Katrin Dorfs
Luca Guadagnino: The Art of Desire
Idea/ Summary
A director of both independent as well as Hollywood films, Luca Guadagnino has a long history in the film business. Films such as Call Me by Your Name or A Bigger Splash have secured the Italian director’s position in Hollywood, while less-known projects such as I am Love or the short film The Staggering Girl are celebrated for their subtlety and sensuality. The book tells the story of his works, looking at the projects individually, underlining their aesthetic values, as well as emerging themes in his ever-growing oeuvre. It is a mix between a visual work populated with film stills and a biographical work which provides insights into his way of working, his life, and his relationships to people he works with in the film industry such as Tilda Swinton and James Ivory.
The chosen publishing house
Abrams Books is an American publisher for visual books. The topics range from gardening and cooking to fashion and design to film and photography. The film books on their list can be divided into three categories: books about specific films (e.g., ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, ‘Isle of Dogs’), more general books on the topic of film (e.g., ‘Underexposed! The 50 greatest movies never made’, ‘TV Noir: Dark Drama on the Small Screen’) as well as books about specific directors. Here, my proposed book would be a good fit. Other than Thames & Hudson or Faber & Faber, Abrams Books does not focus on the Hollywood giants of directing (e.g., Hitchcock, Scorsese, Tarantino) but rather on lesser-known directors whose films nevertheless do not fall short of the Hollywood blockbusters. Their list includes titles such as ‘Sofia Coppola: Forever Young’, ‘Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema’ or ‘Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks’. The latter is a mid-career reflection of the first 30 years of Anderson’s workings. My proposed book falls into a similar category. The title of my proposed book is already adjusted to match Abrams Books’ list.
About the author: Hannah Strong
Hannah Strong is a film critic and journalist working as a digital editor for the film magazine Little White Lies. She is the author of the book Sofia Coppola: Forever Young, “an illustrated critical survey” about the director and actress focusing on her works from music videos to films. The book was published in 2022 at Abrams Books. For Little White Lies, Strong has written a review of ‘Bones and All’, Luca Guadagnino’s current film which shows a general interest in Guadagnino’s work. Strong is well-known in the film critic community and has already written a book with Abrams Books. Thus, she is a good fit to turn this idea into a successful book.
Specifications
Book size: 228 mm x 297 mm (coffee table/ visual book)
Binding: Perfect binding
Number of pages: 250
Price: £25 / £30
Category, keywords: Film, directors, coffee table book, visual book
Print run: ca. 5500
Potential release date: August 2023
Market and marketing
Primary market: The primary market consists of film enthusiasts who want to know more about the Italian director and his films. Guadagnino appeals to both Hollywood fans as well as alternative and independent audiences, which broadens the market within the film community.
Secondary market: The secondary market are consumers who appreciate a good coffee table book and people who are interested in photography. The book is about his films, but the film stills have photographic value in themselves.
Potential marketing time and campaigns: The publishing date should coincide with the release of one of his new films. For example, Guadagnino’s new film ‘Challengers’ is scheduled to be released on August 11, 2023. A publishing date in late July or early August 2023 would thus fit perfectly. The book could also be featured on the press release tour of the new film.
Complementary titles
- Sofia Coppola: Forever Young by Hannah Strong (2022) – Abrams Books
- Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks by Adam Nayman (2020) – Abrams Books
- The Wes Anderson Collection by Matt Zoller Seitz (2013) – Abrams Books
Unique Selling Points
- First and only book about this director
- Great book for people who are interested in the aesthetic value of films
- Not too technical and thus also suitable for people who don’t know a lot about film
- High quality design makes it the perfect gift for film enthusiasts
Very interesting project bringing a less well known film maker to the fore – now focus on market so you consider the positioning of this book – eg where will it sit in a book shop for example? how special interest is it?
I think this is a great idea! I feel like there is a gap in the market for people who want to read about directors they love from a less technical film making p.o.v – I was actually going to do a similar book about Noah Baumbach. Could make a great coffee table book?