The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens Book Review

The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens

Text By Linda Sunshine

Foreword By Stephen Colbert

Published By Newmarket Press, March 2009

Page count: 192 pages

Size: 11 x 10

Includes: Text and 400 illustrations

http://www.newmarketpress.com/title.asp?id=895

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The Art of Monsters vs Aliens Review By John C.

The Art of Monsters vs Aliens is a beautiful reference book that coincides with the new film from Dreamwork's Animation. It is filled with concept and character art, that gives you a sense of how the different characters came to be. Some of it is really funny, especially a lot of Timothy Lamb’s two page spreads, (particularly the one on pages 46-47), Lamb was also the one that does a lot (if not all) of the cool retro-style character posters.

Having not yet seen the film at the time of writing this, I now cannot wait to finally get to see it. If the book is any indication, (which it is), than this film will be spectacular in 3-D, but still great to look at in 2-D.

While the film is entertainment, this book reminds us that it is also art. A fact that will sadly be forgotten by a lot of people when they go see it this weekend.

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The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens Book Review By Erin V.

As an artist myself, I find these kinds of artwork books fascinating. Well written and easy to read, The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens is a great look into the making of this movie, as well as the art process for films like this in general.

In this book, we can really see what a challenge Monsters vs. Aliens would have been to create, because the characters are so huge. Along with making sure that the proportions are consistent between the characters, they have to keep them beside something that we recognize the approximate height of, such as a building or regular sized human being. Otherwise, we would have no way of telling just how big they actually are. Reading through the book, you will come to realize just how hard it is to make a movie like this - especially in 3-D. While it may look easy on screen, it is cool to get a little bit of perspective into just how much work is actually involved.

This book is filled with 400 amazing illustrations ranging from concept art to storyboards, and is divided into an introduction + five parts for ease of reference. (Character Design, Locations, Special F/X, The Making of Monsters vs. Aliens, and Out of the Picture.) The foreword which opens the book is written by Stephen Colbert, who voices the President of the United States in the movie. Very informative, this is a great tie-in to the movie. It must have been a hard task to assemble all of the interviews and text together, and decide what went in the book and what didn’t. While I have not read the whole book cover to cover as of yet, I can tell you right now that it is definitely worth adding to your collection.

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You can read our interview with author Linda Sunshine here, and find out more about The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens on Newmarket Press's website here.

Quick note: Our reviews of the film will be coming soon...

Interview with The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens Author Linda Sunshine

When did you find out that you were going to be working on this project? (Monster vs. Aliens) In the summer of 2008.

How much time are you given to put the book together? About 6 months.

Did you have access to all of the concept art for the film? How did you decide what pieces to include in the book? The staff at Dreamworks assembled the first rough cut of concept art, which I think was about 3,000 pieces. Our job was to cut that down to about 400.

Were you given a list of people to speak to, (e.g. directors, animators, storyboard artists, etc.)? Did you have to - or get to - choose who to speak to? Yes, the producer and production designer on the movie put together a list of about a dozen key people for me to interview. After I interviewed those folks, and knew what I wanted to cover, I asked to speak to about 10 others in specialty fields.

What was it like to talk to so many people involved, and how do you put it all together into the book? I begin with extensive interviews with the people who have the most creative control over the movie so that I can establish the main attributes, challenges, and areas of interest that might be included in the book. My job is to focus on the particulars that make this movie different from others that have come before. Once I know what really distinguished the movie, I can put together a rough outline of the main topics the book will cover.

These interviews are the most fun part of the book writing process for me. I love talking with creative people who are passionate about their work; to learn how they became interested in their particular field and how they solved the challenges presented to them. Personally, I am fascinated by people who are passionate and committed to their work, no matter what they may do.

When you first started working on The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens, had you seen any footage from the film, (e.g. animated story reels)? There was about 10 minutes of completed (meaning 3-D) film of 2 major scenes in the movie and I was able to view these on a big screen (with polarized glasses) very early in my research.

Have you seen the finished film yet? Yes. I attended a screening last week in Burbank on a Saturday morning. The theater was packed, about half adults and half kids. The movie played brilliantly. The kids were quiet and attentive, except when they were gasping with surprise because of the 3-D effects or howling with laughter. It could not have had a better reception as far as I could see.

From the beginning when you started going through all of the artwork, did one character really stand out for you? Would this now be your favorite character, and if so, why? There are 5 main monsters and one amazing alien (with thousands of alien clones.) All of them were interesting and engaging but since Susan AKA Ginormica is the central character in the movie (and the only “human” monster), she was definitely my favorite.

How is it to see something that you first met through concept art, up on the big screen? [If you’ve seen the finished film], does meet your expectations? The finished film more than met my expectations. It transcends being a “kids” movie with tons of references to more mature concepts like satirizing monster movies from the 50s, references to movies such as Dr. Strangelove and political asides about a somewhat nutty and incompetent president who can’t tell the difference between the button for a cup of latte and the button for an atomic device.

How do you feel The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens compares to other film related books you have worked on? Every new animated film seems to override anything that came before it. The technology changes so rapidly that each new advancement seems to push the entertainment and enjoyment factor just that much further. Monsters vs. Aliens contains special effects elements that have never been seen before.

I noticed that you’ve written a lot of books on Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of OZ. Do you have a favorite children’s book / film? As a child of the 60s I have to ask: Can anything compare to The Wizard of OZ? I saw it in the movie theater when I was 6 years old and I’ve never been so thrilled by anything before or since. That moment when the film transfers from black and white to color was a high point of my childhood. Though the technology advances, it is always those “first time” experiences of our childhood that stay with us forever.

Are there any upcoming projects that you can tell us about? Not yet. Ask me again this summer!

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One Movie, Five Views thanks Linda Sunshine for taking the time to answer our questions, and Harry Burton at Newmarket Press for setting everything up.

To read more about The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens visit the page on Newmarket Press's website here.