{ ENGLISH BELOW }

Puede que Internet y las redes sociales hayan restado emoción a la experiencia de ir al cine y dejarse llevar por la magia de las películas en pantalla grande. Ahora lo sabemos todo antes de entrar en la sala porque hemos visto la promoción, los tráilers, los programas del corazón y el efecto sorpresa ya no es una variable que los espectadores contemplemos como favorable a la hora de pasar una hora y media alejados de la realidad que nos ha tocado vivir. Hoy queremos tenerlo todo controlado cuando nos piden invertir un buen puñado de euros (con el correspondiente 21% de IVA cultural) en una “simple” película de entretenimiento. Pero hubo un tiempo no tan lejano en el que el mundo del séptimo arte funcionaba de manera distinta y existían ciertos detalles que convertían las películas en leyenda, mucho antes de haberlas visto en el abarrotado cine de nuestro barrio. Nos referimos a los carteles gigantes que colgaban en las marquesinas de los autobuses y en la entrada de las salas de proyección, con ese aire vintage y unas ilustraciones fascinantes que nos hacían soñar en mundos lejanos, en aventuras fantásticas y en personajes que estaban por encima del bien y del mal. Sin duda, esos carteles fueron los grandes culpables de que varias generaciones nos enamorásemos del cine en mayúsculas y que decidiéramos lanzarnos a vivir experiencias únicas sin tener más pistas que una simple imagen a todo color. Y resulta que uno de los sospechosos habituales de este fenómeno fue Drew Struzan, el ilustrador que creó los pósteres legendarios de la saga de Star Wars, de la trilogía original de Indiana Jones, de las películas de Regreso al Futuro, de esa epopeya titulada Blade Runner, de esa obra de culto que es Cadena Perpetua y de tantas otras películas que nos han cambiado la vida desde los años 70 hasta la actualidad.

Para rendir homenaje a este artista tan popular y, al mismo tiempo, desconocido para el gran público, el director Erik Sharkey se ha embarcado en la monumental tarea de rodar un documental sobre su ilustre carrera y su extensa obra. Aprovechando su éxito en medio mundo, hemos tenido la oportunidad de entrevistarlo y conocer los entresijos de una película íntima y a todo color que ya se perfila como un verdadero clásico.

Drew Struzan

Tengo entendido que empezaste tu carrera en el mundo del cine como actor, pero que tu sueño era ser director. ¿Podrías contarnos cuándo surgió tu pasión por el séptimo arte?
La película que me hizo querer ser director de cine fue la primera entrega de Star Wars. La vi en el cine cuando tenía solamente cinco años y me impresionó muchísimo. También recuerdo haber visto en televisión un especial sobre cómo se hizo esta película y me fascinó tanto ver todo lo que había detrás que me inspiró a hacer mis propias películas. Como sucedió con muchos cineastas de mi generación, empecé haciendo cortos en Super-8 y después me matriculé en la escuela de cine.

En 2007 escribiste y dirigiste tu primer largometraje titulado “Sexina: Popstar P.I.” y el legendario Adam West (famoso por la serie televisiva de Batman de los años 60) hacía de villano. ¿Cómo conseguiste producir tu debut y qué recuerdas de tu debut detrás de las cámaras?
Fue emocionante dirigir mi primera película, que era una comedia muy “camp” con un argumento tonto y absurdo sobre una estrella del pop que también trabaja como detective y tiene la misión de detener a una “boy band” formada por robots que ha sido programada por el personaje que interpreta Adam West. Yo era un gran fan de la serie televisiva de Batman y me encantaba su sentido del humor. Así que contar con el señor West en la película como villano fue muy emocionante. Se mostró como un tipo muy divertido en el plató e incluso se inventó algunas líneas de diálogo geniales. También fue increíble contar con Davy Jones de The Monkees para que cantara el tema central de la banda sonora. Considero que fui muy afortunado como director debutante al tener ese reparto y ese equipo técnico. Realmente aprendí muchas cosas gracias a esa experiencia. Y, aunque se trataba de un proyecto de bajo presupuesto, lo acabamos rodando en celuloide de verdad y fue asombroso. Tuve que hacer muchos favores para lograr que la película se hiciera realidad y estoy muy agradecido a todos los que colaboraron.

Star Wars / A New Hope (from the Special Edition Triptych)
Medium: Acrylic Paints and Colored Pencils
Size: 30 X 40 Inches
Year 1997
With the theatrical release of the Star Wars special editions, Struzan created the three-panel triptych poster in 3 weeks, working day and night through the Holidays starting in December ’96 and finishing in January ’97. He did not paint it as one picture but as three individual pieces of art. Each one was produced as a single poster for the staggered premiers of each of the three films. It was not until later that people began to discover that set side by side in the proper order the three posters became one image.
Upon seeing this George Lucas had gotten new favorites for his opus. Thereafter when drew painted the Episodes I, II and III poster art he did so to match the design concepts of the Triptych to make a complete series to hang all together. Hang together, which they do, all six, at George Lucas’ screening room at Skywalker Ranch.
Only later with the production of a limited edition giclee fine art print did drew produce the artwork as it was always designed and intended to be seen, as one painting, a triptych.

Supongo que la pregunta que muchos deben hacerte es ¿cómo lograste que Drew Struzan ilustrara el póster de tu primera película? ¿Llegaste a conocerlo personalmente en aquel momento de tu carrera?
Siempre he sido un gran admirador de la obra de Drew. Cuando era un crío, acostumbraba a mirar sus pósteres en la entrada del cine porque creo que influían en la experiencia de ir a ver la película y eran obras de arte excepcionales. Mi sueño era hacer una película algún día y que Drew creara el póster. Cuando terminé mi primer largometraje, no sabía si volvería a tener la oportunidad de ponerme otra vez detrás de las cámaras, así que decidí contactar con Drew y hablamos por teléfono. Recuerdo que le dije que amaba su obra y que sería un sueño si aceptaba hacer el cartel de mi primera película. Le hice saber que tendría todo mi respeto y que no le pediría ningún cambio. Creo que mi honestidad y mi pasión hacia su trabajo hicieron efecto porque aceptó ver “Sexina: Popstar P.I.” y decidió hacer el póster. Cuando vi el resultado final, puedo decirte que toqué el cielo. Drew logró capturar el tono y el sentimiento de mi película perfectamente. Siempre le estaré agradecido por su generosidad y por haber aceptado colaborar en mi estúpida película.

¿Cuándo decidiste que querías dirigir un documental sobre la historia y los míticos carteles de Drew Struzan? ¿Resultó sencillo convencerlo para que aceptara la propuesta?
Fue después de que hiciera el cartel de “Sexina: Popstar P.I.” que tuve la idea de dirigir un documental sobre su carrera. Todo sucedió porque quería ver uno y resulta que no existía, así que decidí hacer el documental que me apetecía ver. Contacté de nuevo con Greg Boas y Charles Ricciardi que ya me habían ayudado en mi película anterior y le presentamos la idea a Drew. Me sorprendió mucho porque aceptó de inmediato, sabiendo que es una persona muy reservada. Y no solamente dijo que sí, sino que contactó con George Lucas y tres semanas más tarde estábamos grabando al creador de Star Wars en los estudios de ILM. Es asombroso que Mr. Lucas fuera la primera entrevista del documental.

Blade Runner
Medium: Acrylic paints and colored pencils on gessoed board
Size: 30×40 inches
Year 2003
I began working on this piece of art way back in 1982 when I was commissioned by the Studio to explore concepts for the poster. I did one color comprehensive originally and from that made a few alterations as requested by the Studio. In the end, they did not use my design so I never painted the finished illustration.
In 2001, when Ridley Scott was thinking of releasing a new director’s version of the film, I was asked if my original sketch from ’82 could be used on the cover. It turned out that this was Ridley’s favorite artwork for his film. I went through the usual artist angst, rather than use a comprehensive for the cover, better to use finished art and if I’m going to paint the finish should it be the 20-year-old design or should it be updated. I decided on the latter.
The DVD was produced at long last and this is now the cover (2007).
Signed and dated bottom right corner “drew 2003”
© Copyright drew Struzan 2003

Después de ver el documental, queda muy claro que tuviste un acceso privilegiado a su intimidad y que acabasteis siendo buenos amigos con Drew. ¿Te atreverías a definirlo como artista y como persona?
Drew fue muy generoso al cedernos su tiempo y su apoyo porque es el tipo de artista que prefiere que su obra hable por él. Le encanta pintar y crear imágenes, sin embargo, no le gusta pararse a analizarla. En el documental explicamos su vida y su obra, así que hay muchos aspectos a comentar y Drew tiene historias asombrosas sobre los pósteres que ha hecho a lo largo de los años. No podía creer que hubiera dibujado el cartel de “La Cosa” en una noche y sin haber visto la película. Y tienes razón, gracias al rodaje del documental nos hicimos buenos amigos y estoy muy honrado de conocer a alguien como él. No es sólo un gran artista, sino también una gran persona.

Supongo que el mayor reto de un documental como éste fue conseguir hacer las entrevistas con las grandes estrellas de Hollywood y los famosos directores. ¿Tener amistad con Drew Struzan facilitó la tarea de contactar con todos estos personajes ilustres?
Es muy difícil cerrar tantas entrevistas, pero mi productor (Charles Ricciardi) hizo un gran trabajo. Otra cosa que contribuyó a que fuera complicado es que rodamos la mayor parte del documental en Los Ángeles y nosotros vivimos en Nueva York, así que tuvimos que viajar mucho. Algunas entrevistas surgieron en el último minuto… piensa que nos avisaron sólo con tres días de antelación para entrevistar a Harrison Ford y tuvimos que viajar al otro extremo del país casi sin prepararlo. Pero fue una enorme suerte contar con el señor Ford porque tenía muchas cosas interesantes que contar sobre Drew y su obra para Indiana Jones y la saga de Star Wars. Es cierto que Drew nos ayudó a cerrar algunas entrevistas, como las de George Lucas y Steven Spielberg. Aunque otras las tuvimos que cerrar por nuestra cuenta, pero tuvimos suerte de que gente increíble como Guillermo del Toro y Michael J. Fox quisieran hablar de Drew y de sus pósteres. Piensa que su obra es muy apreciada y querida dentro de la industria del cine.

Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Drew Struzan with George Lucas

Me gustaría preguntarte por algunas de estas colaboraciones tan destacadas. La primera es la del director Frank Darabont que resulta ser un enorme fan de la obra de Drew Struzan y cuenta historias asombrosas…
Frank Darabont es muy amigo de Drew, aunque empezó siendo un simple fan. Ellos se conocieron cuando Frank le pidió que ilustrara el cartel de “Cadena Perpetua” y su entrevista es asombrosa. ¡Estuvimos hablando durante tres horas! Es un tipo apasionado por su obra y tiene muy claro que prefiere la ilustración antes que las imágenes digitales a la hora de hacer los pósteres de las películas.

Por otra parte también aparece Michael J. Fox, con su simpatía y esa alegría tan contagiosa. ¿Cómo te sentiste durante la entrevista?
Michael J. Fox nos concedió una entrevista fantástica y se mostró como un tipo encantador. Realmente sabía muchas cosas sobre la carrera de Drew y adora sus ilustraciones. Por supuesto nos habló sobre el icónico póster de “Regreso al Futuro”, pero también nos contó que admiraba mucho el trabajo que Drew había hecho para portadas de discos… resulta que dibujó la del álbum “Welcome To My Nightmare” de Alice Cooper y Michael J. Fox era un gran fan del cantante cuando era adolescente.

George Lucas & Drew Struzan

Creo que has cumplido el sueño de todo fan de Star Wars porque tuviste la oportunidad de visitar los estudios de Industrial Light & Magic. ¿Qué recuerdas del rodaje en aquel lugar tan legendario?
Estoy muy agradecido de haber podido entrevistar a George Lucas y a Drew Struzan conjuntamente en ese lugar. Me encantó verlos andando por los pasillos y hablando sobre los carteles que Drew había dibujado. George Lucas es un gran admirador de la ilustración y adora la obra de Drew, por esto no es extraño que le haya encargado tantos pósteres a lo largo de los años para las franquicias de Star Wars e Indiana Jones. Nos concedió una entrevista genial, nos contó los motivos por los que amaba tanto la obra de Drew y afirmó que aportaban algomás a sus películas. Fue un sueño hecho realidad.

Uno de los momentos más inesperados del documental es cuando Harrison Ford conoce a Drew Struzan en plena entrevista. ¿Cómo lograsteis planificar esa sorpresa tan original?
Me impresionó cuando Drew nos contó que nunca había conocido a Harrison Ford. La verdad es que el propio Drew se hace fotos posando como Indiana Jones para los carteles… así que cuando Harrison aceptó hacer la entrevista, en seguida supimos que debíamos reunirlos en la misma sala. Harrison no tenía ni idea de que Drew estaba allí y que se conocerían. Harrison estuvo muy contento y nos contó grandes cosas sobre la obra de Drew, además, le agradeció en persona que lo hubiera hecho parecer tan atractivo durante tantos años. Tuve la suerte de ser la persona que los presentó y ese día toqué el cielo.

E.T. the Extraterrestrial
Medium: Acrylics and colored pencils on gessoed board
Size: 30×40 inches
Year 1990
Director Steven Spielberg calls this piece of art the quintessential E.T.. It was reproduced as a poster, was used as the logo for Universal City Studios Parks, was seen on billboards and many products.
Not bad for an ugly little guy from another planet, that’s E. T. I mean.
© Copyright Universal City Studios 1990

95% del documental es un retrato bastante íntimo de Drew Struzan y su trabajo, pero los últimos minutos son una montaña rusa de emociones y de colores en la Comic-Con de San Diego. ¿Fue emocionante ver que recibían al humilde artista como si se tratara de una gran estrella?
Fue genial rodar con Drew en la Comic-Con porque es un evento gigantesco en el que suceden muchas cosas. Aprovechamos para hacer entrevistas a sus fans y resulta que Drew recibió el Lifetime Achievement Awars que premiaba su carrera. Además, recientemente había hecho el póster especial de The Walking Dead y organizaron una sesión de firmas con Frank Darabont. Realmente, Drew es una persona reservada que aprecia estar en su estudio pintando y muy pocas veces se presta a ir a eventos como ese. Así que cuando acepta ir y ve la gran cantidad de fans que tiene, creo que entonces se sorprende al ver que su obra significa tanto. También creo que está contento de ver que hay una nueva generación de fans muy jóvenes que aprecian su trabajo. Estaba visiblemente emocionado y sorprendido por la reacción de sus seguidores cuando lo grabamos allí.

Todo el mundo afirma que los documentales realmente cobran vida en la sala de edición. ¿Qué puedes contarnos sobre el proceso de montaje y el material de archivo que localizasteis?
El proceso de edición es cuando la historia cobra sentido porque durante las entrevistas se habla de muchos temas, pero es en posproducción cuando surge la idea de narración. El gran reto que afrontamos era bucear en tantas horas de entrevistas con gente asombrosa. Fue muy complicado elegir lo que poníamos en el documental y lo que quitábamos. Y también fue un reto lograr que fueran los propios personajes los que contaran la historia, en lugar de poner un narrador. Tuvimos mucha suerte de que Drew nos pasara imágenes escaneadas en alta resolución de la mayor parte de su obra y que se implicara tanto para asegurarse de que los carteles aparecieran correctamente en el documental. Así que contamos con su ayuda en el proceso creativo porque en todos los contratos tiene el derecho a utilizar su obra para promocionarse. También tuvimos mucha ayuda de Lucasfilm, una cosa genial.

Goonies, The
Medium: Acrylic paints & colored pencils on gessoed board
Size: 30×40 inches
Year 1985
In the decades following its release, The Goonies has gained a cult following primarily comprising people who were children or teens in the 1980s.
Signed upper left corner “drew ’85”
© Copyright Warner Borthers Inc. 1985

Personalmente creo que tu documental no es solamente un retrato de la obra de Drew Struzan, sino una carta de amor hacia un arte que está desapareciendo. ¿Cuál era tu intención al emprender este proyecto y que has aprendido en el camino?
No creo que los pósteres de películas actuales sean tan buenos como los de antes. Cuando era joven, artistas como Drew Struzan y Bob Peak eran estrellas y sus carteles eran más que simple publicidad de la película, eran arte. Drew era capaz de capturar el espíritu, los personajes y la historia de una película en una sola imagen muy bonita. Tal como dice Frank Darabont en el documental: “ahora solamente se utilizan dos cabezas enormes”. Hoy recurren a fotos de los actores y se ha perdido creatividad, mientras que los carteles que hace Drew permanecen con los espectadores durante décadas. Cuando piensas en una película como “Regreso al Futuro”, siempre aparece esa imagen de Michael J. Fox mirando su reloj de pulsera. Drew es un pintor y sus creaciones están hechas a mano, por este motivo esos pósteres son obras únicas. No creo que los carteles hechos digitalmente tengan la misma magia. Y, lamentablemente, artistas como Drew han sido relegados a un segundo plano por culpa de las nuevas tecnologías digitales y eso es una verdadera pena.

Para terminar la entrevista, ¿podrías contarnos cómo fue el estreno mundial del documental y qué planes tienes para el futuro?
Presentamos el documental en la Comic-Con y también se ha estrenado en cines, además de comercializarse muy bien en DVD en los Estados Unidos. Recientemente ha salido al mercado en Inglaterra y me gustaría que se estrenara en más países. Actualmente estoy dirigiendo un documental sobre un artista y animador que se llama Floyd Norman, que fue el primer afroamericano que trabajó en Disney y colaboró estrechamente con el mismísimo Walt Disney. Creo que es un hombre con mucho talento y ya tengo ganas de compartir su historia con el público.

The Thing
Medium: Acrylic paints and colored pencils on gessoed board
Size: 30×40 inches
Year 1982
“Man is The Warmest Place to Hide.”
Roger Ebert called the special effects “among the most elaborate, nauseating, and horrifying sights yet achieved by Hollywood’s new generation of visual magicians,” and called the film itself “a great barf-bag movie.”
© Copyright drew Struzan 1982

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Medium: Acrylic paints & colored pencils on gessoed board
Size: 30×40 inches
Year 1984
If adventure has a name… it must be Indiana Jones.
Signed and dated bottom right corner “drew ’84”
© Copyright Lucasfilm Ltd. 1984

Star Wars Episode I / The Phantom Menace
Medium: Acrylic paints & colored pencils on gessoed board
Size: 30×40 inches
Year 1999
Drew speaking with George Lucas director and writer of the Star Wars Epic Drew: “Why do you use illustration to advertise and represent your projects? Computer manipulated photographs dominate the advertising of so many studios, but you continue to loyally choose illustration….”
George Lucas: “The kind of movies I make are more fanciful in nature, more mythical in nature. To market my films, I like to move one step away from photo- realism to something that’s a little grander, a little more glorious, and something a bit more romantic than what you get with just simple photographs.”
Signed and dated “drew 1999” center left edge.
© Copyright & TM Lucasfilm Ltd. 1999 Used by permission All right reserved

Star Wars. Revenge of the Jedi
Medium: Acrylic paints and colored pencils on board
Size: 30 x 40 inches
Year 1983
The film was originally titled Revenge of the Jedi, and the original teaser trailer for the film carried this moniker. A released teaser poster created by Drew Struzan containing the dismissed title has since become a rare collector’s item. However, a few weeks before the film’s premiere, Lucas changed the title, saying “Revenge” could not be used, as it is not a Jedi concept. The 2005 prequel trilogy film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith later alluded to the dismissed title of Revenge of the Jedi.
Signed “drew” just to the left of Luke’s left foot
© Copyright Lucasfilm Ltd. 1983

Star Wars
Medium: Oils on gessoe and dyes on board
Size: 30×40 inches
Year 1977. Drew Struzan & Charles White III
Star Wars is an epic space opera franchise initially conceived by George Lucas during the 1970s and significantly expanded since that time. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Star Wars, but later had the subtitle Episode IV: A New Hope added to distinguish it from its sequels and prequels. Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977 by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, initially spawning two sequels. Twenty-two years after Star Wars was released, Lucas began the release of a second trilogy as a prequel to the original trilogy.
This is quite a famous piece. It came to be known as the White/Struzan piece (both artists worked on it)and as the Circus Poster.
This particular piece was not only George’s favorite piece of art but also became infamous as it was lost, disappeared for 30 years. Found at last Drew and Charlie gave it to George as a gift of friendship.
Signed lower right by both Drew and Charlie White.
© Copyright Lucasfilm LTD. 1977

Sexina: Popstar P.I.
Medium: Acrylic paints and colored pencils on gessoed board
Size: 30 x 40 inches
Year 2007
Signed lower left edge “drew”
© Copyright Sharkey Productions 2007

Back to the Future I, II & III
Medium: Acrylic paints and colored pencils on gessoed board
Size: 24×36 inch live art for each on 30×40 inch boards
Year 1985
As the movie is one story in three parts, so the classic artwork cannot be seperated. They remain one.
Each one signed “drew” and dated ’85,’89 &’90
© Copyright Universal Studios 1985-1990

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Medium: Acrylic paints and colored pencils on gessoed board
Size: 30×40 inches
Year 1989
This art is the advance poster,to many, the best of all Indy posters.
Signed and dated “drew ’89”
© Copyright Lucasfilm LTD. 1989

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Medium: Acrylic paints and colored pencils on gessoed board
Size: 30×40 inches
Year 1989
© Copyright Lucasfilm LTD. 1989

Michael J Fox

Tráiler:

(ENGLISH)

ERIK SHARKEY.
THE STORY OF DREW STRUZAN

Internet and social media might have undermined the experience of going to the cinema and be carried along by the magic of watching a movie in the big screen. Now we know everything before going to the movies, because we have already seen the promotion, the trailers and the celebrity shows. The surprise effect is no longer a variable. The spectators don’t contemplate anymore the possibility of spending one hour and a half away from the reality we live in. Nowadays we want to have everything under control when we are asked to spend money (21% VAT included) in “just” an entertainment movie. But there was a time where cinema worked in a different way, and there were certain details that turned the movies into a legend way before we had seen them in our crammed movie theater. We mean the huge posters that hanged with that vintage air in the bus stops and in the lobby of the movie theaters, those fascinating illustrations that made us dream in faraway worlds, and the fantastic adventures and characters that were beyond the good and the bad. No doubt those posters were responsible for the several generations falling in love with the Cinema, who decided to go live unique experiences without having any clue, except for a full color image. And it turns out that one of the usual suspects of this phenomenon was Drew Struzan, the illustrator who created the legendary posters of “Star Wars”, the original “Indiana Jones” trilogy, the “Back to the Future” movies, “Blade Runner”, “The Shawshank Redemption” and many other movies that have changed our lives, from the 70s to today.
In order to pay tribute to this popular artist who is at the same time unknown to the general audience, the director Erik Sharkey has undertaken the monumental task of filming a documentary about his distinguished career and work. Coinciding with his worldwide success, we had the chance to interview him and find out the hidden details of an intimate full color movie that promises to become a true classic.

I understand that you started as an actor and then later became a director. Could you tell us when did you decide to devote your life to cinema?
The film that made me want to be a director was the original “Star Wars”. I saw it in the theater when I was five years old and i was totally blown away by it. I remember seeing a TV special on the making of “Star Wars” and I was fascinated by how the movie was made and it inspired me to make my own movies. So like a lot of filmmakers my age I started making super 8 movies and eventually went to film school.

In 2007 you wrote and directed your first feature film “Sexina: Popstar P.I.” and legendary Adam West was the villain. How did you manage to get it produced and how was the experience of directing?
It was a huge thrill to direct my first feature film which was a campy comedy called, “Sexina:Popstar Pi”. It’s a very silly and absurd film about a pop star who is also a private detective that has to stop an evil robot boy band that was created by Adam West. I was a big fan of the Batman TV series growing up and I always loved the humor on the show. Having Mr. West in the film as the villain was a huge thrill. He was so funny on set and even came up with some great lines for the film. It was also a huge thrill to have Davy Jones from The Monkees sing the theme song. I was very lucky lucky as a first time director to have such a great cast and crew for the film. I learned a lot from that experience. Although it was a low budget movie we shot it on actual film which was a huge thrill. I had to pull a lot of favors to get the film made and finished and I’m very grateful for everyone who worked on the movie.

The big question is: how did you manage to get Drew Struzan to do the poster of your first film? Did you meet him personally for that work?
I’ve always been a huge fan of Drew’s art. When I was a kid I used to stare at his posters in the theater lobby. His posters added so much to the movie going experience and were amazing works of art. My dream was to one day make a movie and have Drew do the poster. After I made my first film I didn’t know if I would ever get another film made again. So I reached out to Drew and chatted with him on the phone. I told him why I love his art so much and it would be a dream come true for me if he would do the poster. I let him know he would have my full respect and I wouldn’t ask for changes. I think my honesty and passion for his work came through because he agreed to watch my film and then he did the poster. When I saw the finished artwork that Drew did for my film I was over the moon. Drew can capture the tone and feel of a movie so perfectly. I will always be grateful to Drew for that. It was very kind and generous of him to do such a beautiful poster for my silly little movie.

When did you decide you wanted to make a documentary focusing on Drew Struzan’s posters and career? Was it easy to get him on board for this amazing project?
It was after working on the poster for Sexina that I had the idea to make a documentary about him. It came out of the fact that I wanted to see one and it hadn’t been done yet. So I decided to make the film that I wanted to see. I reached out to Greg Boas and Charles Ricciardi who made Sexina with me and then we pitched the idea to Drew. I was very surprised that Drew said yes right away because he is a private person. But not only did he say yes, but he quickly reached out to George Lucas and three weeks later we are shooting with the creator of “Star Wars” at ILM! Mr. Lucas was our first interview for the film.

After watching the documentary, it is clear that you had a huge access to him and you both developed a close friendship. Could you tell us how is he like as an artist and as an individual?
Drew was very generous to give us his time and support. He is a person who would rather have his art speak for him. He loves to paint and create images, but doesn’t love discussing it. So it was very kind of him to give us so much of his time. We went over his life and career in the film, so it’s a lot to cover. Drew has amazing stories about the posters he’s done over the years. I couldn’t believe that he created the poster for the movie “The Thing” in one night without even seeing the film. Through the making of the film we did develop a close friendship. I’m very honored and grateful to have a friend like Drew. He’s not only an amazing artist, but he’s an amazing person as well.

I guess the biggest challenge of the documentary was arranging the interviews with the big stars and directors. How did you achieve it as a producer? Was Drew the man who connected everyone for the project?
It is difficult to schedule and lock down so many interviews. My producer, Charles Ricciardi, did a great job with that. It was also difficult because the majority of the film was shot in Los Angeles and we are located in New York City. So it involved a lot of traveling. Some interviews came together last minute. We had three days notice for our interview with Harrison Ford and had to travel across the country last minute. We were so lucky to get Mr. Ford for the film and he had so much great stuff to say about Drew and his work on the “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” films. Drew helped us secure some interviews, like with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Others we had to secure on our own. We were very lucky that so many amazing people like Guillermo Del Toro, Steven Spielberg, and Michael J Fox wanted to discuss Drew and his art. His art is so well respected and loved in the industry and we were very fortunate that we got the great interviews that we did.

I would like to ask you about some of the famous collaborators and their involvement. First of all, Frank Darabont is amazing, with lots of stories and is he also a huge fan of Drew’s art. How was the interview with him?
Frank Darabont is a friend of Drew, but he started out as a fan. Frank met Drew when he asked him to do art for “The Shawshank Redemption”. His interview is really great and he spoke to us for three hours about Drew and his art. He’s very passionate about the work Drew has done over the years. He is also passionate about his preference for illustration being used for movie posters instead of so many of the digital posters that are done today.

Michael J. Fox still is so charismatic and friendly. How did you feel during the interview? Did you have the chance to speak to him behind the camera about his career and his current projects?
Michael J Fox gave us such a fantastic interview and was such a nice guy. He really knew a lot about Drew’s career and truly loves his art and illustration. He of course shared his thoughts on Drew’s iconic posters for “Back To The Future”. But he was also a fan of Drew’s art from his album cover days. Drew did the cover for Alice Cooper’s “Welcome To My Nightmare” which was an album Michael loved as a teenager.

I think that you have fulfilled every “Star Wars” fan dream because you have been to George Lucas studios. What can you tell us about that legendary place and the shooting there?
I’m very grateful that I got to shoot at ILM with George Lucas and Drew Struzan. I loved seeing the two of them together walking the halls and talking about Drew’s art. George Lucas is a big fan of illustration and really loves Drew’s work. He has hired him to do so much work over the years for the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises. He gave us a great interview and talked about why he loves Drew’s art so much and what they add to his films. That was truly a dream come true for me because the original “Star Wars” is what made me want to be a director.

One of the most unexpected moments in the documentary is when Harrison Ford meets Drew during the interview. How did you manage to plan such an original surprise?
I was shocked when I interviewed Drew and he said he hadn’t met Harrison Ford. The truth is that Drew often poses himself as Indiana Jones. So when Harrison Ford agreed to do a interview we knew we had to get them in the same room. Harrison had no idea Drew was going to be there so it was a surprise. Mr. Ford was genuinely happy to finally meet Drew and he said the greatest things about Drew’s art. He thanked Drew for making him look so good over the years. I was lucky enough to be the one who introduced them for the first time, so I was in geek heaven that day.

95% of the documentary is an intimate portrait of Drew and then the last few minutes are a crazy rush of people and movement at the Comic Con. Was it exciting for you as a director to see that Drew was received as a huge star?
It was great to shoot with Drew at Comic Con. It is such a huge event with so much going on. We shot interviews with Drew’s fans and Drew got a lifetime achievement award from Comic Con that year. Drew also did artwork for “The Walking Dead” and did a signing with Frank Darabont. So it was a great time to shoot with Drew there. The truth is Drew is a private person who really loves to spend his time in his studio painting and rarely goes to events like that. So when he goes to an event like Comic Con and see’s how many fans he has, I think he’s surprised and touched that his work means so much to people. I also think he’s happy to see a new generation of young fans that love his work as well. He was clearly moved and surprised by the fan reaction when we shot with him there.

Many people say that documentaries really become a reality during the editing process. How was the editing of this film and what problems did you encountered?
The editing is when the story truly comes together. In the interviews you pursue different subject matters. But it’s in post production when a narrative truly takes shape. The biggest challenge is we had so many hours of interviews with so many amazing people. It’s difficult to chose what should stay and go. It’s also a challenge to let the people in the film tell the story instead of using a narrator.

For me, this is not only a film about Drew’s art in cinema, but also a love letter to an art that has nearly disappeared nowadays. What did you learn with this amazing project?
I don’t think movie posters are as good as they used to be. When I was growing up master artists like Drew and Bob Peak were doing moving posters. It was more than just film advertising, it was fine art. Drew was able to capture the spirit and story of a film in one image. The way he captured characters and story is truly beautiful. As Frank Darabont says in the film, now they just use two big heads. They mostly use photographs of actors now in posters and they lack creativity. Drew’s posters stay with you long after the film is over. When you think of a movie like “Back To The Future” that image of Michael J Fox looking at his watch pops in your head. Drew is a painter, it’s done with the human hand. So his posters are one of a kind. I just don’t think most of the digital poster have the same magic. And sadly master artists like Drew have mostly been pushed aside for because of digital technology, which I think is a real shame.

To wrap up, could you tell us how was the premiere of the documentary? Are you working on a new project, whether it’s fiction or documentary?
We premiered the film at Comic Con and had a theatrical and video release in America that has gone very well. The film also came out in the UK recently from Altitude films. I would love for the film to come out in more countries soon. I’m currently directing a documentary on an artist and animator named, Floyd Norman. He is the first black animator to ever work for Disney and he worked creatively with Walt Disney himself. I think he is a really talented and inspiring man and I’m looking forward to sharing his story with audiences.

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