logo Sign In

Drew Struzan? No thanks. — Page 3

Author
Time

Struzan made beautiful posters for the first two Harry Potter films. Both were rejected and replaced with some photoshopped crap.

Author
Time

Um... is this photoshop crap?

You're right about Chamber of Secrets though. They did scrap that. Shame.

Author
Time

That wasn't the official movie poster. At least not in Europe.
http://images.gamme.com.tw/news/2011/07/2/qJyWpKCekp6VqQ.jpg

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Technically three. =P

But yeah, I've been HIGHLY suspicious ever since they released this footage. They say it's Tatooine but if you watch that Star Destroyer in the background it crashes to the surface exactly like the one from the teaser trailer.

Forum Moderator
Author
Time
 (Edited)

The pointy bit at the top of the hilt might be throwing you off.

Forum Moderator
Author
Time

I like the grouping and coloring of the X-Wings and TIEs, but not much else.  Strutzan is a fine movie character artist (one sheets and novels), but everything is much too big.

On the small canvas of a novel, fine.  On a film one-sheet, give the characters room to breathe. Pull back and give the design some landscape, some sense of  scale.  It's an adventure in outer space, not a dinner party. 

I don't need to see every character.  I need to feel the remote and vast setting.

Forum Moderator
Author
Time
 (Edited)

If we could keep the spoilers to minimum that'd be great - just as much as the poster reveals. I know people have been skeptical that Jakku isn't Tatooine but I've firmly believed it until now. I just cannot for the life of me figure why they'd lie about that. But here we are, and not only are there two Suns but there's also a moisture vaporator.

I'm surprised they're revealing the return of Anakin's lightsaber so soon (in the teaser), and now showing who wields it. The fact that it's even in the movie is sort of surprising in and of itself. I wonder if it shows up early in the film. Or maybe it makes an appearance in a lightsaber duel that will feature in the next trailer/poster. 

I guess the poster raises a lot of questions which is probably part of what they're going for.

I think the poster itself looks awesome but it is both sparse and a little in your face, if that makes any sense. Ultimately it is a convention exclusive poster and not the official one sheet. I imagine we'll see a more traditional design for that.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

As to the quality of this poster. Part of the process when creating a poster for any kind of campaign is creating a number of different rough sketches to show your client.

It would not surprise me to learn that this was one of the alternates that Struzan threw together just to give them options. Not knowing that they'd end up commissioning at least two posters. This one being for promotional purposes at D23.

Another thing to keep in mind is that he's at the mercy of his client. He very well could have had something else in mind for the bottom of the poster but then was requested to toss Solo in there after the tremendous response to the ending of the first teaser.

Forum Moderator
Author
Time

Yes the poster does scream alternate to me and Solo's inclusion seems a little forced.

Author
Time

Tobar said:

Technically three. =P

 Oops! didn't notice the other one.

"Now there are three of them..."

Author
Time

How about holding every SW poster in history with an ignited lightsaber to the "ruler" test.

Author
Time

ray_afraid said:

The blue lightsaber looks crooked...
Just me? Looks like the blade is coming out at the wrong angle.

 It's a photo of the poster, not the actual poster. Which accounts for the distortion.

VIZ TOP TIPS! - PARENTS. Impress your children by showing them a floppy disk and telling them it’s a 3D model of a save icon.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

BTW, it's just a convention poster, not the main movie poster, in case that wasn't clear.

And as per usual, there's already a change from Drew's original painting to the final printed artwork:

Looks like a Photoshop change to me, rather than an actual repainting by Struzan.

Author
Time

Terrible.

Awkward.

Stilted.

Random to show wizened Harrison (looking all hunched and cast aside in the bottom left, away from the other characters) and no other returning cast.

Author
Time

Laserschwert said:

BTW, it's just a convention poster, not the main movie poster, in case that wasn't clear.

And as per usual, there's already a change from Drew's original painting to the final printed artwork:

Looks like a Photoshop change to me, rather than an actual repainting by Struzan.

 Did Disney make this change or was it done by a fan?

Author
Time
 (Edited)

That poster looks fan-made. Really, that's what was my first thinking.

The attentions goes to the lightsabers and not the faces of their owner because their color is in contrast, something I don't remember ever seeing in the OT posters.

I like that the three figures on the top all share a weapon in their hands, thus making for an interesting parallel. Their bodies as their weapons reach out for the top, giving a sense of depth and vertigo.

BUT. Han's presence in the bottom of the poster spoils the structure by standing completely out of it. It's like he's saying:"Hey guys, I don't know why I'm even here, but I'm home" :\

I can't seem to find any theme in this poster other than:"These are the two protagonist, that's the bag guy, below it's your old friend, X-Wings/Tatooine vs Tie-Fighters/Bespin". It doesn't add any real theme or visual info about the movie's content. Not even one.

The Original Trilogy’s Timeline Reconstruction: http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Implied-starting-date-of-the-Empire-from-OT-dialogue/post/786201/#TopicPost786201

Author
Time

unamochilla2 said:

Laserschwert said:

BTW, it's just a convention poster, not the main movie poster, in case that wasn't clear.

And as per usual, there's already a change from Drew's original painting to the final printed artwork:

Looks like a Photoshop change to me, rather than an actual repainting by Struzan.

 Did Disney make this change or was it done by a fan?

 Disney.

Author
Time

DominicCobb said:

If we could keep the spoilers to minimum that'd be great - just as much as the poster reveals. I know people have been skeptical that Jakku isn't Tatooine but I've firmly believed it until now. I just cannot for the life of me figure why they'd lie about that. But here we are, and not only are there two Suns but there's also a moisture vaporator.

 And the carbon freeze chamber...

John Williams score to Return of the Jedi Remastered/Remixed:

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/JOHN-WILLIAMS-Star-Wars-Episode-VI-Return-of-the-Jedi-Remastered-Edition/topic/14606/page/1/

Author
Time
 (Edited)

One of the things I don't like about his work is that he clearly paints from photos and stills of the movie. The SE posters had weird inconsistencies in them.

Star Wars had Leia from Empire. With Empire he used a still of the Emperor from Jedi and had Darth Vader's Tie Fighter in the centre. For Jedi he reused the steps from the lightsaber duel in Empire... again. Why would he do this?

Technically he's good, but to me he's a bit conservative. The layouts are ok, especially compared to the TFA one just released. That Han Solo likeness is dodgy and the size, pose and positioning is terrible. I had hoped a newer artist would have been given a go - using traditional paint techniques etc. Struzan just ties the new film in with the SE's and Prequels.