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This Fall, The Walt Disney Animation Studios returns to its timeless art form of hand-drawn animation. From the creative minds of directors John Musker and Ron Clements (The Little Mermaid and Aladdin) comes an American fairy tale and musical set in the heart of New Orleans during the Jazz Age. This unforgettable tale of love, enchantment, and discovery features Tiana, a young girl with big dreams who is working hard to achieve them amid theelegance and grandeur of the fabled French Quarter. The Art of The Princess and the Frog showcases the lush concept art of this sure-to-be-classic movie, including sketches, character designs, lighting studies and storyboards, alongside inspiring quotes from the directors, producers, artists and designers, including veteran hand drawn animators that brought you many of Disney's most classic and unforgettable characters.

In the tradition of the Toy Story films; A Bug's Life; Monsters, Inc.; Finding Nemo; and The Incredibles comes the newest film from Pixar, Cars, the story of a race car who learns that it's not all about the fast lane. In fact, life begins at the off-ramp. The Art of Cars invites you on an illustrated road trip with the most successful animation studio at work today. Ride with Pixar's exceptionally talented artists, writers, and designers to uncover the origins of their charming and clever automobile-based world. Gathered in this overflowing scrapbook are hundreads of pieces of concept art that helped to convert real-life imagery and stories from the back roads into rich, memorable characters and colorful backdrops. Including a forward by director John Lasseter , insights from the artists and production team, and lively text by Route 66 experts Michael and Suzanne Wallis, The Art of Cars is a spirited ride in the fast lane of a masterful animated feature film.

Originally published in 1970, Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. 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.

Inspired by a 2,000-year-old Chinese legend, Mulan is the first animated feature film to be primarily produced by Disney's studio in Orlando, Florida. This richly illustrated volume, The Art of Mulan, reveals the story behind the making of the film and includes more than 350 stunning color and black-and-white illustrations, showcasing a variety of art produced by the many talented artists who worked on the film.Like film's heroine, the Disney artists who created Mulan made a journey of self-discovery that began with a momentous decision - to make a modern-day film adapted from an ancient Chinese source. Their efforts to remain faithful to the spirit of the original legend and the traditions of Shinese culture, while at the same time make it accessible to today's international audience, are chronicled in The Art of Mulan by the artists themselves. Their words reveal their passion while their art demonstrates the dazzling array of talent Disney committed to the making of a truly moving and spectacular film.

DisneyPixar's next leap forward will take viewers back to the story that started it all. This summer, Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Rex, Slinky Dog, and Hammalongside a surprising cast of new toysreturn to the big screen in Toy Story 3, a comical new adventure in Disney Digital 3D. In The Art of Toy Story 3 internationally renowned animation historian Charles Solomon takes readers through the technical challenges, triumphs, and emotional hurdles that faced the Pixar team as they developed the toys' new adventure. The Art of Toy Story 3 includes an extended introduction showcasing the story and visual development behind the first two films, as well as a gallery of over 250 pieces of concept art. Featuring storyboards, character studies, color keys, reference photos, environment art, and a special gatefold of Toy Story 3 color scripts by art director Daisuke Tsutsumi, this deluxe volume provides a memorable narrative of the entire Toy Story trilogy.

The Art of Hercules: The Chaos of Creation celebrates the humor and zaniness of Disney's thirty-fifth animated feature film through an extraordinary display of spectacular art and a unique description of the creative process. The Art of Hercules focuses on the moments of inspiration and epiphany that breathe life, humor, and romance into an animated film, showcasing the sketches and artwork that come to define the look of the animated characters.

In 2005, director, writer, and producer Christopher Nolan redefined the Batman legend with Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader. A fresh, dynamic reboot of the franchise, Batman Begins explored Bruce Wayne's evolution from billionaire orphan to Gotham City's dark avenger. The film deconstructed the super-hero genre and put an indelible stamp on it – Nolan's character-driven, hard-edged realism gave Batman a new, "real-world" origin story.A 2008 sequel, The Dark Knight, took those compelling foundations and raised the stakes, pitting Batman against a deranged master criminal, the Joker (Heath Ledger, whose performance won him a posthumous Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor), in an all-out war for Gotham's soul. At once a sprawling crime epic, a rumination on moral relativism, and a blockbuster action film, The Dark Knight expanded the scope and depth of Batman Begins and broke box-office records.Now, the final film in The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, brings Nolan's Batman saga to an end. An epic disaster movie on a global scale, The Dark Knight Rises blends the tragic, character-driven roots of Batman Begins with the thrilling action and thematic complexity of The Dark Knight.The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy tells the complete behind-the-scenes story of these three monumental films. Based on in-depth interviews with Nolan and all of the films’ key cast and crew - including cowriters David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan, cinematographer Wally Pfister, and composer Hans Zimmer - and supported by lavish art and never-before-seen photography, the book reveals the creative development and design behind The Dark Knight Trilogy. Each chapter is devoted to a separate step of the filmmaking process, highlighting how Nolan's vision and working methods - favoring repertory-style casting, tenets of classicla drama, and practical effects - helped make the definitive Batman for a new generation.

Pixar Animation Studios, the Academy Awardwinning creators of Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bugs Life, and Monsters, Inc., are bringing a new animated movie, Finding Nemo, to the screen this summer. This visually stunning underwater adventure follows eventful and comic journeys of two fish-a father and his son Nemo-who become separated in the Great Barrier Reef. The underwater world for the film was conceptualized and developed by the creative team of artists, illustrators, and designers at Pixar, resulting in a lush landscape rich with detail. The Art of Finding Nemo celebrates their talent, featuring concept and character sketches, storyboards, and lighting studies in a huge spectrum of media, from five-second sketches to intricate color pastels. This behind-the-scenes odyssey invites the reader into the elaborate creative process of animation films through interviews with all the key players at Pixar. There will be childrens books related to Finding Nemo, but no adult titles other than this definitive volume. Revealing, insightful, and awesomely creative, The Art of Finding Nemo will delight film-goers, artists, and animation fans alike.

The latest Ghibli masterpiece of the imagination, brought to life with sketches and stills from Arrietty.Reads L to R (Western Style). Co-founded by the legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli films have enthralled and enchanted audiences across the world. The Art of series gives fans the opportunity to follow their favorite film from initial concept to the silver screen, thanks to hundreds of sketches, concept drawings, and animation cels, plus in-depth interviews with the creators.

In Rise of the Guardians, North (Alec Baldwin), Bunnymund (Hugh Jackman), Tooth (Isla Fisher), and Sandman try to recruit the mysterious Jack Frost (Chris Pine) to help them stop Pitch (Jude Law) from putting an end to childhood belief and sending the world into eternal darkness.Rise of the Guardians is one of DreamWorks Animation’s most ambitious films to date, allowing families to get to know the icons of childhood in a whole new way. Its mythic premise provided the artists at the studio with an opportunity to let their imaginations soar, producing a truly unique take on the imaginary figures of childhood and the innocence and joy they represent. The Art of Rise of the Guardians is a fascinating look at the ways these artists and craftspeople collaborated to create a stunning CG movie in 3D that will change the way we look at childhood.

The Art of Spirited Away collects colour illustrations of Spirited Away for the first time in an English edition! This book includes paintings and designs from the new animated film from the director of Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke. Large-size, hardcover coffee-table book featuring artwork from the renowned animated film, Spirited Away, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Features commentary, colour stills, sketches, storyboards, and illustrations used to envision the rich fantasy world of the film. Also includes a complete English-language script.

A stunning visual companion to the newest film from Tim Burton ("The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"), featuring storyboards, movie stills, and Burton's own drawings. "Corpse Bride" carries on in the dark, romantic tradition of Tim Burton's classic films "Edward Scissorhands" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas," Set in a 19th century European village, this stopmotion, animated feature follows the story of Victor (Johnny Depp), a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham-Carter), while his real bride, Victoria (Emily Watson), waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love. It's a tale of optimism, romance and a very lively afterlife, told in a classic Tim Burton style. Like Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas," this official visual companion showcases spectacular movie stills, sketches, paintings, and Tim Burton's own drawings. Covering preproduction, production, and post-production, sections detail character realization, set development and construction, puppet fabrication, costuming, and stop-motion filming. The book's final part retells the film's story in images with synopsis, storyboards, and lyrics. 140 color illustrations.

This beautiful book is essential reading, for any Studio Ghibli fan, and for any person, that desires to learn more about the art and work, that went into the making of the incredible film, My Neighbour Totoro. This film, is one of my personal favourites from Studio Ghibli, and I think it is impossible to actually dislike it. It is one of this films that you watch, and afterwards, you just cannot stop smiling. I just love it.The book showcases the gorgeous art from the film, and pays attention to the rich colours and effects, and we are told how they achieved those. The imagination behind this is amazing, and I just love the whimsical cat bus. What I'd give, to have a ride on one of those!This was a real treat, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series.

Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols-the legendary fighters Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey-under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat.Every page of The Art of Kung Fu Panda brings you behind-the-scenes and into the studios of DreamWorks Animation, where artistry and storytelling reign. Featuring more than 300 pieces of visual development artwork, behind-the-scenes stories and insights from the filmmakers, with special attention on character design and awesome CG effects, The Art of Kung Fu Panda is a timeless book sure to inspire and delight.

Legendary game designer American McGee created one of the most visually arresting games of all time in American McGee's Alice. Eleven years later, McGee returns with a sequel just as groundbreaking as his critically acclaimed classic - Alice: Madness Returns!Just in time for Alice: Madness Returns, Dark Horse and Spicy Horse Games invite Alice fans to take a journey through the wonderland of American McGee's imagination for an unprecedented look at this creation of this magnificent and disturbing world. Featuring an introduction by McGee, The Art of Alice: Madness Returns offers an intimate look into the stunning and terrifying artwork behind this blockbuster reinterpretation of Lewis Carroll's enduring masterpiece.

Academy Award-winning writer/director James Cameron, the maker of Titanic and the creator of the Terminator series, has been crafting Avatar for over four years. The film follows the story of an ex-marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on a distant planet filled with exotic life forms. As an avatar, a human consciousness in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. The Art of Avatar, the companion book to this epic 3-D action adventure, explores the developmental and conceptual art used by the creative team to create the original world of Avatar. With over 100 exclusive full-color images including sketches, matte paintings, drawings, and film stills, The Art of Avatar reveals the process behind the creation of set designs for the imaginative vistas, unique landscapes, aerial battle scenes, bioluminescent nights, and fantastical creatures. Interviews with art directors, visual effects designers, animators, costume designers, and creature makers bring insight into this creative process. The Art of Avatar brings readers behind the scenes of this unprecedented moviegoing experience.

In Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the artists of Walt Disney Feature Animation - inspired by Victor Hugo's literary masterpiece Notre-Dame de Paris - bring to life the visual and theatrical themes of light played against dark, heaven cast against hell, good opposing evil, inner beauty outshining emotional ugliness. The stunning art and evocative text of The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame take the reader on a fascinating journey through the making of the movie, the world of medieval France, the nineteenth-century Gothic literature that embraced that world, and the imaginations of the creative artists who have masterfully combined these challenging elements into a magnificent animated musical. The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame features the rarely seen spectrum of art created in the making of the film, as the story is imagined and re-imagined in a variety of media - from conceptual paintings, to story sketches and layout, drawings, through the many stages of animation and background painting, computer generated imagery, effects animation, and final art from the production. The range of artwork is both vital and luminous, capturing the beauty and splendor of this stunning realization of fifteenth-century Paris. The lively, informative text features background on the original Hugo novel, as well as the historical influences, inspirations, and ideas the creators of the film brought to the animation, story, and music.

This book is apparently out of print, and very hard to find, but I managed to locate a used copy online, and I'm so glad to finally add it to my Disney art book collection. After the frustration of reading the subpar Aladdin offering, this is a real breath of fresh air, and the start of a series of really excellent art books on the Disney films.I was without question obsessed with The Lion King when it was released, and although it doesn't stand as my favorite after all these years, the story, characters, music and art make impossible to deny it is one amazing film. This oversized book is full of artwork from the movie, from the earliest concept character sketches and color studies to finished stills from the film. The first part of the book provides a concise telling of the story of the film from start to finish, and includes art and lyrics relevant to the scenes and musical numbers as it goes. There are storyboards, pencil sketches, color paintings and digital art, thumbnail and full-page illustrations. Featured artists include Chris Sanders, Andreas Deja, Mark Henn and Andy Gaskill. Only in the last 30 pages or so does the author actually step in and provide some insight to the making of the film. It's concise, but thorough, and just enough information. He describes the research trip key members of the production team took to West Africa and its stylistic and artistic influences on the development on the film. He discusses the characters--the ones who lasted and the ones who were cut from the story early on--and how the story evolved into the one that so many know and love all these years later. He talks about the animators, the clean-up artists, the process of writing the music, and various other aspects of filmmaking, including the increased use of computers. It doesn't drag on, it's very well-written, and it gives a good amount of insight into just how much work goes on in the making of an animated film, and just how collaborative the process really is.This book is a beautiful companion piece that fans of The Lion King, animation or art in general will enjoy immensely.