Illuxcon 3

Illuxcon will take place in eleven days. This event is a gathering/convention dedicated solely to the art of the fantastic—bringing artists, students, collectors, and art fans together for an annual symposium intended to inspire and create further awareness and zeal for the field.

As the largest display of original fantastic art in the world, IlluXCon is an entirely unique experience where artists are free to participate in the show just as attendees and students do, students have the opportunity to sign up for private portfolio reviews by industry art directors, and all present have numerous opportunities to be inspired by and grow in love for the vast array of work and people in this incredible field.

Mission:

IlluXCon is dedicated to providing:

...an atmosphere where students, emerging artists, established artists, and masters of the field alike are inspired to take their creative process and work to new heights, make contacts that lead them to new opportunities within the field, and simply rediscover the passion they have for their work and the genre.

...an opportunity for collectors and fans of fantastic art, fine art students and fans, and even those who’ve not considered themselves fans of art before to be blown away by the original paintings and sculpture displayed at the show, while having the opportunity to approach and get to know the talented artists who created the work in a small, art gallery-like setting.

...an environment where the desire to create drives a shared understanding among all present, where egos are checked at the door, where there are no "Guests of Honor," and where the multi-award winning artist takes away just as much from the show as the rookie just learning the ropes.

Illuxcon was conceived by Patrick and Jeannie Wilshire as a way to celebrate the work of the fantastic.

ILLUXCON 3 . . . . . . NOVEMBER 11th-14th, 2010 . . .

Attendance is limited to 200 attendees & 100 students.

There are only a few regular and student memberships remaining. We highly suggest that you contact the Illuxcon website for details.

For more info on registration, click HERE.

Multiple tracks of demos, lectures, & discussions will be posted on the Illuxcon website as the show approaches.

Students will have the opportunity to sign up for private portfolio reviews with industry art directors. We'll contact all registered students with details as the show approaches. Slots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis until all slots are filled.

Be sure to register on the website. And, as soon as you're able to? Buy your tickets for IlluXCon 3!

(NOTE: You need to register for Illuxcon.com before you're able to purchase your tickets for this year's show.)

Details for the event can be found at the Illuxcon link below.

http://www.illuxcon.com/illuxcon2010

http://www.facebook.com/illuxcon

A number of Mudders will be attending Illuxcon and exhibiting their work:

Dan Dos Santos

Eric Fortune

Justin Gerard

Donato Giancola

John Jude Palencar

So come and join us for this wonderful event in the hills of Pennsylvania.

JJP

Illuxcon on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRhinmMPZwI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D-CFshYw5E

Tom Reviews "Shoot the Hero"

Tom's Corner:

Shoot The Hero!
(2010, Christian Sesma, director)



I like to bring you all something different every now and again. Different doesn't have to mean bad...of course, it doesn't have to mean good either. This brings us to “Shoot the Hero!,” the latest film from Christian Sesma. Where did I hear about it? Well, anytime you put Jason Mewes, Fred Williamson and Danny Trejo in one movie, my film sense is gonna start a-tinglin'. Was this a comedy? Was it an action movie? Was it a buddy pic? Was it a romantic comedy? Was it (at times) a campy movie?

Yeah, and THAT is what makes it work!

Jason Mewes (one half of the legendary stoner-duo Jay and Silent Bob) and Samantha Lockwood star as Nate and Kate, a pair of 30 somethings who have lost the spark in their relationship. Nate decides to take Kate to a jewelry store, which is about to close. Nate gets them in to look at rings, but as far as Kate is concerned, this is too little too late.

Suddenly, Franklin (Paul Sloan) and Grant (Nick Tuturro) and their crew burst in to rob the place. The robbery goes south when Grant reveals that their boss, Crazy Joe (Danny Trejo) knows about this robbery and it is apparently against his wishes, or they are stealing something that belongs to him...or something, it's never made too clear. Grant pushes Nate by flirting with and grabbing Kate, and gets his ass beat. The two leave with the mysterious loot in a duffel bag, off to Vegas to get married.

Now we cut to two men walking through the strangely snowy desert. These are the Smith Brothers, who don't get first names. They ran out of gas in their car and are arguing their way through the desert. The boys wander into and break out of a mercenary camp run by Fred “the Hammer” Williamson. What does this have to do with anything for the rest of the movie? Uh...um...nope, I've got nothing. That was a third of the movie that just didn't need to be there. There's not even any character exposition that couldn't have been done elsewhere.

So who should pick up these bickering wanderers but Nate and Kate. The foursome heads to Palm Springs where the Smiths have a job. Along the road, they all bond. Nate feels he should have given them his number, so he follows them into the weird underground casino and...it's Grant and Crazy Joe! (A quick word about Crazy Joe. He's a mob boss who has two women [Katie Morgan from Zack and Miri and Annemarie Pazmino] who constantly want to fondle and sexually satisfy him. I just don't see why he's so angry all the time).

It turns out the Smiths are “cleaners,” professional hitmen who are the best in the business. Guess who they've been hired to kill? Well, here comes the orgy of violence and gunfire. Cue happy ending.

It's really hard to say how I feel about this movie. The parts of it are so disjointed at times that its hard to follow. And again, that whole Smith Brothers sequence was unnecessary, though I would LOVE to see a Smith Brothers movie. In fact, if the whole movie had been about those bickering brother hitmen, I would be giving it a glowing review. While I do look forward to seeing more films from Christian Sesma, I hope future endeavors will be a little more tightly plotted.

- Tom

Hello, my name is Eric

A little background on what I've been up to. I had spent several years slowly working my way through the illustration field. A few years back, I had an opportunity to show my work in the pop-surreal/low brow gallery scene. I took the red pill...or was it the blue pill? I took some pills and jumped in with both feet.



My art has been kicking my ass ever since. There's been a lot of experimenting, a lot of mistakes, and a lot of pushing myself to be better than I was the month before. Getting better everyday is just too much to ask for. There's a real ugly side to my work. Mostly the 80% that resides between starting and finishing. It's full of doubts, insecurities, a lot of choices, and a lot of muddy colors. Every painting is a difficult journey. If it were easy I wouldn't appreciate the end nearly as much. Mistakes are fine. Failing is okay. Learning from these experiences and getting back on the easel is even better. From here on we hope to imbue you with a little insight into the thoughts and processes of our work.



A recent journey has lead me to this painting which is part of an upcoming show opening Nov 6th at LeBasse Projects Gallery.

The Mud of Venus, Part 1

"I can paint you the skin of Venus with mud, provided you let me surround it as I will."

- Eugene Delacroix

A perfect statement to start off my presence here at Muddy Colors.

Delacroix compressed a great deal of art theory into that one sentence, and the most profound for me was that color is all about relativity. What clump of 'mud' you place next to another clump will impact all your color decisions thereafter; cool/warm relationships begin to evolve when even the subtlest of differences are managed between color and form. Nearly every painter comes to this revelation some point in their career, and the sooner the better!

The need to call upon the massive weapons of 'exaggerated-complimentary-color' to solve a problem is not always what is called for in an image. Many times the poetic harmony of similar values and hues

can deliver your message with greater clarity. I have certainly used both methods to great success over the years and evaluate each new project to determine what color system may best work for me to resolve the pictorial constraints of a new commission. There is no right nor wrong way to approach color, and as N.C.Wyeth and Monet have shown, exaggerated color can certainly be used with mind-blowing effectiveness.

But I want to talk about 'mud'.

From muddy cool reds to dirty warm greens, all of this can become the stuff of flesh and Venus. I think Delacroix had boasted with such bravado about his virtuosity with paint because he already knew that to paint flesh, an artist is really manipulating a bunch of mud! For next to any hue, a subtle shift cooler will allow any tone to appear warm. It is from these temperature (and value) changes that we infer mass and shadow as they play themselves out over a form. The slower and smoother these transitions, the softer and more diffused the light. It is for this reason of working with 'mud' that I am never able to answer the question -

'What colors do you use for your skin tones?'

For in its asking, I respond with questions of my own- what kind of skin are we talking about, Caucasian, African, Indian, etc...? Lighting effects? Source light color? Reflected surface colors? Overall saturation of the painting? Environmental concerns? Opaque vs. glazing techniques? etc... All of these and much more go into the choices made about skin tone. There is never a concrete answer nor singular starting point for generating these colors. It is all relative.

But a decision must be made in the painting process about where to start - what first dab of color to begin with. When I have made this commitment, usually through a color study or example I have found in another work of art or photograph, I am ready to create my 'mud'. From lights to darks, warm to cools, I attempt to blend and mix a full range of values and hues on my palette based upon observations with my model/reference and what color scheme I wish to bend towards. Rather than create a single string of blended color, I create a large puddle of mud, painting the model from lights to darks as if the model melted into a pile of mud. This is all without cleaning my brush to facilitate the neutralizing of intense colors. Beginning with a 'dirty' neutral tone created from umbers, reds, whites and ochres, I then expand out producing a line of darker and warmer tones. Parallel to that range, I create a similar cool string and then blend a portion of these together. A mirror image of these cool/warm strings plays itself out into the lighter tones.

This method provides plenty of paint on the palette ready to sample from with the option of warm and cool hues of varying values surrounding nearly any selection from this puddle. In the end I have arranged a complex color wheel constructed around paint I will use in the flesh and surrounding areas of the figure. A total mud pit! I invariably make modifications to this mixture, but find it a wonderful resource pool to dive into during the painting phase, without much worry about trying to remix the 'exact color' you just ran out of, because you never had any pure color to worry about. These mud colors also prove to be excellent sources for testing out background colors and values, as the test originates from a tight range of balanced relationships, and a sample from this source easily harmonizes the whole image.

Having read Delacroix's quote when I was a young painter, its insightful meaning could only be fully grasped after I had spent years discovering the truth in painting with mud for myself. I hope it comes sooner for many of you!

My next post will deal with the other insightful observation from Delacroix's statement. Until then..

Happy mud slinging!

Donato

"Miranda" - Backers 11-14

Our Indiegogo.com campaign for “Miranda” has come to a close, but not before a few last minute Backers joined our team. Thanks to all of our generous Backers, One Way or Another Productions has raised $698 total, which will help to move us into a new direction as we continue to raise money for Kent Sutton’s feature film version of “Miranda.”


Amos Posner insisted that we bring minimal attention to his very kind contribution, saying that he donated to help, not to put a spotlight on his own endeavors. We will, however, feature two of those endeavors nonetheless as we are proud of his achievements and grateful for his support.

Similar to most of our One Way team, Amos is a New York-based filmmaker interested in writing and directing. Watch his short film “Art Film” here, and his music video “Social Hero – “Gone”” here.


Paula Thibodeau-Hirsch is a retired Primary/Secondary Educator originally from Wayne, N.J. who spent 30 years teaching for the Buena School District in the Greater Philadelphia Area where she met “Miranda” producer Brian Ackley when he was in the 8th grade.

Paula’s motivation in contributing to our cause stems from a strong belief in supporting individuals who have accomplished good things. Paula has expressed to us how proud she is of Brian for making “good choices in life” and for following his passion. She is an advocate of people who believe in themselves and follow their dreams, and she believes that they should be rewarded.

Paula’s contribution represents her own passion in seeing and helping young people follow their dreams.


Deborah McMaster is an RN and Office Manager for Vineland Pediatrics in Vineland, NJ. She is the proud mother of 3, and recently became a grandmother for the 5th time!

Deborah considers herself a general supporter of independent films and filmmakers. She was especially impressed by the short version of “Miranda” when it screened before One Way’s East Coast “Uptown” Premiere in NYC last June. The short left Deborah wanting to see the whole story, she says; once she heard that “Miranda” was being expanded, she was proud to contribute to help make it happen.

Deborah appreciates self-respect and dignity, and has chosen to back “Miranda” because she feels that the film will help people see some positive choices available to those in a domestic violence situation.


Wayne Aker is an Elementary School Educator who lives in Phoenix, AZ. A graduate of Buena Regional High School in New Jersey, Wayne married and moved to Phoenix where his wife, Harmony, began her career as a Pharmacist.

In December of 2007, Wayne received his bachelors in Elementary Education from Arizona State University. He’s currently finishing a subbing contract with a local school district and looking for a regular teaching position.

Wayne loves teaching; he enjoys helping people discover things that they never knew.


To all of our Backers, we thank you for your wonderful generosity!

Syreian the Bonecarver

Hi everybody,

Before I get startet I think I need to introduce myself and apologize. The apology is for my bad mouth and poor English skills. I am from Denmark and English is only my second language. I was taught English in school, but mostly I learned it from from hip hop lyrics and old Clint Eastwood movies. So cut me a little slack if I sometimes sound like an aggressive, ignorant fool or an extremely impolite asshole. I assure you I am not an asshole.

I am Jesper Ejsing. I am a fantasy nerd. Ever since I played DnD for the first time I made the genre my own. When I read Lord of the Rings a whole new world opened up to me and I jumped right in.

Today I am glad I never listened or cared for the voices that told me to start drawing something else. ”When are you going to paint something serious, Jesper? And not just those big-boobed fantasy babes of yours?” Haven´t stopped yet and the practise, or stubbornness, has paid off.

I never wanted anything else but to draw and paint these scenes from a world that exists only in the minds those who play these games. I have been playing roleplaying games for so long that I almost feel like a resident of a medieval-like fantasy town. Or at least a regular visitor. When I illustrate things taking place there, I draw from memory or experience. Not artistic experience, but game experience, and I feel that is one of my strongest assets. I portray fantasy with an honesty, if nothing else. That is my humble mission. I think I succeed in one out of ten paintings.

Today i want to share with you a World of Warcraft card I did for Blizzard a year ago. Even if the illustration is somewhat classic and even naive, it represents a new beginning for me. I am perfectly aware how extremely stupid this sounds. Looking at the babe illustration you can only wonder what kind of a sad, simple mind Jesper has when he says it represents a new beginning, but let me explain...:

I have been doing these kinds of illustrations for so long that I finally became bored of them. Mean-looking dudes and babes with lots of weapons, ready to go; in every way, violently or sexually. I needed a new angle to make it interesting to myself again. But I didn´t want to change styles or anything. I decided that I wanted my characters to look more believable. Not naturalistic, that is certainly not for me. But more like a type, a real person, instead of just the ordinary Class A Barbarian. I began looking at H&M catalogs for small details like light under eyes, strands of hair or shapes of noses. Elements that would pull me out of my comfort zone. I also wanted the expressions to be more than just pornstar lips for women and clenched jaws for men.

This WOW character is the first one I did where I felt the face and the expression has something more than just looking cool. She has a small twist to the lips and a danger in the eyes. This may sound like something you learn the in the first semester of art school: Well I never went, and I only discovered this or realized that you could even do this, a years or so ago. Happy me... and why didn´t anyone tell me this from the start?

Anyway, I will show you the sketch and the final art work. The sketch has values added in Photoshop. I do this mostly for the art director - so that he can see the light and the shapes more clearly. Also it helps me figure out the values before I start painting. Having made you read all my sentimental ramblings about growing as a person, I would just ask you to be patient with me for a couple of moments longer. Notice the difference between the face from the sketch (clearly comical) and the final (more naturalistic; no that is not it... more believable; nah...well... better! Alright?)

It is acrylic on watercolor paper.

Tom 's Corner: "Jonah Hex"

Jonah Hex
(2010, Jimmy Heyward, dir)

Well, we've come to question time again people. Today's question: Why look at a property, be it a movie, a book or a comic series, and say, 'This would make a great movie' only to change it completely? I am a longtime fan of Jonah Hex. I daresay I've read nearly every appearance of the character. Over nearly 40 years (and every one of those years shows in Jonah's face), the character has appeared in quite a few comics, and not one of those changed his origins and abilities. Why did the movie? Well, sirs and madams, that is what we are here to answer.

First, a little history lesson. Jonah's early years (comic history wise) are recounted here. Way too much about Hex can be found here as well. Ok, did everyone read all that? Good, high marks for you! Now, onward.

Josh Brolin played the title character, and did a fairly decent job of it, I will admit. I enjoyed his take on Jonah's trademark sense of humor, but we didn't see nearly enough of his drinking and whoring, which is sort of a trademark of the character (also, the movie was PG-13, which I consider a bit of a mistake, as any movie about a fairly ruthless bounty hunter should be R). Speaking of whores, we get Tallulah “Lilah” Black played by Megan Fox. If you've read my review of “Jennifer's Body,” you know my feelings about Megan Fox and will not need elaboration. I'll be honest, she seems to be improving a bit as an actress, though her entire character is fairly unnecessary. She is used to get Hex into and out of problems that wouldn't have arisen if she wasn't there in the first place. An old favorite of mine, Will Arnett, appears playing dashing Union officer Lieutenant Grass. Arnett nails the part, and since I had only seen him in comedic roles, I was impressed. The two main villains of the piece are Quentin Turnbull (played by John Malkovich) and Burke (played by the always welcome Michael Fassbender). Burke was created for the movie, and at times Fassbender steals the show with his over-the-top performance as the mad Irishman. Turnbull is another matter....

It seems the script writers took another popular Hex villain, El Papgayo, the Mexican bandito and gang leader, and crossed him into Turnbull. In the comics, Turnbull is a vengeful man, who in fact did lose his son, Jeb (though comic Hex did not shoot him, it was a much longer and better told story), but was a Southern gentleman, even as he was trying to have Hex killed. Basically, they made El Papagayo white, stripped away his interesting affectations (his parrot, his criminally stereotypical Mexican accent) and used Turnbull's name to tie him into the American Civil War. Malkovich does what he can with the script, but really, he's not given enough to do.

But now back to Tallulah Black. This is the real origin of the character. She's almost a female version of Hex with her facial scarring and anger towards the world (the two in fact briefly become lovers in the comic). Again, it feels like the writers took a complex and well written character and boiled her down to a two dimensional cardboard cut-out.

Another problem: Jonah's supernatural powers come completely out of left field. And are ridiculous. Part of the appeal of Hex is that, due to his childhood, he is a hard man and an expert tracker and fighter. He has no need of special abilities, he's a man who could be stripped, beaten and left for dead and survive. The powers seem to be in place to expedite Hex's quest against Turnbull.

This brings up another point. The comic Hex has no love for Quentin Turnbull, but out of respect for the friendship he had with the man's son, as well as his feelings that Turnbull is a third father to him (long story, an unnamed apache chief...not the one from Superfriends...was his second), he tried to stay away from him. The comic Turnbull, a true Southern gentleman, sends men after Hex, but rarely lifts a finger to confront him directly.

I will admit, the idea of a “nation killer” weapon of mass destruction existing during the Reconstruction era is intriguing. This was a great plot point, though not expanded on enough. What exactly powers those explosive orange orbs?

Also, this film is plagued with the overuse of flashback. The scenes where Jonah's family is killed are shown at least three times, when once was enough. Also, Jonah's crazy death dream did NOT have to be revisited.

One last thing: President Ulysses S. Grant (played by Aidan Quinn under all that beard), our nation's most frequently inebriated leader was not even pictured with a drink. What's up with that?

I can understand some of the plot changes. Hex does have, as I stated, a nearly 40 year history. It would take a mad genius to make all of it work. But a far better effort than this could have been made. Avoid this one, and read a Jonah Hex comic instead. Or listen to this:

The Origin of Jonah Hex: An E^n Motion Comic from Ulysses F. Mahler on Vimeo.

- Tom

Dan Dos Santos: On the Importance of Being Stupid.

Welcome to day two of the 'Muddy Colors' blog!



I still don't know quite how I managed to do it, but I somehow convinced what I consider some of the best Artists in the industry to join me in creating this blog. A blog which guarantees to take their already packed work days and stuff them even fuller with deadlines, tech-savvy shortcomings, and even a little self-doubt. And in return for all their hard work... the risk of public humiliation. Yet despite all of that, everyone still generously said 'Yes.' Proving they are not just some of the most talented people I know, but some of the nicest as well. For this, I am truly grateful, and extremely proud to call them my friends. I don't know how long it will be until this experiment blows up in our faces, but until then, we promise to have something new for you guys every single weekday. So please, check back in regularly!



For what is technically my inaugural post, I'd like to briefly show off a new painting I just finished, and talk a little about what is quickly becoming one of coolest series I get to work on.



Daw books contacted me a little over a year ago to do the cover for a book called 'Touched by an Alien", by Gini Koch. The story revolves around a woman named Katherine (Kitty) Katt, who fights along side Armani-clad (and drop dead gorgeous) Alpha Centurions to defend the Earth from hostile alien invasion. The story is packed full of sex, violence, and surprisingly... humor.



Sex and violence? No problem! I've done a lot of that in my covers. But capturing humor was something that never came up, and quite honestly, scared me a little. This wasn't slapstick or something else that could be brashly depicted. It was a subtle campiness that pervaded the book, and really brought a lightheartedness to an otherwise intense story. Capturing this flavor was something I had little experience in, but I knew it was essential if this were to be a good cover.



After struggling for a while with the initial sketches, I ended up finding inspiration in movies like 'Army of Darkness' and 'Men in Black'. It occurred to me when watching these movies that I never actually feared for the safety of the heroes. I knew they would succeed, no matter how ludicrous and over-the-top their situation was. Why did I know that? Because they knew it. And therein lay the solution to my problem... stupidity. Nothing says 'campy' quite like an imbecilic lack of fear in the face of obvious danger. The more danger there is, the more fun it is.



This series of covers quickly became proverbial kitchen sinks; chock full of monsters, aliens, guns, exploding cars, clones, and even crocodiles?! I distinctly remember sitting at my easel in the early morning hours, really tired, painting this crocodile and asking myself "What the HELL am I doing right now?" Yet in retrospect, I wouldn't like the painting half as much if it weren't for that cute little guy. It seems the more I stuff in there, the better they get. Not only does this make the images more exciting to look at, but it makes for a really fun painting experience. The other nice thing is that it allows me to add a slew of narrative elements from the book. Elements, which I hope readers will pick up on as they come across them in the story.



The most recent addition to the series is "Alien in the Family". The book won't be out for sometime yet, so I can't mention the epic intergalactic bloodbath... But suffice it to say, it was super fun to paint, and promises to bring me yet another really cool painting to work on in 2011.

Oils on board, 20x30 inches.

Welcome from JJP

-By John Jude Palencar



I’d like to welcome everyone to the “Muddy Colors” blog. Hopefully this will be a place of informative and enlightening information not only about illustration but the the arts in general. Maybe even a bit of mud slinging will occur! Who knows? Many of us have our feet in both camps - the field of illustration and personal gallery work. An overview of this group indicates a preference for traditional methods for creating paintings. This does not mean we are not open and aware of other avenues of expression and technology - we prefer paint to pixels. All of us are well-seasoned pros in the field of illustration, art direction, art instruction, mentoring etc... and we have consistently produced award winning work over the years. We don’t pretend to know everything but will share our views, our accomplishments, limitations, knowledge and philosophies in regard to the ever changing field of illustration and the arts. Sure - we'll show in-progress work, where the work will be exhibited, tips, techniques and everything else associated with our experiences creating images. For patrons, fellow professionals and art students there may be opportunities to meet and attend any number of workshops, exhibitions, conventions and appearances by the participants of “Muddy Colors”.



Personally I don’t like to display my in-progress efforts in the studio (more on that later) but I do have a few thoughts in regard to a life in the arts. In some cases these thoughts are like the spaces between the brushstorkes. Painting pictures can be a rewarding experience and can also be fraught with pitfalls and discouragement. The thing is you have to be tenacious and passionate in your efforts. In the coming months I hope to direct you to various points of view that I think are noteworthy. I will also share some of my personal experiences and in general, pontificate on any number of subjects related to the arts. Let’s face it...There’s a lot of crap on the net but there are many individuals that offer sound practical advice and have noble intentions. I hope, in some measure to inspire an appreciation for the creative spirit and its humble origin's.

Robert Hughes

For your perusal - Robert Hughes - was the art critic for Time Magazine.



This man does knows what he’s talking about in regard to the state of the arts. He has produced a number of outstanding documentaries for the BBC and PBS. They are: “American Visions”, “The Shock of the New” and “The Mona Lisa Curse”. These can all be viewed on YouTube and are well worth watching. Most of these television documentaries have companion books published by Mr. Hughes and should be a part of any artist’s required reading. Knowing ourselves and our place in the larger world of art and creativity.... these documentaries offer a source guide to the artist and illustrator.

LOVECRAFT EXHIBITION - GALLERY NUCLEUS, Los Angeles, California.

AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS: A TRIBUTE TO THE WRITINGS OF LOVECRAFT

October 16, 2010 - November 8, 2010

TWO MUDDERS: Jon Foster and John Jude Palencar will be showing thier work in a group exhibition.





See links below:

http://www.gallerynucleus.com/

http://www.gallerynucleus.com/gallery/exhibition/249

Hit the Beach!

It's D-Day.

Several weeks ago I received an invitation from Dan Dos Santos to participate in a new blog devoted to fantastic art. He didn't have to ask twice.

The subject of fantastic—or "fantasy" or "SF" or "imaginative" or any other descriptive phrase you might want to use—art has always been near and dear to me. I grew up with it; I've created it; I've published it. And increasingly, as the years have passed, I've become more involved with the promotion of this type of art and been an advocate for the recognition of and the rights for the people that create the work.

Art by its nature is an act of communication and I believe one of the goals of the talented group contributing to this blog is to keep the conversation going, to see what might result from an open, on-going dialogue. I know and respect the work of all of the artists that will be posting in the days and weeks ahead and, like you, I'm looking forward to reading what they have to say about how and why they do what they do, to learning about their successes and (if they want to share) their failures. Too often as creatives we operate in something of a vacuum—and that vacuum can exist even if you're working in a corporate studio surrounded by other "artists"—and the best way to remain fresh and to keep growing is to interact with others. To reach out and share experiences. To swap stories and anecdotes and tips. Hopefully Muddy Colors will become a water cooler for the fantastic art community, a friendly bar where visitors will feel comfortable hanging out and sharing their own experiences and insights in the comments sections.

I believe everyone will introduce themselves in their own ways in the coming weeks. For my part...well, I'm undoubtedly going to wander all over the landscape with my posts. I've worked in publishing in one form or another my entire adult life and will probably talk about that (including the changes that are having an effect on artists) more often than not. But I also intend to post from the standpoint of an artist and of an aficionado and of a collector and of an advocate and of a historian. Whether it proves interesting or not will be for you to decide.

So...here we are. There's little else to say at this point except:

Welcome!

Full Frontal

I think I may be one of the few people who actually not only like, but love Steven Soderbergh's Full Frontal. Shot with Canon XL-1's and available lighting (mixed with 35mm film) on a budget of no more than $2 million, the film was commonly regarded as poorly shot and lacking a viable narrative thread. Personally, I think its hilarious. Campy, inside humor? Yes. Maybe that's why it makes me laugh. I'm kinda on "the inside."

Throwback Sundays this week remembers Full Frontal - starring Julia Roberts, Blair Underwood, Brad Pitt, Catherine Keener, David Hyde Pierce, and many, many others. Here is a great video essay of the film.

Tom Reviews "Iron Man 2" DVD

Tom's Corner:

Iron Man 2
(2010, Jon Favreau, Director)



Well, here we are with another superhero movie. We all saw the ads (except you, stereotypical guy living in a cave...which leads me to my next point: how does cave guy have internet access? He lives in a likely filthy cave. Anyway...) for this movie. Crazy Mickey Rourke playing Ivan Vanko, known in the comics (in a story shoehorned in to sorta kinda justify the character in the movie) as Whiplash. Robert Downey Jr. bringing back his wonderful portrayal of Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, with a charmingly soused insouciance. You gotta wonder how many hours of “research” Downey put into playing a drunken playboy. I kid, I kid, those days are behind him now, remembered only by most of us and hundreds of arrest photographs. Anyway, on with the show.

I've never been a huge Iron Man fan. Sure, I've got about 75-100 issues of it here or there, but it's never been a must-buy for me. However, I've always loved the original Whiplash, Mark Scarlotti, who, armed with an electric whip...fought a man encased in armor. He actually was victorious in about one fight (his first), but lost the next because (GASP!) the guy in armor got THICKER armor. Setting yourself up to fail that much just reveals so many psychological issues, huh? They came out in later years...as evidenced by this here costume. Kinky, huh? Later he was beaten to death by Iron Man's temporarily sentient armor (PLEASE don't ask). But this new guy is Russian. His character is unrelated to the previous Anton Vanko, AKA Crimson Dynamo (an armored Russian from the Cold War). So there's your villain backstory, really an excuse for me to make fun of a guy in a leather mask who is not only fictional, but dead and fictional.

So, in the movie, there is one major plothole I'd like to address. Why the HELL doesn't Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau's character) have a gun? He's supposed to be some sort of combination bodyguard limo driver, right? After he slams a limo into Vanko, he could've blown his unarmored brains all over the hood and been a hero. After all Vanko, did just kill or at least attempt murder on a few race car drivers (though if they were NASCAR, who would've cared? But I digress...)

Anyways, aside from that, I enjoyed the movie. It has everything a big ole summertime blow-em-up paint by numbers is supposed to have, plus some in-jokes to appease the comic fans. Plus, Don Cheadle begins the adventures of War Machine, which COULD get a spin-off. Plus that scene after the credits....

What? I'm not going to tell you what it was. Watch it fanboy, and enjoy. It will please Iron Man fans, and action movie fans.

- Tom

4 Worst Case Legal Scenarios

These days, everyone is trying to save money. Since lawyers are generally expensive to retain, some people think that with the use of a few forms they buy or find online they can create their own legal documentation. Saving money this way is good, right? After all, aren't lawyers just greedy leeches who will be sitting in Hades right alongside Satan in the great beyond?

Eh, no comment. Lawyer jokes aside, they do serve important purposes especially in the entertainment business. I don't say this because I happen to be a lawyer. I say this because I have witnessed and know of real life situations where not having a lawyer around to review documentation or make sure all the I's were dotted and the T's were crossed led to serious problems. Here are 4 bad things that could happen if you think having a lawyer is a frivolous luxury:

1. Ownership Fights: Countless stories abound in the business of how someone's idea or life story was stolen by some major studio. Usually, there was a lawsuit and the person claiming infringement lost because there was no documentation of the claim or the other side had far more money.

Recently, a client of mine was working with a producer who wanted this individual to submit creative works but did not want to compose a writing listing the ownership interests and rights of each party with respect to that work. The first thing you'll hear a lawyer say about any situation (entertainment related or not) is “Get it in writing.” This can't be emphasized enough. Just like with releases, both parties need this arrangement in writing.

If you don't get the writing, what would happen if you become successful? If you are the person creating the work, you could have a producer attempt to hold your work hostage if you want to move on or cheat you out of revenue. If you are a producer, you could have a writer/creator of work who decides to demand more revenue and gets an injunction to keep you from performing his/her work for profit. Basically, you end up with a fight over money and if you think the average person will be rational or fair when it comes to large sums of money or the potential for lots of money, then I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

Save yourself the litigation costs, arbitration fees, lost revenue, and other expenses by getting a writing in advance stating just what the ownership interests and rights of each party are. The client wisely chose not to take a stranger's word for it.

2. Embarrassing Situations: Another fun scenario is when an actor is dissatisfied with the final product of a film or television show. I recall one story where an actor was furious about a portrayal in a film. The contract required the actor to approve of scenes and publicity materials but that actor was never given an opportunity to approve or reject any publicity materials, including trailers, posters and so forth.

This contract was also silent on what to do if there were problems or this particular provision was breached.

The actor was so horrified at being part of this project that the individual refused to participate in any type of promotional efforts in the film and asked to be taken off the credits. This particular actor was a lead with a significant reputation in the business.

As a result, the producer lost a lot of revenue as well as a desired demographic in promoting the film. It also looked suspicious when people asked the producer why this actor was not at any of the screenings, was not credited on IMDB and would never answer questions about the film.

Sometimes, silence can be your worst enemy especially in a courtroom setting, where judges tend to rule in favor of the less knowledgeable party in the world of contracts. That means if you're a business doing this, you are sabotaging yourself by not getting legal counsel.

3. Refusals to Perform: What if you run into a performer represented by a company that fancies itself as a garage mechanic when it comes to committing talent's performance? Or simply a wayward unrepresented actor who gets full of him/herself and tries to extort more money or rights in order to continue in a role?

Enough salary holdout confrontations happen when a television show gets popular and there are written contracts stating what the actor is supposed to make, the actors merchandising rights, etc.

Could you imagine the types of problems you'd have if you didn't have a writing and merely had oral promises? You could end up having to recast a major role in a popular show, web series, film sequel, etc. and never recover.

4. No Procedures for Solving Problems: The average person never thinks there will be problems in a business relationship. Attorneys, on the other hand, are trained to expect it. We have to plan contracts for worst case scenarios. Some contracts even plan for what to do if aliens land on the Earth during production and the United States is in a state of war. You might never actually have the bad things happen but a good lawyer makes certain there is a procedure in place to cover those situations.

We like arbitration/mediation provisions, written notice and other steps less drastic than instant lawsuits or injunctions. So should you. They are cheaper and it's much easier to plan for the worst case scenario when it hasn't happened and everyone is getting along than when tempers are flaring and no one is behaving like a grown up. It will also stop hot heads from running straight to the courthouse to initiate costly litigation against you.

All of these incidents are true and have happened many times in the history of litigation and the entertainment business. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is thinking you will be an exception and do not need to get a lawyer. If you hope to make money in the entertainment business, you have to remember the “business” part of that equation; you have to mind your own interests and part of doing that is hiring a lawyer that will make sure some preventable legal crisis doesn't happen to you.

- Monica

Contact Monica for legal representation/advice at Monica@1wayoranother.net

Follow Monica's personal blog HERE.
Follow Monica on Twitter HERE.

(Monica C. Trombley is the legal administrator/project manager at her company One Way or Another Productions. She is a licensed attorney in both NY and CT.)

"Miranda" Wins the RWFF Audience Award

We are proud to officially announce that Kent Sutton's debut short film Miranda won the Audience Favorite Award this weekend at the Red Wasp Film Festival in Bryan, Texas. Sutton, who was in attendance, was there to accept the award. Prior to this, Kent was still blown away by the feedback the film was receiving from audience members and those associated with the festival. One of the festival staff who had not seen the film yet, after finally seeing it revealed to Kent that had she seen it when she was younger, it might have helped prevent her from needing a restraining order during a rough time period in her own personal experience.

The festival, which was attended by over 200 people, screened eighteen films that were entered in a competition for festival prizes. The Brazos Valley Raq Ensemble opened the festival on Friday with two dances. After the awards were presented on Saturday evening, ACLU—Brazos Valley Chapter sponsored a community screening of New Muslim Cool (Specific Pictures, 2009), an award-winning documentary by Jennifer Maytorena Taylor about Muslim rap artist Hamza Pérez.

With less than 14 Hours to go in the film's Indiegogo campaign, funds are being currently raised the make the film into a feature with the slogan RUN, DON'T HIDE.

To see the official award announcement and the history of the festival visit their site.

Below is a recent interview, where we get to know our Director and his Lead (Maria Guzman):



View VIP gifts, spread the word, or donate HERE.

Why Blockbuster Couldn't Avoid Bankruptcy

Here is an interesting perspective from TIME on why Blockbuster may have gone under. A lot of these points are interesting and I learned some new info I wasnt aware of before. However it leaves out the other obvious reason - their overpriced video rentals had to compete with lower priced, more easily assessable options - Redbox, Netflix, Friendly Video, VOD, etc. Nonetheless, its still a interesting study on how a great company simply lost the core of it's identity along the way - simply getting movies to everyday people. Here it is, after the jump. What do you think?



Back in April, months or years after lots of other people, I got the idea that there was no way video chain Blockbuster could avoid bankruptcy. So I went to talk to a few people about how the company got into its sorry situation and what it planned to do to get out. One of the people I talked to was current Blockbuster CEO James Keyes. He swore that the company was not considering bankruptcy. Nonetheless, I was intending to write a story saying that Blockbuster was done for. Then there was that whole Goldman thing, which lead me to Cedar Rapids, and how that town and others lost money in the Goldman deal and were mistreated by Wall Street in general. Not to mention that whole thing in the Gulf. So Blockbuster beat me to it. But according to the bankruptcy papers Blockbuster filed today Keyes was officially considering bankruptcy even as early as May, weeks after we met. Probably earlier.

Why did I have the feeling that Blockbuster would soon be busted? From the file of reporting anecdotes that I have not yet worked into a story here it is:

In doing my initial research for the story a number of people I talked to said the big mistake that Blockbuster had made in the past was to do too much with their stores. When Viacom owned Blockbuster, they tried to turn the stories into a dumping ground of Viacom merchandise. Dolls and toys and books and other stuff. Other CEOs had added candy and popcorn and even stores that served pizza. Made sense to me. When you are going to watch a movie at home, pizza and candy seemed like likely pairings. But none of those items ever sold.

It turns out the movie renter has a limited time. You need to get your movie and get home to watch it. Spend too much time at the store and your evening was ruined. No time to watch the movie. So renters never stayed long enough in the store to pick up anything other than the rental. So in the early 2000s Blockbuster stripped most of that stuff out of the stores, or so they said.

During the interview, I asked Keyes how many stores he planned to close in the next year. At the time, he said he wasn't planning on closing many stores. Instead, he had a new idea called Rock the Block that was going to make the stores dramatically more profitable. What's more, he said the stores could act as a venue for showing off Blockbusters' new home delivery technology. The company had partnered with some television and DVD makers to include Blockbuster branded software that can quickly download movies over the internet and immediately watch them on your TV. Put aside the fact that Keyes was using the stores to sell people on not using the stores, and this made some sense. Apple has been successful with its stores in getting out the message that the companies computers were hip and easy to easy. The stores turned the computers into something of a luxury item. So if Blockbuster could transform some of its stores into hip looking electronic outlets demonstrating the easy of their video demand service delivered though high-end TVs and DVDs and DVRs, I could see how Blockbuster would be able to rebrand itself.

Read the rest of this piece HERE.

Oh and here is an odd note: You can currently rent two of our movie titles directly from Blockbuster online HERE.

New York Premiere of "What Really Frightens You?"

Here are more details about the upcoming NY Premiere of the horror film What Really Frightens You, starring our very own Chris Riquinha!

LAFAYETTE THEATER IN SUFFERN, NEW YORK TO PREMIERE "WHAT REALLY FRIGHTENS YOU"

THE LAFAYETTE IS A RESTORED MOVIE PALACE

www.bigscreenclassics.com

The HORROR-THON!

The Lafayette's world-famous "Horror-Thon" returns the weekend of November 5-6-7 with 9 fantastic shows, including Saturday's salute to Universal Horror and the New York theatrical Premiere on Friday night of the indie horror film "What Really Frightens You?", which had several scenes filmed at the Lafayette! Here is the complete Horror-Thon lineup, all tickets are $9 for each show:

Friday, November 5
7:30 - Carnival of Souls (1962, Candace Hilligoss)
9:45 - What Really Frightens You? (2010, New York Theatrical Premiere of the indie horror film from director Richard W. Haines - Note: certain scenes from What Really Frightens You? were filmed at the Lafayette!

Saturday, November 6 - A Salute to Universal Horror!
2:00 - The Bride of Frankenstein (1935, Boris Karloff)
4:00 - House of Dracula (1945, Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine)
7:30 - Phantom of the Opera (1943, Claude Rains)
9:45 - Dracula (1931, Bela Lugosi)

Sunday, November 7
2:00 - The Raven (1962, Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre)
4:00 - Mario Bava's Black Sabbath (1963, Boris Karloff)
7:30 - Poltergeist (1982, directed by Tobe Hooper, produced by Steven Spielberg)

Check out this recent review of What Really Frightens You from Horror News!

Naama Kates Featured in the Soho Journal

Our very own Naama Kates is featured in the Soho Journal this month. Physical copies will hit the streets in December.

The article features more of Naama's very eloquent, honest and personal writing. She talks briefly about Cookies & Cream and announces the titles for her next collaboration with director Princeton Holt, as well as for her debut album:



"There are no stars in Hollywood.

I live in Hollywood. You can call it Los Feliz, or Silverlake, or Little Armenia but it's Hollywood. It’s only a couple miles from the Walk of Fame, you know, with all the stars and the handprints and Graumman's Chinese Theatre.

And I am a big fan of celestial bodies— stargazing and such. I can name a lot of the constellations, especially in the winter skies.

And here I am, looking up at the smoggy and light polluted sky of my new home, and I see zilch.

I think most of the heavenly bodies in this town are busy at this hour, probably on the West Side surrounded by psychic noise and floating promises. They’re sidling up to self-proclaimed producers, cleavage out, and four overpriced Belvedere cranberries in.

Sigh.

I moved out here with a lot of stars in my eyes, and quite frankly, a lot of smoke up my ass. My management team, actually reputable representation, was riding on the "momentum" of a great gig, a two-episode arc on an unfathomably popular network TV show. I wanted change. I wanted the ocean. I thought I wanted stardom, at any cost, and left behind everything I couldn't fit into my newly bought blue clunker. Fact: nobody else fit in there."

Read the rest of her piece HERE.