As I delve into the captivating world of artistry, design, and cinema, I find myself utterly enthralled by the mesmerizing creations that spring from the minds of these artistic visionaries. Each piece, a testament to their unique life experiences and creative prowess, leaves me in awe.
Criterion Collection‘s art director Eric Skillman is constantly collecting names.
Skillman is responsible for sourcing the talented artists who create the visual designs or illustrations for Criterion Collection’s DVD covers, which explains why he maintains a vast database containing numerous artists.
He’s constantly on the hunt for fresh artistic talents, yet he’s also seeking that ideal fit. During an interview with EbMaster over Zoom, Skillman discusses the artist-project pairing process. “A month or two prior to assignment, I check our upcoming schedule,” he says. “Sometimes, I have to quickly rewatch films that we’ve already seen before the assignments are made.
With ample opportunities to view exceptional movies at hand, Skillman can identify talented illustrators and artists from across the globe. At times, this involves crafting a straightforward design, while other instances require transforming a scene into an illustration. When feasible, it’s about working together with the filmmaker on these projects.
In my perspective, I find that each project calls for a unique individual. The movies continue to captivate me with their intrigue and diversity, offering a fresh canvas filled with countless novel elements. Consequently, there’s always an opportunity to uncover new talents who align perfectly with upcoming projects.
Skillman discusses the development of the cover art with EbMaster, further explaining the concepts that influenced certain Criterion designs and visuals.
How involved are the studios or filmmakers in the artwork of a Criterion Collection film?
We lean more towards collaborating with filmmakers and their tastes compared to studios. In essence, our approach involves working closely with the filmmakers directly. If there’s something they admire that has been previously produced, we usually opt for their preference. However, our primary focus is on creating fresh content. We believe that each movie tells a unique story when it debuts, as opposed to movies that have been around for decades, where audiences may already have certain preconceived notions.
Where does the art process for Criterion typically begin?
The creative process begins with a discussion, often between me and our project’s designated producer. This individual oversees the entire project from inception to completion, and we brainstorm about our objectives and key messages. If the project involves a living filmmaker, we arrange a meeting to gather their insights. Afterwards, we typically collaborate with an external designer who refines some initial concepts that we propose. Their ideas are often superior due to their creative expertise, and the subsequent phase consists of approvals, as sketches are presented, notes are made, and adjustments are implemented. The entire process takes approximately two months, followed by another month dedicated to polishing details.
What do you look for in the artist?
In simpler terms, each project we undertake is unique and requires a specific approach. Sometimes, it’s like discovering a JoJo dancer – finding an artist whose style aligns with the desired collage-like aesthetic. On other occasions, it’s about working with artists we already know and trust, collaborating to create something new together. I’m always jotting down names of artists who catch my eye, aiming to find a suitable project for them in the future. I maintain a list of over a thousand such names.
Below Skillman breaks down the ideas behind four Criterion posters.
“The Grifters” by Drusilla Adeline
We discussed the yellow matter extensively, yet I’m unsure if we ever arrived at a convincing explanation as to why it was effective. Nevertheless, nothing else we experimented with seemed plausible to us, and it always appeared crucial for some reason.
The sunglasses in the film are incredibly memorable, and I believe their significance lies in their prominent display on the poster and during the first scene. This strong initial use makes them stand out, and they end up lingering in your memory.
We aimed to present it in a new, unique way since the original version is familiar and predictable. Isolating the sunglasses as the main focus was our strategy to add something fresh and unexpected to it.
The concept originated from our creative collaborator, Drusilla. I presented her with a few diverse suggestions regarding the sunglasses, to which she responded with an innovative idea: ‘Why don’t we try something different instead?’
‘The Piano’ by Greg Ruth
I absolutely enjoy working with Greg Ruth. He’s incredibly innovative, always eager to collaborate, and simply adds a delightful energy to every project we undertake together.
The intriguing project in question was inspired by a thought shared by Jane Campion during an interview. She discussed a specific scene portrayed in this depiction, where Holly Hunter’s character, Ada McGrath, is walking away, followed by a cut to a forest scene and then back to her. According to Jane, the significance of the movie lies greatly in that edit transition. This particular shift from the structured world into her personal awakening and sexual exploration was truly impactful.
In simpler terms, the conversation revolved around combining two separate images into a single static image. Since Greg is skilled at creating composite drawings, I requested him to use this technique for the given scene, which he quickly understood and agreed to do.
‘Celine & Julie Go Boating’ by Lauren Tamaki
The movie runs for approximately three and a half hours. While it’s an enjoyable film, its complexity means that summarizing every detail of the plot would be challenging. Instead, the essence lies in the experience of spending time with these two characters as they nurture their friendship and share moments of joy together.
Lauren possesses a vibrant energy in her personal life and effectively conveys joy through her artwork. When asked to watch a film and share her thoughts, she produced an impressive collection of 35 drawings. It was both challenging and rewarding to select the best pieces, many of which found their way into our final product as I couldn’t bear to discard them.
Among my delightful experiences is when I introduce an unseen movie to a designer, and upon watching it, they express astonishment, saying, “I can’t believe I hadn’t seen this before.” Their newfound affection for the film makes me feel validated, as if I’ve successfully chosen the perfect collaborator.
‘Jo Jo Dance’ by Matt Smalls
The artwork we’re discussing is a metal collage created by Matt. He assembles various scrap metal pieces for his creations, and each piece he makes is striking. We approached him with the request to craft a portrait of Richard Pryor for us. The film is fragmented in nature, focusing on the self-portrait of Richard Pryor. He directed it and co-wrote it, attempting to reconstruct his identity after a cinematic representation of his real-life self-immolation incident. We found this concept of rebuilding a fractured sense of self from fragments of one’s life story incredibly relatable. This idea seemed to align perfectly with Matt’s work in all its aspects.
The creation didn’t need any further input or guidance after our initial interaction; instead, he crafted something exceptionally beautiful all on his own.
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2024-12-21 20:46