There are great recommendations in here, here's a few more, mostly focused on European cult films.

Immoral Tales is a great overview of Euro cult films with chapters dedicated to the films of Jesse Franco, Jean Rollin, Walerian Borowczyk, Jose Larraz, and Alain Robbe-Grilette, as well as chapters that cover a wider territory that feature directors who aren't as well known. It was a pretty eye-opening book and great resource when it first came out (1995) and I re-read it recently and it didn't seem outdated at all. You'll discover a lot of great films to watch flipping through it. It's currently out of print but you can probably find a copy on Ebay for pretty cheap.

For a more in-depth look into specific Euro cult directors, the works of Jess Franco are covered very well by Stephen Thrower. His book Murderous Passions is great but currently out of print and going for dumb money, hopefully they'll do a re-print soon. He has a follow up Flowers of Perversion that is coming out in a couple of months. Stephen has also done great books on Lucio Fulci Beyond Terror and on American cult films Nightmare USA.

Fascination: The Celluloid Dreams Of Jean Rollin and Lost Girls are both pretty great books covering the cinema of Jean Rollin, one of my favorite Euro cult directors. There is another book on Rollin called Psychedelic Sex Vampires, but it's a bust.

Dario Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic is very good. There's another good Argento book called Art of Darkness but it is out of print and expensive, but if you are a fan, it is worth it if you can find a relatively cheaper used copy somewhere.

If you like giallo, the So Deadly, So Perverse books Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are awesome.

If you are in the mood for less reading and more art, Nicolas Winding Refn did a cool book titled The Act of Seeing which has photos of his cult & exploitation film poster collection. It's rad. The publisher of The Act of Seeing, FAB Press, has done so many fantastic books, covering cult films from all over the world.

For magazines, Cinema Sewer is a pretty great current magazine, and you can't go wrong with old back issues of the now sadly defunct Video Watchdog that was run by Tim Lucas, who you might know from his multiple audio commentaries and liner notes.

I'm a fellow midwesterner that moved to L.A. in the late 90s and moved back to the midwest in 2006 (to raise our children closer to family).

First and foremost, forget about where to work right now. If you want to be a screenwriter, you need to hone your craft. Geography isn't going to matter in that respect. If you want to move to L.A. now and have the means to do so, go for it. If you can wait a year or two as you hone your craft first, great.

No industry job will afford you the proper chance to become a successful screenwriter AT THIS STAGE. You have no writing to speak of YET. So any contacts or networking that could be done within an industry job won't do you any good because you will have nothing to show for it. One script isn't enough. You need 3-5 amazing scripts before anyone will take you seriously. Even if you were to luck out, win a big contest and get some calls, the first question they'll ask in that phone call or general meeting is "What else do you have?" If you've got nothing else, no agent or manager will want you. Nor will a producer or exec, unless they are ape shit over the script that got you in there, which hardly ever happens.

Hone your craft. Read as many produced scripts as you can. Read, for the basics, The Screenwriter's Bible and How NOT to Write a Screenplay. And not to be a shill, check out this one that I edited and wrote most of (I make nothing off of it)... https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Business-Screenwriting-Television-ScreenCraft-ebook/dp/B01CAYTD42/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466019424&sr=8-1&keywords=screencraft

Then just start to write, write, write. I'd suggest avoiding writing short scripts unless you want to get them made as indie short films. You need to train yourself for FEATURES so you need to WRITE FEATURES.

Your first one will likely be terrible. Just get it done. Your second will allow you to learn from your mistakes hopefully. Then you'll start to get into a groove.

Train yourself to finish a feature script in 10 weeks (give or take a couple). That's the industry standard time limit you have when you're under contract so you should get ahead of the game and learn to write under such a deadline.

Take a year or two to get 3-5 amazing scripts written. Choose the concepts wisely. Write what you want to write mixed with what people are willing to buy, but make the concepts original, unique, and engaging.

THEN you can have a go at a career. THEN you'll be ahead of the game. THEN you'll have increased your odds of success ten fold.

Do this in the midwest or while working in L.A. IF you choose to move to L.A. early AS YOU WRITE FOR 1-2 YEARS, don't market anything. Just get an industry job(s) that gets you into the system. Anything. I started as a frickin' security guard at Sony to get into the walls. Worked my way up into a studio liaison position and then became a Sony script reader. Best education I've ever had. Any job (intern, assistant, reader) where you can read scripts and write coverage will be your best education for your own writing.

Don't rush. The year or two you take to hone your writing without taking it out to anyone will be your best and most cherished move in retrospect.

I just moved some things around on my wishlists yesterday. I am really bad about reorganizing my wishlists all the time :P

fear cuts deeper than swords

1. Something that is grey OPI Silver Nailpolish Added July 17 to $5 and Under Wishlist Silver..Grey..Close Enough?
   
   
2. Something reminiscent of rain Ancient Aliens Season 3 Added July 28 to DVD Wishlist This is a stretch - it has a storm on the cover :P
   
   
3. Something food related that is unusual - Black Truffle Sea Salt Added July 15 to The Hubby Wishlist He loves to cook and likes to experiment with different spices.
   
   
4. Something on my list that is for someone else - Game of Thrones Season 1 Added July 15 to The Hubby Wishlist. I got my husband the eBook version of the Game of Thrones series and he has been wanting to watch the show. We don't have HBO so we haven't had a chance to see the show.
   
   
5. A book to read - More Plums in One Added May 17 to Book Wishlist The Step Plum series is a great series and I really recommend it.
   
   
6. Less than 99 cents MP3 Added July 17 to MP3 Wishlist
   
   
7. Something related to cats - Petco Giftcard Added May 20 to My Furbaby Minnie Wishlist
   
   
8. Something so beautiful but not useful - Thomas Kinkade Cinderella Castle Cross Stitch Added August 9 to Crafting Wishlist I think this cross stitch kit is very beautiful. I have always been a big fan of Disney and love the colors in this piece. It is crazy expensive though!
   
   
9. Movie everyone should see - Evil Dead 2 Added June 13 to DVD Wishlist Why? Campy horror and Bruce Campbell!
   
   
10. Zombie attack - Swiss Army Knife Added July 15 to The Hubby Wishlist It would be good for a zombie attack as it is a tool that has many purpose. It would be very helpful for survival. Maybe not necessarily this version but a Swiss Army Knife in general :P
    
    
11. Profound Impact - Bed of Nails Neck Pillow Added July 29 to Migraine Wishlist. It is suppose to really help with neck pain. I suffer from migraines and a lot of the time I have horrible neck pain with it. It is something I would like to try sometime. My current goal is to try to find new ways to deal with pain.
    
    
12. Add On - Waste Canvas Added July 22 to $5 and Under Wishlist. This item is used to add cross stitch to other types of fabric. When I am done stitching the canvas will "melt" away with water.
    
    
13. My Dream Item - Nintendo Wii Added August 10 to Household Wishlist. We use to have one before it died a year and a half ago. I would love to get another one as hubby and I love to play video games.
    
    
14. Bigger than a breadbox - Small Dog Evacuation Kit Added May 20. This just seems like a good item to have in case of any disaster.
    
    
15. Smaller than a goftball - Snowflake Necklace Added August 10 to Things to Wear Wishlist. My husband and I got married Jan 9. Our reception theme was snowflakes so these reminds me of our wedding :)
    
    
16. Something that smells wonderful - Eco Clean Set Added August 9 to Beauty Wishlist.
    
    
17. SFW Toy - Merida Funko July 16 to $5 to $10 Wishlist. My husband got me the special edition Merida Funko for my birthday so I want to get the regular version as well.
    
    
18. Helpful for back to school - Sharpies July 17 to $5 to $10 Wishlist. Sharpies are so versatile and can be used for all sorts of things! The ones I linked are metallic colors and so pretty.
    
    
19. Current Obsession - Cross Stitch Owl Ornaments Added July 17 to Crafting Wishlist My current obsession is getting ready for the holidays. I want to start doing some Xmas projects so I have all I want done before Xmas.
    
    
20. Amazing and Grand - Art of Disney Princesses Book Added August 6 to Book Wishlist. I think this is so awesome! I love Disney especially the Princesses. This book shows the Princesses in all sorts of artistic ways, not just how we normally see them drawn.
    
    Bonus
    
    Made in Oregon Lip Balm Gift Set Added August 11 to Beauty Wishlist :P I did a search for this contest and found something that goes with one of my obsessions - lip gloss!

I own a couple:

There are the two Udon put out in English, the translations are pretty spotty but they're nice otherwise:

https://www.amazon.ca/Legend-Heroes-Characters-Nihon-Falcom/dp/1926778901/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1462072905&sr=8-2&keywords=legend+of+heroes+udon

https://www.amazon.ca/Legend-Heroes-Illustrations-Nihon-Falcom/dp/192677891X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462072905&sr=8-1&keywords=legend+of+heroes+udon

I'd recommend the illustration book more, the character book is mostly a composite of stuff already in the games. Also they include the Crossbell games but there's a very clear divide halfway through the books so it's easy to avoid spoilers if you're concerned.

I also own this although I got it off ebay:

http://falcom.jp/mailorder/catalog/b36.html

It has more in the way of concept art and earlier characters designs than the English character book, although a lot of the book is japanese text I can't read.

I also have a fourth book which isn't on that site which is basically a small picture recap of FC that came with copies of the original release of SC. It's pretty cute although it costed me like $20 on ebay despite being pretty small. Omoi no Kiseki, is the name.

e: oh yeah, the ebay links are to Canadian Amazon, maybe switch over to US Amazon if you're American so you don't get gouged on the exchange rate and shipping

---

To bring this back to the original post, there really isn't much if anything in the way of environmental concept art in these books. I assume it exists but I don't know if they've ever put it out, at least not for Sky.

Welcome to the addictive world of Dramaland! Whoa, so many questions! I'll try to add my few cents:

(1) - As someone else pointed out, chaebols are basically a way to have someone be rich and powerful, usually in a Cinderella-esque story (the "Candy" character falling in love with chaebol or vice versa is standard rom-com fare). Chaebols are handy to have a rich character without going through the rigamarole of how they became rich.

(2) - There are a lot of respectful traditions when it comes to drinking. You'll see a lot of characters pouring a drink using two hands -- a sign of respect to a parent or someone who is older, or if in a work environment, a boss or sunbae. Turning to the side away when drinking is a sign of respect, as is using the right hand to hold the cup while the left hand is on the wrist of the right hand (and to accept a drink with two hands like that shows respect to the elder/sunbae giving the drink).

(3) - North Korea isn't really something that comes up. There's not an obvious threat all the time, but the reason there's mandatory enlistment is because technically the two countries are at war, so while there's lowkey awareness, it's not such a major thing that it permeates the culture, especially escapist entertainment. It doesn't come up very often in dramas (unless it's a focal point, like King 2 Hearts). Not taboo, just not mentioned in general.

(4a) - Arranged marriages, not so much, but definitely "good matches" that are approved by good families. Matchmaking companies are still a thing, although maybe not as popular as they used to be. Many Koreans are getting married later and later, but there's still an old-fashioned familial expectation of marriage and kids.

(4b) - Drinking as a work event is a huge thing. They're called hweshik and it's generally mandatory and very hard to avoid drinking at them. Taxis will take drunk people home (I don't think they'll carry people to their bed, that seems extreme, but I didn't use taxis when I was in Korea), but it's also popular to call a designated driver who will drive your car home (with you in it, of course). Seoul is a pretty accessible city in terms of public transportation and walking. I'm pretty sure no one is piggy-backed as often as you see in dramas, though.

(5) - Family registry is a pretty big thing. Originally, when a woman married, she would be taken off her family's registry (under her father's name) and be added to her husband's registry. That's changed in the past decade to be egalitarian and respectful of individual choice. The family registry is historically patriarchal, which is why the change so that women can remain on their own registry and their children don't necessarily have to take the father's family name in lieu of the mother's. Adding someone to the registry means making them a part of the family, with all the legal privileges that come with it.

(6) - This has been pretty much answered, but technically what we think of dramas are classified as "miniseries." (You'll see that classification if you watch award shows, making them different from the daily dramas or the long-running weekend family dramas.)

(7/8) - I don't know the answer beyond "tradition" -- that's the convenient length to tell a story, and those are the lengths broadcasters are used to, so they can plan how many shows to air. The lengths are due to a different style of ads than are in the West. Unlike commercial breaks, there's usually only one at the beginning and then one at the end. Most ad revenue comes from companies paying for their brand to be shown during the drama ("paid product placement" or PPL as it's known). This has been changing just recently, which is why you'll see some dramas have an episode count of 32. It's still technically 16 episodes, but they've split each episode into two in order to create a convenient spot for an ad break.

Ad breaks are more common on cable TV -- this is mostly about the shows on the main broadcast stations (MBC, KBS, SBS). The length of the shows is an hour mostly because of tradition (I assume) but sometimes they run a little longer in a sneaky attempt to raise their ratings, because if their show is a little bit longer than a show on another station, they'll get the numbers of people tuning in to see the ending of that drama after they've watched their show on another network. I think the main 3 broadcasting stations got slapped down recently to make sure their episodes only run for an hour (again, cable -- tvN, OCN, JTBC -- has its own rules and can pretty much do whatever it wants).

As for a show getting boring, that comes down to the vagaries of the live-shoot. Most dramas will have the first few episodes all ready to go by the air date, but will still be shooting up until the final end. This can sometimes be a good thing because a writer can tweak a script if the reaction isn't going well, but it can also mean the cast and crew get exhausted near the end. I believe there is an attempt to address the difficulties of the live-shoot, and there are more pre-produced dramas these days, but it's still a work in progress. (Plus, "boring" is relative!)

(9) - I kind of addressed this in the previous answer, but yeah, a gradually growing episode length just depends on the show and how much the broadcaster thinks they'll make in ad revenue. You will sometimes see shows get longer during their run, which is often a sign it's growing in popularity and companies want to put their PPL in the show. The irregular start and end times are mostly a way to get more viewers, since so many dramas air the same time on the same nights. Ratings are a big deal.

(10) - It's a legal thing, and it's censored by the broadcasting company. Here's the official rules in terms of violence (such as using a knife in a threatening manner):

>The following items, which may convey excessive shock, anxiety or disgust to viewers, may not be broadcast. There may be limited exceptions if such depiction is unavoidable in discussing the content; even in such cases, expression of these items must be approached cautiously.

> 1. Graphic depiction of beheading, strangulation or dismemberment.
> 2. Direct depiction of the moment of suicide, or depiction that implies the method of suicide
> 3. Graphic depiction of killing or maiming with firearms, knives or other tools
> 4. Depiction of mangled corpse or body parts
> 5. Graphic depiction of killing of an animal
> 6. Other depictions that are similar to the above

So a knife won't be censored until it's being used in a threatening way. You'll also often see tattoos censored out because it's not considered "family friendly." The same with smoking -- no drama can show someone smoking. Broadcasters get around this by showing someone pulling out a cigarette, but you'll never actually see them light it or put it to their lips.

Brands are censored out simply because they didn't pay to have their name shown. It depends on the show how far they go with this -- I believe MBC/SBS/KBS are probably more strict on what they'll censor than the cable stations.

I'll also suggest Dramabean's e-book, Why Do Dramas Do That -- it doesn't address all your questions, but it could be helpful for anything else you're wondering about, especially if you're not familiar with the culture.

Theres a 15 part documentary on Hulu called The Story of Film: An Odyssey. It's excellent, and it will give you a very broad understanding of the history of film.

As for lists, one good way to start is to watch all of the movies on the [AFI 100] (http://www.afi.com/100Years/movies.aspx). That will give you a very broad picture of the history of American movies. Just set aside one day a week and watch one movie on the list every week.

Don't just watch them. Try to find out WHY each movie is revered as it is. After watching it, then read as much as you can about it. Read Roger Ebert's review, read it's entry on Filmsite.org, and start trying to contextualize each movie in its place in cinema history.

That will take you two years, but you'll have a much deeper appreciation than you do now.

After that, I suggest watching the BFI Sight and Sound Top 50. That will give you a more broad understanding of foreign film as well.

As for books I assign these to my class:

Film Art: An Introduction
This is the textbook that the department assigns. Its pretty broad and a decent overview.

Hitchcock In the 1960's Francois Truffaut interviewed Alfred Hitchcock and covered his entire filmography in detail. Fantastic, indispensable read.

What Is Cinema?
Andre Bazin was a french film critic, and the originator of Auteur theory. This is one of the original film theory books.

The American Cinema
Andrew Sarris is the American analog of Bazin. This is also a fundamental Film Theory book.

That should give you a solid start.

I got it from Amazon for $37, but other sellers have it for $28. Expensive, i know, but it really is a beautiful, thick book full of glorious pics and great text by Sebastian Mitton. There is also a kindle version for $16 if that helps.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1506702295/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There are hundreds of books, podcasts, websites, etc. that cover things like this.


If you go on Amazon and search for "Screenwriting business" (which is where you could have checked before asking this question) you'll find almost 1000 titles, including this one:


https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Business-Screenwriting-Television-ScreenCraft-ebook/dp/B01CAYTD42/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=screenwriting+business&qid=1559293365&s=books&sr=1-2




Some of my favorite books are:

• What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting
  
• Adventures in the Screen Trade: A Personal View of Hollywood and Screenwriting
  
• Which Lie Did I Tell?: More Adventures in the Screen Trade
  
• Just the Funny Parts: … And a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking into the Hollywood Boys’ Club
  
• The First Time I Got Paid For It: Writers’ Tales From The Hollywood Trenches
  
  
  

  Podcasts
  

  
  

  Scriptnotes
  

  
  The number-one screenwriting podcast is unquestionably Scriptnotes, with over 100,000 weekly listeners and over 400 episodes.
  
  New episodes are free (and don’t even have annoying ads!) and have transcripts available within a week after the podcast airs.
  
  Older episodes are available for a premium subscription or you can buy a 50-episode season for $5.
  
  The Listener’s Guide will help you navigate back episodes.
  
  IMHO, if you’re not listening to Scriptnotes you’re not serious about screenwriting.
  
  ​
  
  

  Screenwriting Websites
  

  
  JohnAugust.com
  
  Home of the Scriptnotes podcasts and transcripts, plus sample scripts and other resources.
  
  Go into the Story
  
  Named “Best of the Best” Scriptwriting Website by Writer’s Digest
  
  Black List Screenwriter’s Notebook
  
  Books, essays, talks, podcasts, data, and more.
  
  Nicholl Fellowship Formatting Guide
  
  Nicholl-winning scripts are also available here, and there’s a long list of recommended books.
  
  
  More on my website:
  
  
  https://lauridonahue.com/screenwriting-tools-and-communities-stps-7/

Thank you for your kind words. We do get this question every so often and its fun to read the different answers each time. Your take on "surface culture" I thought was very perceptive insight in how I personally watch these dramas.

Kdramas are a total mystery to me how the writers and PD put together a successful series. I don't think I will ever have it figured out and I hope I never do. After my first few dramas I felt like a kid let loose in a candy store with a stomach that could never become full - and I still do.

Not knowing how long you've been watching dramas and just in case your new - here is a kindle book that helped me get a jump-start to understanding a little bit more about what kdrama's are all about. I downloaded it to my phone and I use quite a bit. I hope its useful for you ...

https://www.amazon.com/Why-Do-Dramas-That-Part-ebook/dp/B00FJXQ476/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527219946&sr=8-1&keywords=why+do+dramas+do+that

I own all of these and really love all of them

soundtrack on vinyl -a beautiful mastering to just sit and chill to

The "For Sara" Cassette Tape -complete with clarinet and Elisha Wood poetry

The Art book -a really cool and in depth look into what went in to making the series

The comic series -been a while since I read through it, but I remember it being pretty good and gives more character to some of the side characters in the show.

​

There are also plenty of other things out there like keychains, stickers and plushes, but I'm not much into collecting that stuff.

​

Klavan deserves to be more prominent than all of them, imo. And that is saying something, since they are all great. Klavan is the most powerful writer and best speaker among them, and he is the main one driving home the truth that conservatives need to engage in the fight in the arts, and not just cede the arts to the left, since it is the arts that primarily shape the culture.

https://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Arts-Culture-Conservatives-Begin-ebook/dp/B00IAVGV0E

If you're going to get into kdramas, I seriously recommend Why do dramas do that? Part 1 (there is sadly no part 2) and the Dramabeans glossary it will answer so many of your questions. The winter coats and no shoes is not one of them, I remember asking that when I was new and someone just told me I was culturally insensitive, because I don't know, heating is a sensitive issue? \^^ Yes, people take their shoes off indoors (this is a thing in most non-Anglo countries). Traditional Korean houses had under-floor wood heating, I don't know if that is true of new apartments, but it is a reasonable assumption. But why do they keep their coats on? I've read it suggested that this is for product placement (PPL), the same reason everyone sleeps fully clothed in street clothes. Sets might also be freezing, in older dramas you can often see people's breath.

You might enjoy the noona romance I Hear Your Voice, there is angst but also happy ending.

>Apparently there's also a book about Thra's creation myths that you can buy on Amazon, I think it's called The Dark Crystal: Creation and Mythologies or something similar. I haven't read it, and I don't think it reads like a novel, it's more like a concept art album/encylopedia from what I gather. If you just want info on the world that's not in a story format, that might be more the way to go

Dark Crystal Creation Myths is a collection of the prequel trilogy of graphic novels, the one that is the concept art album/encyclopedia like one I think is The World of the Dark Crystal

Disney movies are so hard for me to pick because each hold a special place in my heart, one way or another.

1.) I will have to go with Bedknobs & Broomsticks because that movie is SO HARD to explain to someone whom has never seen it. It's also one of those rarer movies that I just could watch over and over and never get sick. The music is so good, the characters are brilliant and well designed. It also has a magical, child-like feel when I watch it.

2.) Honestly this beautiful book would be my suggestion. Walt Disney related, with tons of storyboards and drawings.

3.) See ya real soon!

4.) Eyelash curler!

Well the most obvious recommendation would be the plethora of OTGW stuff that's been released since.

If you haven't checked it out yet the original short is available online, right here on youtube.

The first comic collection has stories from in between episodes, and I believe is cannon.

Since then, there has been an ongoing comic series. These contain stories from after the show, the longest thread being Greg and Wirt's adventures in their dreams. However there are also stories about Anna (the Woodsman's daughter), Mrs. Langtree, and others. The first few collections are available on amazon.

Lastly, a concept art book is about to be released, if you are interested in that sort of stuff.

Hope some of this helped!

Up to an until Hurricane Katrina I did, along with the photo novel and a few other rarities. The only original book from my ALIEN collection that survived was the Heavy Metal comic/trade paperback, which happened to be at my office that weekend (office survived unscathed).

As others have pointed out, this particular book has been reprinted a few times with different covers (I still prefer OP's shown cover) and you can still buy it (link to Amazon page).

Also FWIW, the Heavy Metal publication (ALIEN: THE ILLUSTRATED STORY) is [available still as well]; again, with a cover different from the original.

They're actually surprisingly good quality. I got them both on Amazon for 30 each and I was a bit sceptical about how the quality was but I was pleasantly surprised.


Here's the Amazon links if you wanna check them out:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/192677891X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Legend-Heroes-Characters-SC/dp/1926778901/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2/258-7779901-5803535?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1926778901&pd_rd_r=f84dc9b5-90de-4c0f-be1f-d2c403bf913b&pd_rd_w=PtOEn&pd_rd_wg=WKGor&pf_rd_p=655b7c7d-a17d-4637-9a0a-72a813e0d2cb&pf_rd_r=NAR0KBHDQBB5NY6S49XB&psc=1&refRID=NAR0KBHDQBB5NY6S49XB

Thanks! Looks like Volume Two and Volume Three are free, as well!

Yeah, it's a masterpiece. I am on the 4th playthrough (and planning a 5th) and I am still in awe, it's a feast for the eyes and often times it feels like walking around in a beautiful 19th century painting.

As other have said the lights, architecture, animations, overall design and the maniacal level for minor details, it all contributes to an amazing atmosphere. I am a sucker for these kind of games but unfortunately there aren't that many, like Dishonored.

I would highly recommend "The art of Dishonored 2" if you want to dive even more in the artistic side of the game.
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Dishonored-2-Bethesda-Studios/dp/1506702295

The concentration of artistic talents in this game is second to none, imho.

Sixties Design A fun romp through the sixties curvy day glow design bent
Eames: Beautiful DetailsDefinitive Eames Book.
Industrial Design Raymond Loewy My favorite all time designer.
Infrastructure by Brian Hayes Not Sexy, but necessary.
Industrial Design A-Z, Taschen Everything by the letters.
PreFab HousesGood, if dated a little on prefab potential
1000 Chairs Bible of chairs
Things Come Apart They destroyed it beautifully for you
Trespass Street Art photographed and credited
Type Vol. 2 The Taschen site-order version comes with a digital code for Hi-Res digital downloads of each plate. Not sure if the amazon version does. Still worth it either way.
D&AD 11 All the D&AD books are a real tight look at that years best and worst commercial work.
Logo Design 2 I'm sure this has been updated, but good enough and much cheaper now.
DDR Design I have a soft spot for bolshevik propaganda forced into design.
1000 Retail Graphics It is what it says it is, not much more. Good for brainstorming, but not really inspiring.

A friend gave me this for my birthday a few years ago:

http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Animation-Studios-Archive-Series/dp/1423107233

We love it. Lots of storyboard detailing lots of classic animated features. Plus the colors go with our guest bedroom, where we also have some Disney storyboard art hanging ;)

• Custom designing/modifying headphones
• Foreign modern music (think Jolin)
• Street fashion
• Future tech trends
• Vocaloid trance or vaporwave (Yep, it's still a thing)
• Classic fiction. Put down those 2012 YA novels and pick up something tried and true.
• Art and design books for films
• Biology
• Follow beauty trends from China, not America. I can't stress this one enough. Your face and body will thank you.
• Caffeine
• Body mods
• Find the weirdest, most niche magazine you can. Subscribe to it.
• Rooftopping
• DIY furniture
• Grindering/Biohacks
• Nomadic lifestyle
• Hidden raves or secret dance clubs

Feel free to add anything I missed

I think the most famous one is Saul Bass who designed posters for Hitchcock, Kubrick, Scorsese and Wilder. I found his work fascinating. He also have made some unforgettable title sequences for Vertigo and North by Northwest. This is the end of my knowledge on the topic because I'm more into movies than graphic design.

This [book] (https://www.amazon.com/Art-Modern-Movie-Poster-International/dp/0811861716) probably is the best read for you.

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

My first choice would be this Disney Art Book, but I'm not sure if that counts. So I'll also put Disney Magical World here as well.

Thanks for the contest!

From this artbook if I'm not mistaken. I have it and it's pretty cool. There's also a video review later in the page showing the illustrations.

Hello friend!

I wanted to try to elucidate what people are saying about contrast here. I think the observer is expecting to see a bit of 'atmospheric perspective,' as the image recedes. Atmospheric perspective is the basically the quantity of 'air' between the viewer and objects in the painting. If you observe distant mountains, you'll see that they have less local contrast than objects which are closer to you. Conversely, the object which is closest to the viewer (especially if it is the subject) should be defined greater range of values than anything else in the image.

That said, it is a tricky subject with space paintings since there usually isn't any sort of 'air' in space to cause this effect. It is true however that stars and so on will still have less contrast because of the incredible distance between them and the viewer (diminished brightness). If you imagine a star emitting light, it radiates out in an expanding sphere. The same amount of light is spread more and more thinly until only a tiny fraction of it reaches the human eye. In any case, the human mind expects at least some atmospheric perspective in almost every situation, even where it doesn't completely make sense.

You can see how nicely this works in even in more imaginative scifi settings. Take for example John Harris. Books of his work used to be very difficult to get but a new one has been published and is very affordable. http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-John-Harris/dp/1781168423

Holy fuck this is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks loads, this is it. Is this the one you'd recommend?

And cheers to everyone else for the other suggestions!

I love the princesses so I have this one in my living room

link

Yep! It was originally released by the Prometheus or 20th century fox Facebook​ page. If you're into that you should look into the book Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report it's a book full of stuff like that.

I’ve been considering Eames: Beautiful Details for my collection.

https://www.amazon.com/Eames-Beautiful-Details-Demetrios/dp/1623260310/

I have these 2 books, they are fantastic.
https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Heroes-Illustrations-SC/dp/192677891X

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Heroes-Characters-SC/dp/1926778901/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=B07TNZCN2B8TCDP8VE1P

When running an Alien themed game I find the Colonial Marines Technical Manual and The Weyland-Yutani Report very useful.

If you're running a game based on a movie IP, you can usually find similar books for them.

Mira Killian is what the film is changing Motoko's name to. This is part of the box that the McFarlane Toys figure is going to be coming in. http://www.cooltoyreview.com/2017/McFarlane-Toys-Borderland2-Ghost-In-The-Shell.jpg Pretty much seals the deal, along with the fact that the artbook description https://www.amazon.com/Art-Ghost-Shell-David-Cohen/dp/1683830008 and the movie's advertisement website https://www.reddit.com/r/Ghost_in_the_Shell/comments/5ptvci/ all call her by the name and title of "Major Mira Killian".

Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Creation Myths: The Complete Collection Hardcover– October 1, 2019

by Brian Froud (Author), Brian Holguin (Author), & 5 more

https://www.amazon.com/Hensons-Dark-Crystal-Creation-Myths/dp/1684154448/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1IQGJBHCB2CYQ&keywords=dark+crystal+creation+myths+complete&qid=1564466610&s=gateway&sprefix=dark+crystal+complete%2Caps%2C290&sr=8-1

Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Creation Myths: The Complete Collection https://www.amazon.com/dp/1684154448/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BomSDbYB1WANS

Been researching order of books and saw this upcoming book.


Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Creation Myths: The Complete Collection https://www.amazon.com/dp/1684154448/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3umCDbSPZFEJJ

Off the top of my head:

• Jim Steranko's Outland - http://www.thedrawingsofsteranko.com/out1.html
  
  
  
• Walt Simonson/Archie Goodwin's Alien - http://www.amazon.com/Alien-Illustrated-Story-Archie-Goodwin/dp/1781161291
  
  
• Bill Sienkiewicz's Dune - http://io9.com/5717246/read-the-entire-marvel-comic-based-on-dune

Here's a couple I found on Amazon:

• Art of the Modern Movie Poster: International Postwar Style and Design
  
• Learn About Movie Posters
  
• A Century of Movie Posters: From Silent to Art House

This one.

https://www.amazon.com/Alien-Weyland-Yutani-Report-S-Perry/dp/160887866X

Right, found it. So they changed her name to Mira Killian which is indeed highly whitewashed and more dissapointing than I remember. Though this might be the identity she's set up with in the beginning as the rumours (and apparently the pages in the pictures say) go that by the end she remembers her name is motoko. Also likely why she's moreover called The Major.

Not OP but... https://www.amazon.com/Art-Over-Garden-Wall/dp/1506703763/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=art+of+over+the+garden+wall&qid=1564178703&s=gateway&sr=8-3

There is one available it's here. Some of us have already had some theories for the movie from it already

Same artist? For the cover I mean...

I know of two that are.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926778901/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_eKcRzb0T0E677

https://www.amazon.com/dp/192677891X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1NcRzb3AT9960

There are also the books that came with the limited edition versions of FC on the PSP and Cold Steel on Vita/PS3. There might be more in english but I'm not aware of them.