2012 has been an interesting year for me. It was a return to a medium that I really enjoy and yet is a complete departure from my usual work. This year I took a step back from illustration and got involved with film production via Matt Barry. Matt first asked me to "lend him my artistic eye" and act as videographer for THE SCAM in late January. I hadn't really done any film work since December/January of 2004/2005 when I traveled around Scotland filming Hannah Verlin dressed as a sea monster in search of her ancestral home. (I really wish I had a link to share but I cannot locate the correct photo album at this time. Use your imagination, but I guarantee the reality was better.)
Anyway, I really enjoyed the experience and so I didn't hesitate when Matt asked if I might help him again on A SIMPLE MISUNDERSTANDING. The project was filmed in Maryland over the course of two weekends and while my work schedule didn't allow me to be there for the actual filming this time, I was able to lend a hand in post-production acting as Art Director. My first task was to create a promotional poster for the film:
Next up was creating the handwritten title design for the film:
Instead of having the end credits scroll up in a standard Arial font when the film fades to black, I wrote all of them out in the same style for a sense of continuity. My hand was so fatigued and achy by the end of the day that I no longer had to try in order to achieve that "scrawled" look.
You would think that writing, directing, and producing two short films on top of a full-time work schedule would be more than enough to keep one busy, but Matt wanted to add "starring in" to the list and so AFTERMATH was born. The shoot was a one man project as Matt had the dual task of acting and filming himself. I was keen to again help out with title design, using the bleak diary style narration to inspire an offset typewriter look:
So that was my 2012 year in film. Will 2013 be a year to get back to illustration or continue on with film design? Both? Perhaps. But first, let's see what tomorrow brings.
Media: "Smile (Pictures or It Didn't Happen)" - Amanda Palmer feat. The Grand Theft Orchestra
