Purchase

Amazon

Kindle

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Indie BookShop

Add to Wish List

Also by Richard M. Isackes:

The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop, November 2016
Hardcover / e-Book

Also by Karen L. Maness:

The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop, November 2016
Hardcover / e-Book

THE ART OF THE HOLLYWOOD BACKDROP
By: Richard M. Isackes, Karen L. Maness

Regan Arts
November 2016
On Sale: November 11, 2016
352 pages
ISBN: 194139308X
EAN: 9781941393086
Kindle: B00W05CVWS
Hardcover / e-Book
Add to Wish List

Non-Fiction Photography

The definitive behind-the-scenes history of one of Hollywood’s most closely guarded cinematic secrets finally revealed—painted backdrops and the scenic artists who brought them to the big screen.

In almost every feature film of Hollywood’s golden age, from The Wizard of Oz to North by Northwest to Cleopatra to The Sound of Music, painted backings have convinced moviegoers that what they are seeing—whether the fantastic roads of Oz, the presidents of Mount Rushmore, or ancient Egyptian kingdoms—is absolutely real. These backings are at once intended to transport the audience and yet remain unseen for what they really are. The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop reveals the hidden world and creators of these masterpieces, long-guarded as a special effects secret by the major studios such as MGM, Warner Brothers, Universal, Columbia, 20th Century Fox, and Paramount.

Despite the continued use of hand-painted backings in today’s films, including the big-budget Interstellar and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events among many others, digital technology is beginning to supplant the art form. In an effort to preserve the irreplaceable knowledge of scenic masters, Karen Maness and Richard Isackes, in collaboration with the Art Directors Guild, have compiled a definitive history of the craft, complete with interviews of the surviving artists. This is a rich undiscovered history—a history replete with competing art departments, dynastic scenic families, and origins stretching back to the films of Méliès, Edison, Sennett, Chaplin, and Fairbanks.

Filled cover to cover with over 300 images,The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop is beautifully packaged as a hardcover book with slipcase.

Media Buzz

Good Morning America - December 20, 2016