Matteo Civaschi

Minimal Film tells the stories of the movies we all know and love--from Alien to Rain Man, Star Wars to Psycho, E.T. to Ghost--through the often comically concise pictographic language of Shortology. Something of an internet craze, Shortology can narrate anything through pictograms. This has allowed Milan-based graphic designer Matteo Civaschi to isolate the very essence of movie plots, eliminating the superfluous and focusing on the essential. For example, two white triangles perpendicular to a red field suffice to evoke Dracula. But even complex or lengthy plots can be reduced to this language, as the inclusion of TV series from Game of Thrones to Breaking Bad attests. This book serves as a great gift for cinephiles, comedy fans and graphic designers alike.

In today's jet-fuelled, caffeine-charged, celebrity-a-minute world, who actually has the time to watch a film from start to finish? Let's face it, life's too short. Now, Film in Five Seconds lets you fast-forward to the best bits so you can enjoy all your favourite movie moments in - literally - moments. Design studio H-57 have taken over 150 iconic films and cut away all the useless details, boiling them down into ingenious pictograms and creating hilarious visual snapshots that are witty, provocative and to the point. From Batman to Bridget Jones, Grease to The Godfather, King Kong to The King's Speech, via slapstick, sci-fi and superheroes, you'll laugh out loud as you identify some of the greatest screen moments of all time. This is the perfect book for film buffs and anyone with a sense of humour or a short attention span.