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Publisher: Insight Editions Author: Lorne Peterson Cover Artist: Cover Price: $395.00 Media: Hardcover ISBN: 1-933784-10-5 - 1st SYNOPSIS From the producers of the acclaimed Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars comes an inside look at the secrets behind the saga's artful models and sculptures. Lorne Peterson, model and sculpture designer for the entire Star Wars saga, takes us on a journey through the intricate process of crafting and sculpting the models from sketch to screen, and the amazing artistry behind the dazzling results. Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop features more than three hundred full-color photographs and illustrations from the Lucasfilm archives, models from all six films, interviews, images, and text with concept sculptors, an overview of the Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) model shop from 1976 through today, and numerous gatefolds of the most-loved models. ILM virtually redefined visual effects and blazed a trail into the digital realm. Follow Peterson behind the cameras and into the rarely seen workshops with this amazing exploration of movie magic. Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop offers the first in-depth examination of these amazing models, as well as a penetrating behind-the-scenes view of their creation, punctuated by Lorne Peterson's exuberance and dedication to craft. This unique visual treat is a must-have for any Star Wars fan! | ||
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The second book in Insight Editions, Galaxy series (the first being Dressing a Galaxy by Trisha Biggar) offers a candid and detailed view at the models and creatures of both the Original Trilogy as well as the Prequel Trilogy.
Many viewers may assume that since the digital age has hit Hollywood, models and sculptures are no longer created. Not the case, as this book shows. While the models and environments created are limited, there's often no substitute for the creation of the actual thing. Digital composition and special effects only make it easier to add into the environments.
Introduced by George Lucas, and with a foreword by Rick McCallum and an afterword by Ken Ralston, Lorne Peterson takes the reader through the history of models in the Star Wars Saga. The included chapters are Starships, Vehicles, Creatures, Droids & Sculpts, and Environments.
As a reference book this volume is top-notch. There are often multiple angles of the models, dramatic lighting plus rare behind-the-scenes photos from the six films. And for those ultra large models, the fold-out's allow for the reader to see enhanced detail.
Speaking of enhanced detail, four pages of Falcon shots allow for many up close and personal shots of the various components on her hull. Fans will be impressed by the detail of the imagery, while fellow model enthusiasts will delight in spotting the found materials that went into crafting a number of the older ships.
At $50 the standard edition is no-brainer. If you are even a casual fan of the special effects and models of the Star Wars saga, then this a great reference piece for your library. Collectors will have to decide, however, if the Deluxe edition is worth the extra $345. The additional gatefolds and book contents are really cool, and to have a piece of the Death Star (even if it's a reproduction) is a pretty cool display piece. The DVD is chock full of cool footage and works well as a video companion to the edition. But in terms of value for your money, I can't say definitively that this is the best box set.
You'll have to decide for yourself which edition your pocketbook can afford, but whichever way you go, know that you are in for a treat of visual detail and craftsmanship, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away!
A great inclusion is the appendices for both editions. They feature a yearbook style list of all the modelmakers and creators of the elements shown in the book. Also included is a thumbnail gallery of the models and creatures to aide the uninitiated to more easily find the thing they are looking for.