Overview

Often forgotten among the actors, directors, producers and others associated with filmmaking, art directors are responsible for making movies visually appealing to audiences. As such they sometimes make the difference between a hit and a bomb. This biographical dictionary includes not only the world's great and almost-great artists, but the unjustly neglected film designers of the past and present. Among the more than 300 art directors and designers are pioneers from silent films, designers from Hollywood and Europe's Golden Ages, Asian figures, post-Golden Age personalities, leaders of the European and American New Waves, and many contemporary designers. Each entry consists of biographical information, an analysis of the director's career and important films, and an extensive filmography including mentions of Academy Award nominations and winners.

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9780786437719

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Reviews

Easy to use, interesting to read - Booklist/RBB; solid...the scope is impressive...valuable - Film & History; Stephens is at his best showing readers how, when, and why an art director influenced the dominant visual style of a studio, of an era, and of a series of films - ARBA; very well written - Classic Images; illuminating...filled with original research - Past Times; encyclopedic...an admirable and useful reference tool - Monsters from the Vault; extensive - Psychotronic.

"Easy to use, interesting to read - Booklist/RBB; """"solid...the scope is impressive...valuable - Film & History; """"Stephens is at his best showing readers how, when, and why an art director influenced the dominant visual style of a studio, of an era, and of a series of films"""" - ARBA; """"very well written"""" - Classic Images; """"illuminating...filled with original research"""" - Past Times; """"encyclopedic...an admirable and useful reference tool"""" - Monsters from the Vault; """"extensive"""" - Psychotronic."

“easy to use, interesting to read”—Booklist; “solid...the scope is impressive...valuable—Film & History; “Stephens is at his best showing readers how, when, and why an art director influenced the dominant visual style of a studio, of an era, and of a series of films”—ARBA; “very well written”—Classic Images; “illuminating...filled with original research”—Past Times; “encyclopedic...an admirable and useful reference tool”—Monsters from the Vault; “extensive”—Psychotronic.

Author Information

Film historian Michael L. Stephens lives in Savannah, Georgia. He is also the author of Film Noir (2006) and Gangster Films (1996).

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