In 1982, Walt Disney Productions was in serious trouble. Its films were no longer drawing audiences into theaters. In the era of "Star Wars" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark," Disney desperately needed to reinvent itself. Disney found its salvation in a radical new film called "Tron." Led by a fearless first-time feature film director, the cast and crew of "Tron" turned the Disney studio upside down and forced it into the modern film age. "The Making of Tron: How Tron Changed Visual Effects and Disney Forever" traces the making of this groundbreaking computer driven film from its inception, through its setbacks and in-fighting, to its enormous influence on modern culture. "Tron" was so innovative, it would change how audiences saw movies and it would forever transform the film industry. Featuring exclusive interviews with Jeff Bridges, Cindy Morgan, Steven Lisberger, Donald Kushner, Harrison Ellenshaw, Richard Taylor, and "Tron" alumni, "The Making of Tron: How Tron Changed Visual Effects and Disney Forever" will blow away your perception of one of the most innovative films of all time.

Tron Legacy is one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2010. Starring Oscar-nominated Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, Iron Man, Crazy Heart), Garrett Hedlund (Friday Night Lights) and Olivia Wilde (House), this action/sci-fi film picks up 28 years after the events of the original Tron. Hedlund plays Sam, the son of the original movie’s lead, Kevin Flynn (Bridges). Kevin has been missing for years. To find him, Sam must return to the world of the Grid. This 3D movie, in theaters December 17th 2010, is sure to be a mega-hit. The Art and Making of Tron Legacy is a view into not only the creation of the 2010 film, but will also contain never-before-seen looks at the design and creation of 1982’s original Tron. Tron was like nothing the world had ever seen. A melding of cutting-edge computer effects and live action, it captured the imaginations of a generation. It also gave viewers a glimpse of the future of movies, and created a cult following. The design, effects and iconic qualities of Tron: Legacy will appeal to everyone who loves action and sci-fi movies. Fans of the original movie and the legions of fans for the new movie will be thrilled to get an insider’s perspective on the movie’s creation, and that’s exactly what they’ll find in The Art and Making of Tron Legacy. Written by co-producer Justin Springer, the book will spotlight the technical wizardry, imagination, artistry, and passion that brought this project to life. From concept art and designs, to profiles on the characters and the actors playing them, to on-set photography and visuals from the movie itself, every step of the film’s creation will be broken down and laid out for the reader. In addition, this title will also have a preface by Joseph Kosinski, the director of Tron Legacy; and a forward by Steven Lisberger, the director of the original Tron and producer of Tron Legacy. The book will use special fluorescent inks to make the illuminated world of Tron come to life, and is sure to be a must-have coffee table edition for the holidays.

This enhanced eBook transforms The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back into an immersive multimedia experience worthy of the original film. It features exclusive content pulled from the Lucasfilm archives by author J. W. Rinzler: • 28 minutes of rare behind-the-scenes video* • 29 minutes of rare audio interviews with the cast and crew • New bonus photos and artwork not found in the print edition In this lavish thirtieth-anniversary tribute to the blockbuster film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, New York Times bestselling author J. W. Rinzler draws back the curtain to reveal the intense drama and magnificent wizardry behind the hit movie—arguably the fan favorite of the Star Wars Saga. Following his The Making of Star Wars, the author has once again made use of his unlimited access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its hidden treasures of interviews, photos, artwork, and production mementos. The result is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes, up-close-and-personal look at the trials and triumphs, risks and close calls, inspiration, perspiration, and imagination that went into every facet of this cinematic masterpiece. Here’s the inside scoop on: • the evolution of the script, from story conference and treatment to fifth draft, as conceived, written, and rewritten by George Lucas, famed science-fiction author Leigh Brackett, and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan • the development of new key characters, including roguish hero Lando Calrissian, sinister bounty hunter Boba Fett, and iconic Jedi Master Yoda • the challenges of shooting the epic ice planet battle in the frozen reaches of Norway and of conjuring up convincing creatures and craft—from tauntauns and snowspeeders to Imperial walkers • the construction of a life-sized Millennium Falcon and the swamp planet Dagobah inside a specially built soundstage in Elstree Studios • the technique behind master Muppeteer Frank Oz’s breathing life into the breakthrough character Yoda • the creation of the new, improved Industrial Light & Magic visual effects facility and the founding of the now-legendary Skywalker Ranch In addition, of course, are rare on-the-scene interviews with all the major players: actors Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and David Prowse; director Irvin Kershner; producer Gary Kurtz; effects specialists Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston, and Phil Tippett; composer John Williams; and many others. Punctuating the epic account is a bounty of drawings, storyboards, and paintings by Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and Ivor Beddoes, along with classic and rare production photos. An added bonus is a Foreword by acclaimed director Ridley Scott. The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is a fittingly glorious celebration of an undisputed space-fantasy movie milestone. Search your feelings, you know it to be true. *Video may not play on all readers. Please check your user manual for details.

A behind-the-scenes history of computer graphics, featuring a cast of math nerds, avant-garde artists, cold warriors, hippies, video game players, and studio executives. Computer graphics (or CG) has changed the way we experience the art of moving images. Computer graphics is the difference between Steamboat Willie and Buzz Lightyear, between ping pong and PONG. It began in 1963 when an MIT graduate student named Ivan Sutherland created Sketchpad, the first true computer animation program. Sutherland noted: “Since motion can be put into Sketchpad drawings, it might be exciting to try making cartoons.” This book, the first full-length history of CG, shows us how Sutherland's seemingly offhand idea grew into a multibillion dollar industry. In Moving Innovation, Tom Sito—himself an animator and industry insider for more than thirty years—describes the evolution of CG. His story features a memorable cast of characters—math nerds, avant-garde artists, cold warriors, hippies, video game enthusiasts, and studio executives: disparate types united by a common vision. Sito shows us how fifty years of work by this motley crew made movies like Toy Story and Avatar possible.

In anticipation of Walt Disney Pictures' high-tech adventure, TRON: LEGACY, which hits U.S. theaters in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D on December 17, 2010 - Marvel Comics is proud to bring you a stunning new visualization of the first TRON film. Adapted by legendary scribe PETER DAVID (X-Factor, The Dark Tower) and stunningly illustrated by MIRCO PIERFEDERICI (X-Men Legacy, Dark Wolverine)!

Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges is widely adored asa jewel of American cinema, with dozens of leading credits to his name. For more than 30 years, on numerous film sets, Bridges, with his specialized panoramic camera, a Widelux F8, has captured behind-the-scenes views of the creative world of moviemaking. Now, 16 years since his first collection of photography, comesVolume Two. Taking pictures of coworkers on the job results in compelling photographs, especially when those people include the likes of Meryl Streep, Robert Duvall, Julianne Moore, Olivia Wilde, and Matt Damon, among others. Unique photos from his earlier work were first shared inPictures: Jeff Bridges(powerHouse Books, 2003). Now, drawing on his most recent film work,Jeff Bridges: Pictures Volume 2expands on Bridges' intimate vision of Hollywood behind-the-scenes. Included within are rare looks at the famed actors, top directors, talented costumers and makeup artists, skilled and creative set and art decoration, and the rest of thepassionate crews involved in such memorable movies asTrue Grit,Crazy Heart,The Giver,TRON: Legacy, andHell or High Water. Together, these pictures provide glimpses of the art, craft, and sleight of hand behind the magic of motion pictures.Jeff Bridges:Pictures Volume 2also celebrates Bridges' mastery of the special effects made possible with the distinctive Widelux panoramic camera. Bridges' proceeds fromJeff Bridges: Pictures Volume Twowill be donated to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, a nonprofit organization that offers charitable care and support to film-industry workers.

From the team who brought you The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore comes an alphabet tale extraordinaire! Once upon a time there was no alphabet, only numbers… Life was…fine. Orderly. Dull as gray paint. Very…numberly. But our five jaunty heroes weren’t willing to accept that this was all there could be. They knew there had to be more. So they broke out hard hats and welders, hammers and glue guns, and they started knocking some numbers together. Removing a piece here. Adding a piece there. At first, it was awful. But the five kept at it, and soon it was…artful! One letter after another emerged, until there were twenty-six. Twenty-six letters—and they were beautiful. All colorful, shiny, and new. Exactly what our heroes didn’t even know they were missing. And when the letters entered the world, something truly wondrous began to happen…Pizza! Jelly beans! Color! Books! Based on the award-winning app, this is William Joyce and Moonbot’s Metropolis-inspired homage to everyone who knows there is more to life than shades of black and gray.

Creative Computer Graphics presents the dynamic visual power of images created with computer technology. From the pioneering efforts in the 1950s to the current achievements of modern exponents in the US, UK, France and Japan, the book explores computer graphic images through the techniques and technology used to create them. Scientific research laboratories, video games, NASA space simulations, feature films, television advertising and industrial design are some of the areas where computer graphics has made an impact. The book traces the history, assesses the current state of the art and looks ahead to the future where computer graphic images and techniques are to become progressively more important as a means of expression and communication.

Like the famed theme park attraction and brand-new feature film that this volume examines, The Making of Disney’s Jungle Cruise takes readers on a unique and fascinating journey. It’s an odyssey through the history and legacy of one of the most original ideas ever to come out of Walt Disney’s fertile mind, first planned for the opening of his revolutionary new theme park in 1955. This book travels from the debut of what was called the Jungle River Cruise on Disneyland’s opening day, through the arrival at long last of the thrilling feature film starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.On Disneyland’s opening day of July 17, 1955, the park’s first guests boarded authentically styled riverboats to take the first Jungle Cruises. This unique riverboat-themed attraction in Adventureland takes visitors on a short journey down expertly simulated versions of the most prominent tropical rivers of the world, including the Amazon and the Nile, to witness wild animals, exotic sights, and thrills only a handful of intrepid real-world explorers had experienced in the past. A hilarious (and “punny”) Jungle Cruise skipper narrates all the sights and action from beginning to end. This Jungle Cruise experience would ultimately be woven into three other Disney parks, where the ride was likewise an opening-day attraction—simulating comedic high-adventure cruises through rivers in the continents of South America, Africa, and Asia. Fast-forward decades and, at long last, production on the movie commenced. The project was influenced by director Jaume Collet-Serra’s love of The African Queen, Indiana Jones films, and Romancing the Stone, among others, and built on the foundation of key elements of the theme park attraction. From the re-creation of the Amazon River to the film’s hilarious take on famous skipper puns and the reams of Easter eggs for longtime fans, the Jungle Cruise movie captures the same excitement and joy as the theme park attraction, and