Classiq - An online journal that celebrates cinema, culture, style and storytelling.

13 April 2020

A New Kind of Rebel

Cathy O’Donnell and Farley Granger in “They Live by Night”, 1948

Rebel Without a Cause (1955) was the film that gave the confused and alienated teenager an identity. But before James Dean burst onto the screen as sensitive high-school misfit Jim Stark in his Lee blue jeans, white t-shirt and red windbreaker, becoming the embodiment of a generation and cementing his image as cool rebel, another Nicholas Ray film prefigured the story of the adolescent us-against-the-world feeling of ill-fated destiny, and another character, dressed in denim shirt, plain sweater, crisp white shirt, tie and leather jacket, started to give voice to and to embody the agonizing rebellion of post-war youth and the anxieties of an entire generation. It was Farley Granger’s Bowie in They Live by Night (1948).

This poetic film noir was Nicholas Ray’s first feature film and the first in a series of films of hard-hitting social realism that treated the theme of the confused and misunderstood American outsiders and outcasts, and paved the way for decades to come of couples-on-the-run noirs and thrillers. Nicholas Ray, one of the pioneer independent American filmmakers, pursued a strong narrative and visually overwhelming obsession in his film-making, which was outside of Hollywood tradition. His noirs dealt with the darkest side of the genre and his movies realistically showed the vulnerable young who looked for guidance from an older generation that failed to answer their questions and struggles because they themselves had never properly addressed their own.

“They Live by Night”, 1948

In They Live by Night, Bowie (Farley Granger) and Keechie (Cathy O’Donnell) are an innocent couple in their early twenties. When Bowie, a fugitive who has broken out of prison, after an unjust sentence, with some bank robbers, meets the innocent Keechie, each sees something in the other that no one else ever has, they fall in love despite the circumstances that put them on the wrong side of adulthood and start to hope for a life different than the one they were born into, trying to break loose from both a society and parents who either don’t understand them or refuse to try.

The film introduces them with a written line: “This boy and this girl were never properly introduced to the world we live in.” They are poor and they have few options for a better life, but they do hope to attain it in earnest only to find out that their young love can not bloom on the barren terrain of crime and a broken society. Their attempt to escape from a cheap and insensitive reality is doomed, because the others won’t let them. The painful real life background invests the film with a truthful emotional center, and when Bowie and Keechie are on screen together, their closeness feels real, because their love is true and young, but all the more painful and unnerving because they sense, and you sense it, too, that it is preordained. Because there is darkness beneath even the slightest moment of happiness. The past won’t let them, it catches up with them, while the future fades in the distance, further away night after night. The present is all they have, it’s all we all have, and it is of no comfort to them.

Cathy O’Donnell and Farley Granger in “They Live by Night”, 1948

Seven years later, in 1955, Rebel Without a Cause would deal with teenage delinquency, one of the first films that did that. It was a film Nicholas Ray very much wanted to do, and he wanted to do it his way. He wrote the story, and carried out eight months of research to interview hundreds of police officers, judges, youth leaders, juvenile hall authorities and teenage gangs. Ray’s idea was to point out that juvenile delinquency was a function of the family, the kids being raised by parents with values too old-fashioned for their children’s needs. It was a controversial subject and the film was one of the first to bring disaffected youth into the mainstream conscience.

The 1950s were a time when blue jeans became not only a style staple, but an identity staple and the symbol of a generational revolution, and Nicholas Ray had a lot to do with that. Costume designer Moss Mabry spent several days at Los Angeles high schools, observing the clothes and styles of teenagers. Nicholas Ray also showed him a picture from Life of a group of college students for inspiration. And, most importantly, Ray shot the film in colour (he had insisted on colour for Johnny Guitar, too, a Western noir that owes part of its uniqueness to its colour photography, which is also what made that black and white sequence so haunting), despite the studio’s initial demand for black and white. Not only because of the feverish nature of the adolescent experience Ray wanted to evoke through light and composition, but for using colour as symbolism, too. Jim’s red windbreaker gives dramatic life to the turmoil within. Ray called in a colour consultant and they looked for ideas in old copies of Life magazine and chose to use primary colours in vivid blocks. “When you first see Jimmy in his red jacket against his black Merc, it’s not just a pose. It’s a warning, it’s a sign,” the director said. An icon was born, one that reverberates to this day.

Cathy O’Donnell and Farley Granger in “They Live by Night”, 1948

The seeds for the rebellious young however had been planted in They Live by Night, which found the perfect uniform for the man who could question the place of the individual, and of the teenager, in the American society, the voice of a generation: the crisp white shirt, a tie and the leather jacket – another costume choice Nicholas Ray certainly had a say in. “One thing you’ve got to learn, kid,” one of the gang tells Bowie, “you’ve got to look and act like other people.” And he takes him to buy him a suit. The leather jacket was his safeguard against an adult world he knew he didn’t belong to. Just as in Rebel Jim and Judy and Plato have found one another, each one of them trying to survive high school and longing for someone who can understand what they’re going through, in They Live by Night Bowie and Keechie have found not only love in one another, but mutual understanding. She is wearing his leather jacket at one point towards the end of the film and their union feels complete, no matter the odds.

Cathy O’Donnell and Farley Granger in “They Live by Night”, 1948

Editorial sources: “Film Noir: 100 All-Time Favorites”, by Paul Duncan and Jürgen Müller / “Film Noir: The Directors”, by Alain Silver and James Ursini / “Classic Hollywood Style”, by Caroline Young / “James Dean Remembered” feature in the James Dean Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray box set

Posted by classiq in Film, Film costume | | Comments Off

8 April 2020

It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll But I Like It

What do you do about your four-year-old who is totally transformed when he hears The Rolling Stones? The moves he does… the most uninhibited and free-spirited, the way he feels the sound… pure instinct, the joy… total abandon. You learn from him. To hear the music. To gravitate towards it. To live it. And then you go and read Keith Richards’ autobiography.

Life. The highs, the lows and the death-defying excesses of the coolest rock ‘n’ roller. He’s got some tales to tell, alright. Living on the edge, friendship and fame, family and women, the music and Mick. And he tells them without pretense, caution or self-consciousness, with no-holds-barred and no false contrition. With black humour and brutal honesty, willing to show grief or that hint of demon in him (“there is a demon in everybody else”).

It’s the story of the ultimate rebel, outsider, adventurer, authentic rock ‘n’ roller, for whom “music is the best thing I do, and it’s worth a listen”, for whom playing a song over and over and over again is never a repetition, but always a variation. Because what most reverberates from this book is Keith Richards’ love of music, his joy for making music and the pure spirit of rock ‘n’ roll he captures. Music that rouses the world, speaking your mind, taking the chances you want. Music that turned the whole world on to the blues. Music that freed a generation and generations to come. Music that is not about technicality, but about feeling. Music that is not about what sounds right, but about what hits the ear. Music that feeds the audience whose energy, in turn, keeps them going and dreaming. Music that fills the stadiums because people want to hear the music, not because of the show put on the stage. Music that connects a whole world.

Life* is about the heart and soul of rock ‘n’ roll, from the heart and soul of The Rolling Stones.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2dbzo62hjjyJYY3NgSZt6x?si=Mpq9R6QOQhOcamiJ9vrUqQ

“I was basically a musical sponge. And I was just fascinated by watching people play music. If they were in the street I’d gravitate towards it, a piano player in the pub, whatever it was. My ears were picking it up note for note.”

“But the one that really turned me on, like an explosion one night, listening to radio Luxembourg on my little radio when I was supposed to be in bed and asleep was Heartbreak Hotel. That was a stunner. I’d never heard it before, or anything like it. I’d never heard of Elvis before. It was almost as if I’d been waiting for it to happen. When I woke up the next day I was a different guy.”

“I was looking for the core of it – the expression. You would have no jazz without blues out of slavery – that most recent and particular version of slavery, not us poor Celts for example, under the Roman boot.”

“And slowly this whole other world opens up, because now you’re not just a player, or trying to play like somebody else. It isn’t just other people’s expression, I can start to express myself, I can write my own music. It’s almost like a bolt of lightning.”

“The most bizarre part of the whole story is that having done what we intended to do in our narrow, purist teenage brains at the time, which was to turn people on to the blues, what actually happened was we turned American people back on to their own music. And that’s probably our greatest contribution to music. We turned white America’s brain and ears around.”

“Mick and I may not be friends – too much wear and tear for that – but we’re the closest of brothers, and that can’t be severed.”

* For an easily accessible, official synopsis of the book, I have linked to the publishing house. However, in these trying times, our intention is to support artists and small businesses of any kind, especially bookstores, therefore we will not link to global online book chains or corporations, leaving you to make the choice of helping your favourite independent bookshop and placing your order with them. If you don’t have a favourite indie bookstore, here is how to find one you can support.

More stories: In His Own Words: Morrissey / But Beautiful / Born to Run

Posted by classiq in Books, Sounds & Tracks | | 2 Comments

2 April 2020

The Culture Edit: April Newsletter

A regular round-up of the latest talks, films,
music, books, interviews and cultural news.

“The most common reaction of the human mind to achievement is not satisfaction, but craving for more. Humans are always on the lookout for something better, bigger, tastier.” This is an excerpt from Yuval Noah Harari’s book, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow*. I’ve been reading it these days (I also recommend Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind* by the same author). It is a clear-sighted and though-provoking view, related to things we already know and things that are already happening to us, of where mankind is headed, and here is the thing. We can take this time of sheltering in place to slow down, reflect, reevaluate our lives, better ourselves and come out of this connected with ourselves and others in more meaningful ways. Or we can learn nothing and go back to old habits (to whatever extent that will be possible anymore).

Here are a few things I hope many of us will learn. That maybe we will stop looking for role models on Instagram, but in books, magazines, and old movies, which has always been my philosophy. That freedom is wealth. That knowledge is wealth. That health is wealth. That we have a life that does not involve work. That we must work smarter not harder. That more and more travel does not necessarily make you wiser (are the ones whose every trip was a status symbol shared on social media and who now post from their travels past really learning anything? Why can’t we learn from professional photographers who are starting to become even more creative while indoors?). That we must support our local communities and small businesses. That we remain true to our values, not follow the Jones’. That more is not better. That we will listen to ourselves more and to the noise around us less. That we will rediscover or discover our ability to know what is ours, our sense of identity. That we finally appreciate and care for nature. That we appreciate what we have. That everything is not about having, but about being.

“I understood that the most beautiful, dangerous, adventurous and gratifying journeys of all is the one inside yourself, whether you’re sitting in the living room or under a canopy here in Budelli. That’s why staying at home and doing nothing can be really hard for many.” The words of Mauro Morandi, the Italian who, for 31 years, has found serenity in solitude as the sole inhabitant of a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea, capture so well the current mindset.

From all the small businesses we can support at the moment, the independent bookstores are a top priority. If you don’t have a local bookshop you can support, here is how to find one. And this is how bookstores step up to keep their activity going while keeping their doors closed.

Below, a few books worth your attention (besides Sapiens and Homo Deus).

The Lacuna*, by Barbara Kingsolver, which follows a man through his life weaving in and out of the life of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, is one of the best book recommendations I have received lately.

Akikomatic: The Art of Akiko Stehrenberger* compiles the work of one of the most talented contemporary film poster designers and illustrators. My recent interview with the artist also offers an insight into her work.

For the kids: a few great under-the-radar children’s books to trigger their imagination and curiosity and their sense of exploration while we stay at home.

The solitude specials from one of my favourite podcasts, Terra Incognita. Adventurers, travellers and explorers are sharing how they are coping in challenging environments, how they are channeling their energy towards things within their control and how they’re enjoying this time to learn, do and make new things.

One of my favourite film poster illustrators, Midnight Marauder (the other one is Tony Stella), shares the fascinating process behind designing the poster for A Hidden Life (in collaboration with Tony Stella) aka Radegund, directed by Terrence Malick.

For your consideration: Yuval Noah Harari, the writer of the aforementioned Sapiens and Homo Deus, shares his pertinent opinion about the world after this crisis.

In need of a good laugh? Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, season 10, is out now and currently running on HBO.

“Music beats everything.” The trailer teaser for Damien Chazelle’s Paris-set musical miniseries The Eddy is here. It is written by Jack Thorne, with original music written by Glen Ballard and Randy Kerber. The series consists of eight episodes and will be released on Netflix on May 8. Now I want to rewatch both Damien Chazelle’s and Jacques Demy’s movies.

Filmmaker Rashaad Ernesto Green’s top ten makes for a great list of movies to watch these days.

Even in these times, when everyone, even the more skeptical ones like myself, are thankful for the benefits of online streaming and Netflix, I am still pushing for a film archive in one’s home. Or, better said, especially in these times. Because the simple act of choosing a film to watch from your own library, taking the dvd or blu-Ray out of its case and placing it in the player is an intentional act, it doesn’t feel forced by the circumstances, it feels more like a date-night-in, or a date with your favourite actors or directors than clicking on your remote and settling on whatever is available. But if that is not an option for you, you can of course subscribe to Criterion Channel (their April lineup is pretty great) if you are in the US and to MUBI if you are anywhere in the world.

But there is another more important reason for supporting the independent movie industry that goes beyond our own viewer satisfaction. Netflix streaming does not solve the problem of closing independent cinemas. Even before these difficult times, it was more of a problem for traditional cinema. In that regard, partnering with Art House Convergence and Janus Films, the Criterion Collection has announced an online fundraiser for arthouse cinemas in the US.

How else can we help indie cinemas? Movie-goers can, for example, buy a “ticket” through the “Theatrical-at-Home” initiative and have the option to select a theater to support. Then they’ll receive a one-time screening link to the film on its release date. Why is it so important to support small cinemas? Because to lose the cinema experience means “losing the centerpiece to how our community functions, celebrating art, not always bowing to what’s the biggest and most marketed and must funded movies.”

Filmmaker Magazine has made its entire latest issue available online.

The BofF Podcast: why the world should pause and reset its priorities.

The University of California Press is making all its journals freely accessible through June 2020.

Step inside Francis Mallmann’s Provencal kitchen for a meaningful travel story: “Was that what travel meant? An exploration of the desert of memory rather than those around me?”

* For easily accessible, more in-depth descriptions of the books mentioned in this article, I have linked to the respective publishing houses. However, in these trying times, our intention is to support artists and small businesses of any kind, especially bookstores, so we will not link to global online book chains or corporations, leaving you to make the choice of helping your favourite independent bookshop and placing your order with them. If you don’t have a favourite indie bookstore, here is how to find one you can support.

More Stories: Colour and Costumes: From The Umbrellas of Cherbourg to La La Land / For His Eyes Only: The Women of James Bond / Art Directing Film Posters: In Conversation with Illustrator Akiko Stehrenberger

Posted by classiq in Books, Culture, Film, Newsletter | | Comments Off

30 March 2020

On Craftsmanship and the Modern Woman, with Sue Stemp of St. Roche

St. Roche

Delicate in details, but the St. Roche woman is a free spirit, with her own uniqueness and true values, in a time when femininity is ripe for re-shaping. The St. Roche aesthetic carries something wild beneath its soft exterior. It’s understated femininity, subtle in its power. Their collections focus on clothes made by hand, merging tradition and the craftsmanship of artisans from India and Peru with openness, simplicity, mindfulness and sustainability.

Based in Los Angeles and co-founded by husband and wife team Sue Stemp and Paud Roche, St. Roche is a brand that is sympathetic to global issues without losing sight of the aesthetic side of fashion, committed to fine fabrics that will have a long life, motivated by the desire to conscientiously create timeless designs, and driven by the belief that looking good will prompt customers to make good choices. St. Roche makes a point to encourage women to invest in fewer, well-made, durable pieces, embracing individual style over fast fashion. It is a brand that has grown by feeling and intention, with meaning and care.

In our interview, co-founder Sue Stemp speaks about their vision for the brand, what it is that makes St. Roche different than other sustainable fashion companies, about New York vs Los Angeles for making it in fashion, and Hitchcock.

St. Roche

If you could capture the essence of St. Roche in one sentence, how would you describe it?

St. Roche is relaxed, artisanal, feminine and free-spirited, unique everyday wear.

Who do you design for? Who is the St. Roche woman?

Our vision is to create beautiful handcrafted clothes designed for a modern woman who cares that what she wears reflects her values and lifestyle.

What does style mean to you personally?

Style is purely personal. Having amazing style is knowing what looks and feels good on you and is as unique and individual as you are.

You use hand printing, embroidery, knitting and handloom weaving in your designs and work with family businesses in India and Peru. In an overly-digitized world, it feels so special to make things with your own two hands. Coupled with an awareness for ethical production and the artistry of local makers, even more so. How did you find these artisans and what have been the biggest challenges and perks of working with them?

I’ve been working in the fashion industry for a long time now and have built up a strong and select network of talented and reliable manufacturing partners. I travel to India at least once a year and work with them directly, I’m very hands-on. This saves so much time, as sometimes ideas and designs can get a little mis-interpreted via tech-packs and it’s a slow development process. Also the face-to-face contact and getting direct input back is invaluable.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from the community of craftsmen in India and Peru you are working with?

Generally, the artisans we work with have a traditional craft and skill that they’re proud of, and are open to seeing how this can be modernized and used in a non-traditonal way, and hopefully be profitable to them and their community too. We choose our manufacturing partners in India and Peru very carefully, working directly with them where possible, only working with small factories / family and women run businesses that are ethical and compliant. Our supply chain is short, and I see first-hand how and where our clothes are made. One of our partners, for example, runs a small organic farm and creche alongside his workshop and another started a women’s embroidery collective, paying 3 x the minimum state wage and educating these local workers in an old and regional skill. Sharing a vision with who we work with is a high priority.

St. Roche

You have been working in fashion for years before founding St. Roche, designing for the likes of Daryl K and Alexander McQueen. The textile industry and its products have shaped the contemporary world more than anything else. The disposal of textile waste is one of the biggest preoccupations we have at the moment. What made you change paths and start on your own, and how do you see the future of fashion? Do you think there is a significatly increased interest in the locally-made, in craftsmanship and mindful shopping or do you think it will take mass action to curb our addiction to mass-produced, cheap products?

The tide is definitely turning. In the last year we’ve seen significant changes within the fashion and textile industry and consumerism towards a more sustainable future. Personally, I hope that the interest in heirloom quality craftmanship and buying less products that last longer will continue to grow. I think people are realising we have to be more responsible and mindful with our choices to protect the planet and its people.

And what do you think is the first thing every individual should do in order to address this issue, any tip that may help someone else just starting out on their sustainable journey?

That any small step you take to being more conscious with the options you have, either as a consumer or a business owner, helps, and will have positive effects.

”Generally, the artisans we work with have a
traditional craft and skill that they’re proud of,
and are open to seeing how this can be modernized
and used in a non-traditonal way.”

What do you think is the one thing that differentiates St. Roche from other sustainable fashion brands?

Our original textiles and the handwork. The design references behind each collection range from my British heritage, the influential time both myself and Paud spent in New York and now LA, and global influences from our travels. We have a unique perspective behind our textile designs and artworks, which are sometimes collaborations with likeminded artists. These are then translated as much as possible by hand, by the artisans we work with.

St. Roche

How have your different backgrounds, your being from England and your husband, Paud Roche, from Connecticut, and having both lived in New York before moving to Los Angeles, informed your designs?

We both have a shared love of travel and textiles, and our global influences have always inspired us and our work.

I once read that “NY is a place for making it. LA is a place for making things.” What are the pros and cons of starting a fashion company in Los Angeles, away from the “fashion capital” of New York?

There’s much more of a fashion community in New York, it’s a more compact city, it’s fast paced, very easy to meet people and get things done. However, from a designer’s point of view I find working in LA more inspiring, we live in Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills surounded by nature which is a constant reminder to me to try and build a more sustainable business.

What are the most important takeaways from running your own business?

You really have to be passionate about what you do and single minded about what you believe in. It’s hard work!

St. Roche

You are an inspiration for designing with purpose. But who and what inspires you on a daily business?

Our children, Kitty and Harmony, are our constant inspiration.

We live in a hectic world and more and more people are trying to go back to basics, to find a balance, to live mindfully. How do you find balance every day? How do you live life as a conscious choice?

Spending quality time with our family and friends is so important to us. Paud loves to cook, we both love music and film, and I like hiking; we try and balance these in our daily schedule as much as possible while running our business.

”Be passionate about what you do
and single minded about what you believe in. ”

What is the best film you’ve watched lately? I think this will come in handy for many of us right now.

Now that we’re on lockdown, we’ve been watching countless old classic movies. A few nights ago we introduced our kids to Hitchcock and watched Dial M for Murder. I love Hitchcock. My favorite film I’ve seen at a theatre in the last few months has to be Little Women, it was beautiful.

In this time and age, what do you wish people appreciated more?

Nature and the fragility of our planet. Anything unique made with thought and not mass-produced.

Sue Stemp, co-founder of St. Roche

Website and online shop: st-roche.com
Instagram: @st_roche

Posted by classiq in Fashion, Interviews, Style | | Comments Off

26 March 2020

Art Directing Film Posters: In Conversation with Illustrator Akiko Stehrenberger

Film poster design by Akiko Stehrenberger for “Venus in Fur”, 2013, directed by Roman Polanski

It’s about creating the right mind-frame. You don’t quite know what will happen in the film being advertised, but a sense of its atmosphere draws you in. That’s the art of film poster design.

Be it the minimalist optical illusion of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, where the negative space of a reddening flame is used to create two female faces sharing a kiss, or the conceptual brilliance of The Last Black Man in San Francisco, at which I may have had to look twice, but my forever fascination with the steepy streets of San Francisco quickly stepped in and helped me grasp its double meaning, or Naomi Watts’ hyperrealist face for Funny Games that says so much by showing so little, or the refreshing reinterpretation of Breathless, each design is so stylistically different that it’s hard to believe they are the work of the same artist. That would be the work of one of the most talented contemporary film poster art directors and illustrators, Akiko Stehrenberger.

With each new film poster, she seems to be opening the door to imagination even wider, not just for herself as an artist, but for the viewer, too – even movies you know, you come to think of them differently. Each of her poster designs extracts that special quality of the film it represents, is conceived to suit not just the story, but the feel and the mood of the film, creating visual symbols that merge completely with the experience of the film. Because you don’t just watch a film, you experience it. That’s the work of a visionary, who, with an aesthetic that is often strikingly minimalistic, enigmatic yet very precise in encapsulating a powerful frame of mind, has paved the way to less conventional movie poster design, driven by the desire and strengthened by the skill to create poster art that has its own visual identity. And I think that this shows faith in the creativity of the audience as well.

Akiko Stehrenberger has designed, art-directed and illustrated posters for the films of David Lynch, Michael Haneke, Jim Jarmusch, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Lynne Ramsay, the Coen Brothers, Sofia Coppola, Spike Jonze, Tom Ford and Steven Soderbergh, among many others, and her Instagram account, Doyrivative, is an even wider and ever evolving sketchbook for her creativity, wit and humour. Her book, Akikomatic: The Art of Akiko Stehrenberger, is now on worldwide release.

In my interview with the artist, we are discussing her versatility of style, how she merges hand with digital illustration, the stories behind posters such as Funny Games and Nocturnal Animals, and whether she watches any movies just for relaxation.

Film poster designs by Akiko Stehrenberger
Left: “Ghosting”, 2015, directed by Kim Sherman | Right: “L’Enfer”, 1994, directed by Claude Chabrol

”The piece has to feel appropriate for the film
rather than just be illustrating for the sake of illustrating.”

What sparked your passion for cinema?

I’ve always loved movies, especially arthouse and comedies as they were an escape for me.

How did you get into film poster design? And were there any early influences in your work?

I fell into movie posters after working as a freelance illustrator doing spot illustrations for entertainment and music magazines. It came at a good time because coincidentally all magazines were moving online and budgets were starting to be cut drastically. The earliest influences for my movie poster work were Polish posters. They still are. I love their boldness, simplicity and creativity.

Film poster design by Akiko Stehrenberger for “Funny Games”, 2007, directed by Michael Haneke

One of your film posters that has always stood out for me is the one for Funny Games, with Naomi Watts in close-up. I’ve never been quite sure whether it is a photograph or an illustration. It is so minimalist, yet so striking, and I keep coming back to it. A photograph film poster, although there are some great ones out there, rarely grabs my attention to this degree. And given the film storyline, I have an even greater appreciation for it because it says so much by showing so little, challenging the viewer to fill in the blanks. So is it a photorealist painting?

Michael Haneke expressed interest in the specific scene. All I had was a tiny dvd screen grab of it that would’ve never been able to blow up to a 27”x40” image. Using the small still and photo reference of Naomi Watts online, I was able to recreate this scene by digitally illustrating it. It was originally supposed to be a placeholder until the studio provided the high resolution still. However, Haneke decided to use my piece instead.

Do directors have a say when it comes to film posters, do they deal with that?

Sometimes they do, but mostly the marketing team at the movie studio overrides them because they’re the ones trying to get people to the theater.

Film poster design by Akiko Stehrenberger for “Breathless”, 1960, directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Nocturnal Animals is a film poster where you used photography. Again, very minimalist at first sight, but it awakens in me a sense of discomfort and apprehension, just like I felt when watching the film, a great and haunting cautionary tale. How did you come to that design?

I wanted to use the novel from the film as a graphic device to violently interfere with or reveal the characters. Jake had a special shoot whereas Amy did not, so I had to find a unit shot of her that I felt matched his tone and paint her eyes so they were looking at camera.

Your poster design style is very versatile, either traditional painting, digital illustration, or graphic design based on a photograph and creative type writing (I love your posters for Somewhere and Lost Highway). So I would like to ask you about your creative process. Where does it begin? Do you watch the film and try to understand the rhythm, structure, mood, and then decide on the exact design style you will approach? Do you settle on an image or on an idea and bring your own self and imagination into the world of the film?

It depends on when I am brought into the project. Often times I’m brought in before the film is even shot and I’m working off of a short synopsis. Overall, I try to hone in on what the main concept of the film is, really find its tone, and build my ideas off of that. I start with looking at photography and art online to get the wheels turning. I then come up with ideas that have line lists, reference images, and a quick thumbnail sketch to communicate my idea best. I present this to the clients and from there we move forward to honing in on one of my ideas to fully execute. For me, the style of illustration communicates almost as much as the idea does. This is extremely important in my work and why my work is as versatile as it is. The piece has to feel appropriate for the film rather than just be illustrating for the sake of illustrating.

Film poster design by Akiko Stehrenberger for “The Last Black Man in San Francisco”, 2019, directed by Joe Talbot

I would like to insist on this versatility of style. Two other of your film posters that stand out for me are Collosal and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, because of the way you use negative space. Is there a lot of resistance to negative space, to this extreme minimalism, from a commercial point of view?

It depends on the studio putting out the film and how many posters they are releasing for it. In the case of both Colossal and Portrait of A Lady on Fire, Neon produced quite a few posters, some more traditional and mainstream and before releasing mine, so they could take a chance on mine.

”I haven’t given up doing things by hand and never will.”

Film poster design by Akiko Stehrenberger for “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”, directed by Céline Sciamma

Do you ever miss drawing just by hand? I am asking because even though hand-drawn poster illustration has seen a revival, you have managed to make a successful transition to this new concept of graphic design and digital illustration, while continuing to fill in this increased craving for unique and creative design. How challenging was this transition?

I still draw and paint by hand for posters when I see fit. Quite a few pieces of mine are scanned in paintings. But yes, things have been going more digitally for me because the deadlines (for consistently working movie poster designers) are becoming increasingly impossible. Aside from poster work, I love using graphite and many other media for my personal work. I haven’t given up doing things by hand and never will.

What makes a good movie poster?

A good movie poster has a simple and clever idea. It also intrigues the viewer enough that they want to see the film in hopes it will answer the questions the poster imposes.

The film poster is the first interaction of the audience with the film. Why isn’t the name of the film poster designer on it? Do you think movie posters are given the importance they deserve?

I’m not sure if there will come a time when the movie poster designer or the agency will get credited on the actual movie poster. Until then, you can see who’s credited on impawards.com (this is an online movie poster database that posts posters as they are released.) Movie posters should be given importance because they determine what and who will have the interest level in the film. It’s like the front cover of a book.

When does the work of the film poster designer come into play, especially in the case of a new film? I know some posters are required before starting filming and they can be used to get funding for the film.

I work on posters at all phases in the film production.

Film poster designs by Akiko Stehrenberger
Left: “La jaula de oro”, 2013, directed by Diego Quemada-Diez| Right: “13 Assassins”, 2010, directed by Takashi Miike

Do you seek out inspiration for your designs outside of the cinema world? Are there any unexpected sources of inspiration?

I try to look at as much as possible when trying to come up with concepts. The most random thing may spark something perfect for the film.

Some of your posters reimagine classic films (The 400 Blows, Breathless, L’Enfer). You have also collaborated with companies like Kino Lorber, who are doing a great job at enriching and preserving a film culture of which the promotional artworks are a huge part. Do you think they will attract a new audience for classic cinema?

Quite possibly. None of these pieces were made as fan art, but rather for the DVD releases of the films. I think it will definitely attract a new audience for classic film the way Criterion Collection has done such an excellent job at doing so.

Film poster design by Akiko Stehrenberger for “500 Days of Summer”, 2009, directed by Marc Webb

If you could choose one classic film to make the official poster art for back in the day, which one would it be?

That’s a tough one! I’d rather redo a classic film with a not so great poster than one with a good one. If it ain’t broke…

Do you ever watch a film just for relaxation?

Yes, comedies!

Film poster designs by Akiko Stehrenberger
Left: “Somewhere”, 2010, directed by Sofia Coppola | Right: “Her”, 2013, directed by Spike Jonze

Akikomatic: The Art of Akiko Stehrenberger
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Posted by classiq in Film, Film poster design, Interviews | | Comments Off