From New Line Cinema, Peter Jackson and Warner Bros. comes J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, brought to the big screen in an epic trilogy. Weta Workshop was thrilled to return to Middle-earth once again, contributing design, specialty props and specialty costumes to all three films.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Chronicles: Art and Design marks the beginning of a series of comprehensive and beautifully presented books created by the artists at the heart of the filmmaking process.
The book presents hundreds of full colour conceptual drawings and paintings, along with set designs, sculpture and glorious photography across more than 200 pages.
The book showcases art by the film's concept art directors Alan Lee and John Howe, alongside work from other artists of the film's 3Foot7 Art Department, Costume Department and Weta Workshop.
It truly is a unique opportunity to see artwork by a wide range of artists across a multitude of disciplines in the filmmaking community of Wellington, New Zealand and to hear directly from them about the inspiration behind their work.
Included is a Foreword by Academy Award winner Dan Hennah, 3Foot7 Production Designer for the films. The book also features commentaries by Dan, 3Foot7 Costume Designer Ann Maskrey, Academy Award Winners Peter King, 3Foot7 Make-up and Hair Designer, and Weta Workshop's Design and Special Effects Supervisor Richard Taylor.
The Hobbit Chronicles show the incredible attention to detail that goes into everything that is being produced for these films and are a wonderful opportunity to showcase the designs and artistry of so many people within their respective departments.
In addition to artist quotes, cast members reflect on the work and share insights into their involvement in the design process.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Chronicles: Art and Design showcases work by artists from Weta Workshop, Weta Digital, and 3Foot7.
Readers will be able to follow the design process as it unfolds with early sketches and final designs. The book offers an unprecedented insight into the conceptual processes behind the making of an epic film.
"We are thrilled to be involved with the Weta Publishing team in the creation of the Hobbit (Specialist) Books. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the work produced by our amazingly talented artists & craftspeople who are responsible for conceptualizing, designing & building the sets, props and dressings for The Hobbit."
Dan Hennah, 3 foot 7 Art Department.
The book is written by Weta Workshop senior designer Daniel Falconer, an avid fan of the books of J.R.R. Tolkien, making him eminently suited to telling the stories of the artisans' work based on Tolkien's book The Hobbit.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Chronicles: Art and Design is published as an embossed hardcover edition without dustjacket. All signed books ship directly from Weta's warehouse in Wellington, New Zealand in a specially commissioned cardboard box sturdy enough to ensure your book will arrive in great condition.
