Tuesday, December 11, 2012

The Art Of Rise Of The Guardians



One of the most unusual and imaginative 3D animated films to come down the pike in some time is Rise Of The Guardians.

In the film the well-known imaginary figures of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, Jack Frost  and the Tooth Fairy take on startling new visages as guardians of humanity.

The lushly rendered film features some of the most beautiful character and scenery designs seen in any film and the story, while aimed at kids, is every bit as entertaining to adults.  I predict this film will become a classic.

Actor Alex Baldwin, who provides the voice of Santa Claus in the film, introduces The Art Of Rise OF Guardians as written by Ramin Zahed and published by Titan Books/ Insight Editions.
Like the film the book is exquisitely illustrated with stills and art taken from the film.  Concept drawings, color studies, character designs, the various lands and accompanying transportation vehicles, weapons, and equipment and so on are shown both in their development stage and as final renderings.

The deluxe hardbound book is a gallery filled with gorgeous art, sketches, production art and insightful text about the film and its many challenges to produce.

As an artist I am blown away at the sheer technical scope of the film as chronicled by the book.  I recommend this book to anyone interested in animation and film production.  And to top it all off-it’s just plain fun to look at!