Reviews
Over the past 15 years, 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios have revolutionized computer animation with some of the most beloved movies of all time, from their initial success with
Ice Age in 2002 to hits like
Robots, Rio, Dr. Seussand#8217; Horton Hears a Who!, Epic, and the four
Ice Age sequels.
For the first time, this deluxe coffee-table book tells the remarkable tale of Blue Skyand#8217;s success, from its origins as a live-action visual effects company to its partnership with 20th Century Fox and reinvention as a driving force in the world of computer-generated animation. With exclusive access to Blue Skyand#8217;s archives and the exceptional artists who have made characters like Ice Age's Scrat and Rio's Blu and Jewel household names, this book takes an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at one of animationand#8217;s greatest success stories. Featuring never-before-seen concept art, early sketches, stunning stills, and other unique visuals, The Art of Blue Sky Studios delivers the complete illustrated history of this outstanding creative force in computer-generated animation.
Review
and#147;Filled with working conceptual art...character development sketches and models...studies on the shape language. And light. And so many images of how the colors of light play in movement, setting of mood, and layout of drama....Iand#8217;ve been motivated to think of light and color in a new way, and Iand#8217;m confident that my hands will reach for [these] wonderful pages again for further inspiration.and#8221;
and#151;VizWorld
and#147;Impressive new coffee table art book.and#8221;
and#151;AWN
and#147;...is the most impressive movie-related art book I've ever seen... the full color paintings [are] done mostly to visualize the environments for the films and the characters' place in them, and they're striking. I can't compliment them enough...Best of all, the book doesn't try to cram them all into a smaller format. They're allowed to breathe. Some stretch across two page spreads. You can really see these paintings, and that's what an art book should do.and#8221;
and#151;Comic Book Resources
and#147;This book encompasses everything up to and including Rio 2. You and your kids will love flipping through and looking at all the fantastic images and learning more about this company that has been creating computer graphics since before the general public knew that was a thing.and#8221;
and#151;GeekDad
and#147;Itand#8217;s hard to believe itand#8217;s been just over a decade since Fox helped launch Blue Sky into the world of theatrical feature animation with the global hit franchise starter Ice Age back in 2002 and#151; the fifth installment of which is planned for 2016. Since then, the studio has continually upped the CG animation bar with film adaptations and lushly designed original stories, from Robots to Rio. For the first time, you can leaf through a hefty coffee-table hardcover and live the studioand#8217;s journey from live-action visual effects company to a driving force in CG animation. Thanks to exclusive access to Blue Skyand#8217;s archives (and the talented artists who have built it), this edition boasts never-before-seen concept art, early sketches, stunning film stills and more eye candy to tide you over until their next ambitious project: the first-ever CG Peanuts movie coming next year.and#8221;
and#151;Animation Magazine
and#147;...a worthy addition to any animation geekand#8217;s shelf.and#8221;
and#151;Den of Geek
Synopsis
Discover the incredible art behind animation hits like Ice Age and Rio in this in-depth look behind the scenes at the films of award-winning 20th Century Fox animation studio--Blue Sky Studios.
Over the past fifteen years, 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios have revolutionized computer animation with some of the most beloved movies of all time, from their initial success with Ice Age in 2002 to hits like Robots, Rio, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who , Epic, and the four Ice Age sequels. For the first time, this deluxe coffee-table book tells the remarkable tale of Blue Sky's success, from its origins as a live-action visual effects company to its partnership with 20th Century Fox and reinvention as a driving force in the world of computer-generated animation. With exclusive access to Blue Sky's archives and the exceptional artists who have made characters like Ice Age's Scrat and Rio's Blu and Jewel household names, this book takes an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at one of animation's greatest success stories. Featuring never-before-seen concept art, early sketches, stunning stills, and other unique visuals, The Art of Blue Sky Studios delivers the complete illustrated history of this outstanding creative force in computer-generated animation.
About the Author
Jake S. Friedman is a New Yorkand#8211;based writer, teacher, and artist. He is a longtime contributor to
Animation Magazine and Animation Mentor, and has also written for
Animation World Network, the
Philadelphia Daily News, and the
Huffington Post. He was an animation artist for Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and
Saturday Night Live. Currently he is an adjunct professor of art and animation at the Roy Disney Studio for Animation Studies at Mercy College in New York City and is writing the authorized biography of animation legend Art Babbitt.
Chris Wedge is an Oscarand#174;-winning film director, producer, and cofounder of Blue Sky Studios. Beginning his career as a stop-motion animator, Wedge later joined MAGI/Synthavision, where he was one of the principal animators for the groundbreaking Disney movie Tron (1982). He directed the character animation sequences for the Warner Bros./Geffen Films production Joeand#8217;s Apartment (1996), and served as creative supervisor on numerous feature films and commercials.
Wedge wrote and directed Blue Skyand#8217;s first film, the touching short Bunny (1998), which won an Academy Award for best animated short film. It was the first film to use radiosity, Blue Skyand#8217;s own advanced ambient lighting technology. In addition to the Academy Award, Bunny has won more than twenty-five international awards for animation excellence. Wedge then directed (with Carlos Saldanha) Blue Skyand#8217;s first two computer-generated animated feature films, Ice Age (2002), which was nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature film, and Robots (2005). He was executive producer of Ice