Foreword by James Cameron
Introduction

Collections

Bleak House
Visual inspiration
Movie Analysis
storytelling
Idea Incubator

Notebooks

Chronos
Mimic
Devil's Backbone
Blade 2
Hellboy
Pan's Labyrinth
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Pacific Rim

Unfinished Project

Meat Market
Mephisto's Bridge
List of Seven
Left Hand of Darkness
Mountains of Madness

Late Tom Cruise
Acknowledgements

“He must have been Leonardo da Vinci in a past life” - James Cameron

Film director Guillermo del Toro has been keeping diaries and field notes since his 20s.
Wherever he went, he would always write down and draw any ideas that came to his mind.
Guillermo del Toro, known as the 'master of dark fantasy' and the pioneer of gothic horror, is about to release 'Crimson Peak'. He reveals his notebook containing his creative secrets and his 'Bleak House', which is also his studio and collection, in 'Guillermo del Toro's Creative Notebook'.

If you've seen even one of Guillermo del Toro's films, such as Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, Blade 2, or Pacific Rim, you'll be amazed the moment you open this book.
His notes, in which the characters in the film are elaborately sketched, each prop meticulously designed, and each line and background recorded, can be considered a storyboard and concept art.
James Cameron, director of Avatar, who wrote the book's foreword, compared his notes to those of Leonardo da Vinci, saying, "Both reveal the creative process of a genius rare not only in his time but throughout human history" (p. 8).
Guillermo also said that he must have been Leonardo da Vinci in his previous life, saying, “As an artist with a vast and elaborate imagination, he naturally ended up in the world of cinema, the most technically complex and culturally universal canvas of our time. Had he been born in any other era, he would have painted with egg tempera or quill pen and had an equally enormous influence” (p. 8).

A book that offers a glimpse into the mind of a fantasy master.

This book, which offers the pleasure of peering into del Toro's mind, is divided into three parts.
Part 1, 'Collection', shows how he developed his inspiration and developed his own unique story.
The book first takes readers to the Bleak House, a place filled with memorabilia and collectibles.
The Bleak House houses a collection of toys from his childhood, a bronze mask of his beloved director Hitchcock, a life-size statue of his favorite novelist Lovecraft, and other props from his films.
Bleak House is his second home, his studio for painting and writing, a source of inspiration where he recharges his energy and freely explores creative ideas that strike him.
Additionally, 'Collection' introduces the painters and writers who inspired del Toro and explains how he developed his ideas.

Director Del Toro's filmmaking process, which readers are most curious about, is introduced in Part 2, 'The Notebook'.
He started carrying a notebook and taking notes from the time he began preparing for his feature film debut, Chronos (1993), which won the Critics' Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
This is because his mentor, Mexican director Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, always urged him to keep a record. (Unfortunately, the notebook for “Cronos” was lost while drinking with James Cameron, so only a portion was included in the book.) Part 2 can be said to be a kind of commentary that contains the creative process and behind-the-scenes stories of the films, such as diaries written while making eight films he directed, from “Cronos,” “Blade II,” “Hellboy,” “Pan’s Labyrinth,” and “Pacific Rim,” as well as sketches and production art contained in the film production notebooks.
He said, “I was inspired by my idols like Dick Smith, Ray Harryhausen and Hitchcock who were open about their work processes.
“I, too, need to be open about my creative process,” he says, adding that he hopes ambitious filmmakers “will learn to embrace their passion with complete tenacity, to cherish and collect images, and to study them as code.”

Part 3 introduces 'unfinished projects', including 'At the Mountains of Madness', which was confirmed to star Tom Cruise but fell through.
Tom Cruise, who also wrote a review for the book, said, “I wouldn’t say At the Mountains of Madness was a failure.
This is because there have been many instances where a movie started production, was put on hold, and then was eventually completed.
“At the Mountains of Madness will also come true naturally when the time comes” (page 262), expressing his desire to work with director del Toro, a true artist.
It also makes readers look forward to the 'completion' of the 'unfinished' project.

The secret behind the artist's creative work, a vast and elaborate world of imagination!

When asked how he manages to create a unique character in each of his works, Guillermo del Toro replied, “Everything about me is consistent.
I didn't make eight movies.
I'm trying to make one film that consists of all my films.
To me, that one movie is like Bleak House.
“I am building the rooms one by one, so the audience should perceive the house as a whole at a glance” (p. 135).
In this book, readers will witness the creative process of an artist completing a massive film.

“Opening this book is like looking into Guillermo’s fantasy-filled mind.” - [New York Times]

“It’s filled with stunning illustrations and photographs that explore the mind of a fantasy master, making it hard to know where to begin.” - [Fangoria]