The Art of Finding Nemo (Hardcover)

by Mark Cotta Vaz (Author), John Lasseter (Introduction), Andrew Stanton (Introduction) "When Andrew Stanton first pitched Finding Nemo, John Lasseter, a longtime scuba diver, had one bit of advice: get certified for scuba diving and discover..." (more)
Key Phrases: environment art director, story reel, color pencil, Ralph Eggleston, Bruce Zick, Nelson Bohol (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...Vaz focuses on the illuminating concept art that inspired the digital artists at Pixar. And the result is magical." -- Premiere, September 2003

Books about animated movies are rarely artistically accomplished enough to astound. Not so Mark Cotta Vaz's coffee-table book THE ART OF FINDING NEMO which happily isn't a by-the-numbers look at how the hit film was made. Instead Vaz focuses on the illuminating concept art that inspired the digital artists at Pixar. And the result is magical. The artists were able to use a draft of the script as their blueprint (rare in animated films), and it paid huge dividends.
In many ways the concept art surpasses the digital art of the movie itself. There's an emotional (not sentimental), articulated depth to the work, particularly in the pastels and the charcoal renderings (by production designer Ralph Eggleston and Simon Varela, respectively) that digital art - for all the technology involved - simply cannot match. So cheer the movie's accomplishments and heart, but let the astonishing art included here flood your mind. - Premiere

Product Description
Pixar Animation Studios, the Academy Award®–winning creators of Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s 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 children’s 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.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811839753
• ISBN-13: 978-0811839754
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #46,423 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This item is part of The Art Of Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Finding Nemo; Amazing!, June 14, 2003

By	TerryT (WA United States) - See all my reviews

This book is a gem. Reading it, you get an appreciation for all the WORK that was put into this excellent film! The amount of effort these people exerted to create the characters, backgrounds, computer-generated "water," and every other aspect of the movie, is incredible. Flipping through these pages, you really get a feel for that.

The pictures are beautiful and make you realize things you don't think about while watching the movie. You don't realize that the story wasn't always going to play out the same way. You don't realize that the characters may have looked different had the animators chosen to go in another direction. Looking at these early sketches, step by step pastel drawings, and much more, you see what it's really like to make one of these fantastic films.

The quotes throughout are humorous and enlightening. (I particularly like the descriptions of the sharks and the fishtank.) They even reveal a secret I didn't catch after seeing the movie twice; the man in the dentist's office with the skull on his shirt is supposed to be a grown-up Sid from "Toy Story!" That kid needed a trip to the dentist! Overall, "The Art of Finding Nemo" is an unbeatable coffee table book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Great Book., April 22, 2003

By	A. Burbach "Michael B." (Iowa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was surprised by the "goodness" of this book. I have a LOT of The Art of [insert title of animated here] books. I am 13, and I would do ANYTHING to be an animator. If you want to see books similar to this, look at my listima list. One of the books on my list, is the Art of Monsters Inc. Its just like this book, but better. Nemo has pretty much all the same things as Monsters.... except it's just plain BETTER. The art is amazing and its really cool to see all the different mediums, from digital art to good ol' fashioned pastel. I highlt suggest this book, its at a great price. It was fit neaty and perfectly next to your Monster book, so dont worry 'bout that. It has a great dust jacket and the whole book is nice and hard, with thick, heavy paper. Buy it, I love it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A glimpse of the talented artists of Pixar., June 23, 2003

By	Edward Juan "ghost" (Valencia, CA. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is similar to the Art of Monsters Inc. However, this time you get more than just images but you also get small introductions and quotes from the artists/animators. The book starts off with an introduction from John Lasseter and Andrew Staton, both Disney veteran animator and Pixar founder. Then the book goes off with a frenzy of incredible concept art, drawings, sketches, character sketches, color definition, and storyboard. It is amazing of how much effort they put into the film. Prepare and be dazzled with Ralph Eggleston's pastel storyboards (director of FOR THE BIRDS)! You also get a full throttle of hilarious character sketches by such famous modern illustrators - Peter DeSeve, John Sohn, etc. Pages of incredible studies on sea life and color concept for the film.

This book is a perfect inspiration for any animator or film/animation student.