Growing up, I always ran out to buy movie tie-in novels. Whether it was good, bad or straight down the middle I always wanted to relive most of the movies I saw. Then I got a bit older and moved on from the tie-ins to the coffee table books, the ones that would take you behind the scenes and reveal the artistry that goes into making the movies.
The latest insightful book to come across my desk details one of the greatest trilogies in cinematic history – The Art And Making Of The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Find out more about the book after the jump!
Written by Janine Pourroy and Jody Duncan Jesser and designed by the master, Chip Kidd, The Art And Making Of The Dark Knight Trilogy traces Christopher Nolan’s groundbreaking trilogy from…(wait for it)….inception to completion. The book features interviews with all the principal players involved, from director Nolan, his production and on-set partners to actors, including Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and all the other usual suspects.
Jesser and Pourroy have all access to the trilogy and their insight in Nolan’s inner workings is clear as they go about detailing the efforts that went into bringing the Batman film franchise back from the dead, from the creative to the technical. It’s not as easy as you’d think. Whatever your interest in the trilogy is, it’s undoubtedly covered, from the casting of all the pivotal characters to Nolan’s decision to utilize IMAX to the industry leading use of online and social media marketing tools.
For those of us that have been captivated by Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman, The Art And Making Of The Dark Knight Trilogy is an essential behind the scenes trip through moviemaking magic. And unlike those movie tie-in novels of old, this one looks great on my coffee table.
You can order The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy from Amazon and Indigo.
not crazy about the cover (rather bland and sterile) – and though we’ve all heard the platitude about book covers and judgment, i think that cover design is a crucial factor when it comes to assembling a coffee-table book. Chip Kidd is usually on point, and maybe this is a suitable cover that adequately reflects what we’ll find inside (photos, photos, and more photos), but, at first glance, this cover is a bit of a yawn. no matter – i’m still buying it!
Interesting. I really like the cover. I found it a bit surprising, the contrast of that stark white background with Bale’s image. The inside is great, though. I’m sure you’ll dig it.
Fair point. We’ve rarely (if ever) seen Bale’s Batman in such bright surroundings. The palette of the films is quite blue and grey. Given that this is meant to be a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Nolan trilogy, perhaps the cover is successful (insofar as it announces the book’s clinical, nuts-and-bolts nature with contrasting tones and a no-nonsense, here-it-is, face-front presentation) … But that’s just the impulse of diabolical advocacy speaking through me – I still think it could have been better. No matter, I’m looking forward to the content.