First, I would like to thank all the hardworking individuals at Packt Publishing for keeping me on track, raising the bar high in terms of quality, and allowing me the creative freedom in delivering my very first book to the masses.

I would also like to acknowledge Fahim Niaz and the hardworking team at Smith Micro for giving us reviewer copies of Anime Studio to keep the writing process going. Not to mention, their software is amazing!

One of the first books on animation I ever read (way back in the olden days) was Flash 5 Cartooning, Mark Clarkson, Wiley. I loved the style and approach of the book, and in some ways I hope my book will harken back to that easy-to-learn style Clarkson tapped into. Special thanks go out to Mark Clarkson for writing such a great book and helping me learn computer animation. Here's hoping I can do Anime Studio the same justice he did with teaching Flash animation!

Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Stephenie. Without her love and support, it's safe to say that this book wouldn't have been possible. I love you, Stephers.