To celebrate our Home Video Revival art challenge, we’ve asked a few of our PRO Members about their experience working on their pieces.
Featuring PRO members: Nuno Sarnadas, Keith Goulette, Grégory Sacré and Scott Saslow.
What inspired your choice of film for the challenge?
Nuno: It was very spontaneous. When I became aware of the challenge I immediately, for no apparent reason, thought of making a VHS special edition for a Batman film, and since “The Dark Knight” is one of my all-time favorites, it all felt right on the spot!
Keith: I spend a lot of time thinking about Gone Girl and have been wanting to do a parody poster for it for a while so I made a 90s rom com VHS version.
Grégory: In February, I was able to participate in a public poster creation day. I worked on an 80s classic: The Karate Kid. I had worked on the poster in a very damaged and retro mode, with stickers stuck on it, etc. When PosterSpy announced the new challenge, I asked if I could adapt this poster, which I had not yet shared, to the concept. So I reworked it to fit in a VHS case. I also had a lot of fun digging out cases and VHS tapes that I had to get some material!
Scott: I was initially going to go with something like Total Recall but thought that Robocop would be the better choice since there are a lot of layers to the film that could be explored through the cover design plus I think for most people the home video release was their first experience with the movie so it also acted as a homage to watching films with a higher rating when younger and for me Robocop was the first.
Does designing for a Blu-Ray / VHS cover prove to be a different challenge compared to your poster work?
Nuno: Absolutely. I love designing physical media packaging, as I myself am a collector of both movies and music and I am always trying to find and acquire those limited special editions. You have to think of not only the artwork itself but also all the elements that make these editions shine, and that is what I try to do every time I have the opportunity to create them. Despite being apples from the same tree, they all have their distinctive flair.
Keith: a little bit, the scale of things are a bit different, and with VHS covers you can have text way closer to the margins than in posters. I do VHS spine stacks frequently so that part wasn’t new.
Grégory: Since it’s a big part of my job to make covers for publishers (not on VHS but on Blu-ray ;)), it wasn’t a particular challenge. No matter if I’m working on a poster, an alternative poster or a cover, the approach is always the same. It’s always the film that will guide me in the graphic approach to adopt.
Scott: Well yes and no, I had a concept where it was going to be a bit more involved with things like Ed209, explosions and numerous parts from the film which would work better in a larger format with the amount of detail I could use there compared to designing things around the dimensions of a blu ray cover.
What do you enjoy most about participating in PosterSpy’s Art Challenges?
Nuno: Sometimes you can get yourself trapped in a fish bowl and think of ideas that are comfortable to you (this in terms of passion projects, of course). These challenges give me the opportunity to tackle themes, techniques, styles and material that are somewhat outside of said fish bowl. Flexing those muscles is crucial to keep things interesting and fun to yourself, while growing as an artist as well.
Keith: I like to be able to do something outside the norm, with none of the pressures of a commission. And to see how everybody else interpreted the project is always fun.
Grégory: I like trying new things and challenges push me to do so. If I listened to myself, I would always make alternative posters. But when a new challenge comes along, I tell myself that it’s a good opportunity to get out of my comfort zone a little while remaining artistically free. And then, there’s also the community aspect that I really appreciate. Participating in a challenge is also like a big party where you can’t wait to see what your friends do at the end!
Scott: Sometimes it’s best to have a project that pushed you into doing something different while also allowing you to experiment a bit more than client work where they might see it as being a bit too risky and the Art Challenges allow this while also adding something to your portfolio too.
Now that your piece has been posted, is there anything you could change about it?
Nuno: I think someone found a typo on it (someone always does, right), so I would probably go back and change that!
Keith: I would maybe find a way to add Carrie Coon in there.
Grégory: Not at all! I wouldn’t change anything. I really like putting an end to the work I undertake. It allows me to move on with a clear mind. If one day I decide I no longer appreciate the work I did on this cover… I’ll start with a completely different idea. But I’ll let this one exist.
Scott: Its an age old thing where the art is never truly done though I got it to the stage where it feels like its final. Maybe I might work it up as a poster and expand on it in the future but who knows.
Is there anything you would like to see as the next Art Challenge?
Nuno: I always welcome these challenges because of the unpredictability factor, so I will hold my peace. But one thing is sure, I am always on the lookout for them, so keep them coming!
Keith: I think it would be fun to have a challenge where we design a book cover for a film, using none of the actual imagery from the film itself. I think it would be super fun to try to recreate the vibe of the film for a different medium.
Grégory: Yes! I would love, for example, to work on a universe that is common with all the other participants. For example, a specific film, a game, or a series. Discovering how very different artists approach a work is always interesting. Another thing, and I don’t know how it would be feasible, but it would be to make collaborative posters on a given subject. The challenge would be to work as a team with a pair. I’ve already worked this way with another person and it was very cool. Each of us would start a poster. Then we would send it to the other who would compose on top, and so on.
Scott: It would be interesting to see about designing a book cover based on a film or even doing a vinyl record cover for a film soundtrack. Artist collaborations might also be an interesting experiment too.
