Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0811831361, Hardcover)

Since the birth of cinema, movie-makers have created stunning special effects by combining still "matte" paintings with live-action film. Matte painting techniques were closely guarded secrets that never left the studio lot. In this unprecedented retrospective, Mark Cotta Vaz and Craig Barron reveal the history of a visual effect that has defined movies as we know them-from Gone with the Wind and Citizen Kane to Star Wars and Titanic. Lavishly illustrated, The Invisible Art showcases the finest examples of now-rare matte paintings and unveils a century s worth of fascinating stories, legendary personalities, and cunning movie craft. Including a foreword by George Lucas and a CD-ROM that brings to life these moving pictures, this volume is packed with exclusive interviews and a narrative that time travels from the first pioneering "glass shots" to the dawn of digital technology. The definitive book for the consummate movie fan, The Invisible Art conjures a never-before-told story of film wizardry.