Steven Spielberg
If you're a fan of Steven Spielberg or George Lucas you then no doubt be aware of works of Drew Struzan. The man who brought us unforgettable movie posters including the Indiana Jones movies, the trunk For the Future Trilogy as well as the Star Wars prequels to name just some. Movie posters that are now en grained within the memories of fans throughout the years. If there is any man within the movie industry that deserves a documentary made about him its Drew Struzan. Erik Sharkey is doing exactly that, a documentary called Drew: The person Behind The Poster. The documentary will feature interviews with Harrison Ford, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Michael J. Fox, Guillermo del Toro, Frank Darabont in which he himself Drew Struzan. Now if that is not just a documentary worth watching I am not sure what's.
Steven Spielberg
Specialists Erik if he would answer a few questions for that Bearded Trio and he very kindly agreed.
Rob Wainfur: Lets start with an obvious question. What exactly is your favourite movie poster through the man himself Drew Struzan?
Erik Sharkey: It really is hard to select a favorite Drew poster because I really like them. And thus lots of his images have stuck within my head over the years. However need to admit that Indiana Jones as well as the Temple of Doom is unquestionably one.
Going I had been 12 if this arrived on the scene. Understanding that poster made me so excited for the film. The way he captures Indiana Jones and many types of the characters is amazing. And the composition is fantastic. I also love his poster for Big Trouble In Little China. I enjoy how busy the composition is and that he totally captures the tone and spirit of that movie.
RW: What do you think with the current quality of movie posters? Do you imagine Drew Struzan is among the last greats inside the field?
ES: I don't think movie posters are as effective as they was previously. At this time they mostly just show a photo of an actor and set the title under it. They lack Imagination. Going traversing to a poster for a film referred to as Grey with Liam Neeson.
The poster is simply his face looking angry with all the title underneath. I had no clue what this movie was about. Then someone told me it absolutely was about people being stalked by wolves! The poster provides you with none of this. All it lets you know is Liam Neeson is at it and that he is angry about something. A Drew Struzan poster provides you with the tone of a film, the story, the characters. Drew will it manually. Therefore i think his Illustrated posters possess a humanity that you can't get from photoshop many of the time. You are seeing the task of your master artist whenever you look at a Drew Struzan Poster. He makes characters come to life in a manner that is way more exciting than the usual photograph. Its more than just a painting of Indiana jones. It IS Indiana Jones. We totally need more Drew movie posters and much more Illustrated art on the market in general. A Drew Struzan poster stays along with you forever. I believe lots of posters out there now are pretty forgettable. Drew is actually one of many last great poster artists. Thankfully simply how much people interact with his work. So younger generations will still be inspired by his art.
RW: With all the likes of Michael J Fox, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford to mention just a few, have you been star struck by anyone in particular while making the documentary?
ES: I had been star struck by everybody! We've so many amazing individuals the film. People that I spent my youth admiring. However must say the a couple that intimidated me one of the most were Harrison Ford and George Lucas. Being a lot of people my maturity I saw the initial The exorcist within the theatre when I was a kid plus it changed my well being. That movie made me desire to be a filmmaker at age 5. So its tough to maintain it cool when you are interviewing George Lucas and Harrison Ford. Luckily the Harrison Ford interview was later inside the shoot and so i was obviously a lot better at doing interviews at that time. However the George Lucas interview was on the first day of shooting! What an amazing method to begin a film.
RW: Reading the Drew Struzan book it became clear to me that Drew Struzan includes a variety of fans in the industry. I know Michael J Fox are a wide fan. Did anyone insist or appear very eager on contributing to the documentary?
ES: Everyone dreamed of being a part of this Documentary to honor Drew and his awesome work. What's amazing is the place much they know about his work. Michael J Fox has been a fan of Drew since his events of doing album covers! And it's great to have someone like actor Sam Witwer in the film. He is a younger actor but knows all Drews work and knew growing up it too. Directors Guillermo Del Toro and Frank Darabont are also very enthusiastic about Drew's work. And they continue to question to complete art for films. Everybody in the film has been amazing. And they are very enthusiastic about Drew's artwork and exactly what it means to them.
RW: Do you have any one of Drew's original artwork?
ES: I was very lucky to possess Drew carry out the poster for my last film a campy comedy titled Sexina:Popstar PI. The film is really campy that Adam West plays the villain! And Drew made my dream be realized by doing the poster. The poster is in fact featured is Drew's new book. Therefore i own the initial artwork Drew did for my film. Which of course I cherish.
RW: George Lucas is in the documentary. Were you fortunate enough to visit Skywalker Ranch?
ES: I used to be fortunate enough to visit Skywalker Ranch and Lucasfilms facility at the Presidio. Like a The exorcist fan it absolutely was amazing. Numerous props in the films everywhere. And amazing original artwork all over the walls. We shot Drew and George Lucas walking on and discussing Drew's artwork which is hanging through to the walls. This is a real highlight personally from your shooting plus the film.
RW: In the book, The ability of Drew Struzan, he mentions posing for most movies including Indiana Jones, were you surprised when you found this out? What other revelations do you discover about Drew?
ES: I must admit I had been surprised that Drew poses for the actors as much as he does. He poses for Indiana Jones. Younger crowd posed for Kurt Russell inside the Big Trouble poster. One thing which is amazing is that he did the poster for that Thing overnight! He created that masterpiece in a night! Another thing that surprised me is when often he did posters for films which he didn't actually see as he made the poster. He didn't start to see the Finished . as he created that poster. Same task with First Blood. So I was impressed by how well he can capture a bad tone of the film he hasn't seen!
RW: What's next? Any potential for a John Williams documentary? Fans have been shouting to get a deserved and needed doc on the master for a long time. I'll start campaigning now!
ES: I'm shocked someone hasn't already designed a Documentary about John Williams. That's a film which i would like to see. I might love to create a Doc about him. I spent my youth on his scores. But first I have to finish my Doc about my favorite artist Drew Struzan. That is keeping me super busy at the moment.
RW: Speaking of fans, how has got the community reacted for this upcoming documentary on Drew Struzan? Is there plenty of excitement and performs this give a little pressure because of the anticipation?
ES: We now have gotten great reactions and support from the fans. The reason I will be creating this film is because I am this kind of fan of Drew myself. Therefore it is a movie made by fans for fans. And i am truly humbled through the support. It's amazing to find out the amount of people appreciate and love Drew's work and want to share that. I seriously intend to make a show that pleases his fans. And i need to make a show that will expose Drew's try to a whole new audience. I have been very lucky to interview such amazing people for your film. And i also happen to be honored to work with a fantastic team behind the camera. People like Charles Ricciardi, Greg Boas, Jeff Yorkes, Jose Ochea and Thomas Mumme for example. Everyone working on this film has been doing it for your love of Drew's work. And so i consider the responsibility of earning a show that offers very seriously. I can not thank the fans and my crew enough!
RW: Finally when is the documentary being released and just how can we catch it? Will or not it's only accessible in america initially?
ES: We are inside the final stages of finishing the film now. So that as of yet we don't have a Distributor. Although most of us have these big names in the film. The simple truth is it's a independent film. And I mean an actual Independent film. I have been funding most of the film out of my pocket. So today we're talking to possible distributors. Me and my partners Greg Boas and Charles Ricciardi would like to get the best distribution for your film possible. In order of we now have no release date. However can't wait for individuals to see the film. I think it tells the storyline of a great artist plus a great man. And also you view people like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Michael J Fox etc in a new way. Discussing Illustration, the industry not to mention the art of Drew Struzan.
Thanks to Erik Sharkey to take the time to reply to my questions. You will keep up-to-date with all the latest around the upcoming documentary from your website http://drewthemovie.com/ and in the mean time if you want to find out about Drew Struzan you can go to his website at http://www.drewstruzan.com/illustrated/. I also recommend reading his book The Art Of Drew Struzan that we reviewed here Finally you can go to the state run Drew Struzan page on Facebook.
Steven Spielberg
I'll also help you stay updated about the documentary here on The Bearded Trio.
Rob Wainfur
Thebeardedtrio.com
Steven Spielberg
Specialists Erik if he would answer a few questions for that Bearded Trio and he very kindly agreed.
Rob Wainfur: Lets start with an obvious question. What exactly is your favourite movie poster through the man himself Drew Struzan?
Erik Sharkey: It really is hard to select a favorite Drew poster because I really like them. And thus lots of his images have stuck within my head over the years. However need to admit that Indiana Jones as well as the Temple of Doom is unquestionably one.
Going I had been 12 if this arrived on the scene. Understanding that poster made me so excited for the film. The way he captures Indiana Jones and many types of the characters is amazing. And the composition is fantastic. I also love his poster for Big Trouble In Little China. I enjoy how busy the composition is and that he totally captures the tone and spirit of that movie.
RW: What do you think with the current quality of movie posters? Do you imagine Drew Struzan is among the last greats inside the field?
ES: I don't think movie posters are as effective as they was previously. At this time they mostly just show a photo of an actor and set the title under it. They lack Imagination. Going traversing to a poster for a film referred to as Grey with Liam Neeson.
The poster is simply his face looking angry with all the title underneath. I had no clue what this movie was about. Then someone told me it absolutely was about people being stalked by wolves! The poster provides you with none of this. All it lets you know is Liam Neeson is at it and that he is angry about something. A Drew Struzan poster provides you with the tone of a film, the story, the characters. Drew will it manually. Therefore i think his Illustrated posters possess a humanity that you can't get from photoshop many of the time. You are seeing the task of your master artist whenever you look at a Drew Struzan Poster. He makes characters come to life in a manner that is way more exciting than the usual photograph. Its more than just a painting of Indiana jones. It IS Indiana Jones. We totally need more Drew movie posters and much more Illustrated art on the market in general. A Drew Struzan poster stays along with you forever. I believe lots of posters out there now are pretty forgettable. Drew is actually one of many last great poster artists. Thankfully simply how much people interact with his work. So younger generations will still be inspired by his art.
RW: With all the likes of Michael J Fox, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford to mention just a few, have you been star struck by anyone in particular while making the documentary?
ES: I had been star struck by everybody! We've so many amazing individuals the film. People that I spent my youth admiring. However must say the a couple that intimidated me one of the most were Harrison Ford and George Lucas. Being a lot of people my maturity I saw the initial The exorcist within the theatre when I was a kid plus it changed my well being. That movie made me desire to be a filmmaker at age 5. So its tough to maintain it cool when you are interviewing George Lucas and Harrison Ford. Luckily the Harrison Ford interview was later inside the shoot and so i was obviously a lot better at doing interviews at that time. However the George Lucas interview was on the first day of shooting! What an amazing method to begin a film.
RW: Reading the Drew Struzan book it became clear to me that Drew Struzan includes a variety of fans in the industry. I know Michael J Fox are a wide fan. Did anyone insist or appear very eager on contributing to the documentary?
ES: Everyone dreamed of being a part of this Documentary to honor Drew and his awesome work. What's amazing is the place much they know about his work. Michael J Fox has been a fan of Drew since his events of doing album covers! And it's great to have someone like actor Sam Witwer in the film. He is a younger actor but knows all Drews work and knew growing up it too. Directors Guillermo Del Toro and Frank Darabont are also very enthusiastic about Drew's work. And they continue to question to complete art for films. Everybody in the film has been amazing. And they are very enthusiastic about Drew's artwork and exactly what it means to them.
RW: Do you have any one of Drew's original artwork?
ES: I was very lucky to possess Drew carry out the poster for my last film a campy comedy titled Sexina:Popstar PI. The film is really campy that Adam West plays the villain! And Drew made my dream be realized by doing the poster. The poster is in fact featured is Drew's new book. Therefore i own the initial artwork Drew did for my film. Which of course I cherish.
RW: George Lucas is in the documentary. Were you fortunate enough to visit Skywalker Ranch?
ES: I used to be fortunate enough to visit Skywalker Ranch and Lucasfilms facility at the Presidio. Like a The exorcist fan it absolutely was amazing. Numerous props in the films everywhere. And amazing original artwork all over the walls. We shot Drew and George Lucas walking on and discussing Drew's artwork which is hanging through to the walls. This is a real highlight personally from your shooting plus the film.
RW: In the book, The ability of Drew Struzan, he mentions posing for most movies including Indiana Jones, were you surprised when you found this out? What other revelations do you discover about Drew?
ES: I must admit I had been surprised that Drew poses for the actors as much as he does. He poses for Indiana Jones. Younger crowd posed for Kurt Russell inside the Big Trouble poster. One thing which is amazing is that he did the poster for that Thing overnight! He created that masterpiece in a night! Another thing that surprised me is when often he did posters for films which he didn't actually see as he made the poster. He didn't start to see the Finished . as he created that poster. Same task with First Blood. So I was impressed by how well he can capture a bad tone of the film he hasn't seen!
RW: What's next? Any potential for a John Williams documentary? Fans have been shouting to get a deserved and needed doc on the master for a long time. I'll start campaigning now!
ES: I'm shocked someone hasn't already designed a Documentary about John Williams. That's a film which i would like to see. I might love to create a Doc about him. I spent my youth on his scores. But first I have to finish my Doc about my favorite artist Drew Struzan. That is keeping me super busy at the moment.
RW: Speaking of fans, how has got the community reacted for this upcoming documentary on Drew Struzan? Is there plenty of excitement and performs this give a little pressure because of the anticipation?
ES: We now have gotten great reactions and support from the fans. The reason I will be creating this film is because I am this kind of fan of Drew myself. Therefore it is a movie made by fans for fans. And i am truly humbled through the support. It's amazing to find out the amount of people appreciate and love Drew's work and want to share that. I seriously intend to make a show that pleases his fans. And i need to make a show that will expose Drew's try to a whole new audience. I have been very lucky to interview such amazing people for your film. And i also happen to be honored to work with a fantastic team behind the camera. People like Charles Ricciardi, Greg Boas, Jeff Yorkes, Jose Ochea and Thomas Mumme for example. Everyone working on this film has been doing it for your love of Drew's work. And so i consider the responsibility of earning a show that offers very seriously. I can not thank the fans and my crew enough!
RW: Finally when is the documentary being released and just how can we catch it? Will or not it's only accessible in america initially?
ES: We are inside the final stages of finishing the film now. So that as of yet we don't have a Distributor. Although most of us have these big names in the film. The simple truth is it's a independent film. And I mean an actual Independent film. I have been funding most of the film out of my pocket. So today we're talking to possible distributors. Me and my partners Greg Boas and Charles Ricciardi would like to get the best distribution for your film possible. In order of we now have no release date. However can't wait for individuals to see the film. I think it tells the storyline of a great artist plus a great man. And also you view people like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Michael J Fox etc in a new way. Discussing Illustration, the industry not to mention the art of Drew Struzan.
Thanks to Erik Sharkey to take the time to reply to my questions. You will keep up-to-date with all the latest around the upcoming documentary from your website http://drewthemovie.com/ and in the mean time if you want to find out about Drew Struzan you can go to his website at http://www.drewstruzan.com/illustrated/. I also recommend reading his book The Art Of Drew Struzan that we reviewed here Finally you can go to the state run Drew Struzan page on Facebook.
Steven Spielberg
I'll also help you stay updated about the documentary here on The Bearded Trio.
Rob Wainfur
Thebeardedtrio.com