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The Wes Anderson Collection #4
The Wes Anderson Collection: Isle of Dogs
The Wes Anderson Isle of Dogs takes readers behind the scenes of the beloved auteur’s stop-motion animated film.
Foreword by movie/TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz
Introduction by Every Frame a Painting video essay series cocreators Taylor Ramos and
Tony Zhou
Through the course of several in-depth interviews with film critics Lauren Wilford and Ryan Stevenson, writer and director Wes Anderson shares the story behind Isle of Dogs’s conception and production, and Anderson and his collaborators reveal entertaining anecdotes about the making of the film, their sources of inspiration, the ins and outs of stop-motion animation, and many other insights into their moviemaking process. Previously unpublished behind-the-scenes photographs, concept artwork, and hand-written notes and storyboards accompany the text.
The fourth volume of the New York Times bestselling Wes Anderson Collection , Isle of Dogs stays true to the series with its rich design and colorful illustrations, capturing Anderson’s signature aesthetic vision with the series’ definitive study of the director’s filmography.
Isle of Dogs tells the story of Atari Kobayashi, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage dump called Trash Island, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.
The film features the voices of Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Kunichi Nomura, Akira Takayama, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, F. Murray Abraham, Tilda Swinton, Akira Ito, Yoko Ono, Mari Natsuko, Harvey Keitel, Courtney B. Vance, Ken Watanabe, Scarlett Johansson, Fisher Stevens, Nijiro Murakami, and Liev Schreiber.
Also
The Wes Anderson Collection
The Wes Anderson Bad Dads
The Wes Anderson The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Wes Anderson The French Dispatch
Foreword by movie/TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz
Introduction by Every Frame a Painting video essay series cocreators Taylor Ramos and
Tony Zhou
Through the course of several in-depth interviews with film critics Lauren Wilford and Ryan Stevenson, writer and director Wes Anderson shares the story behind Isle of Dogs’s conception and production, and Anderson and his collaborators reveal entertaining anecdotes about the making of the film, their sources of inspiration, the ins and outs of stop-motion animation, and many other insights into their moviemaking process. Previously unpublished behind-the-scenes photographs, concept artwork, and hand-written notes and storyboards accompany the text.
The fourth volume of the New York Times bestselling Wes Anderson Collection , Isle of Dogs stays true to the series with its rich design and colorful illustrations, capturing Anderson’s signature aesthetic vision with the series’ definitive study of the director’s filmography.
Isle of Dogs tells the story of Atari Kobayashi, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage dump called Trash Island, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.
The film features the voices of Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Kunichi Nomura, Akira Takayama, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, F. Murray Abraham, Tilda Swinton, Akira Ito, Yoko Ono, Mari Natsuko, Harvey Keitel, Courtney B. Vance, Ken Watanabe, Scarlett Johansson, Fisher Stevens, Nijiro Murakami, and Liev Schreiber.
Also
The Wes Anderson Collection
The Wes Anderson Bad Dads
The Wes Anderson The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Wes Anderson The French Dispatch
256 pages, Hardcover
Published September 25, 2018
34 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 25, 2018
250-stranová kniha o Andersonovom stop-motion animovanom filme.
Neviem kde začať, dojmov a myšlienok mám veľa a nevyhnutne spolu nesúvisia, nuž ich zhrniem v bodoch:
1.) Milujem to nutkanie po pozretí filmu si o ňom čo najviac naštudovať. Táto kniha tento hlad viac než nasýti.
2.) Minulý rok som spoznala pojem Sacred text- je to text (ale i film, výtvarne dielo či hudba), ktorý je schopný generovať ďalšie myšlienky. Andersonove filmy sú tak detailné, nenáhodné a nabité referenciami, že ich bez problémov za Sacred text považovať môžeme.
3.) Narozdiel od “motivačnej” literatúry typu “osloboď svoju kreativitu a neboj sa failov” (🙄) je pre mňa skutočne motivujúce čítať, ako rôzni tvorcovia pracujú- či už samotný Anderson pri písaní, preprodukcii či postprodukcii, ale aj animátori, kostyméri, technici, svietiči, kameramani, hudobník či japonský konzultanti.. V rozhovoroch je cítiť ich obrovská láska k svojmu remeslu a pri čítaní som mala sto chutí utekať do ateliéru a makať usilovnejšie ako kedykoľvek predtým.
4.) Knihy majú rozširovať obzory! Určite si teraz napozerám Kurosawu a dopozerám Miyazakiho.
5.) Vizuálna stránka knihy, grafický dizajn, fotografie štúdií, rôznych štádií výroby bábok, možnosť si pozerať Andersonove prvé storyboardy k filmu: 😍.
3.) Vďaka dvom rokom zdieľania ateliéru s animátormi o procese vzniku animáku čo-to málo viem, ale pri čítaní tejto knihy som bola doslova mind-blown, lepšieho výrazu nieto. Toto by nepochybne mohla byť učebnica približujúca študentom vznik superanimáku. Isle of Dogs bol extrémne logisticky náročný projekt, spájajúci tisíce hodín mravčej práce veľkého superkoncentrovaného tímu ľudí- to všetko pre dve hodiny vyrozprávania jedného príbehu.
Človek sa až zamyslí, kde je pointa? Stojí to za to, takto obrovsky sa snažiť, a ešte s takou láskou a nasadením, aké Anderson so svojim tímom do tohto projektu vložil? Mojou jedinou odpoveďou, ktorá mi po celý čas čítania behala hlavou je: áno, stojí to za to a nielen to, chcem aj svoj život žiť s takýmto nasadením.
(Toto som sama nečakala!)
Neviem kde začať, dojmov a myšlienok mám veľa a nevyhnutne spolu nesúvisia, nuž ich zhrniem v bodoch:
1.) Milujem to nutkanie po pozretí filmu si o ňom čo najviac naštudovať. Táto kniha tento hlad viac než nasýti.
2.) Minulý rok som spoznala pojem Sacred text- je to text (ale i film, výtvarne dielo či hudba), ktorý je schopný generovať ďalšie myšlienky. Andersonove filmy sú tak detailné, nenáhodné a nabité referenciami, že ich bez problémov za Sacred text považovať môžeme.
3.) Narozdiel od “motivačnej” literatúry typu “osloboď svoju kreativitu a neboj sa failov” (🙄) je pre mňa skutočne motivujúce čítať, ako rôzni tvorcovia pracujú- či už samotný Anderson pri písaní, preprodukcii či postprodukcii, ale aj animátori, kostyméri, technici, svietiči, kameramani, hudobník či japonský konzultanti.. V rozhovoroch je cítiť ich obrovská láska k svojmu remeslu a pri čítaní som mala sto chutí utekať do ateliéru a makať usilovnejšie ako kedykoľvek predtým.
4.) Knihy majú rozširovať obzory! Určite si teraz napozerám Kurosawu a dopozerám Miyazakiho.
5.) Vizuálna stránka knihy, grafický dizajn, fotografie štúdií, rôznych štádií výroby bábok, možnosť si pozerať Andersonove prvé storyboardy k filmu: 😍.
3.) Vďaka dvom rokom zdieľania ateliéru s animátormi o procese vzniku animáku čo-to málo viem, ale pri čítaní tejto knihy som bola doslova mind-blown, lepšieho výrazu nieto. Toto by nepochybne mohla byť učebnica približujúca študentom vznik superanimáku. Isle of Dogs bol extrémne logisticky náročný projekt, spájajúci tisíce hodín mravčej práce veľkého superkoncentrovaného tímu ľudí- to všetko pre dve hodiny vyrozprávania jedného príbehu.
Človek sa až zamyslí, kde je pointa? Stojí to za to, takto obrovsky sa snažiť, a ešte s takou láskou a nasadením, aké Anderson so svojim tímom do tohto projektu vložil? Mojou jedinou odpoveďou, ktorá mi po celý čas čítania behala hlavou je: áno, stojí to za to a nielen to, chcem aj svoj život žiť s takýmto nasadením.
(Toto som sama nečakala!)
December 31, 2019
While at first glance it might appear that this book is only meant for fans of Wes Anderson's movies, you soon realise that anyone with a passing interest in how movies - and animated movies in particular - are made will find it insightful and enjoyable.
January 18, 2019
The book about Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs contains different kinds of art than any other of its genre. The art of Isle of Dogs mainly consists of intricate patterns, such as wallpaper, garbage cubes, floor tiles, cityscapes, laboratory machines, or even people in an audience. The book features concept art of nearly every single landscape of the movie, and usually the art matches up exactly with the landscapes used in the film.
Other than art, the book features interviews with producers, the director, translators, and animators. In addition to that, it shows photos of the set pieces and characters outside of the film shots.
The written content of the book, unfortunately, is the least explanatory about the actual construction and animation process. There is plenty of information about stop-motion animated movies in the book. In fact, parts of the book could be put together and titled Encyclopedia of Every Notable Stop-Motion Film Ever Made. But especially in the Animation sections, there is too little about the actual painstaking process of the animation and how they went about doing it, and too much about which countries made which movies at which time periods.
However, that is not to say that the book is not worthy of the film. The art of Isle of Dogs is what makes the book wonderful, and several of the page spreads show more hidden details about scenes. Overall, it is a very important companion to Wes Anderson's masterpiece.
Other than art, the book features interviews with producers, the director, translators, and animators. In addition to that, it shows photos of the set pieces and characters outside of the film shots.
The written content of the book, unfortunately, is the least explanatory about the actual construction and animation process. There is plenty of information about stop-motion animated movies in the book. In fact, parts of the book could be put together and titled Encyclopedia of Every Notable Stop-Motion Film Ever Made. But especially in the Animation sections, there is too little about the actual painstaking process of the animation and how they went about doing it, and too much about which countries made which movies at which time periods.
However, that is not to say that the book is not worthy of the film. The art of Isle of Dogs is what makes the book wonderful, and several of the page spreads show more hidden details about scenes. Overall, it is a very important companion to Wes Anderson's masterpiece.
January 10, 2026
Siempre pienso que Wes Anderson no me puede impactar más y siempre me equivoco.
Este libro no sólo nos acerca a la mente del director, también nos proporciona entrevistas con las cabezas de cada área de producción para darnos una idea de lo complejo y fascinante que es trabajar en un proyecto tan ambicioso, detallado y original como lo fue Isle of Dogs.
Este libro no sólo nos acerca a la mente del director, también nos proporciona entrevistas con las cabezas de cada área de producción para darnos una idea de lo complejo y fascinante que es trabajar en un proyecto tan ambicioso, detallado y original como lo fue Isle of Dogs.
October 5, 2018
This is the fourth volume in the Wes Anderson Collection series and the third to focus directly on the director’s work— one of the volumes is a collection of art inspired by his films—and it exclusively covers Anderson’s ninth and most recent full-length feature, the stop-motion-animated Isle of Dogs. Like the other volumes in the series, it is a beautifully designed coffee table book filled with essays, interviews, illustrations, and many wonderful images of the crew, sets, production notes, and props, plus various stills from the films that influenced or were referenced in Isle of Dogs. This entry in the series seeks to illustrate the craft of filmmaking through substantial interviews with people who worked on Isle of Dogs, including writers, storyboard artists, actors, costume designers, graphic designers, cinematographers, animators, and composers. Readers will get a real sense of the collaborative nature of movies and the different contributions made by each department.
This is a must read for fans of Wes Anderson and Isle of Dogs. It is also an insightful view into all of the hard work that goes on behind-the-scenes in making a movie, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in film. Readers who enjoy this book will definitely want to seek out The Wes Anderson Collection and The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel.
- John D.
Click here to find the book at the Prince William County Public Library System.
This is a must read for fans of Wes Anderson and Isle of Dogs. It is also an insightful view into all of the hard work that goes on behind-the-scenes in making a movie, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in film. Readers who enjoy this book will definitely want to seek out The Wes Anderson Collection and The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel.
- John D.
Click here to find the book at the Prince William County Public Library System.
March 22, 2021
This was very well done. I wondered if there would be a drop-off since Matt Zoller Seitz didn’t write this one, but no — Lauren Wilford & Ryan Stevenson are excellent writers, researchers, and interviewers. The only thing I missed was a final comment on the finished film. I understand that it was written concurrently with production in order to time publication with the release of the movie, and it made for a fascinating making-of and insight into the creative process of several artists and artisans. But still, I’d like to hear the authors’ thoughts on the completed project.
December 22, 2020
it's missing some key plot points that we see in the movie, but it's cute!
January 21, 2024
Just as engrossing as the other entries in the series.
October 31, 2018
Read on a whim, and surprisingly, from cover to cover. My admiration and appreciation of stop-motion filmmaking, and of Anderson’s deep and wide directorial skill, has increased exponentially.
March 16, 2023
Genuinely one of the best film art books I have read, and I’ve read a lot.
What’s special about this book is the author’s immaculate attention to detail when it comes to the film’s inspirations - this is a book that understands that films don’t exist in a vacuum, but a web of conscious and unconscious references to all sorts of other things. Rather than just mention these inspirations and move on, this book devotes sections to summarize and provide further context on a wide array of related subjects. Expect short essays on Kurosawa, Miyazaki, student protests, and ukiyo-e. To me this book has a similar thrill of being in a library - dozens of surprises, flashpoint connections, and things you never thought you wanted to know around every corner. It’s not just a book on Isle of Dogs, but also a primer on late 20th century Japanese cinema, and English stop motion, and cinematography. So much care was put into this book; the graphic design is great, the awareness of the subject matter is stunning, and the interviewers are intelligent. I hope Lauren and Ryan wrote more books in this series cause I’d love to learn more about the world though the critique of Wes’ films. Technically a 4.5/5 for me but I’ll give it the 5 stars.
What’s special about this book is the author’s immaculate attention to detail when it comes to the film’s inspirations - this is a book that understands that films don’t exist in a vacuum, but a web of conscious and unconscious references to all sorts of other things. Rather than just mention these inspirations and move on, this book devotes sections to summarize and provide further context on a wide array of related subjects. Expect short essays on Kurosawa, Miyazaki, student protests, and ukiyo-e. To me this book has a similar thrill of being in a library - dozens of surprises, flashpoint connections, and things you never thought you wanted to know around every corner. It’s not just a book on Isle of Dogs, but also a primer on late 20th century Japanese cinema, and English stop motion, and cinematography. So much care was put into this book; the graphic design is great, the awareness of the subject matter is stunning, and the interviewers are intelligent. I hope Lauren and Ryan wrote more books in this series cause I’d love to learn more about the world though the critique of Wes’ films. Technically a 4.5/5 for me but I’ll give it the 5 stars.
April 13, 2019
I've completely fallen in love with the movie, so when I saw the book, I had to have it.
First, the book is beautiful. The photos are not just stills from the film, but include lots of sets, puppets, and clips for comparison from other films. The only disappointing thing is that binding exists and details get squished between the pages.
Second, this is a great book for film nerds. There are interesting insights into what makes a Wes Anderson movie great, both from his point of view and that of his collaborators. Fans of Kurosawa and other Japanese directors will find it especially rewarding. There are insights into photography, some may be very basic if you're a photographer or film maker, but they also help explain the technical parts so that anyone can get something out of it.
Fans of "Isle of Dogs" and/or Wes Anderson will find it enjoyable and I think it would make a great gift.
First, the book is beautiful. The photos are not just stills from the film, but include lots of sets, puppets, and clips for comparison from other films. The only disappointing thing is that binding exists and details get squished between the pages.
Second, this is a great book for film nerds. There are interesting insights into what makes a Wes Anderson movie great, both from his point of view and that of his collaborators. Fans of Kurosawa and other Japanese directors will find it especially rewarding. There are insights into photography, some may be very basic if you're a photographer or film maker, but they also help explain the technical parts so that anyone can get something out of it.
Fans of "Isle of Dogs" and/or Wes Anderson will find it enjoyable and I think it would make a great gift.
May 1, 2020
Although some chapters are more engaging than others, I love two things about this book: the meticulous investigation that the writers did to get a detailed scope of the filmmaking process of this wonderful story and the design of the book itself, which is just gorgeous: the typography, the illustrations and the breathtaking photographs of the puppets, props and sets are worth the price of admission.
If you love the art of filmmaking, or of animated stories, this is a great read. If not, at least it makes an awesome coffee table decorator.
If you love the art of filmmaking, or of animated stories, this is a great read. If not, at least it makes an awesome coffee table decorator.
December 26, 2019
A very enjoyable account of the creation of this wonderful film. The authors pull back the layers of writing, design, production, and the many influences within the film. The Kurosawa elements along with nods to Miyazaki, Ozu, and others, provide fascinating insights into Wes's process, and the unique production challenges and innovations of contemporary stop-motion animation. Extensively illustrated with production photographs, film stills and artwork.
February 16, 2020
You're only reading this book if you're deeeeep into the inside baseball of a) moviemaking but b) stop motion animation specifically. Appreciated that majority of the content was interviews with the craftspeople themselves - the animators, the puppeteers, the storyboard artists etc. - rather than concentrating on Wes Anderson entirely. Also, if you're a big Akira Kurosawa fan there's so much great analysis in here about his work, his influences, and some ace unearthed interview snippets.
April 29, 2022
Me resulta fantástico y me hace mucha ilusión el poder ver a detalle los múltiples procesos que se suman uno a uno para lograr una película como lo es Isle of Dogs. Definitivamente conocer un poco más sobre cómo es que Wes Anderson ve su arte, su equipo de trabajo, el medio de stop-motion, y el mundo en sí, resulta un placer para cualquier persona interesada en animación, cine e incluso la expresión artística en general.
July 8, 2023
Does this count for my reading challenge ? Either way, returned after watching asteroid city to see about the production. Put together well. Made me watch Darjeeling limited for the 68th time. Wonder what will happen?!!
June 5, 2025
Very informative and detailed. Loved all the pics of the puppets. Loved the cinematography comparison and analysis shots too. Very cool to hear about how many steps and teams come together for the final product.
March 9, 2019
mesmerizing
January 6, 2021
Fantastic book about the behind the scenes of making Isle of Dogs
January 1, 2023
A good way to round out the year. Easy read, could have been longer, much easier to emotionally connect to than the movie
October 11, 2023
again i just love anything and everything he does
September 5, 2024
High high high high quality and awesome in every way
March 7, 2026
Det var så interesant å se alle filmene han er inspirert av og alle de scenene.
Det må ha vært så sykt mye jobb for å lage den filmen, sikkert alle stop motion filmer. Elsker isle of dogs enda mer nå
Det må ha vært så sykt mye jobb for å lage den filmen, sikkert alle stop motion filmer. Elsker isle of dogs enda mer nå
December 29, 2025
This is more of a process book (as it should be) than the rest of the series. Amazing photos of the craft!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews