Unknown to the general public, faithful collaborator of Coppola, an incredible filmography… A book tells about this essential production designer: Dean Tavoularis. We tell you more about this book, a great gift idea to slip under the tree!
The Godfather Trilogy, Apocalypse Now, Bonnie and Clyde… He worked on those movies and you probably don’t know his name! Unknown to the general public, Dean Tavoularis nevertheless has a filmography that would make more than one blush!
A book has just been released giving a vast overview of the incredible work of this cinematic craftsman, whose job is precisely that of production designer. It is thanks to the production designer that a film set takes shape. He imagines the design and thus contributes to a large part of the visual aspect, the universe of the film. To talk about what the work of a production designer represents, the director France Ford Coppola indicates in an unpublished interview for this book: “Everything people see in a film, as opposed to what they hear, is the result of a collaboration with the production designer“.
A visual genius
Richly illustrated, with numerous photos, set plans, architectural plans and storyboards and various working documents by Dean Tavoularis, this book not only offers a dive into a whole section of the history of cinema, starting with the New Hollywood, but also allows you to better understand this profession of cinema, unknown to the general public.
The book, all the interviews of which are conducted by the critic Jordan Mintzer, gives the floor at length to Dean Tavoularis, but also to people with whom he has collaborated. The most famous of them is Francis Ford Coppola. The American director speaks of him as a “visual genius“.”He is a wonderful colleague and friend. It is unique.”
The book also includes interviews with actor Warren Beatty, director Roman Coppola, production designer Katia Wyszkop, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, and costume designer Milena Canonero.
If you like to discover behind-the-scenes filmmaking, this book should delight you, or make a great gift idea for the holidays. This beautiful book, from the same collection as those devoted to James Gray and Darius Khondji, published by Synecdoche, is available at a price of 69 euros.
Also note: an exhibition on his work is currently being held in Chamalières, in the Puy de Dôme, at the Galerie Louis Gendre, until January 14, 2023.