What many people don't recognize is how much production, time, and money goes into making a popular film. Movies likeAvengers: Infinity War,Harry Potter, orToy Storydidn't and couldn't happen overnight. They took planning, direction, editing, and more. One of the most important aspects of those movies is the artwork.
Some of the greatest movies of all time have stellar artwork behind them. There's so much to learn from them, which is what makes the "Art of" books such a great investment. Learning more about how these movies got made is a fun experience. Here are 10 art books every movie fan should own.
THE ART OF HORROR MOVIES: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY
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Horror movies used to dominate Hollywood back in the day. They're still made today, but not quite on the same level. Nonetheless, they were an important part of movie history. That's whyThe Art of Horror Movies: An Illustrated Historymakes for a great read.
This book is packed with information about some of the oldest and best horror movies ever made. All sorts of unique and exclusive images are contained within this book. There is also commentary from renowned figures in the horror movie genre in this book, making it the ultimate collection for fans of horror films. Movie lovers will appreciate it too.
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While Disney might be a cinematic juggernaut that makes some people uneasy, it's worth noting that there's a reason the company got there in the first place. They learned how to create art decades ago. Some of their work is captured inThe Hidden Art of Disney's Mid-Century Era.
This book details the artwork and exclusive details on Disney's movies from the '50s to the '60s. That was a time when important classics, such asCinderellaandSleeping Beauty, were released. This book holds new images from many of those works as well as the process that made them.
THE ART OF PIXAR 25TH ANNIVERSARY
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Pixar is one of the most renowned animation studios. When creating classics likeToy StoryandMonsters Inc, the company made a name for itself as an artful studio that put a lot of passion into its works. Many of its films have been captured inThe Art of Pixar 25th Anniversary.
Not only will readers get to see gorgeous artwork from all of the studio's movies released up until that point, but they will also see the complete color scripts for those movies as well. The book also contains some words from John Lasseter (a name movie and Pixar fans should recognize), this is the book to get.
THE ART OF SPIRITED AWAY
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Despite Studio Ghibli releasing all sorts of phenomenal movies, the one that many people still regards as the best isSpirited Away. This whimsical tale of a young girl trying to get her parents back is captivating, relatable, and a treat for the eyes. Hayao Miyazaki himself wrote this book, meaning that there's a sense of authenticity with its illustrations and depictions.
Readers will get to see beautiful paintings and works of art featuring the film's world and its characters.The Art of Spirited Awayalso includes the full English script for the film, which makes it worth the purchase alone.
THE ART OF DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
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Dreamworks Animation doesn't quite have the same credentials as Disney or Pixar, but the company was an important piece of animation history nonetheless. With a breakout classic likeShrekto pieces of art likeKung Fu PandaandHow to Train Your Dragon, the studio has left its mark on the industry.
The Art of Dreamworks Animationdocuments the history of the studio and how it grew from film to film. It includes concept art and sketches from every one of its films as well as commentary from the individuals who worked on them. Much of the information in this book had never been revealed before.
THE ART OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS
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The Lord of the Ringsbecame one of the biggest and most critically acclaimed movie trilogies in history. However, Peter Jackson, in many ways, had it easier than most directors. The ground was laid for him with the phenomenal artwork done by J.R.R. Tolkien.
InThe Art of The Lord of the Rings, drawings, collections, and basic sketches from the esteemed author himself are all packed together. While that does mean the book is based on the novels, the novels were heavy backgrounds for the movie. Readers will get to see where certain locations and characters began and how they evolved over time.
THE ART OF KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
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If you haven't seenKubo and the Two Strings, now may be the chance to do so. This movie was a gorgeous work of art, using its simpler animation style to convey a heart-wrenching story of loss, betrayal, and legacy.
The animation is what made it so gorgeous, and that's whyThe Art of Kubo and the Two Stringsis a must-read.LAIKA, the studio behind the film, knew what it wanted to achieve with this movie and succeeded. This book details the visual designs and concept art for the movie while showing how that was accomplished through stop-motion animation.
THE ROAD TO MARVEL'S AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
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It's been seven years since we first saw Earth's Mightiest Heroes assemble inThe Avengers. Since that time, the Mad Titan has been biding his time, waiting for the Infinity Stones to reveal themselves. InThe Road to Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War, characters, concept art, and locations from one of Hollywood's biggest franchises are all captured here.
Readers will see the growth of the franchise and its characters as the book moves towardAvengers: Infinity War, one of the biggest movies ever made. Movie fans will get a lot out of this, as there hasn't been anything quite like the MCU before.
STAR WARS ART: CONCEPT
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There is a lot toStar Wars. With so many films, video games, TV shows, and more, there's almost no way that it can all be documented in a single book. Then there cameStar Wars Art: Concept.
This book collects all sorts of visual history of George Lucas' original trilogy, the prequel films, the games, and even the TV shows. There's a lot to study when it comes to the success ofStar Wars, which is why this book would be great for movie fans. However, the book also contains "preview" concept art forStar Wars 1313, which is now a canceled game.
THE ART OF HARRY POTTER
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Before the MCU was the biggest Hollywood franchise, there wasHarry Potter. The fact that this series of movies was as successful and beloved as it was is an astounding feat. The movies forged an identity for themselves separate from the books but were loved just the same.
InThe Art of Harry Potter, readers will get to see the visual tricks and inspiration that helped all sorts of brilliant minds translate Rowling's popular series to the big screen. All sorts of concept art, visual sketches, and more will give fans more reason to dive back into the Wizarding World, and movie fans a reason to study it a bit more.
NEXT: The Ultimate Horror Movie Fan's Gift Guide
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