Article Summary: A review of the book, Bond on Set.
Book Review – Bond of Set: Filming Casino Royale
This is a review of Bond on Set: Filming Casino Royale (published October 16, 2006). It is a great example of what it has set out to be – an all photographic coffee table book. The photography showcased in the book – all behind the scenes and on set photos – are works of art in their own right. Highly recommended to fans of the film.
Overview (from the publisher)
Featuring the debut of a brand-new Bond and set in a number of spectacular European locations, Casino Royale is the latest addition to the most successful film series ever made. Working alongside cast and crew, premier showbiz photographer Greg Williams creates a unique visual record of the making of the movie.
Book Facts (from the publisher)
# Hardcover: 128 pages
# Publisher: DK ADULT (October 16, 2006)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0756622727
# ISBN-13: 978-0756622725
# Product Dimensions: 12 x 11.6 x 0.6 inches
# Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
Written Content (1/10)
This work is 100% about the visuals. There is nothing more written than a foreword, some photo descriptions, and a few Q&As between Greg Williams (the photographer) and Daniel Craig, asked and answered in conjunction with some of the shots showcased in the work.
Visual Collateral (9/10)
The visuals is what this work is all about, and it delivers. Over 100 pages of fantastic photography, all by Greg Williams, all quite stunning.
As large as the book is (more or less 12″x12″), many photos are full page or two page bleeds.
I am personally a huge fan of this film – it is hands down my favorite Bond film – this work showcased in this book truly captures the look and feel of the film.
While all shots are by definition behind the scenes, some truly capture the essence of the scenes and characters to such a degree, those are almost static supplementals to the film itself.
If you love the film and appreciate artful photography, you will not be disappointed.
Also, there are some close-ups/quality shots of some props from the film, such as his watch, stunt pistols, etc.
Presentation/Quality (7/10)
It’s another nice-looking, squareish hardcover book with a non-“fingerprint magnet” jacket. As noted in the first review, I usually take the jacket off right away (I find them annoying). With this book, the jacket image is replicated underneath, which comes across a bit “cheap”, but this is typical, in my experience, of DK published books. So while it is hardcover, which is nice, it’s a fairly average packaging job for this type of book.
The interior pages are of a high quality, and I get the impression it will hold up to handling quite well. Again, not of the “fingerprint magnet” variety.
There is no table of contents or index, and the content is laid out more or less chronologically, consistent with the film.
There are no real “bells and whistles”, it’s just a straight forward showcasing of beautiful photography.
Overall Value (8/10)
The retail price is $35, which is fairly standard for this type of book.
It can be had via Amazon.com for $23 and deeply discounted at other retailers as well; I think it is absolutely a buy at that price, in that I often spend more for a press kit from the film with a handful of prints.
Conclusion and Overall Rating (7/10)
This is a great book for fans of the film. Of course, it is nearly completely lacking in the written content department, and it would have been nice if the quality of the book were a bit more upscale, but it does the job. A bit more than $20 to enjoy this fantastic photography is worth the price.
Jason De Bord