Bond by Design: The Art of the James Bond Films

Simmonds, official archivist for Eon Productions, the company behind the James Bond film series, opens up the vaults for a look at the designers’ work over the past 50 years. Reproductions of colorful storyboards, costume sketches, room designs, and matte paintings are just some of the materials included in this weighty coffee-table book, providing a fascinating experience for Bond fans as well as anyone interested in production design. Each chapter features information on the series’s evolution, beginning with production designer Ken Adam’s pen sketches for Dr. No in 1962 and ending with a glimpse of computer-generated designs that 2015 audiences can expect to see in the forthcoming 24th Eon-produced Bond film, Spectre. This carefully curated collection also contains two select prints suitable for framing. Simmonds’s text is scant, but he ably illustrates the power of visual storytelling with typically Bondian images of gorgeous locations, unusual gadgets, and imaginative vehicles. Plentiful quotes from members of the Bond production team, including designers, directors, and editors, offer further insight into the creative process and allow for a deeper appreciation of the enormous contributions designers have made to this popular franchise. Color illus. [em](Oct.) [/em]