Steckley Goes to the Movies!

posted 12.9.09 at 12:00 am
 Roughly a year and half ago I got a call from the nice folks at Miramax.  A new movie starring Robert DeNiro and Drew Barrymore was in the works and they needed some artwork for props.  The jist of it is this: In the movie, a commercial is pitched by one of the main characters by a storyboard presentation.  They wanted me to do those storyboards.  (Why they didn't use the actual storyboard artist for these props is beyond me; that would've been cheaper for Miramax!)
Flash forward a year and half later...
I'm not gonna write alot about this now, since I STILL haven't seen it! Hence, I have really no idea the scene didn't get cut, whether I get a credit (could never get a straight answer on that; one producer told me I would, another laughed at me. saying it's just a prop) or what.  I don't think I will get a credit; it's not on my IMDB page!  (An animation job I had in high school IS on there... but that ain't too cool...)
So, for the time being, here's a few of the frames for the job (yes, that's a talking bass):

By the way, for all the non-artists out there, it should be noted that these are basic, standard storyboards.  What that means is that they are very quick, sketchy drawings with blocked-in color, done extremely fast.  I would have loved to really finish these and make them way cooler and shinier, more polished, but frankly this is the type of work that ad agencies require, and to keep the realism of the movies, I had to keep the advertising style.  THAT'S the reason they seem unfinished compared to other work I've done... 
These are a few of the main frames.  The funny thing is, I have no idea what the fake commercials are selling!  All I know is that there's a fisherman who has to deal with a talking bass.  To make the scenario wierder, in the end he's grilling the fish and it keeps talking to him.
I really hope this scene made it in the movie, as it is one of the quirkier commercials I've done.  I'll update this when I do make it out to see it... Stay tuned.  Or, go see it yourself and let me know!


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