Art of the Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Book excerpt: An in-depth, fully illustrated look at the art and artists behind the awe-inspiring world of J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Led by Academy Award®–winning production designer Stuart Craig, a number of art departments were responsible for creating the unforgettable characters, locations and beasts from the 2016 fantasy film that expanded on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. In this beautifully illustrated volume, Dermot Power—a concept artist on the film—takes you on a magical journey through a design process every bit as wonderful as that encountered by Newt Scamander: from the earliest gatherings of the artists, designers and filmmakers to the magical time of the film’s production. Bursting with hundreds of production paintings, concept sketches, storyboards, blueprints and matte paintings, and filled with unique insights about the filmmaking journey from Stuart Craig and the artists themselves, this superb book presents a visual feast for readers, and will welcome fans of Harry Potter films into the world of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.