Animation is one of the hottest areas of filmmaking today--and the master animator who bridges the old generation and the new is Richard Williams. During his nearly fifty years in the business, Williams has been one of the true innovators, winning three Academy Awards and serving as the link between Disney's golden age of animation by hand and the new computer animation exemplified by the films from Pixar. Perhaps even more important, though, has been his dedication in passing along his knowledge to a new generation of animators. In this book, based on his sold-out master classes in the United States and across Europe, Williams provides the underlying principles of animation that every animator--from beginner to expert, classic animator to computer-animation whiz--needs. He illustrates his points with hundreds of drawings, distilling the secrets of the masters into a working system. In this revised edition, he expands upon and illuminates more difficult areas of animation, such as animal action and gaits and the correct use of live action, to help animators push the medium in new directions.