Most Popular Books by Mark Cotta Vaz

Explore the making of the film New Moon in this ultimate visual companion, lavishly illustrated with full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets. This beautiful paperback edition celebrates the onscreen creation of Stephenie Meyer''s fascinating world, brought to life by Academy Award(R)-nominated director Chris Weitz. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, renowned author Mark Cotta Vaz takes you behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the filmmaking process.

Everything fans want to know about the hotly anticipated Twilight movie and much more! Designed as a celebration of the film, this lavishly illustrated paperback edition is an exclusive behind-the-scenes guide featuring full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets, as well as storyboards, interviews, details of the special effects, and much more.

Stephenie Meyer''s The Host captured millions of readers around the world with one of the most unusual love stories ever written. Acclaimed director Andrew Niccol brings it to the silver screen with a star-studded cast, stunning visuals, and breathtaking special effects. Now this definitive companion book takes fans behind-the-scenes with extensive full-color photographs and exclusive interviews with the cast, crew, director, and producers, including Stephenie Meyer herself. Offering an intimate look at the filmmaking process, New York Times bestselling author Mark Cotta Vaz tells the inside stories behind the exotic locations, massive sets, and gravity-defying stunts, and shows how cast and crew come together to bring Meyer''s extraordinary vision to life.

From Pixar Animation Studios, the Academy Awardwinning studio that brought us such blockbusters as Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo, comes The Incredibles, a hilarious, action-packed story of a family of superheroes living an underground suburban existence. The sleekly designed settings and characters were conceptualized and developed by writer/director Brad Bird and Pixar''s creative team of artists, illustrators, and designers, resulting in a celluloid sensation rich with detail. The Art of The Incredibles celebrates their talent, featuring concept and character sketches, storyboards, and lighting studies, and invites readers into the elaborate creative process of animation through interviews with all the key players at Pixar.

Explore the making of the film "New Moon" in this ultimate visual companion, lavishly illustrated with full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, this guide takes fans behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the filmmaking process.

This is a complete history of the incomparable Batmobile. From its humble beginnings in the pages of Detective Comics, to its re-imaginings every decade, it explores each incarnation of the Batmobile in incredible detail and scope.

"Cooper was one of the first bomber pilots in World War I. After the war, he helped form the famous Kosciuszko Squadron in battle-torn Poland. He then turned his attention to producing documentary films that chronicled his hair-raising encounters with savage warriors, man-eating tigers, nomadic tribes, and elephant stampedes." "In addition to producing King Kong, he was the first to team Fred Astaire with Ginger Rogers, arranged Katharine Hepburn''s screen test, collaborated with John Ford on Hollywood''s greatest Westerns, and then changed the face of film forever with Cinerama, the original "virtual reality." He returned to military service during World War II, serving with General Claire Chennault in China, flying missions into the heart of enemy territory.".

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new Columbia Pictures film "Spider-Man" combines photographs and illustrations with interviews of cast and crew, excerpts from the actual shooting script, and information on the visual effects.

Explore the making of the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse in this ultimate visual companion, lavishly illustrated with full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets. This beautiful paperback edition celebrates the onscreen creation of Stephenie Meyer''s fascinating world, brought to life by critically acclaimed director David Slade. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, renowned author Mark Cotta Vaz takes you behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the filmmaking process.

In his sci-fi epic Interstellar, Christopher Nolan takes on the infinite canvas of space to deliver a cutting-edge, emotionally charged adventure that will amaze audiences of all ages. Interstellar: Beyond Time and Space documents the making of Nolan''s latest masterpiece in fascinating detail and features interviews with the acclaimed director, along with screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, producer Emma Thomas, and other key members of the production team. Delving into the science and philosophy behind the film, Interstellar: Beyond Time and Space dynamically showcases its incredible concept art, including costume designs, storyboards, and other fascinating preproduction elements. Also featuring interviews with the exceptional cast, including Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, Interstellar: Beyond Time and Space tells the full story of the making of the film, with candid pictures illustrating its elaborate set pieces and reliance on classic special effects techniques. Visually enthralling and engrossing in its in-depth exploration of the themes and ideas at the heart of Interstellar, this book is the perfect accompaniment to one of the most anticipated films of 2014. Based on the film from Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures. From acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight" films, "Inception"), "Interstellar" stars Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey ("Dallas Buyers Club"), Oscar winner Anne Hathaway ("Les Misébles"), Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain ("Zero Dark Thirty"), Bill Irwin ("Rachel Getting Married"), Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn ("Alice Doesn''t Live Here Anymore"), and Oscar winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules"). The main cast also includes Wes Bentley, Casey Affleck, David Gyasi, Mackenzie Foy and Topher Grace. Christopher Nolan directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jonathan Nolan. Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Lynda Obst produced "Interstellar," with Jordan Goldberg, Jake Myers, Kip Thorne and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers. Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures present, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy/Lynda Obst Productions production, a film by Christopher Nolan, "Interstellar."

Meet Bolt: dashing super-dog, loyal companion, star of a hit television show. This heartfelt Disney computer-animated film follows Bolt on a cross country journey as he learns his entire life has been fakeand discovers he doesn''t need super powers to be a hero. The Art of Bolt is a beautiful collection of more than 250 pieces of concept art created for the film, including storyboards, sketches, color scripts, full-color illustrations, as well as material from the fabled Disney archives. Quotes by the director, producer, and artists contextualize the art, and thoughtful essays explore Disney''s past, present, and future in animation.

Explore the making of the film Beautiful Creatures in this ultimate visual companion, lavishly illustrated with full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets. This beautiful paperback edition celebrates the on-screen creation of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl''s fascinating world, brought to life by screenwriter and director Richard LaGravenese. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, Mark Cotta Vaz takes you behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the filmmaking process.

Now available in paperback, The Invisible Art provides an unprecedented retrospective of matte art painting -- the unsung hero in the fast-paced world of cinematic visual effects. Until recently, matte-painting techniques were closely guarded secrets kept locked up on studio lots. The Invisible Art flings open the gates to reveal the finest representations of matte paintings from rare examples seen in epics such as Gone with the Wind and Citizen Kane to prove that the brush is mightier than the computer, as seen in such blockbusters as Star Wars and Titanic. Lavishly illustrated, the book''s tremendous scope unveils a century''s worth of fascinating stories, legendary personalities, and cunning movie craft from the first pioneering "glass shots" to the dawn of digital technology. Including a foreword by George Lucas, The Invisible Art conjures a never-before-told story of film wizardry.

An in-depth look at how the movie Spider-Man 2 was made. It features interviews, hundreds of photos, sketches, storyboards and production art chronicling every aspect of the movie''s design, but paying special attention to the work that went into creating Doc Ock.

Visual tour of the sequel to Star Wars episode 1 : the phantom menace.

The way that special effects are designed and then created in films is explained in this lavishly illustrated book that traces the development of the ILM company of George Lucas.

A companion to the film, illustrated with full color photos.

Book Description When Lost debuted on ABC last fall, viewers were immediately captivated. On a remote South Pacific Island, 48 plane crash survivors are forced to scavenge what they can and battle cruel weather and, at times, each other. Some panic. Others pin their hopes on rescue. And some find strength they never knew they had. But the island has many secrets-and hidden dangers-as more than 17 million viewers are discovering.The Lost Chronicles is the must-have guide for those fans. Filled with a detailed episode guide and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show, the fully illustrated book offers plot twists and backstories that will help fans uncover the mysteries of Lost. Also included are reflections and anecdotes from cast members, writers, and executive producer/ creator J. J. Abram that readers won+t find anywhere else. In addition, the book comes with a DVD containing unaired scenes from the show. Lost is known for compelling and mysterious story lines. Each episode features the backstory for one character, while new stories develop on the island. This companion serves as a resource for viewers and will take them through the trials and tribulations of the survivors on the island, as well as the histories of the characters.

Lavishly Illustrated with hundreds of full-color photographs, this treasury captures the remarkable imagery, as well as the wonder, of the Lucasfilm Universe.

Pixar Animation Studios, the Academy Award-winning creators of Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug''s Life, and Monsters, Inc., are bringing a new animated movie, Finding Nemo, to the screen this summer. This visually stunning underwater adventure follows eventful and comic journeys of two fish-a father and his son Nemo-who become separated in the Great Barrier Reef. The underwater world for the film was conceptualized and developed by the creative team of artists, illustrators, and designers at Pixar, resulting in a lush landscape rich with detail. The Art of Finding Nemo celebrates their talent, featuring concept and character sketches, storyboards, and lighting studies in a huge spectrum of media, from five-second sketches to intricate color pastels. This behind-the-scenes odyssey invites the reader into the elaborate creative process of animation films through interviews with all the key players at Pixar. There will be children''s books related to Finding Nemo, but no adult titles other than this definitive volume. Revealing, insightful, and awesomely creative, The Art of Finding Nemo will delight film-goers, artists, and animation fans alike.

Documents the making of Christopher Nolan''s Interstellar in detail. Featuring interviews with the acclaimed director, screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, and key cast, with pictures from the set, this book also focuses on scientist Kip Thorne, whose revelatory theories about the nature of time and space inspired the movie''s narrative.

Superman may be faster than a speeding bullet, but even he can''t outrun copyright law. Since the dawn of the pulp hero in the 1930s, publishers and authors have fought over the privilege of making money off of comics, and the authors and artists usually have lost. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman, got all of $130 for the rights to the hero. In Empire of the Superheroes, Mark Cotta Vaz argues that licensing and litigation do as much as any ink-stained creator to shape the mythology of comic characters. Vaz reveals just how precarious life was for the legends of the industry. Siegel and Shuster—and their heirs—spent seventy years battling lawyers to regain rights to Superman. Jack Kirby and Joe Simon were cheated out of their interest in Captain America, and Kirby''s children brought a case against Marvel to the doorstep of the Supreme Court. To make matters worse, the infant comics medium was nearly strangled in its crib by censorship and moral condemnation. For the writers and illustrators now celebrated as visionaries, the "golden age" of comics felt more like hard times. The fantastical characters that now earn Hollywood billions have all-too-human roots. Empire of the Superheroes digs them up, detailing the creative martyrdom at the heart of a pop-culture powerhouse.

The Art of The Polar Express celebrates the transformation of Chris Van Allsburg''s celebrated children''s book The Polar Express into a full-length, animated feature film through a fascinating collection of concept art, production storyboards, and computer-generated renderings. Production designer Doug Chiang shares his original, never-before-seen artwork that evolved into the final motion picture. Weaving these pieces together are candid interviews with the star-studded cast and crew, including Robert Zemeckis and his team of filmmaking visionaries, that deliver rare insight into the film as they divulge the secrets behind their creative process.

The beginning -- Batman''s garage -- Welcome to Gotham City -- The secret history -- Shock city -- Return to the beginning -- The legend of the Batman.

Discover the dark secrets of Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece, Pan''s Labyrinth, in this thrilling exploration of the film’s creation. Released in 2006, Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth was hailed as a dark, thrilling masterpiece and announced the filmmaker as a major creative force, garnering him a loyal fan base attracted to his technical skill and wild imagination. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this acclaimed fantasy, Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth provides the definitive account of the film’s creation. Written in close collaboration with the director, this volume covers everything from del Toro’s initial musings, through to the film’s haunting creature designs, the hugely challenging shoot, and the overwhelming critical and fan reaction upon the its release. Including exquisite concept art and rare unit photography from the set, Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth gives readers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at how this modern classic was crafted for the screen. The book also draws on interviews with every key player in the film’s creation, including stars Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdu, and Doug Jones; producers Alfonso Cuarón and Bertha Navarro; and director of photography Guillermo Navarro, to present the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at this unforgettable cinematic classic.

Filled with larger-than-life characters, and revelations of the vision and technology it took to dominate the skies before and during, World War II, here is a gripping piece of aviation history. Pan Am at War chronicles the airline''s historic role in advancing aviation and serving America''s national interest before and during World War II. From its inception, Pan American Airways operated as the "wings of democracy," spanning six continents and placing the country at the leading edge of international aviation. At the same time, it was clandestinely helping to fight America''s wars. Utilizing government documents, declassified Freedom of Information Act material, and company documents, the authors have uncovered stories of Pan Am''s stunning role as an instrument of American might: The airline''s role in building air bases in Latin America and countering Axis interests that threatened the Panama Canal Creating transatlantic and trans-Africa supply lines for sending Lend-Lease equipment to Britain Cooperation with Chiang Kai-shek and the Chinese nationalist government to pioneer the dangerous "Hump" route over the Himalayas The dangerous seventeen-thousand-mile journey that took President Roosevelt to the high-stakes Casablanca Conference with Winston Churchill The daring flight that delivered uranium for the atomic bomb. For anyone interested in aviation, business, or military history, here is astonishing story filled with big ideas and the leaders who made them a reality.

The only all-access AUTHORIZED behind-the-scenes look at the making of the smash TV show, with reflections and anecdotes that readers won''t find anywhere else - from cast members, writers, and creator/executive producer J.J. Abrahams.

Director J.J. Abrams’ new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, Star Trek features a young, new crew venturing boldly where no man has gone before, as it tells the story of how the brash Starfleet cadet James T. Kirk first meets a Vulcan named Spock, and earns the Captain’s chair of the Starship Enterprise. The film quickly became a critical and commercial smash hit worldwide, as audiences — confirmed Trekkers and newcomers alike — thrilled to a state-of-the-art action epic which both respected the legacy of Gene Roddenberry’s archetypal modern myth and forged ahead into an exciting future of its own. Star Trek: The Art of the Film is a lavishly illustrated celebration of that new vision, tracing the evolution of the movie’s look through a stunning array of previously unseen pre-production paintings, concept sketches, costume and set designs, unit photography and final frames. Written by New York Times-bestselling author Mark Cotta Vaz in close co-operation with the film’s production team, and including a Foreword by J.J. Abrams, this is the essential companion to the film.

This book contains the best and most formative pieces of Beowulf production art and concept art, including sketches, sculpture maquettes, 3-D renders, and digital paintings.

A look at the creation of the film that brings to life the land of Alagaësia and the adventures of Eragon and Saphira includes full-color photographs and the inside scoop of the making of the movie from the cast and crew.

Traces, in text and illustrations, the evolution of the cartoon superhero through the fifty years since his creation, recording changes in his appearance and character and those of his enemies and profiling his many progenitors