THE 2001 FILE - HARRY LANGE AND THE DESIGN OF THE LANDMARK SCIENCE FICTION FILM

Long before ‘Star Wars’ became a glimmer in George Lucas’s Jedi, Stanley Kubrick got together with Arthur C. Clarke in order to show the entire galaxy that a realistic science fiction film could be made. Previously, the cinematic world of sci-fi was nothing more than a blank canvas populated with metallic plates and other oddities cobbled together from string, plastic bags, as well as anything else that looked shiny on the silver screen. But to them, no, this wasn’t acceptable, not one little bit, because they wanted something more real, more futuristic, and more creative and awe-inspiring.


The 2001 File: Harry Lange and the Design of the Landmark Science Fiction Film [Hardcover]

So what did they do? They made a film. That’s what. But not your usual science fiction film full of bold-statements and dramatic-conclusions! Rather, they created ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, which was directed by Kubrick, co-written by Kubrick and Clarke, and starred such greats as Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, and William Sylvester. Now if you want to know more? Here, please check this out…

Okay, I must admit, ‘2001’ wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea upon its initial release way back in 1968. In fact, some people just didn’t know what to make of it because they loved the visuals but didn’t understand the story. Either way, it’s now thought of as a groundbreaking piece of cinema, and to some degree, that’s largely due to one man, and one man only: Harry Lange, who Kubrick hired to design the film based on his understanding of scientific and engineering principles. Up till then, Harry had worked for NASA by creating 'visualizations' which illustrated most of their up and coming 'future projects'. So, as you can imagine, he was more than adept at coming up with ‘real world’ designs based on ‘advanced applications’. Designs, I hasten to add, such as these which will appear in the following book…

The 2001 File: Harry Lange and the Design of the Landmark Science Fiction Film

Author: Christopher Frayling
Price: £45

Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Reel Art Press
Page Count: 336-pages
Size: 290x245mm

Synopsis: This stunning book will give everyone the opportunity to look behind-the-scenes at the making of a legendary classic. In many ways, it's the Holy Grail of sci-fi, because it presents us with Harry Lange's largely unpublished archive, which ranges from his strikingly realistic designs of the future, all the way to his unknown works from the past. This includes:

• An explanation of the visual thinking behind '2001', such as how the process first began and how it finally ended. 
• An examination of how Harry Lange's experience with NASA fed into the innovations featured in the film.
• An in-depth presentation that showcases the concepts, the rough drafts, and the finished works associated with the movie, along with the rejected designs.
• A step-by-step account describing the design team's obsession with things that actually might work. 
• A gallery of 600 illustrations and photographs.
• A brief glimpse into several innovations that were science fiction in the 1960s, but have since become science fact, including a 'newspad' designed by IBM, which bears an uncanny resemblance to today's iPad. 

Now for any further information, either click on the links provided or check out the Reel Art Press website, facebook, and twitter pages. Or better yet, why not pick up a copy on Amazon.