Of all the highly anticipated films of the summer of 2012, fans of the Alien franchise had 
Prometheus right at the top. Director Ridley Scott returned to the universe he introduced audiences to 32 years ago and he did not disappoint. Scott is a stickler for detail and everything from the costumes to the door signage helped the audience delve into this fantastic world. Now thanks to Titan Books we have The Art of Prometheus which offers a behind the scenes look at how the movie took shape.
Written by Mark Salisbury with a forward by Ridley Scott, The Art of Prometheus is a slightly oversized, landscape formatted tome packed with hundreds of photos on 192 glossy pages. The book is broken down into chapters that highlight aspects of the film such as the opening of the film and The Prometheus. Each one of the chapters is loaded with information and let’s fans see up close what went into the designs. Production designer Arthur Max gave everything, including the fantastic, a real world feel. When you see the designs of the Prometheus you believe that this ship could exist.
The book is a mix of photos, production art and storyboards that depict the evolution of not just sets and costumes but full scenes as well. I find it amazing how set designers can transform an empty room into a very realistic alien world. The Art of Prometheus isn’t just sets and landscapes, there is also a look into Janty Yates costume design and a look into the “old age” make up used to transform Guy Pearce (Weyland).
I absolutely loved this book, but I have always been fascinated by production designs in Science Fiction movi
es. Specifically I enjoyed the ability to get a closer look at the Rover and the ATV. There are 8 full pages of photos and sketches of the Rover where you can see the level of detail that made the vehicle not just believable but also functional. The filmmakers made the terrestrial tech look like it could be predecessors of what we saw in 1979’s Alien.
This beautiful book is a perfect companion to the latest addition to one of the most successful movie franchises ever. The Art of Prometheus is a must for fans of not only the movie but of Ridley Scott. This book gives insight into the filmmaking process of a cinematic genius. The Art of Prometheus retails for $39.99 and can be found at your local bookseller or on Amazon.com.
Be sure to check out the Titan Books website for all of their quality publications.
