Product Description
Hank Miller is a photographic artist
who catapults the realm of
photographic art out of the digital
darkroom and paper album pages,
pushing the envelope of visual effects
into a state-of-the-art digital mastery
of Image, Color, and Light.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Perfect Traveling Companion
I just happened across this little book while browsing amazon, and I couldn't be more impressed! I was totally new to digital photography and on my way to Hawaii - and came home with the best photos I've ever taken. A must for travelers and amateur photogs like myself. ... Read more

Product Description
The computer-generated image (CGI) is one of the most astounding developments in the rapidly evolving field of digital technology. It allows for the creation of make-believe worlds and characters that are so realistic they fool the eye and the mind. Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Gladiator and feature-length 3D animations such as Toy Story, Shrek and Ice Age - films that have left audiences speechless, forever altering our expectations of what a film can represent - owe their distinctive details, or even their entire creation, to computer-generated imaging. This spectacularly illustrated volume is the first book to consider CGI, from big-screen effects to full-length animated films, from games to fine art, as the art form of the 21st century. Focusing on 3D art only, the most exciting area of the field, the book features CGI's leading creators in film, television, games and fine art, showcasing approximately 250 examples of their astonishing work in glorious reproductions. Peter Weishar, a professor and computer artist who is at the forefront of the field, brings both technical and aesthetic viewpoints to bear in this thoroughgoing celebration of a major new art form. ... Read more

Product Description
Video art dominates the international art world to such an extent that its heady days on the radical fringes are sometimes overlooked--often unknown. This book is an essential and highly entertaining guide to video art and its history. Elwes, herself a pioneer of early video, traces the story from the weighty Portapak equipment of the '60s and '70s to today's digital technology, from early experiments in "real time" to the "new narrative" movement of the 1980s. She also examines video's love-hate relationship with television, from its literal destruction in "scratch" video to its apparent absorption into the mainstream with works commissioned by Channel Four. Throughout its forty-year history, video has been allied to self-portraiture, landscape, painting and sculpture and has been co-opted as a political tool. Artists discussed include amongst many others Nam June Paik, Nan Hoover, The Duvet Brothers, Dara Birnbaum, Bill Viola, Pipilloti Rist, David Hall, Stuart Marshall, Shirin Neshat, Smith & Stewart, Steve McQueen and Sam Taylor-Wood.
... Read more

Product Description
Founded as a backlash against abstract expressionism, Minimalism was characterized by simplified, stripped-down forms and materials used to express ideas in a direct and impersonal manner. By presenting objects as simple objects, minimal artists sought to communicate without referring to expressive or historical themes. This critical movement, which began in the 1960s and branched out into land art, performance art, and conceptual art, is still a major influence today.

Featured artists: Carl Andre, Stephen Antonakos, Jo Baer, Larry Bell, Ronald Bladen, Walter De Maria, Dan Flavin, Robert Grosvenor, Eva Hesse, Donald Judd, Gary Kuehn, Sol LeWitt, Robert Mangold, John McCracken, Robert Morris, Robert Ryman, Fred Sandback, Richard Serra, Tony Smith, Frank Stella, Robert Smithson, Anne Truitt ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

new media art for class
If you need this book for class, it's great. The projects are very interesting. It was a good buy.

New Media Art book
The product came in fine condition. However I ordered expedited shipping and it took over a week to get here. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An eye-candy treat of the best in digital toons and comics!
This is a suberb overview of the current state of digital cartooning. It showcases many of the top digital cartoonists and comics artists working today.It features beautiful full-color spreads of digital art, reproduced large (thank you very much), and details on the background and approach of each featured artist.

The book also includes many useful tips and techniques for digital cartoonists, although its real strength is as a showcase of some of the best digital cartooning and comics art out there. A beautiful book. ... Read more

Product Description
In Snap to Grid, an idiosyncratic guide to the interactive, telematic era, Peter Lunenfeld maps out the trajectories that digital technologies have traced upon our cultural imaginary. His clear-eyed evaluation of new media includes an impassioned discussion--informed by the discourses of technology, aesthetics, and cultural theory--of the digital artists, designers, and makers who matter most. "Snap to grid" is a command that instructs the computer to take hand-drawn lines and plot them precisely in Cartesian space. Users regularly disable this function the moment they open an application because the gains in predictability and accuracy are balanced against the losses of ambiguity and expressiveness. Lunenfeld uses "snap to grid" as a metaphor for how we manipulate and think about the electronic culture that enfolds us. In this book he snaps his seduction by the machine to the grid of critical thinking.How can we compare new media to established media? Must we revert to a default dichotomy between utopia and desolation, the notion that media, even digital media, by themselves can redeem or damn us? As he answers these and other questions, Lunenfeld takes into account the post-1989 politico-economic context in which new media have developed and grounds the insights of theory in the constraints of production. Artists discussed include Mark Amerika, Char Davies, Hollis Frampton, William Gibson, Gary Hill, Perry Hobermann, JODI, Christian Möller, Adam Ross, Jennifer Steinkamp, Stelarc, and Diana Thater.Amazon.com Review
Where were you in '89? A better question may be: where have we been going since the Berlin Wall fell while, at the same time, hundreds of interdisciplinary walls dissolved in the face of new technological solutions. Snap to Grid: A User's Guide to Digital Arts, Media, and Cultures explores these changes as they affect how we think about and react to the world through our computer-generated filters.

Author Peter Lunenfeld, director of the Institute for Technology and Aesthetics, is well-versed in the scope of new art and design, incorporating painting, architecture, and writing in his critique as well as the expected software, virtual reality, and computer-based installations.

The first part of the book, "Cultures," examines the interactions and economics of new art and business, and how each contributes to the development and implementation of new technologies and creates a need for what Lunenfeld calls "real-time theory." Next, in "Media," is a brief discussion of the confluence of new or reinvigorated art forms. The book thoroughly explains and illustrates the state of the art in hypertext, digital photography, the Web, virtual reality, and hybrid architecture. Finally, "Makers" profiles the theory and works of six artists emblematic of the changes seen in recent years. Individuals such as filmmaker Hollis Frampton, video artist Diana Thater, and installation artist Jennifer Steinkamp show us the new world we're creating using the tools of its creation.

Eschewing the academic reliance on jargon to obscure meaning and cull the readership, the book strives for more direct communication--even including a brief glossary at the end. Snap to Grid can be read equally well as criticism, history, and futurism--thus completing the circle of influence from technology to art to theory. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Responsible Look at the Influence of Technology
Many times writers will fail to address or recognize the potentail of hypertext as a medium, or will discuss virtual reality in some niavely science-fictioness manner.Peter Lunenfeld embraces these issues and more in a way that is hard to accomplish without chronological distance.Without attempts at all-encompassing rhetoric, he makes strong, undeniable observations of where our culture is, with reference to the digital media that encompass it.

Particularly exciting (for me) is the point that virtual reality is only significantly present as an "object to think with", a sort of prophetic idea which influenced society greatly without ever being fully acheived.Its a more productive look in the mirror instead of the usual look to the supposed future.

Important distinctions are made between traditional chemical photography and digital photography, as well as between the telephone and the world wide web.Also very interresting is the discouse on digital media's influence on architecture, with several eye-opening examples.

Obviously I was most intrigued by the discussions on media, but there are two more sections, one on cultures, the other on makers.The culture part focuses on "technocultures", the demo, and the aesthetics neccesary in this environment; the makers part on the work of specific artists and their cultural importance.Several examples are given to show what results in this electronic culture solidly reinforcing each argument. ... Read more

Product Description

This book explores the application of art and design principles in the digital realm. It explains some of the necessary technical details of digital media that can help readers make better technical decisions when using their tools for creative purposes.  The book covers the essentials of digital media – digital imaging, video, audio, and multimedia authoring – while emphasizing the elements of art and design. Software-specific videos show how to use popular digital media applications.  For anyone interested in learning the basics of digital media.

Product Description

Product Description
Digital Filmmaking has been called the bible for professional filmmakers in the digital age.It details all of the procedural, creative, and technical aspects of pre-production, production, and post-production within a digital filmmaking environment. It examines the new digital methods and techniques that are redefining the filmmaking process, and how the evolution into digital filmmaking can be used to achieve greater creative flexibility as well as cost and time savings. The second edition includes updates and new information, including four new chapters that examine key topics like digital television and high definition television,making films using digital video, 24 P and universal mastering, and digital film projection.




Digital Filmmaking provides a clear overview of the traditional filmmaking process, then goes on to illuminate the ways in which new methods can accomplish old tasks. It explains vital concepts, including digitization, compression, digital compositing, nonlinear editing, and on-set digital production and relates traditional film production and editing processes to those of digital techniques. Various filmmakers discuss their use of digital techniques to enhance the creative process in the "Industry Viewpoints" sections in each chapter .
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Customer Reviews (6)

Covers a lot of difficult technical ground
While the writing sytle and the overall style of the book seems to ramble, there's actually a whole lot of very important technical information being covered in this book.
It's reassuring to me to have industry specialists writing a technical book as well as interview other working professionals. While the 1st edition might seem a little dated, the 2nd edition includes more information on 24P HD, among other things. The film information is very thorough and well-explained, and that's not usually the case! The same is true for the various audio issues to consider both in the field and in post. It's also one of the few books that provides information on the use of film timecode.

A disapoitment for the didital videographer
I found the audience for this book to be elusive.It appears to be aimed at those currently working in major film industry centers on one hand and then at the enthusiast with a digital camcorder on the other.Someone currently working in film-in whatever capacity-probably knows considerably more than is presented in this book.The enthusiast with a camcorder will learn a little, but much of the material assumes a level of knowledge that he may not have.

My background is in sound, both production and video post, and running a recording studio the 70s.Ithen migrated into computers.About five years ago I started getting back into multimedia via web audio and video.I have some clients who want to produce movies using 24p for distribution via film and was hoping to get a view of current industry practice.This book only lightly touches on current technical practice and is incomplete in this area.I have shot some 24p and almost all of my experieence with cvamera work is digital. The information on digital technology is incomplete and in some cases inaccurate and the information on originating on video and finishing on film is trivial.

While a few of the interviews are good, most just occupy space and a few are fatuous.Much of the material is dated-such as the interview with Larry Blake, and the references to DNLE (today there are only digital Non Linear Editors).This second edition appears to be some minor material plastered onto the first edition.The first edition was aparently from some time in the middle 90s. The bright spot of the book is an excellent description and explanation of 3:2 pulldown.

Overall I found this book very disapointing.

A Commercial for Avid, Circa 2000
Written like a bad stereo manual and padded with self-serving industry interviews, this title was an in-house product of Avid Press, and an unabashed commercial for their system as it existed at the turn of the century. Just one chapter was devoted to HD, with nothing useful about how to actually shoot in this medium, and there was no coverage of DV moviemaking either. The book was targeted towards Hollywood industry types who planned to shoot on 35 mm film, digitize their footage, and rent an expensive Avid editing suite for all post-production. Even Avid has had to rethink their business model in the intervening years, as competitors have offered more affordable software for desktop computers. Unless you just want an historical journey through obsolete editing systems, don't waste half a c-note on this book...

Will video replace film?
This fabulous book is a must for anyone considering shooting a project on digital video or HDTV.Timely issues are addressed, such as what happens when you shoot video (approx. 30fps) and then transfer to film (24fps). One of the chapters is titled, "24p: Twenty-Four Frames, ProgressivelyScanned."24p and video was a major issue at the NAB Convention (NationalAssociation of Broadcasters) last April.  The book describes the newdigital frontier, and also takes time to review traditional film makingprocess.Also, rather than just deal with digital cameras and nonlinearediting, Ohanian and Phillips also take a look at digital technology usesin other areas of film such as storyboard and costume design.There iseven a section on the use of Storyboard Quick and an industry viewpointwith Storyboard Quick's co-developer, Paul Clatworthy writing about thefuture of digital previsualization.These highlighted areas, called"Industry Viewpoints" create compelling interest throughout each chapterwhere industry experts such as editor Pietro Scalia (JFK-Academy Award forbest editing) contribute much insight.Will film editing and othertraditional film methods become obsolete is a question the book addresses. The authors point out the many innovations that editors have achieved,moving from film to digital video editing, such as the method of "cheaptelecine."Here, the editor uses the conventional flatbed film editormodified to include a CCD camera.Rather than spend thousands transferringat a facility, the editor simply transfers with his flatbed and then editson an Avid or other nonlinear system.This is so much faster than filmediting.Digital Consultant Van Ling points out that "like in many fields,it (digital technology) can be easy to fall into the temptation of thetechnological imperative it that if the technology is out there, you shouldbe using it or you'll be behind the times."He continues, stating thatfilmmakers need to focus on "weaving a good yarn."The authors stress that"adoption of a new methodology or a new technology must take into accounttwo issues: 1) does the new way decrease the cost of getting the film intodistribution, or 2) is there a different benefit, such as increasedcreativity?"Any filmmaker who knows how to harness the digital technologywith taste and creativity so the story telling is enhanced will be thesuccessful storyteller.The second edition looks at industry standardprograms such as Movie Magic Budgeting and unveils many unique features. Digital technology has influenced today's film making from script, budget,storyboarding, and costume design programs to the way the film or digitalvideo is shot.The Director of Photography often has his laptop near thecamera with storyboards loaded.Many camera operators now wear on theirbelt a BE Logger which is a wireless time code reader.The logger detectscamera starts and stops for automatic logging of takes.The unit displayindicates camera roll, scene, take, time code start, time code out,duration of take and other factors.After a days shooting, the unit isplugged into a master logging software program where all events andattributes are easily manipulated.For instance, it can tell an Avideditor where to cue to a particular scene.Many other digital aids toproduction are described in the book.What might be of most interest to filmmakers is the aspect of shooting on digital video or HDTV and transferringthe final product to 35mm motion picture film for theatrical release.Theauthors cover this topic thoroughly by looking at many different avenues toshoot and methods of film transfer, including interviews with lab and soundprofessionals.The various aspects of conversion and quality of the soundtrack is expertly covered.This is now a very popular way for independentsto produce features for about $100,000.Most theaters don't have digitalprojectors yet so this section of the book will be very valuable to aproducer who is contemplating digital to film as a method ofproduction.Included in the book is a lengthy discussion of the Associationof Independent Commercial Editors (ACE) in June 1999.  A full transcript ofthe event with streaming audio is available at www.24p.com. This bookshould be required reading for those in the industry and will be aninvaluable reference for upcoming productions.

The 2nd Edition of this book just arrived!
The Second Edition was published April 2000 and has a considerable amount of material about 24p and transferring DV or HDTV to 35mm motion picture footage. It is also an invaluable guide at gaining some insight into thechanging world of film making. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

Great... as you would expect.
Nicolas 'Sparth' Bouvier is a fantastic artist, and this book is filled with his works, so expectedly it's a fine book. It is a little on the small side in terms of it's physical dimensions, but the prints are nice. If you follow his work online, you probably won't see much here that you haven't seen on a website, but it's always nice to have a print that you can hold and look at, as opposed to just staring at glowing pixels. If you like sci-fi environments in particular, this won't let you down!

amazing
Love Sparth's work!This is an amazing collection of this work from early years to his more recent work, you can actually see his progression.Good buy.

Concept Art Mastery at its Best
Sparth is definitely a master at his craft. This hardcover, perfect bound book is a must-have item for any professional or aspiring concept artist. His work is exquisite even in some of his speed paintings. The only thing I wish that the book covered was his process of development on some of his pieces like Doug Chiang's book Mechanika. I'd like to know what custom brushes he has created and some insight on his methodology. I had the privilege of seeing him do a quick demo at gnomon. He's got a massive library of custom brushes. But his talent is what makes his work superb, not the tools.

Great book from custom brush master
It's a great book, not only for Sparth fans. There's a great bunch of works, some of them can be seen on his website, some are shown for the first time. Every piece shows his amazing custom brush work method and his great sense of design, that makes Sparth's work so unique and is very often imitated by many artists. It's a medium format book, but it makes up with good print quality and great amount of works. Very inspirational and it's a must-have for every concept art fan.

In a sci-fi world of his own
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3UB5MOL6WI01A Nicolas Bouvier is Sparth.

He has been an art director and concept designer in the gaming industry since 1996. Born in France, he now lives in Dallas, TEXAS, working for IDsoftware.

Included in the book are concept art and matte paintings from his impressive portfolio. Some projects he has worked on includes Alone in the Dark (2001), Prince of Persia - Warrior Within (2004), Cold Fear (2005), and Assassin's Creed (2007). Art for Alone in the Dark and Cold Fear are not included.

The theme for his art is primarily futuristic science fiction and space. There are quite a few cityscape paintings with flying ships. The worlds he created as just as imaginative as Star Wars. There's no caption on the art except for the titles and dates.

This book is recommended especially to science fiction concept artists.

Sparth has a website for the book, as well as a blog. You can find additional paintings in his art galleries.

If you interested in science fiction art, you might also want to check out Quantum Dreams: The Art of Stephan Martiniere and Quantumscapes: The Art of Stephan Martiniere also.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.) ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Assists church leaders in moving past a dated multimedia or audio-visual mentality when producing media for worship. The digital culture values story and experience, which means that producers of eWorship in congregations will learn how to represent the Word as image and art in the production of digital eWorship media. New models for worship are offered, and tactics for change are proposed so that timid congregations, as well as small and medium sized congregations can become digial storytellers. System Requirements: DVD compatible with Computer DVD-ROM players and all DVD players (set top players).

Click here to download Chapter 8. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great for everyone looking for Digital Worship
Love this book. A great one to read over and over again. A must share with all members of the Media team as they come on board to let them know what and why we are doing digital media in the church today! ... Read more

Product Description
This volume collects selected papers from the past two instances of Digital Art Weeks (Zurich, Switzerland) and Interactive Futures (Victoria, BC, Canada), two parallel festivals of digital media art. The work represented in Transdisciplinary Digital Art is a confirmation of the vitality and breadth of the digital arts. Collecting essays that broadly encompass the digital arts, Transdisciplinary Digital Art gives a clear overview of the on-going strength of scientific, philosophical, aesthetic and artistic research that makes digital art perhaps the defining medium of the 21st Century. ... Read more

Product Description
Create custom sound effects that are the mainstay of soundtracks for films, broadcast, animation and games.Learn how Foley is designed, crafted and edited for any project- right down to the nuts and bolts of spotting, cueing, and performing sounds. An array of techniques is illustrated with artists presenting their own methods for selecting and handling props, "walking" various characters, and other tricks of the trade. Various renowned artists, editors and mixers contribute stories and perspectives on what is necessary for a film or media project, and how technology has changed the craft over the years.The Foley stage is discussed in detail, with illustrations to assist you in designing your own stage, whatever the size. The companion DVD includes video demonstrations of Foley Artists at work, along with illustrated techniques for the novice.

Key Benefits:
* A concise, creative guide to the art and technique for producing Foley sound for films, video, animation and games.
* Alternative Foley stage designs are illustrated and interviews of renowned artists shed light on essentials.
* Companion DVD video demonstrates a variety of techniques that Foley artists use to perform cues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Plenty of information... not the information I was looking for
I'm giving this book three stars, but I really didn't like it. For the past two decades, I have made my living, exclusively, in the sound for motion picture business. Because I am so passionate about it, I feverishly snatch up every book on the subject. The business is so complex, there is so much information, after twenty years, I still thrive on learning something new. And I do, almost every single day.

For years, I have been looking for a book specifically about foley. I'm fascinated by the many sounds that come out of various objects. I understand that experimentation is the name of the game, but the most fun thing about foley is finding out what items are used to create what sounds. I probably shouldn't give a book a bad review just because it wasn't written the way I wanted. But the fact is, I wanted a recipe book. I was disappointed because that's not what this is.

To be fair, this book contains a lot of information. It covers everything you could ever want to know about the history of foley and pays homage to several great foley artist. That's all great. Foley artists are under appreciated, and the work they do is incredible. Foley artists should get all the credit they deserve, and they deserve a lot.

There is also a great deal of information about what, in my opinion, has gone wrong with the Hollywood system. I'm speaking, specifically, about heavy-handed departmentalization. Without getting into it, I'll just say I found it very discouraging, even depressing. Not a quality I look for in a book, especially a book so closely associated with what I do every day.

This book is relatively expensive. A college student or a struggling, young filmmaker would be better off spending the money on something else. Despite what the title implies, "The Foley Grail: The Art of Performing Sound for Film, Games, and Animation," is more like a history book. The technical information isn't there. If technical information is what you're after, you'll have to look somewhere else.

By the way, when I bought this book, I also purchased "The Sound Effects Bible," by Ric Viers. So far, I've read only about half of it, scanning, quite a bit, over a lot of information I already know. But I can tell you this; Ric's book is full of very good, very useful technical information. It's presented in a positive, entertaining way with lots of nice pictures and useful diagrams. It's actually inspiring. I plan on reviewing Ric's book (I'm calling him by his first name, as if I know him, but we've never met), and I will give it five stars.

beautifully done
Reaches deep into the heart of the art and craft of performing sound to picture.Rich in technical details and notable in tone for never losing sight of the humanity of the sound artist within her/his myriad of working tools (i.e. endless props, digital/analogue hardware and sundry foley stages). Frank, in describing difficulties, less then professional behavior and the high task level which a working foley artist must be able to perform at. Somewhat expensive but, in my opinion, worth every cent. The depth of knowledge and feeling as I read it portends a book of lasting value. Jon Oh

The Grail Indeed!
The Foley Grail is an excellent resource...actually the resource for Foley production. Vanessa is well respected in her field and has so meticulously detailed the inner workings behind the art and science of Foley. It's clearly written from an artist's perspective and that's important, because those that perform Foley are truly artists. I'm sure this book will prove to be the standard for teaching Foley for years to come.

Ric Viers
Author, The Sound Effects Bible

Worthy of its Title
This is the first and only book, to my knowledge, written exclusively on the art of Foley.Written by someone who has well over one hundred film and television shows to her credit and a background in teaching, The Foley Grail lives up to its given title.This is not, however, a how-to book.It's not page after page of recipes for getting the best "face-punch or arm-break" sound.One can easily go online for that content.To be sure, Vanessa writes at length about things such as "walking" a character correctly or choosing props based on sonic characteristics over appearance (which can be a typical mistake).This book is much more about the collaborative process of foley as well as the things that have driven men and women to this profession over the years.
Ament gives us insight into the world of foley that only one with her experience can provide.From the foley artist, mixer and recordist to the editor and final dub mixer, the reader is taken through the very interesting, creative and challenging process of producing sound for film. ... Read more

Product Description
An appraisal of the full range of accomplishments of this popular contemporary American artist.

The video and installation artist Bill Viola is one of the most popular artists in the world today. Significantly, in a world where an artist's importance is often conferred by small groups of experts and cognoscenti, Viola's rich imagery touches a nerve with large international audiences. His work is profoundly spiritual and never afraid to make big statements about human life and its relation to the universe, to the soul and human spirit, to nature, and to death. Viola is one of those rare artists whose work makes us aware of our nature as human beings. He takes art back to what were once its fundamental concerns and gives it a relevance to the emotional and spiritual lives of ordinary people.

While Viola has been the subject of numerous exhibitions, there has never been an extensive critical appraisal of the full range of his work. In The Art of Bill Viola eminent critics examine the scope of the artist's creations since the 1970s. Their studies include the relationship of Viola's art to the religious traditions of both Asia and Europe, the use of space as metaphor within his installations, the use of sound in his work, and the impact of its exhibition upon other video artists. These essays demonstrate Viola's uniqueness and importance as an artist of enduring international reputation and for the first time allow us to properly assess his place within history. 50 color illustrations.

With contributions by: Rhys Davies • Cynthia Freeland • Antonio Guesa • David Jasper • Jonathan Lahey-Dronsfield • David Morgan • Otto Neumaier • Elizabeth ten Grotenhiuis • Jean Wainwright ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Artistic Impact of Video Art in the Hands of Bill Viola
At the first introduction of so-called 'art' in the form of videotapes played in museum and gallery installations caused a public response of skepticism: how can something so transient as filmed activity be called Art?The validity of video art is now accepted as one of the more creative venues of artistic expression and that is due to a very great degree to the pioneering efforts of Bill Viola, a uniquely gifted man who now is accepted internationally as one of the most important artists of our time.

This brilliant book as created by Chris Townsend explores Bill Viola's works from the 1970s to 2004 with abundant photographs of'stills' images from his videos that even in the frozen state of the book page are shatteringly poignant and beautiful.Perhaps for those uninformed about Viola's work this format will not impress, but the book may stimulate more people to seek out installations of his works as they appear in the varied arenas of art around the world.Townsend includes contributions by excellent writers such asRhys Davies, Cynthia Freeland, Antonio Guesa, David Jasper, Jonathan Lahey-Dronsfield, David Morgan, Otto Neumaier, Elizabeth ten Grotenhiuis, Jean Wainwright - each of whom brings not only artistic verification but also personal response to Viola's many projects.

Perhaps one of the most successful works Viola has produced has been THE TRISTAN PROJECT in which he worked in tandem with Director Peter Sellars, Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Gehry's Disney Hall to re-think the Wagner masterpiece "Tristan und Isolde" in terms of the elements of water, fire, and the spiritual transformation of love - all by adding the element of projected gigantic screens of Viola's models in movement that created an opera production so profound that it is being staged throughout the world to both audience rapture and critical acclaim.

Bill Viola is a living genius and this fine book helps to inform us why.Highly Recommended.Grady Harp, November 05

A 'must' for any in-depth art collectio
Sixty illustrations, all but five in color, lend to Chris Townsend's compilation Art Of Bill Viola, the first extensive critical appraisal of the works of video and installation artist Vignola. From themes surrounding the relationship of Vignola's art to religions to essays which consider his international influences and reputation, The Art Of Bill Viola is a 'must' for any in-depth art collection strong in video and installation works and artists.
... Read more

Product Description
It's every graphic designer's nightmare: you finish a huge job, slip in the disc, hit print-and discover a glaring problem that will cost you your deadline, and possibly your client. Such all-too-frequent glitches can be avoided with the guidance this book offers. This step-by-step guide, covering every aspect of digital prepress printing, is written in practical, accessible language and is filled with helpful explanatory images that give designers a framework for logically thinking through projects in a way that ensures a spectacular finished product-the first time. Issues covered: Preplanning (choosing the right process and equipment for your job), Setup (getting the exact printer specifications so jobs will print correctly), Color, Resolution, Proofs (utilizing digital technologies to ensure the highest quality), Paper (choosing the material best suited for a particular job). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Teaching Pearl
I have used this book as a text for college students in Print Production classes during the past two academic years. I don't know what I'd use if this gem didn't exist! Its tone is intelligent, witty and practical, its content is right-on!
Further, the book itself is designed well. A prime example of "do what you say"--- form and function blend to delight the eye, hand and mind.

Well-written, attractive, but it's missing a lot
Well-written, physically beautiful, and without a lot of the information this DP tyro had hoped to find in a prepress handbook. I suspect that the writer has been in the biz so long that it's tough to put herself in the shoes of the beginner. So: nothing on PDF settings, little on trapping, nothing on bleeds, etc.

I'm new at all this. I had hoped to find that information in this book. I realize that all writers of technical manuals must decide what to include and what to omit -- Do you tell the reader how to install software? -- but I do think a handbook on prepress should have included much more than is included here. I learned nearly as much from the prepress section of about.com.

I recommend this book to people who don't need to read it: graphics professionals who will enjoy Sidles' smooth writing and amusing anecdotes. But if you want hard info, you'd better look elsewhere.

A must have for every graphic designer!!!
This is the most comprehensive work I've found on digital prepress yet! It clearly outlines every aspect of getting jobs printed from choosing the right papers that will be appropriate for your job, to running type over images, to knowing exactly how different types of digital press' work. It is the perfect book for all graphic design students as well as a bible for professionals wanting to know how the industry is changing, and how to avoid the hidden pitfalls that can ruin a job. Buy this book to aviod disasters on press. ... Read more

Product Description
Combine high-end manga storytelling theory and advice with the tools for digital creation in Manga Studio, guided by expert professional manga-ka.

You'll discover manga storytelling techniques, from speed lines to technology, from toning to big sound effects. Steve Horton and Jeong Mo Yang then show you how best to accomplish these techniques using the leading manga art creation program, Manga Studio EX. Every ounce of theory is backed up with step-by-step manga illustrations and Manga Studio screenshots that show how these illustrations were created.

See the techniques in action in The Other Side of the Tracks, a new manga short story in the book centerfold which demonstrates at least one example from every technique described. You can also follow the continuing story as a webmanga available at comicspace.com.

And there's more! The companion CD includes trial version of Manga Studio EX along with high-resolution image files from the book.

Smith Micro has also included a coupon for $100 off the full version of Manga Studio EX.

--Authors are expert professional manga-ka (creators), with credits such as TokyoPop's Star Trek: the Manga and Dyoz, Image Comics' Strongarm, and Grounded Angel on the web.

--There is no other Manga book that melds high-end Manga storytelling theory and advice, with the tools for digital creation in Manga Studio.

--In the book centerfold is a new manga short story: The Other Side of the Tracks, which shows at least one example from every technique described. This story will continue after publication as a webmanga.

--Demo version of Manga Studio EX on CD (plus exclusive value-adds not found elsewhere) along with high-resolution image files from the book.

--Smith Micro (makers of Manga Studio) will provide a coupon in the back of the book for $50 to $100 off the $220 Manga Studio EX software. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Not Overly Helpful
While I respect the authors and their attempt at trying to provide something different for users of Manga Studio Ex, the book is fairly useless if your goal is to learn Manga Studio. Furthermore, the book is basically a simplified explanation of the Manga creation and less about the software product. In fact, only 32 of the 240 pages (roughly 13.5% of the book) contains screen shots from the software. Most of the screen shots just show you what the artists are referring to with little to no explanation on how to utilize the software itself. Two of the selling points for the book are the CD-Rom with digital material from the book including a 30 day copy of the software and a coupon for $100 of the software. The digital material won't help you learn the software, but it will give you some practice materials to work with. The coupon is only useful if you purchase directly from Smith Micro. You'd save more money just purchasing the software from Amazon.com than buying from Smith Micro and using the coupon.

Frankly, if you want to learn how to use Manga Studio Ex or Debut, I would purchase the Dummies book because it does a much better job explaining the software, also contains digital files, and has a 30 day examination of the software on the CD-ROM that accompanies the book.

(I am not associated with Wiley - the publisher of the Dummies books - or the author of Manga Studio for Dummies)

fun and challenging
Even if you don't want to draw Manga this is a wonderful insider's look at how it's done. My kid, on the other hand, has tried about everything illustrated and loves the book.

This is a book for people who are mid-beginners in drawing.
My teenage daughter loves to draw Manga and I got this book thinking about her. I can see that it would be something she could use toread up on it and use some of the techniques which are easy to follow. She does have a lot of drawing experience and might find much of the information to be basic but she also may enjoy just looking at the book and the art work in it. I do think, even though she has drawn Manga for awhile she could pick up some pointers from it.The book is organized well, and written well.The drawings are of a size that makes them pleasant to view and useful to see examples of the instructions. I'm sure for a beginner it would be worth the money. And for someone really into Manga as well. An expert drawer would probably not find much instructional, but then someone like that probably wouldn't be in the market for it. I personally don't draw but found reading the book and looking at the pictures and technique descriptions gave me a lot of insight into why she likes to do this kind of art. I attempted a few sketches and, following the suggestions found I was able to make them look close to what they should. And I have no drawing experience past what we all did as kids. This is a good book for beginners interested in the subject, and for people just looking for ideas or ways to fine tune skills in Manga drawing.

informative guide for manga artists
This book is an informative and easy to understand guide to learning the basic structure of illustrating adn writing manga.The book particularly goes in depth about camera perspecitves and backdrop design, all of which can be made easier when using the bundled trial software.While overall a helpful and interesting read for everyone interested in manga design, the book in geared toward those whose drawing ability is at the professional level.

Purchased the software with the book
I received this book first and it was rather useless without the software.I was able to purchase the Manga Studio EX with a student discount (you need an .edu email address) for $79 via a link on Amazon.That's an excellent deal for a person who is interested in drawing manga. ... Read more