Creating 3-D Animation


Peter Lord - 1998
    From Aardman Studios in Bristol. England, winners of three Academy Awards, comes the most thorough book on the subject, and the first to include complete instructions for making a 3-D animated film.Aardman is one of the foremost 3-D animation studios in the world, acclaimed for its short films, TV series and commercials. The studio has created a host of well-known characters, the most famous being Nick Park's Wallace and Gromit. But the history of 3-D animation spans Hollywood triumphs as the 1933 King Kong, 1991's Terminator II, and 1993's The Nightmare Before Christmas, and includes such creatures as the California Raisins.The main focus of this exciting book is a guide to the processes of 3-D animation, culminating in a practical, fully illustrated step-by-step description of how to create effective characters and sets, and make an entire film. There is no other book that provides this same information in such detail, making it possible for everyone to create their own 3-D animated classic.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion


Perry Moore - 2005
    Lewis.C.S. Lewis wrote the classic children's series over 50 years ago, and the amazing land of Narnia is finally coming to the big screen. This beautiful book captures the creative energy behind this film and offers the official inside story on how the magic was made.Includes selections from the script, still shots from the film, photos of the production, an introduction and stories throughout from the producer, Perry Moore, reflections and anecdotes from cast and crew, and much more.By going beyond the usual soundbites which make up traditional 'Making Of' books, this insider's account allows for the real personality of the project and its people to shine through its pages.

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls


Peter Biskind - 1998
    This down-and-dirty romp through Hollywood in the 1970s introduces the young filmmakers--Coppola, Scorsese, Lucas, Spielberg, Altman, and Beatty--and recreates an era that transformed American culture forever.

Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks


Adam Nayman - 2020
    In Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks, Anderson’s entire career—from Hard Eight (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999), Punch Drunk Love (2002), There Will Be Blood (2007), The Master (2012), Inherent Vice (2014), and Phantom Thread (2017) to his music videos for Radiohead to his early short films—is examined in illustrated detail for the first time.   Anderson’s influences, his style, and the recurring themes of alienation, reinvention, ambition, and destiny that course through his movies are analyzed and supplemented by firsthand interviews with Anderson’s closest collaborators—including producer JoAnne Sellar, actor Vicky Krieps, and composer Jonny Greenwood—and illuminated by film stills, archival photos, original illustrations, and an appropriately psychedelic design aesthetic. Masterworks is a tribute to the dreamers, drifters, and evil dentists who populate his world.

Adventures in the Screen Trade


William Goldman - 1983
    Two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter and the bestselling author of Marathon Man, Tinsel, Boys and Girls Together, and other novels, Goldman now takes you into Hollywood's inner sanctums...on and behind the scenes for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, and other films...into the plush offices of Hollywood producers...into the working lives of acting greats such as Redford, Olivier, Newman, and Hoffman...and into his own professional experiences and creative thought processes in the crafting of screenplays. You get a firsthand look at why and how films get made and what elements make a good screenplay. Says columnist Liz Smith, "You'll be fascinated.

The Power of Movies: How Screen and Mind Interact


Colin McGinn - 2005
    Colin McGinn–“an ingenious philosopher who thinks like a laser and writes like a dream,” according to Steven Pinker–enhances our understanding of both movies and ourselves in this book of rare and refreshing insight.

The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies


John Scalzi - 2005
    It explores our fascination with space exploration, time travel, fantastical worlds and alternative futures. This guide explains how everything from the philosophy of Plato to classic Victorian tales and cult comic books have helped to create one of cinema''s most engaging genres. Discover the classics from Mexico, Russia and Japan, not forgetting the Anime science fiction tradition, along with everything else you need to know from Metropolis to Star Wars, via Blade Runner, 2001 and Alien. The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies is your essential guide to a galaxy of film unbounded by time or space.

Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters


David S. Cohen - 2013
    Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' epic sci-fi action adventure Pacific Rim.When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are piloted by an international crew of soldiers in the Pan Pacific Defense Corps. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot and an untested trainee—team up to pilot a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger on a mission to halt the mounting apocalypse.Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters chronicles the production of the film with stunning concept art, captivating photography, and cast and crew descriptions of the shoot.

The Art of Pixar


Amid Amidi - 2011
    From classics such as Toy Story and A Bug's Life to recent masterpieces such as Up, Toy Story 3, and Cars 2, this comprehensive collection offers a behind-the-scenes tour of every Pixar film to date. Featuring a foreword by Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, the complete color scripts for every film published in full for the first time as well as stunning visual development art, The Art of Pixar is a treasure trove of rare artwork and an essential addition to the library of animation fans and Pixar enthusiasts.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Creatures


David Brawn - 2002
    Packed with photos, this fascinating introduction to the monsters and peoples in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy shows how the filmmakers have brought the inhabitants of Middle-earth to life for the big screen.The book contains creatures familiar from the first film, from the benign hobbits to Lurtz, the ill-fated leader of the Uruk-hai, and includes races prominent in the new movie, The Two Towers, including the Rohirrim, the Easterlings, the Haradrim and the tree-like Ents.Both an exciting introduction for children and a reference for adult movie buffs, there are also behind-the-scenes details on how each creature was designed and brought to life.Includes fold-out poster.

Something Like an Autobiography


Akira Kurosawa - 1982
    "A first rate book and a joy to read...It's doubtful that a complete understanding of the director's artistry can be obtained without reading this book...Also indispensable for budding directors are the addenda, in which Kurosawa lays out his beliefs on the primacy of a good script, on scriptwriting as an essential tool for directors, on directing actors, on camera placement, and on the value of steeping oneself in literature, from great novels to detective fiction."—Variety"For the lover of Kurosawa's movies...this is nothing short of must reading...a fitting companion piece to his many dynamic and absorbing screen entertainments."—Washington Post Book World

Casablanca Companion: The Movie Classic and Its Place in History


Richard E. Osborne - 1997
    Whether you've watched "Casablanca" countless times or you're going to see it for the first time, "The Casablanca Companion" will both deepen your understanding and heighten your enjoyment.

Horror Films of the 1970s


John Kenneth Muir - 2002
    This detailed filmography covers these and 225 more. Section One provides an introduction and a brief history of the decade. Beginning with 1970 and proceeding chronologically by year of its release in the United States, Section Two offers an entry for each film. Each entry includes several categories of information: Critical Reception (sampling both '70s and later reviews), Cast and Credits, P.O.V., (quoting a person pertinent to that film's production), Synopsis (summarizing the film's story), Commentary (analyzing the film from Muir's perspective), Legacy (noting the rank of especially worthy '70s films in the horror pantheon of decades following). Section Three contains a conclusion and these five appendices: horror film cliches of the 1970s, frequently appearing performers, memorable movie ads, recommended films that illustrate how 1970s horror films continue to impact the industry, and the 15 best genre films of the decade as chosen by Muir.

Advanced Screenwriting: Raising Your Script to the Academy Award Level


Linda Seger - 2003
    Among the many subjects it discusses: working with non-traditional forms; maintaining a consistent and ongoing storyline; developing a personal cinematic style; finding a script's audience; keeping an audience's attention; developing subtexts; utilising psychology and philosophy; creating realism; polishing scenes; creating memorable dialogue.

Disney's Aladdin The Making of an Animated Film


John Culhane - 1992
    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.