The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

These are becoming my xmas ritual now, see the film and then buy the "Art of" book. Well put together, with lovely photos and pre-production art, these books are a must for any Star Wars collector. Size is classed as "coffee Table" book -eg: designed for casual browsing. My only complaint is the poor packaging for these books used by Amazon, which ends up with minor denting to the edges.. a book of this quality should not be wrapped in a card "wrap around" packaging. Back on topic- price point is great, and i am sure these will become collectible in years to come (as with most SW mech). I have loved reading and viewing the creative process that goes into making these films, so a highly recommended purchase for any SW fan.

The three sequel Star Wars films received endless criticism but this attitude baffled me. Mind you prior the three sequels, the three prequels also seemed to irk many filmgoers but over time opinions softened. This book is packed with the artwork produced before and during The Force Awakens and I'm sure the original Star Wars artist, Ralph McQuarrie, would have approved of the efforts of his contemporaries. This is a "coffee table" book of quality. Learn how 'Rey' evolved from her original conception called "Kira" and follow her journey from artwork to becoming Daisy Ridley. Brilliant book!!

Fantastic collection of The Force Awakens concept art with lots of information about how the sequel trilogy was conceived, it gives quite a bit of insight into character and plot development, world building and what not. If you love the sequel trilogy this is definitely a must have book (and even if you are not too keen on it, it's still an interesting read, and after you know the behind the scenes stuuf, who knows, it might even grow on you a bit!)

I have never regretted purchasing a Star Wars movie art book, because, for me, the talented artists who create such iconic visuals, easily provide me with hours of further entertainment - well beyond that of the runtime of the movies themselves. The incredible artwork, with footnotes from those who create them, also tell you not only the development of what appears on film, but those ideas that did not. This is a great coffee table addition, well-bound, with pages of glossy material, which will be as interesting to the reader in 20 years as it will the day he/she bought it. Recommend for all fans of the films and those who love pretty pictures.

Great book, that shows a great insight to the making of the movie. Coffee-table sized book printed on high quality paper, with notes and relevant comments on the art throughout the entire book. The concept art is sorted chronologically starting Jan. 2013 and up until post production of VII, some might find it strange that not all concepts of one character/item/location/etc is placed together, but I enjoy this chronology to see how the entire movie changed during the process. The book was damaged upon arrival due to bad packaging, but Amazon customer service was a good experience. This is the only reason I give this review four stars instead of five.

Really pleased I watched the film first then got the book the next day. I have a few art books on film and game concept art and a few star wars ones. This is up there with the best! This is a stunning book which really captures the star wars universe and the new film. There are some pieces that did not make it to the screen which is a shame as they were incredible. I hope some of these ideas make it to the next film (Jedi killers). The book itself is jammed with stunning art and I absolutely love it. If you buy this you want regret it, its a thick hardback and well worth the money. Really pleased I made this purchase.

This is without a doubt one of the best Star Wars books ever produced in my opinion. Ever page is beautifully detailed, with attention to layout and ordering that expands on the mythos of its creation and drips of the page delving into the filmographic evolution in the creation of the next Chapter in the Star Wars saga. New perspectives can also be formed after viewing of the film and analysing the contents. I cannot recommend this book highly enough it is one of the best things I have ever purchased in relation to Star Wars. I would give it seven stars if I could.

Let me tell you about this book okay. From literally the first page it promises to deliver some kick-ass art and deliver it does. In amongst the beautiful concept art, you can see the way the story itself and the characters evolved over time. It also includes random pieces of history and background information for characters or things about the Jedi order you might not have known. It's awesome and every Star Wars fan needs to get their hands on it ASAP.

Excelent livre pour suivre le processus créatif qui a permis au film le plus attendu de la décennie d'exister. Comme pour chacun des films précédents, les differents designs et dessins conceptuels réveillent l'imaginaire. Si il n'y a qu'un seul produit à acheter sur "The Force Awakens", s'est bien celui là. En esperant qu'un jour soit enfin publié le livre "making-of" de J.W. Rinzler.

December 18, 2015 will be a day long remembered by countless "Star Wars" fans as the date that Christmas came early; for on that day, the Saga they loved began a new era with the official North American premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the first film to be produced under the stewardship of the Walt Disney Studios. For this "Star Wars" fan, that merry day began with an early morning screening of Episode VII, followed by the eagerly awaited afternoon mail arrival of the "Star Wars Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" by John Williams, and the product of this review, "The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens" by Phil Szostak. It was truly a happy "Star Wars" holiday for me! "The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is the latest in what has become a treasured tradition of wonderful books showcasing the imaginative behind the scenes work involved in the creation of the cinematic "Star Wars" Saga. Like its predecessors, this volume provides the reader a rich and lavish collection of pre-production artwork that reveals the evolution of another epic tale of the beloved "galaxy far, far away." The book is structured as a chronology of the creative movie making process from the early days of the film's genesis to post production. As is the norm with this series of books, while "The Force Awakens" film is a live-action adventure with stunning visuals that are part of the magic of any "Star Wars" movie, this tome is very much an 'art of' book, concentrating on images in color and black and white imagined by the talented artists gathered to bring the Saga to life. Thus there are very few photographic shots taken from the final film included in this volume. Despite that, readers will discover amazingly detailed works of art within this book. From the wrecked remains of a crashed Star Destroyer on the dessert planet Jakku by Doug Chiang, the striking visage of an "old priest" by Martin Rezard, the eerie images of the "ghost" of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader by Iain McCaig, to the rusting 'carcass' of a fallen Imperial AT-AT Walker, the makeshift home of the movie's young heroine, Rey, by Martin Wallin, the quality of the art is stunning. There are also artistic images of a more impressionistic style that evoke a sense of atmosphere and awe: Han Solo and Chewbacca standing in silhouette in a "Falcon Corridor" by Matt Allsopp, "Snow Fight" by Erik Tiemans and Iain McCaig, in which the forces of good and evil clash with light sabers on a wintry night, and the many richly rendered set pieces, in which "Rally Site Troop's View" by Kevin Jenkins is just one excellent example. Comments from members of the creative staff are featured as well, giving added insight to the challenges and joys of interpreting this cherished film legend. As a whole, these collected sketches, drawings and paintings display ideas envisioned, accepted, rejected and perhaps most tantalizingly, maybe one day seen again in the ongoing "Star Wars" Saga. Since the days of the very first "Star Wars" film, George Lucas, the creator of this classic story telling achievement, has shown respect and appreciation for the many concept artists and other gifted craftspeople who helped bring his cinematic mythology to life. Over the years, Mr. Lucas has allowed many creations never designed to be seen by the general public the opportunity to be revealed and recognized as true works of art. That gesture is continued with the publication of this beautiful book. "The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens" comes with this reviewer's highest recommendation. May the Force Awaken within you, and be with you, always!

"The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens" è un libro che offre una splendida panoramica degli aspetti creativi e visivi che hanno dato vita al settimo episodio della saga di Star Wars. Il libro presenta una vasta selezione di concept art, storyboard, disegni e fotografie che mostrano il processo creativo che ha portato alla realizzazione del film. Il libro è organizzato in modo molto chiaro e dettagliato, seguendo le principali fasi della produzione del film, dalla pre-produzione alla post-produzione. Gli artisti coinvolti nella realizzazione del film hanno fornito commenti illuminanti e interessanti sulle loro creazioni, offrendo al lettore una visione approfondita del processo creativo che ha portato alla realizzazione di un film tanto atteso. La qualità delle immagini è straordinaria, con molte pagine a doppia apertura che mostrano concept art e disegni dettagliati in modo impressionante. Il libro è anche corredato di testo che spiega le scelte creative fatte dagli artisti, fornendo una maggiore comprensione della visione che ha guidato la realizzazione del film. In generale, "The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens" è un libro eccezionale per tutti gli appassionati di Star Wars e del cinema in generale. Offre una panoramica affascinante del processo creativo che ha portato alla realizzazione di uno dei film più attesi degli ultimi anni. Consiglio vivamente questo libro a tutti coloro che sono interessati alla produzione cinematografica e alla creatività visiva.

Esse livro é mais voltado para adultos. Não tem tantos desenhos dos personagens principais, mas sim visões artísticas primárias dos planetas, criaturas, naves etc. É uma visão artística, bem diferente do registro fotográfico de livros como os Visual Dictionarys. Ele não foca nos desenhos e visuais finais que foram para a tela. O livro foca nos primeiros desenhos, rascunhos e pinturas que iriam formar o visual do filme. São visões criativas muito interessantes e uma visão técnica de como se visualiza um universo a partir do zero. Recomendo.

Este libro es maravilloso. Está lleno de bocetos, storyboards, pinturas y blueprints (iniciales, descartados y aprovados). La maquetación es diferente de la mayoría de libros de este tipo --que normalmente muestran el contenido por importancia de personajes, localizaciones, vehículos, etc. o siguiendo la cronología del filme. The Art of the Force Awakens muestra el arte en el orden en que fue creada, comenzando con los primeros concepts de finales de 2012 para acabar con los últimos cambios en diseño llevados a cabo durante la postproducción en Enero de 2015. Así que, a medida que avanzas en el libro, puedes ver la evolución de sus diseños. Y los textos acompañan esta experiencia, ya que incluyen comentarios de los artistas involucrados en el proceso. Tanto si te gusta indagar en la labor de los diseñadores en el cine como si eres fan de Star Wars, este libro es una preciosidad.