Product Description

With remarkably realistic characterizations and unprecedented digital special effects, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT establishes anew standard in animated feature films. It is the first movie since The Ten Commandments (1956) to retell the story of Moses from the Book of Exodus, history's earliest narrative of deliverance from slavery that has been a source of faith and inspired dreams of freedom throughout the world. It represents a daring effort on the part of the founders of DreamWorks SKG - Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and david Geffen - to pioneer cinematic animation that is as versatile as live-action filmmaking.

The reader of this book will see how the fimmakers constructed the film scene by scene, shaping the narrative and deepening its dramatic impact and emotional resonance. They tell the stirring biblical story of Moses and the Pharaoh Rameses, who are driven by the circumstances of their birth to a momentous confrontation. The vast panorama of ancient Egypt, encompassing monumental architecture and majestic desire landscapes, offered unprecedented opportunities to artists. the pivotal role of God's miracles- the Burning Bush, the Ten Plagues, and the Parting of the Red Sea-called for the invention of digital special effects so awe inspiring that they would justify Mose's stirring declaration to the Hebrews, "Believe-for we will see God's wonders.

An internationally respected critic and historian of animation, Charles Solomon has written five books on the subject, including the acclaimed Enchanted Drawings: The History of Animation (1989).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #766310 in Books
• Published on: 1998-11-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

Customer Reviews

The focus of the book is the artwork, and not the text.
The model for a "Making of ..." book must be "Toy Story" by John Lassetter & Steve Daly. It had artwork and designs from preliminary sketches through to realized shots, coupled with stories, techniques and anecdotes about the entire production start to finish.

Prince of Egypt comes close on the artwork front, but tends toward showing the final shots and some minor development work. The text is more concerned with captions for the pictures, with a section at the end of the book for some technique overviews and personal interviews.

Having said all this, for anyone (and I mean anyone!) who even remotely appreciates the artwork that animation is capable of rendering then this book is a must. The design of Prince of Egypt is the star of this book and to some degree the film too.

If you are looking for an indepth story of the films' production you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a record of the amazing work that is displayed on the theatre screen, then you can't go wrong with this title.

I recommend it as one of most visually stunning books around.

Indepth walkthrough on the art and production process
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1HG1ZDQGCSYSU When The Prince of Egypt came out in 1998, it featured some spectacular visual effects ever used in animation. In this book, it shows the art and research done for the movie.

It includes set paintings, storyboards and character designs. The production design is excellent. The mood of old Egypt is recreated perfectly with the amazing use of lighting and restricted colour palette.

The text throughout explain the process of making the animation. For example, it talks about the difficulty in portraying Moses, on how costumes had to be designed to look Egyptian, on looking for the right actors for voice acting and more.

At the back of the book is the summary on all areas of production. It includes, the story structure, design, layout, voices, animation, backgrounds, music and effects.

This is a great art book.

There are more pictures of the book on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.

A new vision in animation.
The Prince of Egypt is the first animated film in history to SUCCESSFULLY integrate both traditional cell animation and computer generated images. A breathtaking film, with a scope rarely seen in films today, much less ANIMATED films. The Dreamworks team is a formidible new force in animation - they treat animation as an art form and as a storytelling medium. Not as a summer PRODUCT, like the Disney team. Disney could only hope to produce something this good.