The Illusion of Life by: Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston

Perhaps the most important book about the craft of animation from two of its originators. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston were two of the Disney's 9 Old Men, animators who molded the early Disney empire through their animations, character designs and storytelling through the 1930's - 1960's. Below are notes from their text "The Illusion of Life" specifically related to the topic of emotion:

"Conveying a certain feeling is the essence of communicating in any art form. The response of the viewer is an emotional one, becaus art speaks to the heart. This gives animation an almost magical ability to reach inside any audience and communicates with all peoples everywhere, regardless of language barriers." (15)

"It is one of animation's greatest strengths and certainly one of the most important aspects of this art for the young animator to study and master." (16)


Citation:
Thomas, Frank and Ollie Johnston. "The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation". New York. Hyperion. 1981.