Elemental Magic, the book and the workshops, were born at the International Animation Festival in Annecy in the spring of 2004, during conversations I had with colleagues in the animation business. One particular spark came as I was chatting with Rita Street, of Radar Cartoons, who was, at the time, the editor of Animation Magazine. I was bemoaning the fact that so little had been written about the glorious art of special effects animation, and Rita was the first person who really planted the seed that maybe I would have to be the one to write it! Many thanks always to Rita!
Another pivotal moment came as I was walking along the banks of the lake in Annecy, talking animation with my new friend, Thomas Haegle, the director of the animation program at the world renowned 'Filmakademie' animation school in Ludwigsburg, Germany. I was ranting about the lack of 'old school' teaching that students were getting in modern day school curriculum, and in particular I was on about the fact that too many young students actually look for answers on their computer, rather than looking around them, in nature, in the real, organic, non-digital world! (I was the head of the animation program at the Vancouver film School at the time)
At that point, Thomas stopped dead in his tracks and said "Joseph, I wish you could come to the Filmakademie and repeat exactly what you just told me to my students." And so, the 'Organic Approach to Visual Effects Animation' workshop was born!
A day or so later, I joined Thomas for dinner with some friends, in a beautiful sidewalk cafe in Annecy. There I was introduced to Ed Hooks, author of the extremely well-known and successful book 'Acting for Animators'. Ed was warm and inspiring, and I will never forget him telling me, "Joe, you must write this book! The world needs it, and it will change your life!" Years later at an FMX conference in Stuttgart, Ed gave me the same emphatic message, and I will never be able to thank him enough for pushing me the way he did!
In the following year, I began writing the manuscript for Elemental Magic, and traveled to Germany to conduct my first of many workshops. And so, my book and my workshop have grown together, and are different expressions of the same guiding principles.
'Elemental Magic, The Art of Special Effects Animation' is available at all fine art book stores around the world, and online at Amazon.com, where you will find many rave reviews as well!
With the legendary Ray Harryhausen and his wife in Annecy 2004 
