Arts and Culture Books

Prepare to Board! Creating Story and Characters for Animated Features and Shorts - does what it says.
This book will help you create a story and the characters within. I've read other books on storyboarding, but this book should be the one to start with. Then move on to Ron Bluth's - Art of Storyboard & Wendy Tumminello's - Exploring Storyboarding

Ms. Beiman's book is exceptional; it not only discusses storyboarding, but also the entire pre-production process, from character design to art direction to using cinematic lighting and camera angles. I'm never boarding without using tonal drawings again!

I'm going to be the Teaching Assistant for the Storyboarding class at UCLA's MFA Animation Workshop in the fall, and I'm going to tell all the newbies to GET THIS BOOK!!!

This is a truly wonderful book filled with practical, concrete knowledge about how to plan for an animated production.

In the past, I have seen a few somewhat superficial treatments of similar topics, and I was initially a little bit skeptical of this book. Suffice it to say that my expectations were vastly exceeded. Storyboarding is a central part of animated movie production, and it has finally gotten a definitive treatment in book form. This book is highly entertaining, beautifully illustrated, and really packed with information.

Many readers of my own book Introducing Character Animation with Blender are interested in creating animated movies. I highly recommend that they take a look at this inspiring and informative book to ensure that they get off to a good start.

Well written and well organized, "Prepare to Board!" is a wonderful source for learning the ins' and outs of animation boarding.

Nary a step in the process is glossed over or a stone left unturned. I'm quite impressed with the book all around, and have learned a lot about the inner workings of animation.

A definite recommendation.

Nancy Beiman's book "Prepare to Board" is a must-have for animators. If you're serious about working in the industry then this book is for you.

The quick little lessons are excellent tools for practice and improving skills. This books helps to increase creativity and really gives great advice. No other animation book has achieved what "Prepare to Board" has.

Nancy Beiman knows the ins and outs of the animation world and you can tell why she's worked on so many great projects - she's the best at what she's talking about. Nancy Beiman is a professional and this book will help you along your path to a career.

If you're not lucky enough to know her and have her as a Professor (or even if you do), then it goes without saying BUY THIS BOOK!

This book is a necessity for any Buster Keaton fan or any fan of Hollywood history. It is well researched and absolutely fascinating.

This is a great book. I love to watch Keaton's movies with this to hand, it gives a whole new insight to the films. It is easy to read and it is interesting to see the sights of LA from the 20's. Sometimes it is sad to see that some of these locations are gone, where the building of freeways have necessitated the removal of whole city blocks. If I ever get to visit LA I know that this book will be going with me.

Years ago I purchased Civil War historian William A. Frassanito's excellent books "Gettysburg: A Journey in Time" and "Antietam: The Photographic Legacy of America's Bloodiest Day," which examine and compare historic and modern photographs of these famous battle sites. John Bengtson has done essentially the same thing for Hollywood using Keaton's films, and the result is nothing short of miraculous. Here are scenes of what used to be but are no more, resurrected with the benefit of Bengtson's keen eye, detective-like mind, and obsessive attention to detail. This is one heck of a fun book, and you'll spend many hours going over the photographs.

Amazingly, many of the scenic backdrops that Keaton used in his films still exist, and they serve today as nostalgic reminders of a relatively primitive and innocent time that has all but disappeared.

John Bengtson has done something so simple yet so essential to film history. If you live in LA the book will have a greater meaning. If not you can marvel at the almost film-archeological work Bengston has done in finding the exact places the great Buster Keaton filmed some of his best films.

This is a truly different kind of book. We get to see the locations that Buster made his films, and how they have changed through time. We also get to see how the author went about finding these places, a kind of historical research that takes a tremendous amount of time and effort.

This book is one that I automatically pick up when I'm not sure what I want to read, but want something interesting.

If there was a complaint, it would be that many of the pictures and some of the text is really too small. I have great eyesight, some of this is too hard for even me to see, and I know many people have a harder time with small text and pictures. Lay off of our eyesight, eh?


Still, a totally fascinating book. I can't get enough.

This book is an indispensable companion for huge fans of the ALIEN series, especially those who, like me, think that ALIENS is the pinnacle of the franchise. But even if you're just a casual fan of the series but a major lover of science fiction, this is a great book to have.

The most amazing part of the book is the long essay on combat between capital ships in space. The essay is a very hard-science fiction oriented piece that addresses a lot of the issues with ship to ship combat that are taken for granted in works like Star Trek and Star Wars. It addresses issues like combat between two ships in orbit around a planet, cloaking against a starfield, space mine arrays, directed energy weapons, railguns, and the use of decoys in space combat.

The rest of the book is equally believable in its portrayal of futuristic warfare, and it does an excellent job of giving background information on the world of ALIEN without holding the reader's hand or revealing everything. The pictures, drawings, and schematics are nothing short of amazing.

The book delivered exactly what it was supposed to. The equipment described were mostly from the second movie, which was expected since the colonial marines only made an appearance in that one. I was expecting a few more vehicles and weapons that were not shown in the movie. The arsenal of the marines appeared to be very limited. Whatever the case, this is a good book for fans of the movies and sci-fi fans who like big weapons. The section on the aliens themselves was kind of brief, being mostly accounts from Ripley.

I loved the quotes between the sections. The ones where other Marines are "telling what they heard". You get bits and pieces and everything gets exaggerated and blamed on the Company. It's funny "because we know better." And the descriptions of the APC and dropship are great. Too bad we don't get to see them more in the movie.

Not much more I can add that others haven't other than to push the point home. This book is a technical sci-fi fan's dream come true. The level of detail and realism put into this book rivals that of the Star Trek technical books, and even surpasses them on some levels. This book is painstakingly researched and is an official and authorized explanation of the weapons, ships, tech and much more are covered in this book.

Just about everything you could want to know about the technical aspects of the Alien and Aliens universe are here. You can know exactly how a pulse rifle or a power loader works. You can see the inner workings of a dropship. You can see the full capabilities of the Sulaco. You name it, and it's there. You even get entries for military equipment that was not in the movie, but still part of the Alien universe.

Did I mention Alien? Yeah you get a ton of information on the Nostromo as well as details on the escape shuttle and equipment they used. You also get extensive details on androids as well (from both movies). They even go so far as to explain how faster than light travel works. Not only do you get all this, but you get some awesome information regarding the alien itself.

The book itself is very well made considering it's labelled as a paperback. The cover is a thicker card stock and glossy on the front while the pages are made from a quality paper as well. The book quality is like what you would find on the Star Wars technical books or better. Definitely bigger than those books.

I wish all sci-fi technical books would go into this much detail with their subject matter. This book is pretty much the standard I look for in other technical manuals. If you ever get a chance to find this one and are either a big Alien fan or just a big fan on these types of books I recommend getting it. For some of you even with the high prices (I think the original list price was around $20) you see in auctions and here you might still find this book worth it.

this book provides a great deal of information on the Colonial Marines from "Aliens". all of you potential Aliens video game modders out there must get this book. it has served as an excellent reference book for all my "Aliens versus Predator" modifications. with several illustrations, it also provides the artist with valuable "Aliens" info. even the curious Sci-Fi geek will find this book thoroughly interesting.

As a screenwriter, this is the 14th book I've read on the subject, and by far the best. Derek Rydall not only prepares you externally to be a script consultant, he prepares you internally as well; forcing you to peel back the layers of your own psyche, and examine your inner obstacles to your own success.
Derek is not afraid to share his failures along with his successes, to help you avoid making the same mistakes. Each chapter starts with a few appropriate and inspirational quotes that create the setting for the chapter, and inspire the reader. What can I say? If it's not in the book, you don't need it! Five stars for this book that helps you shoot for the moon.
-- Scotland Miles
Screenwriter and Author

Read and analyse your script from cover page, FADE IN to FADE OUT. Derek Rydall packs a lot of useful information in this well thought out, well written book. This is the meat and potatoes of the biz.
Do yourself a huge favor and read this book before you submit your next script. Chapter Two shows you how the studios see the difference between an amateur wannabee and a pro. Chapter Four brings in a wealth of good advice from well known experts like Linda Seger, Michael Hauge and David Freeman. David Freeman's sample scene analysis alone might make the difference between being kicked up the ladder or kicked out the door. You need every tool you can get your hands on to make your script a contender. Make this book part of your arsenal.
Whether you want to get your scripts in the door or want to be a script consultant this could be your blue prints to success.

Can anyone who has ever been to a movie not have looked at some of them and wondered how such trash got produced? No one would start out with the intend of making a bad movie. You have to wonder how a group of people, presumably experienced and not unintelligent have produced something like that.

This book is written by a script consultant who tells what it's like to review and consult on the movie that's about to be made. While we all think that we could do this work, here's what the work involves. Here's how to get started. The best advice that I think he gives is work with someone in the business to at least establish the contacts.

This is a business like any other. You need at least the understanding of who does what. It is unlikely that very many of the readers of the book will actually become successful at script consulting, but it is still interesting reading to see what is done. It's an interesting insight into the movie production business.

There are plenty of movies on the market which feature substandard writing - so bad that even an audience member might think they can do better, let alone an aspiring screenwriter. If you're a member of the latter group, I Could've Written A Better Movie Than That! How To Make Six Figures As A Script Consultant Even If You're Not A Screenwriter is for you. It tells how to use this sense of perfection to earn cash as a script consultant, and comes from author Rydall's years of experience in the industry. Chapters show how to analyze stories in any form, write coverage, repair scripts, negotiate contracts and more. Plenty of books tell how to write the script: few, except for this, tell how to make money repairing one.

I really liked this book and I believe that there aren't any others like this one. It talks about how you can start a highly lucrative business as a script consultant and a re-writer.

The only thing that makes me hesitant is the ease (or difficulty) in establishing credibility as a consultant if one hasn't written anything worth mentioning.

Other than that, this is an incredible book and I hope that not too many people read it because it's an INCREDIBLE business idea and I want to pursue it myself.

I really enjoyed reading this book in fact I read it twice. The bond that Eddie Levert has with his family is remarkable.The love and respect that he has for his ex wife Martha Levert is admirable, though they had their differences according to the book.Also even though Gerald Levert was a star he was always family 1st.I have read a lot of books about famous celebrities,and I have to say this one took the cake. Kudos also to Lyah Beth Leflore.

this is a very heart felt book i like how close they were as father and son and know how far to go with each other as friend

I love eddie levert as well as gerald levert I enjoyed the read and realize they shared a special relationship I will proudly add this book to my biography collection

I just received this book on Monday, December 17, 2007 and I finished it today. This is a lovely book to give to anyone as a gift. Regardless of how famous Eddie & Gerald Levert became as music artist. The family bond is powerful. The relationship of father and son is awesome. The mother of Eddie's children is given the utmost respect of how she held this family together with her love and strength. I'm a single mom and I learned so much about my own relationship that I had with my father when he was alive and the relationship I'm developing with my daughter.

I thought this was a very poignant novel it's goes through the ups and downs of their relationship and also what it's like to be in the music business. Although Gerald Levert will be missed his memory will carry on thru. Put it on your miss read list.

The book "Sound Design", the expressive power of music, voice, and sound effects in cinema, is one of my favorite in my collection. I always recommend it to colleagues and customer. During my technical seminars-workshop and product training sessions, I have often taken inspiration from the book, particularly the sections "TRY THIS" that the author has included in various parts inside it.

The book is written with great passion!

Sonnenschein effectively covers the theory behind shaping the soundtrack, and gives great examples of the ideas in action. I loved the candid quotes from masters like Ben Burtt, Gary Rydstrom, Walter Murch, Dane Davis, and others. I started noting down all of the films he mentions as examples of good sound design, until I noticed Sonnenschein was one step ahead and had already noted them all in the back. Only 4 stars 'cause I personally wanted more technique and a little less theory.

This eloquently written book describes the rhyme and reason behind all the sounds - music, effects, and dialogue - that are blended together to create the sophisticated soundtracks we're accustomed to. Sonnenschein, a director, musician, and award-winning sound designer, combines practical wisdom with sound theory and exercises to inspire and educate both new and experienced sound professionals. The book will appeal to non-professionals and other filmmakers as well because it's fun, entertaining, and enlightening. The author clearly loves and knows the world of sound and it's a joy to be brought into this world.

This was an interesting book, and it really gave me some new perspectives on sound design. Sonnenschein focuses on the organization and mindset of sound design, rather than the technicalities. I especially liked the excerpts from top sound designers such as Dane Davis (The Matrix, Drugstore Cowboy), Gary Rydstrom (Backdraft, Saving Private Ryan), and Ben Burtt (Star Wars, Indiana Jones).

My only knock on the book is that Sonnenschein was repetitive at times. The book would be about 30 pages shorter if he didn't repeat points that were made in previous chapters. Never the less, it was an interesting read, and I still think it is a great resource.

I am very glad, that I found this book. It helps me think about making sound design in a very deep point of view.
I love it!!!
Thank you David Sonnenschein:-)

Jan Sleska
student of sound engineering

Excellent pictures, interesting information. This is a must have for Disney fans of the Haunted Mansion! It even covers Disney's other haunted mansions around the world, and the Haunted Mansion movie. Everything you ever wanted to know!

THis book was great! A ton of information on the ride! I couldnt put it down! It was great.

This book is a must read for ALL ages and ANYONE interested in Disney theme park attractions around the globe. Any Disney fan knows that the Imagineers are very particular about what is revealed to the general public in terms of how they make their Disney 'magic' and I was pleasantly surprised (being an avid Disney fan myself) by the research that went into the making of this book and the amount of knowledge shared with the reader - it DOES in fact reveal some secrets of the mansion and never before seen history of the making of the attraction. (It confirms and dispels some rumors about the attraction once and for all too!) A pattern of discussion is followed throughout the book as you are verbally walked through the mansion's corridors and rooms. Surrell consistently covers the Haunted Mansion in a logical order (Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris) in every chapter. He takes the subject matter full circle by including information about how the attraction was translated to the big screen, and gives the reader insight to how decisions were made pertaining to set design, costume design, and casting for the movie of the same name. If you want an intelligent, thorough and enjoyable read about a classic Disney attraction, and especially an insight to the magic that is Imagineering, this is a MUST READ!

Lots o' great info on both the Ride @ the Disney Theme Parks + the Movie [which I loath - sorry but the Haunted Mansion wasn't meant to be made into a 2 hour episode of the Fresh Prince of Bellaire, mmmkay ?] + the Haunted Mansion Holiday ....

Future editions should drop all reference to the Movie, then spend more time on the Haunted Mansion Holiday [Nightmare Before Christmas Holiday makeover] + recent "changes" that occured in 2006 [I'd make it a 5 star if they did that] ....

If you don't want to read the book, please buy it for the artwork
[best priced Disney Merchandise vs. what you will pay @ the Theme Parks] ....

~(^)~

You buy this book thinking it's a great "behind-the-scenes" resource, but it's not. Yes, there is some background information, but the book skips confusingly from park to park, and offers very little technical information on the special effects. The photos are all standard Disney promotional stuff...this book tells you what Disney wants you to know, and nothing else.

Go to doombuggies.com for a much better treatment of this classic ride.

This is a wonderful book, organized into 1-page-text-story with 1-page-picture. Great for bed-time story telling. Just pick up any story and kids enjoy it. Very appropriate for elementary-school-age kids. Highly recommended way to introduce mythology via short stories with great humor.

"The Little Book of Hindu Deities" by Sanjay Patel is a witty, fun, and refreshing guide to the goddesses and gods of the Hindu tradition. After a traditional opening blessing from the elephant headed god, Ganesha, Patel jumps right in with explanations on the Hindu trinity of gods, forms of the god Shiva, and manifestations of the Goddess.

What makes this book truly unique, however, is Patel's colorful interpretation of the gods. Each deity discussed has a full color cartoon-like counterpart. Drawing from his work at Pixar, Patel creates playful and whimsical images of the Hindu divinities that are both adorable and full of life.

The writing itself is also quite funny. In his description of Saraswati, for example, he writes "...Saravati enjoys playing her instrument, the veena, as loud as she wants and can sit glued to her favorite books, the Vedas, guilt free for hours...Gods, eat your heart out, because this goddess is not available or interested--that is, unless your have a library card or can play back-up sitar" (page 39).

For anyone interested in Hindu myth, "The Little Book of Hindu Deities" is a must. Patel brings the gods, heros, epics, and demi-gods of Hinduism alive in a way I have yet seen. Where else can you find the
fierce goddess Kali turned into a huggable power-puff girl? Simply too much good stuff!

Rating: 5 out of 5 magick wands!

This bright and cheery book is great for all ages. The illustrations are great and the author defines each God/deity so well and with a touch of humor. There are so many Hindu deities, that its hard to keep them all straight but this book makes it easy to remember. With each deity, its like reading a great story and the way that Patel envisions each deity is so fun.

The approach of the autor is really lovely and innocent. Evey story is full of love. I guess is a book for children over 10 years, I am 49 so I am over the minimun age to enjoy it.

I am a yoga teacher and I have read some of the stories with differente context. Even the most fierce deities are looked with love, this is the true value of the book and this is how the deities should be explained to any interested in hinduism

Pedro

In addition to a lifelong appreciation of Hinduism, I've been engaged in serious research for the last two years and of the 50 plus books i have acquired and scores more i've read, this is my favorite. It has great insight in a light, enjoyable presentation. Hinduism's broad pantheon is represented in a colorful, appealing and descriptive style. I've purchased about a dozen copies for friends - i can't keep one in my house! Every time someone sees it, they fall in love with it. It's such a fun book - even people who weren't interested in Hinduism are now! I Love It!

For all the information here, I can't believe this book didn't cost twice as much! Reviews, radio listings, a glossary of terms, etc. Passport to World Band Radio, 2008 really expanded my radio experience by opening my eyes up and tuning my ears into what all else is out there!

I have used Passport for almost twenty years now. Before the internet it was the best way (and only practical way) to keep track of schedules and frequencies and still is since my PC can't be everywhere my radio is. It also is a great resource if you are shopping for a shortwave radio as all major sets in all quality and price ranges are reviewed. There is also alot of general information for shortwave listening and information on future trends. No world band listener should be without the most current version of this book.

This is a must own for any shortwave listener, form newbies, to professionals. I've barely scratched the surface of all this book has to offer. My Favorite feature is the "blue pages". The blue pages have frequencies down the side, and times along the top, you just find the frequency you're listening to and intersect it with the time, and you've got the station you're listening to.

This is a reference/text/fun/must have every year book, for all shortwave radio listeners and alike. It does a wonderful job in all areas of SWL. It provides info on radio selection, all types. New and up-to-date stations,
frequencies, countries of origin, time of broadcast, xref. frequencies to stations and times. Interesting ads. You need this book the whole year. It uses high grade paper(its heavy too), has articles on countries, people, stations, things of interest, pictures in many categories. This book is quality cover to cover. Useful for an entire year, and parts of it forever.
Is that a great book or what!
Extremely Recommended !!!

As a new world band radio listener this book is my guide and guru. I live in a rural area and have no neighbors that are interested in world band so I use it as one of my major resources. Coupled with information from the world wide web one can get a start as a listener and have fun listening to what is happening in the world and see how others view the same news event.

This Movie Is Great It Has The MG-42 Bullets Going Right Through The Water On The Beach.The Blood,Gore,Gun Realism Is Great.It Also Is A Heart Touching Movie.The Action Is Great,The Guns,The Cool Guys,And The Nazis....

This Movie Is Great It Has The MG-42 Bullets Going Right Through The Water On The Beach.The Blood,Gore,Gun Realism Is Great.It Also Is A Heart Touching Movie.The Action Is Great,The Guns,The Cool Guys,And The Nazis.If You Like SPR(Saving Private Ryan)Than Play The Game MoH:AA(Medal Of Honor:Allied Assault)For PC It Has The Same Weapons And The Same Missions Like The Real WWII.Good Luck

I think Spielberg's a genius. There, I've said it. He takes simple men, surely John Miller, Captain, 2nd Ranger Battalion is just that, a simple man, and paints a canvas of such detail of Armageddon, putting these simple men all over the painting. Hell. The end of the world. Good versus evil. Call it what you may. "I'm a history teacher," he says in the movie in one extraordinarily tense scene. "I teach history in a small high school in Pennsylvania. . . .when I'm done here I don't know if I can go back to it."

I'm reminded of another 'simple man' that came from Pennsylvania in novel lore. Lieutenant Harry Brubaker, the lawyer who flies F-9 Panther Jets in Michner's brief story about the carnage in Korea, 'Bridges at To Ko Ri.'

But the point is Spielberg tells us that they were all simple men and we don't believe him at first. We keep looking for Arnie Schwarznegger or Chuck Norris or The Rock. But they are and were normal guys, guys from Brooklyn New York and Brooklyn Michigan. Guys from towns you never heard of in Iowa, where Jimmy Ryan and his brothers came from. Just guys in the greatest carnage the world ever knew. And Spielberg shows us what they did. They changed the world.

The five Sullivan brothers all went down with their ship in the middle of the war and after that the powers that be would not commit one brother in a theater of combat where another brother was also serving in harm's way. So here, one of Jimmy Ryan's brothers is killed in the Pacific and one brother is killed in Anzio Beach. And Sean Ryan is killed in the landing at Omaha Beach. And Captain John Miller and a squad of men he picks are asked to find him to send him home.

A wonderful book to compliment a movie that should be preserved forever about an ubelievable body of men and women. "Was I a good man," asks James Ryan 50 years later? My Dad asked me the same question a few years ago. Five stars is not enough. Larry Scantlebury.

I think this story is a very good story it really shows how the war really whent. my favrit character in this story was mellish well i'v seen the movie and i think he is the cutest i also like capazo he was really cool i think uhpum was a bit of a wimp but apart from that i think it was really cool.If i was to give this movie/book a raiting out of 100 i would give it 100 becaust it is so good.

Saving Private Ryan and The Triumph and the Glory have sparked an interest in me about WWII. The novel isn't quite as good as the movie but anyway this book is a great behind the scenes look at the making of a terrific movie.