The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2 includes more than 300 concept sketches, preliminary drawings, architectural plans, and digital artwork that reveal how teams of artists bring the Dragon and Viking worlds to life with modern cinematic energy.Starring the voice talent of the original cast—Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrara, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T. J. Miller, Kristin Wiig—along with Cate Blanchett, Kit Harington, and Djimon Hounsou, this action packed comedy adventure continues the story of Hiccup and Toothless five years after they have successfully united dragons and Vikings on the Island of Berk. While Astrid, Snoutlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island’s new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds.When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.

    Join series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino for an unprecendented behind-the-scenes look at hundres of pieces of concept, design, and production art--most of which Nickelodeon has never before released to the public--as they take you on a guided tour through the development of this smash-hit television series. Learn how Avatar: The Last Airbender took shape, from the very first sketch to the series finale, and beyond!

    For ParaNorman, LAIKA's team of artists and animators built and brought to life a miniature town, a horde of zombies, and a quirky cast of characters to tell a tale of a boy with spooky talents who must save his hometown from a centuries-old curse. Featuring the amazing and detailed artwork that went into the film's creation—from character sketches and concept art to puppets, textiles, set dressing, and 3-D printed facial models—The Art and Making of ParaNorman goes behind the scenes to explore the exacting, exciting steps that are achieved frame by frame in this newest LAIKA masterpiece.

    From screenplay to storyboard to recording studio--featuring interviews with the animators and 200 full-color photos--every facet of Aladdin's creation is explored in fascinating detail. This is a keepsake volume that every fan of the film must have.

    The movie takes a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey that will test their physical and mental limits and strand them on a distant world, where they will discover the answers to our most profound questions and to life's ultimate mystery.With an introduction by Scott himself, this lavish book will be the only publication to accompany Prometheus. Stunning production art and behind the scenes photos will grant the reader a window on the process of creating this astounding new epic.

    He was both a creative visionary and a dynamic entrepreneur, roles whose demands he often could not reconcile.In his compelling new biography, noted animation historian Michael Barrier avoids the well-traveled paths of previous biographers, who have tended to portray a blemish-free Disney or to indulge in lurid speculation. Instead, he takes the full measure of the man in his many aspects. A consummate storyteller, Barrier describes how Disney transformed himself from Midwestern farm boy to scrambling young businessman to pioneering artist and, finally, to entrepreneur on a grand scale. Barrier describes in absorbing detail how Disney synchronized sound with animation in Steamboat Willie; created in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs sympathetic cartoon characters whose appeal rivaled that of the best live-action performers; grasped television’s true potential as an unparalleled promotional device; and—not least—parlayed a backyard railroad into the Disneyland juggernaut.Based on decades of painstaking research in the Disney studio’s archives and dozens of public and private archives in the United States and Europe, The Animated Man offers freshly documented and illuminating accounts of Disney’s childhood and young adulthood in rural Missouri and Kansas City. It sheds new light on such crucial episodes in Disney’s life as the devastating 1941 strike at his studio, when his ambitions as artist and entrepreneur first came into serious conflict.Beginning in 1969, two and a half years after Disney’s death, Barrier recorded long interviews with more than 150 people who worked alongside Disney, some as early as 1922. Now almost all deceased, only a few were ever interviewed for other books. Barrier juxtaposes Disney’s own recollections against the memories of those other players to great effect. What emerges is a portrait of Walt Disney as a flawed but fascinating artist, one whose imaginative leaps allowed him to vault ahead of the competition and produce work that even today commands the attention of audiences worldwide.

    The filmmakers share everything from the challenges of animating Carl's boxy physique to the inspirations they found during their expedition to the overworldly tepuis of Venezuela. Written by veteran animation writer Tim Hauser, The Art of Up includes interviews with the director, artists, and designers, who discuss the challenges and rewards of producing a 3D film that breaks the mold of classic animation to tell the story of a most unlikely hero.

    One day, Coraline discovers a tiny door that leads to another house. Waiting for her there are her Other Mother and Other Father, who have big black buttons for eyes. At first this other world is marvelous and magical, but Coraline gradually comes to realize that her new parents want her to become their "little" girl and stay with them "forever."Written and directed by Henry Selick, the celebrated director of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "James and the Giant Peach," the film "Coraline" was created in stop-motion animation, drawing on the latest cutting-edge computer 3-D technology. It also showcases the remarkable vocal talents of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, and Dawn French.Featuring hundreds of rare and exclusive photographs and illustrations, production designs and concept drawings, and interviews with the cast and crew, "Coraline: A Visual Companion" takes readers on an in-depth tour behind the scenes of a movie that is destined to be a fantasy classic.From the genesis of the original novel through the entire creative process of turning the book into a movie to the many other incarnations of "Coraline" around the world, this visual companion is a lavish guide that will appeal to Gaiman fans, cinema buffs, visual art enthusiasts, and all those who fall in love with the inquisitive young heroine of Henry Selick's extraordinary film.

    A pictorial index provides photographs of the actual objects and a short description of them, enhancing the reading experience.As it speaks to the universal experience and importance of beloved objects in our lives—big and small, famous and private—this unique work is a fresh way of examining and understanding our society, history, culture, and ourselves.

    It's Pixar's first feature film driven by a female lead and its first set in an ancient historical period. Against a backdrop of castles, forests, and highlands, Brave follows the fiery Merida as she clashes with the duty of her royal life and embarks on a journey through the rugged landscape of the dark ages of Scotland. At once epic and intimate, the latest Pixar masterpiece weaves a story of magic, danger, and adventure and the fierce bonds of family. Featuring behind-the-scenes interviews with the film's many artists and filmmakers, The Art of Brave showcases the gorgeous concept art that went into the making of this movie, including color scripts, storyboards, character studies, environment art, sculpts, and more. A Foreword by Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews, the film's directors, and a preface by Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter shed light on the creation of this landmark film.

    From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso's blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid yellow to kelly green, and from scarlet women to imperial purple, these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history.In this book, Kassia St. Clair has turned her lifelong obsession with colors and where they come from (whether Van Gogh's chrome yellow sunflowers or punk's fluorescent pink) into a unique study of human civilization. Across fashion and politics, art and war, the secret lives of color tell the vivid story of our culture.

    Not only did he smuggle his pieces into four of New York City's major art museums, he's also "hung" his work at London's Tate Gallery and adorned Israel's West Bank barrier with satirical images. Banksy's identity remains unknown, but his work is unmistakable with prints selling for as much as $45,000.

    With a slipcase, vellum overlays, a die-cut window, and a gatefold, this stunning book brings the exotic locales, fairy tale romance, adventure, and excitement of the film home.For 80 years, the mystery of Anastasia has bewitched people the world over. Now, Twentieth Century Fox, with producers/directors Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, brings the story to life in a astounding new way. Animators for Disney for years before opening up their own company, Bluth and Goldman created the popular films The Secret of NIMH, The Pebble and the Penguin, Thumbelina, A Troll in Central Park, All Dogs Go to Heaven, and with, Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, The Land Before Time and An American Tail.

    Fox tells the story of the Fox Family. After twelve years, the Fox Family’s quiet home life proves too much for Mr. Fox’s natural animal instincts. When his young nephew arrives, Mr. Fox slips back into his old ways as a smart bird thief and, in doing so, endangers not only his beloved family, but the whole animal community as well.In Fall 2009, audiences will cheer as award-winning director Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited) brings us his take on the tale: a blockbuster stop-motion animation film shot entirely in high definition. Starring the voice talents of George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Meryl Streep (Doubt), Bill Murray (Lost in Translation), and Jason Schwartzman (Marie Antoinette), the movie is sure to please fans of the original story as well as enchant new generations.Fantastic Mr. Fox: The Making of the Motion Picture is a family-friendly behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the film. Filled with photos, script pages, storyboards, and interviews with cast and crew, this book is a delightful and intriguing peek at the magic that happens as the filmmakers bring to life one of children’s literature’s most beloved characters: the outrageous, audacious, Fantastic Mr. Fox.

    There are also behind-the-scenes section on the bold cinematic techniques used in creating this strikingly original animated movie. With an exclusive preface by Cressida Crowell and forward by Craig Ferguson, How to Train Your Dragon will be a delight for all movie and animation lovers as well as dragon and Viking fans.