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The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting Paperback – September 2, 2004

by Mark Cotta Vaz (Author), Craig Barron (Author)

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Now available in paperback, The Invisible Art provides an unprecedented retrospective of matte art painting -- the unsung hero in the fast-paced world of cinematic visual effects. Until recently, matte-painting techniques were closely guarded secrets kept locked up on studio lots. The Invisible Art flings open the gates to reveal the finest representations of matte paintings from rare examples seen in epics such as Gone with the Wind and Citizen Kane to prove that the brush is mightier than the computer, as seen in such blockbusters as Star Wars and Titanic. Lavishly illustrated, the book's tremendous scope unveils a century's worth of fascinating stories, legendary personalities, and cunning movie craft from the first pioneering "glass shots" to the dawn of digital technology. Including a foreword by George Lucas, The Invisible Art conjures a never-before-told story of film wizardry.

The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting

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About the Author

Mark Cotta Vaz recently completed his 19th book, a biography of Merian C. Cooper, creator of King Kong which is scheduled to be published by Random House in 2005. Vaz's books on movie history include Industrial Light + Magic: Into the Digital Realm, which

Craig Barron has been an innovator in the cinematic technique of matte painting for the last two decades, playing a key role in the effects for films from The Empire Strikes Back to The Last Samurai. A veteran of George Lucas's effects company, Industrial Light + Magic, Barron now heads Matte World Digital. He is currently creating the visual effects for an Imax film on the Universe for professor Stephen Hawking. Barron lives in Marin County, California.

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books; F First Edition edition (September 2, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 081184515X
ISBN-13: 978-0811845151
Product Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,743,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1354 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > Equipment, Techniques & Reference > Equipment
- #1917 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Movies > Video > Direction & Production
- #2318 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Movies > Direction & Production

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Five Stars

ByMarkuson August 2, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

really a wonderful book

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Beautiful

ByLauren Kushneron June 14, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

It's a beautiful book with fascinating information. It takes apart scenes in movies that have matte paintings -- showing you the components that went into the painting.

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Worth looking for

ByR. Goreyon April 22, 2006

Format: Paperback

To anyone interested in the golden age of moviemaking, in special effects, or the art of this very specialized skill, this book will be a grand treat. The author knows his subject, and knows some of the images created by these artists are among the most powerful and indelible in the movies. Lavishly illustrated and quite thorough, "The Invisible Art" is a treasure trove of behind the scenes information, explanations, and dissections of the complicated process by which these fantasy environments and set extensions were realized. It's an expensive book (the softcover is slightly less pricey) but there has never been a film book like this, on this subject. Other special effects guides reference matte painting, but no one has ever analyzed the technique in this way. Films profiled include "King Kong" "Wizard of Oz" "Citizen Kane" "Thief of Bagdad" "Black Narcissus" and "Ten Commandments", among dozens of others. A wonderful job by someone who clearly cares for his subject.

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At the very least, it makes a loveley coffee table book.

ByCheryl Vanderbilton August 21, 2007

Format: Paperback

I purchased this book last year when I was taking a Digital Matte Painting class. I wanted to learn more about how it was accomplished during the golden age of cinema.

The pictures in this book are stunning! There are hundreds of before and after pictures, showing the original film and the glass plates separately.

They also take care to show all the various techniques used in Matte Painting... such as using a mirror to reflect the image, hanging a scaled model in the foreground, and even using a circular screen for a rotating background.