Industrial Light & Magic: The Art of Special Effects

Industrial Light & Magic

by Thomas G. Smith, George Lucas (Introduction)

A lavish, profusely illustrated volume that tells the remarkable story of the organization whose name has become synonymous with state-of-the-art special effects: Industrial Light & Magic. From its early days in a large empty warehouse in Southern California's San Fernando Valley, to its Oscar-winning accommplishments creating special effects for the STAR WARS trilogy, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, ET, POLTERGEIST, and a host of others.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Media Tie In, Art, Star Wars, Reference

279 pages, Hardcover

First published November 26, 1986

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes I will admit this is another re-read however if you have seen this book you know that once you start flicking through the pages you just cannot resist (and I suspect the subsequent 2 other volumes will be following shortly).

But why the interest in this books (apart from the fact it is such a lavish and fascinating read) well I think watching the story of ILM through the TV documentary series has thrown the events of this book in to a new light - after all this book celebrates the technical challenges and achievements of ILM where as there was also the human challenges and achievements too.

SO yes no apologies for spending time reading this book and you know what this is one of those titles that every time you read it there seems to be something new to discover.

so what do i think - this book is amazing - from the quality of the print and binding, the grade of paper to the beauty of the reading experience - this is a book that is worth its price.
This book charts the history of ILM - Industrial Light and Magic - from the early days of George Lucas wanting to make films and finding that the special effects he needed was not out there. So as the story goes he made them, and in the process created the company from scratch. ILM rapidly grew in ability, scope and budget to one of the world leading special effects houses in the world. BUT this book charts its early years and for that its a rare gem in its own right - many people can watch a film and spot the special effect - true - but can you tell how they were made - such as clouds in the sky being made with milk and water - or that space explosions were filmed from directly underneath to gain that perfectly symmetrical patten meaning that the camera man was directly under a pyrotechnical charge.
True modern films say that a special effect has to be so good you cannot tell its a special effect - that may the case for todays films but in the late 70s and early 80s you just had to find someone who could make that special effect real let alone look realistic. these guys did it. Their story carries on with ILM in to the digital age.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this 25 years (and several volumes - including Lorne Peterson’s masterful “Sculpting A Galaxy”) later, this comes across as a fairly dry book, almost an historical document. Smith does a good job of explaining what each department in ILM does - some of which, you imagine, are now long gone professions (especially with ILM having sold off the model-making part of the business) - and some of his hints and forecasts for the future of film production are spot on the money, but he spends too long explaining complicated processes that surely could have been dealt with in a lighter hand. A good, informative book, with some excellent behind-the-scenes shots - if read secure in the knowledge that it was at the cutting edge of technology back then, this is well worth a read. For something a bit more up-to-date, try one of the Lucasfilm/Rinzler books.

[Kyle Prohaska · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was the kid carrying this everywhere in middle school. I would read it everyday and it became a huge influence on me and my love of movies. If you can find a copy, it's worth the price.

[Mark Boszko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great behind-the-scenes photos and explanations of advances over the course of ILM's early years, leading up to the integration of CGI into the effects arsenal. Hoping there will be a Volume 2 at some point, with similar detail.

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I bought it in Manhattan so many years ago and it's still great to read with my kids looking over my shoulder!

[Rajeev Gaikwad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Guiding Star always...right from the start of my Career to this very day...someone to look up to..this friend is always there for me

[Roberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this industry is one of my dreams to know it.