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| The Entertainment Review |
| By: Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis & Michael Wallis Publisher: Chronicle Books |
different ways. North America, and several other countries are very much car cultures. The more people love their
cars the more they personalize them and give them personalities. Pixar Animation Studios, the people who created
Anyone how has ever driven a car as a teenager has probably given their car a name and personalize it in many Toy
Story, A Bug’s Life, Monster’s Inc., Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, take the idea of peoples’ love of cars and the
fact that cars can have personality on step further by creating a world completely lacking in human life, and is instead
inhabited by lifelike vehicles.
For those unfamiliar with the movie Cars, the animated feature centers around a race car named Lightning McQueen
who, while traveling cross county to California for a race, finds himself lost on the historic Route 66 and ends up in
the small town of Radiator Springs. While in Radiator Springs, Lightning runs into a number of characters in the town
for the hillbilly tow truck to a lovely Porsche. The film follows the relationships that Lightning creates with all of the
town’s members during his time in Radiator Springs.
“The Art of Cars” is less about the movies story, and instead tells the story behind the story and the creative process
of turning cars into characters. The book is full of beautiful artwork with everything from rough character sketches to
full color digital renderings. Through the entire book readers are able to track the evolution of how a simple concept
can be turned into an amazing motion picture.
Readers are given an insider’s view of how an entire world is created out of nothing more than an idea and a group
of talented artists. The authors of the book remind readers that the film isn’t just pretty pictures and fun. Director
John Lasseter and several members of the Pixar crew spent a large amount of time at racetracks and on the road,
specifically Route 66, in order to get a feel for the affection that many people in the culture have placed on the
automobile. The team also visited at road restaurants, garages, junk yards, tourist traps and other places
associated with the road in order to get a feel for what should be included in the film.
Anyone with creative background knows that once the doors of creativity have been opened and inspiration hits, it
can be hard to hold back the ideas that appear on a single subject. “The Art of Cars” shows all of the inspiration and
research that was created, showing readers that there was enough information to create several movies. While the
film itself appealed to the children in everyone, “The Art of Cars” shows everyone the process needed to create such
a film. It makes moviegoers appreciate all of the work that goes into a second of a minute of animation on the
screen. This book is a great addition to any collection, especially those interested in film and the process of creating
animated films.
cars the more they personalize them and give them personalities. Pixar Animation Studios, the people who created
Anyone how has ever driven a car as a teenager has probably given their car a name and personalize it in many Toy
Story, A Bug’s Life, Monster’s Inc., Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, take the idea of peoples’ love of cars and the
fact that cars can have personality on step further by creating a world completely lacking in human life, and is instead
inhabited by lifelike vehicles.
For those unfamiliar with the movie Cars, the animated feature centers around a race car named Lightning McQueen
who, while traveling cross county to California for a race, finds himself lost on the historic Route 66 and ends up in
the small town of Radiator Springs. While in Radiator Springs, Lightning runs into a number of characters in the town
for the hillbilly tow truck to a lovely Porsche. The film follows the relationships that Lightning creates with all of the
town’s members during his time in Radiator Springs.
“The Art of Cars” is less about the movies story, and instead tells the story behind the story and the creative process
of turning cars into characters. The book is full of beautiful artwork with everything from rough character sketches to
full color digital renderings. Through the entire book readers are able to track the evolution of how a simple concept
can be turned into an amazing motion picture.
Readers are given an insider’s view of how an entire world is created out of nothing more than an idea and a group
of talented artists. The authors of the book remind readers that the film isn’t just pretty pictures and fun. Director
John Lasseter and several members of the Pixar crew spent a large amount of time at racetracks and on the road,
specifically Route 66, in order to get a feel for the affection that many people in the culture have placed on the
automobile. The team also visited at road restaurants, garages, junk yards, tourist traps and other places
associated with the road in order to get a feel for what should be included in the film.
Anyone with creative background knows that once the doors of creativity have been opened and inspiration hits, it
can be hard to hold back the ideas that appear on a single subject. “The Art of Cars” shows all of the inspiration and
research that was created, showing readers that there was enough information to create several movies. While the
film itself appealed to the children in everyone, “The Art of Cars” shows everyone the process needed to create such
a film. It makes moviegoers appreciate all of the work that goes into a second of a minute of animation on the
screen. This book is a great addition to any collection, especially those interested in film and the process of creating
animated films.
