Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace Portfolio [Box set] [Hardcover]

Doug Chiang (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

Chronicle Books and Lucasfilm continue their exploration of ?an exciting new universe with ?The Phantom Menace Portfolio. This incredible chrome box houses 20 beautiful offset ?lithographs of Doug Chiang's Episode I production paintings. The Design Director who ?transformed George Lucas' ideas into the vibrant world of Episode I, Chiang captures the ?fantastic scope of the Star Wars cosmos in vivid color and exquisite detail. Chiang has ?also created a new painting exclusively for this collection. Perfect for framing and safely ?nestled in a metal vessel as sleek as Queen Amidala's royal starship, The Phantom ?Menace Portfolio is the consummate reward for the Star Wars faithful.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Doug Chiang has received an Academy Award, two British Academy Awards, a Clio Award for his work in film and television, and the Prix du Rendu at the 2003 Imagina CG Film Festival for his Robota teaser. A veteran of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light and Magic, he served as design director for the Star Wars prequels. His paintings are exhibited nationally and in a variety of publications, including limited edition prints. He lives in Northern California. Read an interview with Doug Chiang!

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811825809
• ISBN-13: 978-0811825801
• Product Dimensions: 17.9 x 10.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent presentation, content slightly disappointing, October 30, 1999

By 

J. Moledina "consumer avenger" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace Portfolio (Hardcover)

I was looking forward to this collection of production art more than any other piece of Star Wars paraphernalia accompanying the new film. I have been collecting the production art produced by Ralph McQuarrie for the first three films since 1977, and have come to appreciate a certain degree of romance conveyed in the images. In this case, I found that generally the artwork was strangely lifeless. Watching the film, I found the queen, her ship, and young Mr. Maul to be the most striking and evocactive images in the film, however, the production art seems to focus more heavily on the Gungan design and environments. I was particularly expecting to see a known Chiang painting of the Queen's Starship on Tatooine. I found the contrast of the highly polished ship against the sand artistically evocative. This image was not included in this collection. Having said that, I enjoyed the Coruscant print very much, and it is matted and framed above my computer as I type this. The box, too, is an excellent stroke of design genius, incorporating the Flash Gordon-esque spirit of the Queen's Starship.

Although I am glad I bought this set, I felt it was important to those considering a purchase to illustrate that it is not as fulfilling as, say, the original Star Wars portfolio. I hope this is helpful.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get rid of all your other SW junk!, April 14, 2000

By 

George K. Chou (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace Portfolio (Hardcover)

If you think about it, a Star Wars fan has the option to buy Star Wars posters, toys, games, Dorito prizes and try to amass their own empire of collection. But think about it even more...regardless of how big of a Star Wars fan you are sooner or later you will realize that all those Star Wars paraphernalia are junk having the tendency to compile up. If you really want to get your hands on quality then you only need to look for a few places. As a die-hard SW fan, you should not be without the films themselves, the music, and most of all the pre-production artwork...where the saga really begins. The product is wonderful. Immediately after getting the product, I tore down all my other Star Wars stuff, like a puzzle I finished within a grueling twenty hours, old Phantom Menace posters, old Dorito stuff. I tore it all down. I was freed. I figured the product that I got was superb and deserved its chance on my wall.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars simply great, June 15, 2000

By 

"artwork777" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace Portfolio (Hardcover)

this things is nice especially at this price its definetly one of my favorite star wars related items. i must say i did not enjoy the movie as much as i would have liked, however i do love star wars in general. this collection of pre-production sketches are really nice to look at. they all come printed on high quality stock and coated with a nice glossy finish. they people who put this toegther really took time rather than just throwing a episode one logo on it like most companies did. this is truly a great gift for the star wars enthusiast. lastly the packaging is excellent and comes in a nice metal tin which completes the entire package and makes this a great collectible.