Designing a Star Wars Pop-Up Book!

We visit the studio of paper engineer Matthew Reinhart, an award-winning designer of pop-up books including most recently Star Wars: The Ultimate Pop-Up Galaxy. Matthew shows us his handmade pop-up prototypes and his process for designing the interactive pages of this new book.
Find the Star Wars pop-up book here:
Watch Matthew's tutorial videos here: / matthewreinhart and www.matthewreinhart.com
Shot by Gunther Kirsch and edited by Norman Chan
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Tested is:
Adam Savage / donttrythis
Norman Chan / nchan
Simone Giertz / simonegiertz
Joey Fameli www.joeyfameli.com
Gunther Kirsch guntherkirsch.com
Ryan Kiser / ryan.kiser
Kishore Hari / sciencequiche
Sean Charlesworth / cworthdynamics
Jeremy Williams / jerware
Kayte Sabicer / kaytesabicer
Bill Doran / chinbeard
Ariel Waldman / arielwaldman
Darrell Maloney / thebrokennerd83
Kristen Lomasney / krystynlo
Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman

[@tested]

Here's a link to Matthew's site! www.matthewreinhart.com/

[@Nunya_Bidnez]

My brain is hurting just watching how he makes this stuff. Wow. Never even thought of how they did it.

[@CamoflagedTumbleweed]

I would be curious to know the next step of how a thousand of these intricate pop-up books are then cut, glued, printed and made. I never thought of what kind of machining must go into making one too. Very interesting, thank you! 🙂

[@jokeal3613]

CamoflagedTumbleweed and is it automated or do people assemble them by hand?

[@TheIndivisibleMan]

@@jokeal3613 I would have to assume it's done by hand, once the pieces are die-cut and scored for folding. I work in printing and I can't imagine someone having a machine that could assemble something that complicated.

[@CamoflagedTumbleweed]

It will certainly make me take a closer look next time I’m in Barnes and Nobles or wherever and I see all the kids pop ups (or adults for books like this!) on the shelves. How do they possibly make 10,000 copies and get all the folds right, etc...?

[@annisanazzahra2672]

This is the only I could find on KZbin, would try to find more but maybe just needed right keywords (?) kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIbPlqp4o8d-q8k

[@annisanazzahra2672]

Oh and this one also kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpLQkpd5aNaKfq8

[@FigmentsMade]

This is fascinating! The thought process to transform 3D characters and environments into 2D forms and then making them unfold into 3D space and then move is just mind-blowing. Watching the AT-ST walk is so cool!

[@CuriousPug12]

i used to making these kind of pop up art and paper craft back in my intern time at university, and i'm not try to brag or smug but i'm quiet good at it. i completely understand what matt talking about in this video when he talk about making mock up, engineering, problem solving, coloring etc etc i don't know why i don't make a living out of it and take it more seriously but this video definitely bring so much memory and one of my regret not to pursuit it more but this video definitely itching me to try make a pop up again or at least as a hobby thanks

[@MissLilyputt]

Wow, I love learning how pop up books are made. This is definitely an adult pop up book. I just don’t see kids being gentle enough with them.

[@MacNifty]

I used to love pop up books as a child. Especially the ones where they used premium... ultra premium materials like cardboard pages with special plastic images that change position when moved. Like hologram. Jack and the Beanstalk in the 80's (choice publications) was the best book ever with the characters all clay and set, images captured for the pages, and the pages with moving plastic images like hologram and being a pop up. It was the best I've seen yet. I always liked pop up books too with levers and triggers that would add to the pages being interactive.

[@icooley7391]

Nice, this was VERY interesting and fun to watch. Pop-up books are so magical for little kids. Especially their very first time opening one. Speaking of which, I think I am first!

[@tested]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@conatcha]

0:33 Hey, there's a Den comic on the background!!! YEEEEE

[@JohnPorsbjerg]

what a talented guy, and he's so enthusiastic about his work it's really nice to watch :')

[@marcpaters0n]

This is why I love this channel!

[@bran339]

As an origami artist, Kirigami enthusiast, and programmer, I’ve spent a fair amount of time considering how Kirigami-style pop-up structures could be generated using a program. It certainly should be possible, though extremely challenging. The main issue isn’t in working around paper thicknesses and frictions, so much as the actual designing part. Taking a 3d model and turning it into a bunch of moving 2d parts can be fairly simple, but choosing the most effective collection of parts and their associated mechanics, is very challenging. Plus the manner in which the parts converge/diverge often comes down to artistic decisions. Some mechanisms might be more effective, but don’t operate with the same degree of finesse as a more tailored set of mechanisms. Also the difficulty of assembly is crucial if the design is to be duplicated many times over. You don’t want the design to include too many individual components, all requiring tedious gluing/connecting (most of which would need to be done by hand). At any rate, really cool book. Extremely impressive.

[@peterkelley6344]

What an amazing art form ... being preserved! When I was a kid I was fascinated by the art. I can remember thinking 'one could make a living from this ... oh wait not many books are like this.' So in hind sight I missed an opportunity as a kid/person.

[@lindybeige]

I wanted to know how they are actually put together for mass production. All by hand?

[@NishanthSalahudeen]

Yup. In china

[@janardanraj3116]

@@NishanthSalahudeen In Thailand actually

[@NishanthSalahudeen]

@@janardanraj3116 could be. I saw few videos of chinese factories dedicated to popup book work. Also mentiined by matthew. Perhaps they use south east asia too. Where did you see? On the book itself? Am also kind of keen to know the varous options available for popup mass production

[@janardanraj3116]

@@NishanthSalahudeen ohh i see...actually i have seen in his most of the books that has mentioned manufactured in Thailand. But ofcourse as u said some of them could be in china too...I my self do pop-up art, and thinking about mass production in near future..What i think personally about mass production is that, In india we could also do manufacturing of such art...If you are aware about Okhla area in delhi...there also u will find lots of small industries doing paper work...basically this is printing, die cutting work...and most importantly it the stitching part, so for this part also u will find some workers who are good, specially in okhla market...Ofcourse cost wise i have no idea, as mathew must have done some work on finding good manufacturer...

[@UsamaGhufran]

​@@janardanraj3116hey, it's been 2 years since your comment. Lately I've also been interested in creating pop up books for kids, manufacturing locally in India. Did you ever get a chance to explore your idea about Okhla? I'd like to learn from your exploration and experience so that I don't commit the common mistakes people make and set my expectations right.

[@TheTukTuk2008]

Amazing Episode!!! ❤️ It takes a lot of experience to make this happen!

[@Robothut]

I whish tyhey would have taken this 1 step further to show how the books are actually mass produced assembled. How do they train the persons that glue all the folded parts together ?

[@mathewcox9371]

this could literally be a show/documentary and I’d watch the hell out of it!

[@JennWakely]

that was awesome! I've been trying to learn pop up for a while now, so this was timely!

[@VandrefalkTV]

This is just.. wow. Tested guys, seriously, you guys just know how to make the best content. Love it!

[@jacobtaylor9722]

This is an incredible art form. and a rare insight. Thank tested

[@hohoiboshi8654]

That is purу ART! Mind blowing!

[@caitlynwarrington8690]

This is amazing. Great work!

[@Juan_Alvaro]

Amazing! I really love the rough sketches! It would be great to have an art book with all this steps.

[@dcpunk4]

Hey, what a neat video! Love this sort of stuff.

[@VivekKujurtheultimatelosers]

Incredible design wow 😍

[@mikecline2558]

Mr. Reinhart is brilliant. Love his books!

[@janardanraj3116]

Fantastic video...He is truly inspiring...

[@AaronHendu]

I loved pop-up books so much as a kid...I would have been mind-blown with this book. I also remember desperately trying to create my own pop-up books with VERY limited success lol

[@VW.907]

We are all good at something. Interesting piece.

[@jerryjohnsonii4181]

Very Cool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pop-UP books are So magical

[@petermotta1623]

Great work Bravo !

[@milesfinch]

Pop-up books take me back to my early years. Such fond memories of the discovery of the device and mechanics used. Now days the mechanics of the reveal fascinate me more than the subject. ;-)

[@mraidymaddful]

I thought I had particularly good spacial awareness in my artwork, till I saw this video today. Total respect to the man....

[@francisjames1377]

Wow!!! That's alot of work

[@toyfreaks]

So exciting! I am a huge fan of Ib Pennick, who designed the original Random House Star Wars Pop-up book. The first time I saw the X-Wing unfold from the middle of the book and float about the centerfold, I became fixated on paper engineering. Pennick also held several patents related to Pop-Up book contruction.

[@ToasterBurner35]

Truly awe inspiring

[@TheTukTuk2008]

@14:14 yes, the layout sketches are pretty good. And then boom!

[@chriswaldrip2739]

This is awesome. How about a video on how the books are printed and assembled too?

WOW!! Just... WOW!

[@RealSalica]

I love that ...I should probably try .

[@shimronnetia]

great job

[@gabiballetje]

09:30 He has a couple of tabs to pull, they make several things happen. Sure, in many ways it would be easier to have more pull tabs, one for each things that moves. But i am willing to bet that having 10 pull tabs, each doing one thing is by far not as great as having 3 pull tabs doing just as many things, because you probably saw it would do one thing, but not the other 2-3 things, so you do it again, several times, and then also go look how it works. And the easy way, the mechanics are almost always easier, and do only one thing, so there is less surprise and, well, awe, of what it does. Having more pull tabes also slightly takes away from the look of the whole thing, it starts to look more mechanical, where with less, more is hidden. It may seem simple, open pages, pops up, have pull tabs, but, this is so complicated and so much times goes into this. You also don;t really come up with a load of mechanics and try to fit something into it, no, you make up what you want to happen or what you want it to look like, and go make it happen, or try to, ad nausium often. But when it works and is done, it is an accomplishment. In many ways, adding the right textures and actually making the book is 'ALMOST' just dotting i's and crossing t's.

[@limpfishyes]

That's no sphere

[@mekugi_7729]

I came looking for this comment...surprised it was so low and unliked

[@CamoflagedTumbleweed]

I can’t tell if that’s a twist of Ben Kenobi’s line or just an accurate statement, but I’m going to go with the hope/image you conjured of Ben Kenobi saying it to Han Solo!.. 😂

[@Rancrom]

I'd love to know how many sheets of paper he uses when doing prototypes. Must be a lot! Also, I wonder what tape he was using, didn't look like common masking tape. Anyone know?

[@TitoPerilla]

Amazing talented 😍💞

[@bb.cute.channel]

Any computer apps for creating pop-up books?

[@DavyJonesSimRacing]

how in earth do you plan such a product for printing/assembly? We have one of the dinosaur examples shown in the intro, its indeed amazing... I might need to take a scissors to the last jedi though 😁

[@justinsane3909]

How is this mass produced without screwing it all up is what blows my mind. Yeah, Matthew has to do it first, but then it goes into production and I wouldn't even know where to begin in order to copy it for millions.

[@lenushka121]

спасибо!

[@Kodaiva]

Adam should build a death stranding Odradek!

[@TimoNoko]

Pop up book animation - Blender.org . This dev seems to be little bit chilly at the moment.

[@csabajozsef8400]

I feel like I have just seen Mark Rober's older brother:D

[@ChonnyStone]

This video was great, that song at the end ... not so much.

[@blastoff9518]

Cool. He’s like the Tom Cruise of pop-up books.

[@JoeJacksonGT3]

So he believes in Scientology? Confused with your comparison.

[@tomhools1605]

Pulp Fiction Pop-Up Book!

[@pradipnevse6539]

Best top most best

[@JD2jr.]

So his process is just guess and check? Was hoping to see insight on how this was designed, not just "So I design it" and then how you upload it and color it...

[@chiggenfinger7264]

Yes

[@KaranKumar-en4nz]

Template provide sir

[@MARKLOCKWOOD2012]

Theirs a rumor for ghostbuster fans the previous movies for some was a hit n miss. I agree.why go from one and two then three should have in my opinion had slimer he’s iconic even though ray was a cabbie and to honor Harold I think a cgi of a scientist dan should have done a bigger role of teaching the new ghostbusters bill i was glad he was in it. They and their characters made the movie. Least Janine ‘it’s what could remember how to spell her character doing her bit role aggravated. Rick was in two and one the dog bit or the painting of Viggo was left out. Studying the slime they made lady liberty walk theirs lots of things I feel should have made it into the movie and made it better the proton packs yes got revamped because of a new movie but the iconic look 👀 looks and keeps the the nostalgia. Ecto should have been in this last one. Not the original but. Slimer in the dining hall. But bill could play a door man ecto should be covered in dust dirt weaver a librarian with a haunted library 📚 bigger budget better ideas as a next chapter of one and two combined titanic if not the same actors.

[@RussiaSPB87]

На 42 секунде можно увидеть книгу с надписью "АКУЛЫ" на русском)

[@Cristopher_C]

Drink every time they say Pop-Up

[@pancakelegend]

The term he's looking for is 'iterative design'.

[@davyjohns9432]

I'm the Star Wars fan!

[@siennadeepak]

How to make Human pop up

[@CUM2america]

I can make a really good airplane...

[@sehmitronjr2785]

Hi

[@jy-li1jq]

Man popup books complex..

[@user-bm4hx2go5j]

how are you today

[@andrealves2210]

this guy must be from 51 area...

[@greenfireflytime]

This is the same smug jerk who hogged the camera last time he was on Tested. Next!