Book excerpt: Ron Ashtiani brings together twenty-five years of experience directing creative projects for games and film to share what it takes to be a successful art director in the entertainment industry today. Using his phenomenal artistic skills, art director and project management abilities, real-world examples, clear diagrams and text, he educates his readers on every element of stellar art design for both video games and movies. Providing creative and business leadership, as well as being a specialist consultant and a regular industry and educational public speaker, he is one of the most resourceful and well educated practitioners in the field of video game and movie art design and perfectly poised to teach others in the entertainment design industry. The fully-illustrated The Art of Direction will lead the reader on the journey of the art director, from how to craft an artistic vision to how to successfully manage a team of artists in bringing that vision to life and making the best creative decisions along the way.