Koncocoo

Best Movie Reference

The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators
In this book, based on his sold-out master classes in the United States and across Europe, Williams provides the underlying principles of animation that every animator--from beginner to expert, classic animator to computer animation whiz --needs. Richard Williams has won more than 250 international awards for his animation.
Reviews
"One of the best well written art books I have read in a long time, Mr. Williams is full of knowledge, which he generously shares with others."
"This is a must have for everyone learning animation, it could be used by yourself or by teachers to teach about animation principles, and the amount of knowlege in the content of the book and animation exercises is amazing."
"It has so much detail to it that it still blows my mind every time I. open it."
"If you are getting into animation this is the book for you; in depth information on all the necessary topics that you need."
"An excellent book."
"Bought this as a gift for a friend when she started her Animation degree."
"This is one of the most useful animation books I have every purchased."
"One of the most detailed animating books I have purchased so far, it is really helpful."
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The Wes Anderson Collection
Also available from Matt Zoller Seitz: The Oliver Stone Experience , The Wes Anderson Collection: Bad Dads , The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel. , and Mad Men Carousel . “In The Wes Anderson Collection , Seitz expands a series of video essays on Anderson’s influences, illuminating as much of Anderson’s process as possible in a massive, beautifully rendered volume. Although it looks (and sometimes reads) like a coffee table book, The Wes Anderson Collection brings together style and substance to provide a loving homage to Anderson’s films and moviemaking in general.”. ( FILTER ). “ The Wes Anderson Collection comes as close as a book can to reading like a Wes Anderson film.
Reviews
"It's a cool book to page through in moments of time or fully immerse yourself in if you're interesting in making films."
"Anderson doesn't release many films....this book shows you why."
"Essays and interviews by Mark Zoller Seitz, amazing illustrations by Max Dalton and endless fascinating stills from the films plus a potpourri of relevant items from old films, books, magazines, catalogs and advertisements that will have you intrigued and wanting to keep returning again and again to marvel at all this content."
"When I first got the book it was damaged on the corners of the spine (like it had been dropped) but Amazon was great about exchanging it and I had a new book in perfect condition in just two days."
"Bought as a gift for a Wes Anderson fan."
"This was purchased for my son a 21 year old burgeoning film director/producer and he really loved it and read it from cover to cover."
"It's rich with content, behind the scenes photos, exclusive illustrations, and excellent interviews with Wes Anderson."
"This is absolutely essential for anyone who enjoys the films of Wes Anderson and also for anyone who is interested in film as an art form."
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Ultimate Star Wars
Ultimate Star Wars is an in-depth visual guide that details storylines and players from the complete Star Wars galaxy, including Star Wars: The Clone Wars™ and Star Wars Rebels™ . "Thanks to Ultimate Star Wars , DK's masterpiece of a visual encyclopedia, readers can now access the most comprehensive guide to the "galaxy far, far away" in Star Wars history." "To call a book ULTIMATE Star Wars is a pretty bold move. "It's my new go-to book for Star Wars info." "This gorgeous, 320 page book is the most current, up to date resource for all things canonical in the Star Wars saga, and is a must have for any Star Wars fan." "DK's Ultimate Star Wars is the first official reference book to reflect the updated canon, providing fans with everything they need to know about the Star Wars galaxy prior to the release of the new films."
Reviews
"The book is organized by topics - the first half of the book is Characters and Creatures, and then the second half of the book covers things like Locations, Technology, and Vehicles. Important characters like Princess Leia and Obi-Wan Kenobi get a full 2-page spread, while smaller characters like Poggle the Lesser or Jek Porkins only get a fraction of a page. So for example, the section on vehicles will have a Vehicle Timeline that covers the major events in the saga involving ships and transports - the Boonta Eve podrace, the Battle of Yavin (which destroyed the Death Star), etc."
"I'm so glad I found this book in time for the new Star Wars movie debut and before Christmas."
"Before every one freaks out and starts going on about getting rid of the Expanded Universe from Star Wars, I have to say I am a huge fan of the Expanded Universe and that does not detract from the review of this book."
"Nice if you're looking fir an overview of the saga, but not if you're looking for anything new in-depth."
"It allows them to follow the movies a bit better knowing the back stories to each character."
"Happy to say it's updated with interesting facts and visuals for Star Wars fans of all ages."
"Received as a gift (Star Wars fan)."
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Best Performing Arts Reference

The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film
Using his unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its trove of never-before-published “lost” interviews, photos, production notes, factoids, and anecdotes, Star Wars scholar J. W. Rinzler hurtles readers back in time for a one-of-a-kind behind-the-scenes look at the nearly decade-long quest of George Lucas and his key collaborators to make the “little” movie that became a phenomenon. • the evolution of the now-classic story and characters–including “Annikin Starkiller” and “a huge green-skinned monster with no nose and large gills” named Han Solo. • excerpts from George Lucas’s numerous, ever-morphing script drafts. • the birth of Industrial Light & Magic, the special-effects company that revolutionized Hollywood filmmaking. • the studio-hopping and budget battles that nearly scuttled the entire project. • the director’s early casting saga, which might have led to a film spoken mostly in Japanese–including the intensive auditions that won the cast members their roles and made them legends. • the grueling, nearly catastrophic location shoot in Tunisia and the subsequent breakneck dash at Elstree Studios in London. • the who’s who of young film rebels who pitched in to help–including Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Brian DePalma. J. W. Rinzler, former executive editor at Lucasfilm Ltd., is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Making of Star Wars and London Times bestseller The Complete Making of Indiana Jones , as well as the #1 NY Times Bestselling graphic novel, adapted from George Lucas's original rough draft, "The Star Wars."
Reviews
"So with all that in mind, I come across this book which had even more production photos I've never seen before, along with countless stories from all the key production people, plus details down to what order the scenes were shot, etc."
"The images, including artist sketches/paintings, storyboards, and actual production photographs are comprehensive and I was amazed that it was all able to fit into the 100 MB it is taking up in my kindle's memory. I know that this enhanced edition is supposed to include audio and video that I cannot view on my monochrome kindle, but at least they are not occupying my memory space."
"Devices read on: * iPad (retina). * Nexus 7 (2013). * iPhone 5. Con: *The pictures*. Still pretty, and many are illuminating, but by default they're never full page -- always a ton of white space around 1-3 zoomable pictures -- so you lose the ease of flipping through pages and just landing on something pretty. *Audio and Video only playable on some devices*. If you have an iPad or Kindle Fire, you're golden. Nothing plays, which is too bad considering the Nexus 7 was my favorite device for actually reading the book."
"Rinzler's book on the original "Star Wars" film (a.k.a."
"The Enhanced Edition eBook is much more approachable to read. Having owned the original hard cover edition, I questioned whether the enhanced edition content would be worth the additional buy."
"I have loved Star Wars my entire life. I loved reading this book."
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Best Movie History & Criticism

The Wes Anderson Collection
Also available from Matt Zoller Seitz: The Oliver Stone Experience , The Wes Anderson Collection: Bad Dads , The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel. , and Mad Men Carousel . “In The Wes Anderson Collection , Seitz expands a series of video essays on Anderson’s influences, illuminating as much of Anderson’s process as possible in a massive, beautifully rendered volume. Although it looks (and sometimes reads) like a coffee table book, The Wes Anderson Collection brings together style and substance to provide a loving homage to Anderson’s films and moviemaking in general.”. ( FILTER ). “ The Wes Anderson Collection comes as close as a book can to reading like a Wes Anderson film.
Reviews
"I bought this for my boyfriend as we're both Wes Anderson fans and this book is lovely!"
"This book is like a beautiful, creative, inspiring story book for grown ups- it's full of images and interviews on every film that Wes Anderson has directed- storyboards, frames and screenshots from the films, screenshots from other films that inspired Anderson, plus tons of ephemera from all of the films."
"Essays and interviews by Mark Zoller Seitz, amazing illustrations by Max Dalton and endless fascinating stills from the films plus a potpourri of relevant items from old films, books, magazines, catalogs and advertisements that will have you intrigued and wanting to keep returning again and again to marvel at all this content."
"It's a cool book to page through in moments of time or fully immerse yourself in if you're interesting in making films."
"The production stills for Fantastic Mr. Fox are particularly stunning, but the on-set photos from The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic really give you a sense of the camaraderie between the actors."
"Anderson doesn't release many films....this book shows you why."
"When I first got the book it was damaged on the corners of the spine (like it had been dropped) but Amazon was great about exchanging it and I had a new book in perfect condition in just two days."
"Bought as a gift for a Wes Anderson fan."
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Best Movie Direction & Production

Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey
Harry Potter: Page to Screen , the follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Harry Potter: Film Wizardry , is a lavish and personal look at the entire filmmaking process that transformed J. K. Rowling’s fantasy series into a blockbuster movie franchise. Developed in collaboration with the creative team behind the celebrated movie series, this deluxe, 500-plus page compendium features exclusive stories from the cast and crew, hundreds of never-before-seen photographs and concept illustrations sourced from the closed film sets, and rare memorabilia.
Reviews
"This book gives you exactly what it said it would, harry potter page to screen in its entirety."
"It looks like a magickal volume and in a way it is, for it captures all of the magic of the Harry Potter movies, from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone all the way to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two. The first color photograph one comes across as one flips the book open is a full size portrait of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts (Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in HP films 3-8). So, the contents...the book (531 pages) is divided into three parts: Part I: The Making of Harry Potter. Introduction. Setting the Scene. HP and the Sorcerer's Stone. HP and the Chamber of Secrets. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban. HP and the Goblet of Fire. HP and the Order of the Phoenix. HP and the Half-Blood Prince. HP and the Deathly Hallows. Part II: The Art of Harry Potter. Introduction. Characters: Costuming. Locations: Set Design. Creatures: Special Makeup and Digital Effects. Artifacts: Prop Making. Part III: Epilogue. The Golden Boards. Acknowledgements and Colophon. The book goes in-depth into the many aspects of the film-making process, including valuable insights from and about the directors, actors, and all the other significant people who have worked on the movies, not forgetting the author of course. These details are enhanced by the hundreds of photographs that are found throughout the book, and what makes these pictures all the more extraordinary and valuable to the discerning reader is the fact that many of them were taken on set, during the making of the films, and apart from the photographs there are also full-color paintings in glorious detail. Btw, for those who are wondering about how this compares to Harry Potter Film Wizardry, I'd say they are both complementary (I own a copy of HP Film Wizardry) to each other. For example, in HP Film Wizardry, readers will get a chance to peruse a copy of the Marauder's Map, Harry's acceptance letter to Hogwarts, a catalogue from Borgin and Burke's, stickers in the Advanced Potion-Making pamphlet, two boxes of treats (sans the treats) from Honeydukes of Hogsmeade (you can tear them out and fold them into actual treat boxes, not that I would! This is a beautiful volume of substance for any fan of the HP books and movies."
"It is definitely a must for every Harry Potter fan."
"An excellent compendium which deserves a place on every Harry Potter fan's book shelf, detailing problems and solutions in interpreting the story."
"The second part of the book is dedicated to the art of the movies as represented in the costume designs, set design, make up and special effects, and prop making. Curiously, the live animals that "played" Hedwig, Crookshanks and Scabbers were left out of the book, which I thought was a strange oversight since a section or a few paragraphs on their role and that of the animal trainers would have really not been out of place in this book. Except for a picture in the "Locations: Set Design" section of the second half of the book, I couldn't find a reference of her and her character in the sections devoted to the making of "The Chamber of Secrets" or "The Goblet of Fire.""
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Best Film & Television

The Screenwriter's Bible, 6th Edition: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script (Expanded & Updated)
Among this book s wealth of practical information are sample query letters, useful worksheets and checklists, hundreds of examples, sample scenes, and straightforward explanations of screenwriting fundamentals. The sixth edition is chock-full of new examples, the latest practices, and new material on non-traditional screenplay outlets. David Trottier is a script consultant, writer, producer, and screenwriting teacher.
Reviews
"This is the third edition of this book that I've purchased since I first became interested in screenwriting."
"I have bought several books on screenwriting, some of which were of great reputation, but none of them come close to the quality of what Trottier has put together."
"First time script writer and this book , let me rephrase that.."
"This book was recommended to me by my Screenwriting teacher to help with formatting and questions related to format."
"This book is a must have for screen writers, covering the organic process of story telling and the practical approach to properly formatting your script."
"For anyone interested in correct and forceful screen writing this is a must."
"Love this book."
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Best How to Create Anime & Cartoons

The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators
In this book, based on his sold-out master classes in the United States and across Europe, Williams provides the underlying principles of animation that every animator--from beginner to expert, classic animator to computer animation whiz --needs. Richard Williams has won more than 250 international awards for his animation.
Reviews
"One of the best well written art books I have read in a long time, Mr. Williams is full of knowledge, which he generously shares with others."
"This is a must have for everyone learning animation, it could be used by yourself or by teachers to teach about animation principles, and the amount of knowlege in the content of the book and animation exercises is amazing."
"It has so much detail to it that it still blows my mind every time I. open it."
"If you are getting into animation this is the book for you; in depth information on all the necessary topics that you need."
"An excellent book."
"Bought this as a gift for a friend when she started her Animation degree."
"This is one of the most useful animation books I have every purchased."
"One of the most detailed animating books I have purchased so far, it is really helpful."
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Best Photography Handbooks & Manuals

The Backyard Astronomer's Guide
The newest edition of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide includes the latest data and answers the questions most often asked by home astronomers, from beginners to experienced stargazers. Telescopes for Recreational Astronomy features assessments of a wide range of new telescopes, from models for beginners to those for veteran astronomy enthusiasts, with special emphasis on computerized telescopes and how they work. [Review of earlier edition:] Excellent introductory text ... completely revised... it is lushly illustrated in color throughout. [Review of earlier edition:] If an amateur astronomer could afford one book, this would be the one to get ... one of the most attractive practical astronomy works ever produced. [Review of earlier edition:] Lively, accessible style; is comprehensive; and is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of photographs, diagrams, and charts... highly recommended for any library. [Review of earlier edition:] Few books capture the spirit of the hobby so well -- the pleasures and the pitfalls of the equipment you might need, and the simple joy of watching the universe go by. I recommend this book for anyone who is contemplating buying a telescope, has one but does not quite know how to use it, or wants to learn more about accessories and fun activities to supplement his or her stargazing. If you teach observational astronomy, run a public observatory, or conduct community stargazing classes, put this magazine down and order it right now ... [Review of earlier edition:] This book is an indispensable tool for any serious naturalist who wants to understand and experience the full expanse of the world and universe around us. I fondly remember haunting my favorite bookstore as a college student in the early 1990s, ogling the big, full-color astronomy texts, when I happened upon The Backyard Astronomer's Guide. Now in its third edition, Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer have completely rewritten large sections to keep in lockstep with the evolving trends. Immediately from the first chapter the authors' fluid writing style draws you in, casually introducing you to the pursuit of the night sky. As in previous editions, the flow comfortably builds with each page, easing you into progressively challenging subjects without missing a step. The text builds though each successive chapter, describing today's plethora of binoculars, telescopes, mounts, eyepieces, and other accessories. Complementing the informative text are hundreds of colour photographs and illustrations as well as a 20-page, full-colour atlas of the Milky Way that includes 10 charts.
Reviews
"Great addition to my library."
"If you have, or are interested in getting, a quality telescope this book is great."
"I Love looking at the Star's and This book help me to know which Star's I'm looking at, Name them."
"We are new to star gazing using a telescope and I wanted a book that would help us learn more about space and what we were seeing. If I were going to buy a telescope, I might start by purchasing this book prior to purchasing a telescope."
"I just love this book."
"Not quite as captivating as the original Nightwatch, but a good publication nonetheless."
"I am a beginner in astronomy as a hobby so I have looked at all the resources I thought I needed like internet sites and forums, reviews and the like. The Backyard Astronomer's Guide is the best investment a beginner in the hobby could make it should be your very first purchase even before any equipment."
"This book will serve as a reference guide for I am constantly returning to the pages to learn more exciting information about this fascinating subject of astronomy."
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Best Movie Theory

Star Wars Millennium Falcon: Owner's Workshop Manual
This Haynes Manual traces the model history of the Corellian Engineering Corporation’s YT series of spaceships and the development of the YT-1300 model line before focusing on the Millennium Falcon, itself a modified YT-1300. Ryder Windham is a former editor of Star Wars comics and has written more than fifty Star Wars books, including Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force and The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader .
Reviews
"Very imaginative creation of a historical narative for the SW universe, and this ship design."
"I am looking to scratch build a Falcon as a prop in a RPG."
"Lots of cool background info on the ship's manufacturer and models you could get."
"Fun reading, incredible amount of fictious info regarding history of Correlian engineering and the fiction of all the YT-1300 systems."
"My brother was finally able to fix his Freighter with this detailed book :)."
"However, I will not be reviewing this "Millennium Falcon Owner's Workshop Manual" as a repair manual but as a reference book. What would have made this book perfect is to see a history of the ship beyond "Return of the Jedi," but the author says this was done so fans can enjoy the book without spoilers."
"A lot of ink is used fleshing out spaceships that are NEVER seen in the Star Wars universe, so I felt more attention should have been given to the Falcon."
"It's a bit outlandish to be obliged to fill out boilerplate ratings about the plot, mood, pace and characters of a tongue-in-cheek repair manual."
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Best Movie Industry

The Art of Big Hero 6
Walt Disney Animation Studios' Big Hero 6 is the story of Hiro Hamada, a brilliant robotics prodigy who must foil a criminal plot that threatens to destroy the fast-paced, high-tech city of San Fransokyo. Jessica Julius is a creative executive at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where she has worked on such films as Frozen , Tangled , Wreck-It Ralph , The Princess and the Frog , and Bolt . For many years, Hall worked within the story department and was the head of story on The Princess and the Frog and Meet the Robinsons .
Reviews
"This is an awesome art book for those into not only digital and traditional art mediums but for designers and graphic artists/designers and architects also! This book surpasses the art of the guardians of the Galaxy ( a book that I loved btw) and is almost on par with the first art of iron man movie book (which to me is top 5 in art of movie books due to the depth of information and photos and most important production art the makers included in their book)."
"Cited by art director Scott Watanabe, there are also influences from anime films such as Tekkonkinkreet, Ghost in the Shell and Akira. Looking at the city's environment concept art, you'll be able to spot Japanese elements such as the tapered rooftops, Koinobori (carp-shaped wind socks), a Golden Gate Bridge lookalike with Torii design elements, signboards with Japanese typography, wooden curved bridges, cherry-blossom trees, etc. There are also major characteristic San Francisco elements such as the roads with very recognisable cable cars, sloping hills, Victorian-style houses, etc. Finally the last part of the book talks briefly about the cinematography used, such as lighting, the new Disney Hyperion renderer and colour script. There's a good amount of text included in the form of introductions for each environment and character, and quotes from the staff talking about the designs."
"The art is absolutely stunning, and the format is like a comic book."
"It is a great book for anyone interested in the movie or just as a reference to gain insight and inspiration for your own concept art."
"I enjoy collecting art books for inspiration on my own artwork & the good people at Disney & Pixar have made that possible."
"It focuses quite a bit on the landscape and the creation of san fransokyo, which i loves to flip through, while giving brief descriptions of some of the scrapped ideas and methods used to create effects, such as cgi art."
"This book has a lot of pages about the settings of the futuristic Sanfransokyo (however you spell it haha), characters and armor."
"If you don't absolutely love Big Hero you must somehow have misplaced your inner child... get this book and rekindle your love for the child you lost."
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Best Movie Biographies

The Magnolia Story
By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper , they have become America’s new best friends. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garners the attention of a television producer who notices her work on a blog one day. The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their new, sleeping baby Joanna’s agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children When Chip buys a houseboat, sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a leaky wreck Joanna’s breakthrough moment of discovering the secret to creating a beautiful home Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple Memories and photos from Chip and Jo’s wedding The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others, and bolstering the city of Waco along the way. Chip Gaines and his wife, Joanna Gaines, are co-founders and co-owners of Magnolia Homes, Magnolia Market and Magnolia Realty in Waco, Texas. Hand in hand is exactly how Chip prefers to work, which makes Fixer Upper even more fun to watch, and he enjoys seeing his and Joanna’s passions merge to complement and serve one another.
Reviews
"They have overcome adversity and have built a life full of love, family, talent, professionalism keeping their faith first and foremost."
"Great reading couldn't put it down made me smile,laugh and see some things in life we all go through similar."
"I have been a huge fan of Joanna and Chip right from the very first show."
"This is a must read for all Fixer Upper fans."
"I found the back story of how the Gaines met, and got started, to be very interesting, and I would recommend this book to others … particularly someone who enjoys the TV show or has a passion for revitalization."
"Reading the history that led to "Fixer Upper" is fascinating, and it just makes me love the Gaineses and the show all the more. So The Magnolia Story is not a literary marvel, but it does appear to be true to who the authors are in real life (or at least on TV)."
"Chip and Joanna serve as role models for a marriage and individuals alike with their kind hearts and loving ways."
"I can't even imagine my husband making those kinds of decisions without my input, but their relationship comes off as very balanced despite these peculiarities."
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Best Movie Guides & Reviews

Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey
Harry Potter: Page to Screen , the follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Harry Potter: Film Wizardry , is a lavish and personal look at the entire filmmaking process that transformed J. K. Rowling’s fantasy series into a blockbuster movie franchise. Developed in collaboration with the creative team behind the celebrated movie series, this deluxe, 500-plus page compendium features exclusive stories from the cast and crew, hundreds of never-before-seen photographs and concept illustrations sourced from the closed film sets, and rare memorabilia.
Reviews
"This book gives you exactly what it said it would, harry potter page to screen in its entirety."
"It looks like a magickal volume and in a way it is, for it captures all of the magic of the Harry Potter movies, from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone all the way to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two. The first color photograph one comes across as one flips the book open is a full size portrait of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts (Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in HP films 3-8). So, the contents...the book (531 pages) is divided into three parts: Part I: The Making of Harry Potter. Introduction. Setting the Scene. HP and the Sorcerer's Stone. HP and the Chamber of Secrets. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban. HP and the Goblet of Fire. HP and the Order of the Phoenix. HP and the Half-Blood Prince. HP and the Deathly Hallows. Part II: The Art of Harry Potter. Introduction. Characters: Costuming. Locations: Set Design. Creatures: Special Makeup and Digital Effects. Artifacts: Prop Making. Part III: Epilogue. The Golden Boards. Acknowledgements and Colophon. The book goes in-depth into the many aspects of the film-making process, including valuable insights from and about the directors, actors, and all the other significant people who have worked on the movies, not forgetting the author of course. These details are enhanced by the hundreds of photographs that are found throughout the book, and what makes these pictures all the more extraordinary and valuable to the discerning reader is the fact that many of them were taken on set, during the making of the films, and apart from the photographs there are also full-color paintings in glorious detail. Btw, for those who are wondering about how this compares to Harry Potter Film Wizardry, I'd say they are both complementary (I own a copy of HP Film Wizardry) to each other. For example, in HP Film Wizardry, readers will get a chance to peruse a copy of the Marauder's Map, Harry's acceptance letter to Hogwarts, a catalogue from Borgin and Burke's, stickers in the Advanced Potion-Making pamphlet, two boxes of treats (sans the treats) from Honeydukes of Hogsmeade (you can tear them out and fold them into actual treat boxes, not that I would! This is a beautiful volume of substance for any fan of the HP books and movies."
"It is definitely a must for every Harry Potter fan."
"An excellent compendium which deserves a place on every Harry Potter fan's book shelf, detailing problems and solutions in interpreting the story."
"The second part of the book is dedicated to the art of the movies as represented in the costume designs, set design, make up and special effects, and prop making. Curiously, the live animals that "played" Hedwig, Crookshanks and Scabbers were left out of the book, which I thought was a strange oversight since a section or a few paragraphs on their role and that of the animal trainers would have really not been out of place in this book. Except for a picture in the "Locations: Set Design" section of the second half of the book, I couldn't find a reference of her and her character in the sections devoted to the making of "The Chamber of Secrets" or "The Goblet of Fire.""
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Best Movie Adaptations

The Art of Rick and Morty
Featuring exclusive never before seen concept art with a killer Glow-in-the-Dark cover, this is the art book that Rick and Morty fans have been waiting for!
Reviews
"I know this is alUUUUURP a a a lot to take in right now, but I mean it Morty… you gotta use that Amazon Prime account and order this book and when it shows up on your dooUUURRRRstep you need to eat it with your eyes."
"I have yet to finish the book but I love how it explains the thought processes behind the creative staff as they design the weird yet enjoyable characters of the Rick and Morty Universe."
"I love this book."
"Got this for someone as a gift."
"Pros: - Amazing glow-in-the-dark cover. - Great coffee-table piece or a gift for a Rick and Morty lover. - Offers a lot of interesting tidbits about side characters and their design (so your favorite is most likely going to be there). Cons: - Not as much information as other art books. - Finished character designs takes up the bulk of the book. Overall, if you're a huge Rick and Morty fan I definitely recommend getting this book for your collection for the cool cover alone, but if you're an avid art book fan just know that it's not as comprehensive as your typical art book."
"If you're a fan of Rick and Morty, or an inspiring artist this book is for you."
"It's actually packed with content from seasons 1 and 2 and has even more including the character concept art, tons of alien civilization character art(like the people on the purge planet and unitys planet and more), technology art and witty comments spread throughout as well."
"If you are a fan of Rick and Morty, or an aspiring animator you will love this book.It is beautifully made and assembled of extremely high quality materials,the printing and binding are exquisitely executed."
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Best Movie Encyclopedias

LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded
StarWars.com says, "DK Publishing's fan-favorite tome on the minifigures of LEGO Star Wars is back—with some Han Solo-worthy special modifications." LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded brings together the full collection of LEGO Star Wars minifigures into a fun and fact-filled book. "DK Publishing's fan-favorite tome on the minifigures of LEGO Star Wars is back — with some Han Solo-worthy special modifications."
Reviews
"The book is comprehensive and includes a mini figure."
"Along with each figure in the book it shows facts and other info about them such as if they are the only figure with a certain color or something."
"It doesn't contain any of the Force Awakens figures, but I imagine they'll be re-releasing it when Star Wars IX comes out, so we get as complete a collection as possible (with maybe the white Darth Vader this time, maybe?"
"I would love to see something minecraft like this, but my son is really into minecraft and Star Wars like most boys his age."
"These LEGO books are great."
"We had picked it out at his school's book fair but he had to earn it and by the time he did (on the last day of the fair), they were out of it and dint have time to order it."
"We spent time going through the book with him showing me different figures I had no idea who they were (guess it is from the comic version on television)."
"Updated version of older lego book, my kids love this to compare and see all the star wars mini figures."
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Best Amateur Movie Production

I Liked It, Didn't Love It: Screenplay Development From the Inside Out
A required textbook at universities worldwide for writing, producing, and development courses, the book sheds light on the inner workings of the feature film and TV development process, who all the players are, and how they fit together as content creators at film studios, TV networks, agencies, and production companies. What does "in development" really mean? Monika Skerbelis and Rona Edwards have lived the life of a studio and development executive, having developed and sold screenplays for the past 15 years.
Reviews
"The bookshelves and internet are overflowing with "How-To's" instructing the aspiring writer on how to conceive, write, and perfect their screenplay, but not many tell you what will happen to it once it is submitted and considered."
"I could be wrong, but I think this may be one of the only books that focuses on development."
"As a writer who has yet to sell a script, I've been told snippets of the information in this book by my agent and manager, but I never had the whole picture of what happens when my script leaves my hands."
"Perfect in this issue (I believe the only one about it)."
"For anyone interested in story development and story analysis -- this is a good book with valuable info."
"This book is marvelous in that it clearly shows new writers what will happen to their material once it is ready for Hollywood."
"In Hollywood, tourists buy maps to the homes of the stars."
"kind of fun, behind the scenes view of the biz."
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Best Documentary Movies

Directing the Documentary (Portuguese and English Edition)
A two-stage cinematic learning process: camera observation skills, then advanced storytelling Dozens of real-world exercises and case studies to demystify production processes and enhance your skills Easy-to-comprehend guidance in the creative, technical, and artistic aspects of directing Fresh coverage of the latest filmmaking technology Expanded sections on grant writing and fundraising, emphasizing proposal and pitching skills A self-assessment of your interviewing skills and expanded coverage of narration-writing A companion website (www.directingthedocumentary.com) that includes handy production checklists and forms, updated projects, exercises, and video examples. Rabiger has added to his in-depth analysis of the creative and practical implications of documentary production in this latest edition, with new sections on grant writing, technology, and case studies. "This book is a time-proof classic, a one-of-a kind roadmap to reaching excellence in documentary making that reads like good, inspiring literature.
Reviews
"Bought it as a Christmas gift."
"I feel like im in film school, it covers everything from A-Z."
"Excellant."
"This is a great textbook for understanding documentary production."
"Excellent for the practical student of documentary film."
"Best documentary book I know, really helpful and easy to read."
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Best Video

The Wes Anderson Collection
Also available from Matt Zoller Seitz: The Oliver Stone Experience , The Wes Anderson Collection: Bad Dads , The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel. , and Mad Men Carousel . “In The Wes Anderson Collection , Seitz expands a series of video essays on Anderson’s influences, illuminating as much of Anderson’s process as possible in a massive, beautifully rendered volume. Although it looks (and sometimes reads) like a coffee table book, The Wes Anderson Collection brings together style and substance to provide a loving homage to Anderson’s films and moviemaking in general.”. ( FILTER ). “ The Wes Anderson Collection comes as close as a book can to reading like a Wes Anderson film.
Reviews
"It's a cool book to page through in moments of time or fully immerse yourself in if you're interesting in making films."
"Anderson doesn't release many films....this book shows you why."
"Essays and interviews by Mark Zoller Seitz, amazing illustrations by Max Dalton and endless fascinating stills from the films plus a potpourri of relevant items from old films, books, magazines, catalogs and advertisements that will have you intrigued and wanting to keep returning again and again to marvel at all this content."
"When I first got the book it was damaged on the corners of the spine (like it had been dropped) but Amazon was great about exchanging it and I had a new book in perfect condition in just two days."
"Bought as a gift for a Wes Anderson fan."
"This was purchased for my son a 21 year old burgeoning film director/producer and he really loved it and read it from cover to cover."
"It's rich with content, behind the scenes photos, exclusive illustrations, and excellent interviews with Wes Anderson."
"This is absolutely essential for anyone who enjoys the films of Wes Anderson and also for anyone who is interested in film as an art form."
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Best Screenwriting

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting
No one better understands how all the elements of a screenplay fit together, and no one is better qualified to explain the "magic" of story construction and the relationship between structure and character than Robert McKee. The few words that do reach the audience, in the form of the characters' dialogue, are, according to Robert McKee, best left to last in the writing process. ") In Story , McKee puts into book form what he has been teaching screenwriters for years in his seminar on story structure, which is considered by many to be a prerequisite to the film biz. In it, McKee offers so much sound advice, drawing from sources as wide ranging as Aristotle and Casablanca , Stanislavski and Chinatown , that it is impossible not to come away feeling immeasurably better equipped to write a screenplay and infinitely more inspired to write a brilliant one.
Reviews
"Writing fiction is an incredibly personal experience, so to be clear I'm not saying that people who love this book as a writing how-to are wrong. I think if you have a certain mindset or approach to writing, this book will be extremely helpful to you. Some fiction writers employ a very methodical, intellectual approach, putting stories together like watchmakers carefully constructing a complex timepiece, creating detailed outlines first and using them as blueprints to build their stories. Some writers employ a more organic, intuitive approach, where creating a story is an unstructured process of discovery (the so-called "pantsers", because they work from "the seat of their pants"). Like I said earlier, if your writing mindset and approach are on the same wavelength as what McKee teaches, this is gonna be awesome for you and you're going to love it. But if you go about putting McKee's tools into practice and it just doesn't work for you, or you're simply not that kind of writer to begin with, don't panic if it feels like your brain has been taken over by McKee for a while."
"Engaging, in-depth exploration of what makes a good story, showing such an impressive wealth of knowledge and experience."
"Very inspiring for a new 'wannabe' author like me."
"Must read for anyone writing screenplays, novels, or stories of any kind."
"Story covers all elements of fictional script writing; themes, structure, design, dialog, and characterization; yet McKee dives so deep into each that any reader will be left with new profound ideas about the meaning of script writing."
"The writing is yours, but in McKee's Story you will find everything you need to understand about structure and deepening your thinking in relation to the construction of values, characters, conflicts and rythms of a good story."
"Better material than going to college for it."
"Good book for those who desire to make films.."
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Best Genre Films

Darth Vader and Son
Celebrated artist Jeffrey Brown's delightful illustrations give classic Star Wars® moments a fresh twist, presenting the trials and joys of parenting through the lens of a galaxy far, far away. "Darth Vader and Son is Brown at the top of his artistic game with beautiful full-color pages, many of which seem imbued with a sincerity that I would expect to find in his next autobiographical work, A Matter of Life. Author and illustrator Jeffrey Brown turns run-of-the-mill parenting activities into fun moments full of Star Wars references...Overall, Darth Vader and Son is a fun read for adult Star Wars fans who like a good laugh, as well as for children just learning to love these characters." "From potty training to lightsaber batting practice to ice cream runs, the endearing absurdity of the duo's dynamic makes for a remix treat of the most entertaining variety. "When the first Star Wars film conquered the world in 1977, no one could have possibly foreseen it going on to become such an ubiquitous part of our cultural heritage. of Darth Vader raising a four-year-old Luke Skywalker, the book twists father/son moments into scenarios within the Star Wars playground. However, the book also provides ample proof that adding a babysitting Darth Vader to any Star Wars situation makes it gently humorous.
Reviews
"In 54 pages Brown illustrates all the common expressions of child rearing and places them in the nerd universe of Star Wars."
"Mostly one liners from the movies, but if you've got a dry sense of humor (or maybe if you're a die hard Star Wars fan), you'll enjoy it."
"I grew up during the Star Wars era - where Anakin Skywalker was a mangled, cyberfilled ball of hate with only the vocal talents of James Earl Jones saving him from eternal peril (that Jones' voice can save the soul of a man who blew up a flipping planet is quite a testament)."
"Hilarious!"
"It is full of images from the original Star Wars movies, but it doesn't follow a specific timeline like the next book in this series: Star Wars: Vader's Little Princess."
"My husband flipped through and read the entire thing when he opened it."
"Maybe I will see if the library has the rest in this series, which would still only make for an hour of reading, tops."
"Perfect gift for a Star Wars fanatic, soon-to-be brother-in-law."
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Best Screenplays

Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
“Save the Cat” is just one of many ironclad rules for making your ideas more marketable and your script more satisfying, including: The four elements of every winning logline The seven immutable laws of screenplay physics The 10 genres that every movie ever made can be categorized by ― and why they’re important to your script Why your Hero must serve your Idea Mastering the 15 Beats Creating the “Perfect Beast” by using The Board to map 40 scenes with conflict and emotional change How to get back on track with proven rules for script repair This ultimate insider’s guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a showbiz veteran who’s proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat. Blake Snyder has written an insider's book that's informative ― and funny, too.” – David Hoberman, Producer, Muppets Most Wanted (2014), The Muppets, The Shaggy Dog , Raising Helen, Walking Tall, Monk (TV).
Reviews
"A little different take on the perspective of writing in general. and screen writing specifically ."
"I guess I should have expected it to be well written."
"Very helpful for screenwriters."
"This was recommended from a YouTube filmmaker video .. glad I took the plunge."
"I am learning about screenwriting and this book came highly recommended."
"Great book on screenwriting (or writing in general)."
"The writing style is easy to read and not preachy."
"It stretched my thinking in regards to the typical genres taught, and I find that refreshing and creatively stimulating."
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