the art of

Many of these books include substantial visual material. Examples in this set list more than 500 pieces of artwork, another specifies 440 illustrations (376 in color), and several highlight concept art, storyboards and large portfolios.

They document production and visual development with concept and creature designs, FX and prop work, location and set explorations, storyboards, production artifacts, and interviews with creators and cast to show how the work was made.

Many include extensive commentary and interviews—some feature creator commentary and in-depth interviews with filmmakers and artists, while others rely on editorial text to guide collectors through the art.

They are highly detailed: examples include annotated sourcebooks with thousands of entries, annotated reproductions, bibliographies, indexes, and chapter-by-artist chronologies and biographical sketches for in-depth research.

Page counts in this set range from 204 up to 720 pages.

Many listings show a Suggested Age of 22 years and up; descriptions also identify target readers such as art historians, art students, museum and gallery curators, collectors and fans, and newcomers or connoisseurs.

Collector/coffee-table books in this set are described as coffee-table–style or “luxurious oversized,” typically hardcover, with editorial commentary and large, visually driven artwork.