As a graduate of this era it became something of a running gag to spot the fellow course mates that handed in direct copies from the pages of The Animators Survival Kit. Though brief it is delightful to read through the new introductions from Williams who wrote them shortly before his passing.

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However what the book loses in volume it gains in portability and usability, these books have been divided for this very reason and will give students an easy book to grab off of the shelf when they wish to work on any of the four areas. As I moved into teaching myself the fun started again spotting which students ‘misread’ the assignment and decided they could do no better than Williams and opted to hand in a carbon copy of the walk direct from the pages of the book. However, there are many students who use the book properly, understanding that by breaking down animation frame by frame in the book Williams wasn’t just provided a standardised way of animating, he was also providing the detail of what lay between the frames in lavish detail, gifting an adaptable framework for the next generation of animators that could be applied to any medium or method.

There is one piece of advice I always shared with my students which didn’t come from Williams, but from his mother, an accomplished illustrator who advised against following the path of classmates who spend all day practicing their signature under pressure to find a style and identity. The new editions of the Animators Survival Kit do exactly what they are designed to do – give the reader direct access to a treasure trove of advice focussed directly on specific subjects. Williams recognised his own privileged education, having worked with masters of animation from the golden age and in later life having them work for him. I’ll admit a ‘sneak’ from the pages of the book may have made it’s way into my own graduation film – If you’re going to copy anyone, you copy the best right?

With examples coming from interactions with legendary animators and glowing praise for film directors it is a humbling lesson to us all that even the very best of us never stop learning.Our resources are crucial for knowledge lovers everywhere—so if you find all these bits and bytes useful, please pitch in.