Who can forget the over-the-top, white-on-white, high-gloss interiors through which Fred Astaire dance in Top Hat? The modernist high-rise architecture, inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, in the adaptation of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead? The lavish, opulent drawing rooms in Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence? Or the trend-setiting Hamptons beach house of Something's Gotta Give? Through the use of film design-- called both art direction and production design in the film industry --movies can transport us to new worlds of luxury, highlight the ornament of the everyday, offer a vision of the future, or evoke the realities of a distant era.

In Designs on Film (Harper Collins) journalist Cathy Whitlock illuminates the often under-celebrated role of the production designer in the creation of the most memorable moments in film history. Through a lush collection of rare archival photographs, Whitlock narrates the evolving story of art direction over the course of a century - from the massive roman architecture of Cleopatra to Mrs. Robinson's lair in The Graduate to the digital CGI wonders of Avatar's Pandora.

Drawing on insights from the most prominent Hollywood production designers and the historical knowledge of the venerable Art Directors Guild, Whitlock delves into the detailed process of how sets are imagined, drawn, built and decorated. Designs on Film is the must-have book for film lovers, movie buffs and anyone looking to draw interior design inspirations from the construction and confections of Hollywood. The author lifts the curtain on movie magic and celebrates the many ways in which the art direction and set design allow us to lose ourselves in the diverse worlds showcased on the screen.