OUT OF FRAME: JOEL HERERRA CROSSES THE ‘THRESHOLD’ OF CLASSIC MOVIE POSTER DESIGN
Design matters.
Whether it’s the label for a bottle of liquor or the cover of that book on the shelf you’re considering, it matters. And movie posters are no different.
Before dipping my toes into filmmaking, I worked for years as a designer and art director, so naturally, I usually handle the design of the posters and branding of my short films, but, this time around felt different.
When my co-writer Joe Stockton and I started the script for ‘Threshold’, we were pulling from so many different influences, specifically films like ‘Rear Window’ and ‘Repulsion’. With these classic influences permeating everything from the script to the score, why wouldn’t the poster design match?
Enter Joel Hererra, a multi-disciplined artist who currently works in commercial illustration, conceptual art, portraiture, and, you guessed it, movie posters.
I was fortunate enough to have Joel as an instructor when I was in college and his talent was always maddening. He could draw anything, but one aspect of his art that has stuck with me for over a decade is his ability to create the kind of pulp art that looks as if it were plucked straight off of a midcentury cinema lobby wall.
I’ve kept in touch with him over the years, always wanting to find a way to collaborate with him, and then, it just clicked.
REDRAWING A RELATIONSHIP
It’s an interesting experience to move from student to client with someone you admire as much as I admire Joel, but I think it was vital to bringing the spirit of this short into a single illustration for the poster. To start things off, I decided to throw Joel a few questions about his influences, his process, and, obviously, movie posters.
‘Daredevil’ by Joel Herrera, Courtesy of JoelHerreraArt.com
Okay, Joel, give me your superhero origin story.
In a nutshell, First Generation Peruvian, born in Virginia. Blessed with parents who always made me feel like I could do anything as well as a personality that lets me be in the moment, I am able to quickly adapt to whatever situation I am in....so far...
What was it that made you want to become an illustrator/designer/artist?
Art is something that runs pretty deep in my family, whether it's painting, drawing, or music, it was always around and I figured it was something I could do as well. Comic books also played a really large part in my desire to learn to draw. They were always so dynamic and vibrant and the skill level always blew my mind. I also struggled with the desire to have a steady job and being an artist. The design enabled me to jam all of my skills together as an illustrator, design, and computer science person into something interesting.
Do you remember your earliest influences?
My absolute earliest influence was my sister Jeannette. I did what she did and drawing was one of those things. After that, it was most definitely comic books, followed by pulp art and pinup art. Some of my favorite artists are Alphonse Mucha, Alberto Vargas, Gil Elvgren, Norman Rockwell, Robert Maguire, J. C. Leyendecker, Jim Lee, Adam Hughes, Art Adams, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, and so many more.
What do you consider your first true gig in illustration? How did the experience shape what would become your style and approach to future projects?
My first official gig in illustration was creating art nouveau pieces for a french restaurant in madison, WI. Fresh out of grad school I had realized that I received a master's degree in fine art with no intention to teach. So I figured that I had better sell some art. The day after graduation I went downtown and started knocking on doors to see if anyone was interested in buying some artwork. I ran into a chef that was opening a little French Restaurant in Madison and he was willing to talk. I met up with his partner and they were kind enough to tell me what type of place they were opening and what type of work they were hoping for. I told them to give me a couple of days and I would sketch them some ideas. I came back with an art nouveau sketch that I drew pretty quickly. It ended up being a pretty large final piece at 60"x40" and when it was complete I delivered it to them and they asked me how much? I threw out a number of $3000 and Brian wrote me a check. That was the day that I figured that I could work professionally as an artist ( I also realized that I should have priced it higher...).
Selections of Joel’s Work, Courtesy of JoelHerreraArt.com
As far as style goes, I lean towards pulp art quite a bit, but it is mixed with a variety of things that I see and appreciate. Comic book stylization is pretty prominent in what I create as well. It ultimately comes down to what the client is looking for at the end of the day. I think I’m pretty good at mimicking styles, but I will add that I am always trying to improve as an artist every day so I will never be as good as I want to be. When it comes to future projects I am usually pretty hyped about most things I work on, especially if there is a story you can I can sink my teeth into. I think the story really has to grab my attention.
So...talk to me about movie posters.
Movie Posters are amazing. Distilling the spirit of a movie into an image on a poster that hopefully entices and invites a person to watch it. That alone is beautiful to me. The challenge of creating a poster that evokes that feeling is even better. I also really love the marketing portion of what a poster is intended to do. Ideally, art in general and posters specifically should make someone stop and wonder what the movie is about.
Alternative Movie Posters Created by Joel, Prints are Available at JoelHerreraArt.com
Can you walk me through your process, specifically on the poster for Threshold?
I don't think my process is particularly complex. Understanding what the client wants is the most important thing for me. That really drives the style, look and feel of any illustration project for me. After that, it's really about pulling inspiration from not only the client but the movie and the feelings that the movie churns up. In the case of 'Threshold', I got a lot of classic vibes from the movie, and the sense of claustrophobic isolation and imbalance really resonated with me so I wanted to focus on capturing that feeling.
Process Sketches for ‘Threshold’ Poster, Courtesy of Joel Herrera
Mike sent me a rough cut of the movie which was phenomenal as well as some posters that he really liked. It really helped me go after what he was looking for and I was able to make some rough sketches using some of the footage that I found interesting as a reference. We landed on the third reference and then it is sort of up in the air as far as creative processes go. I stick pretty close to the original layout, but I almost always make a change right at the very end. I kind of stare at it for a while and try to listen to my gut. Part of me wants to say that the piece is done, but there is a small part that nags at me and if I sit there long enough I will hear it and make the change.
Final ‘Threshold’ Poster Design, Courtesy of Joel Herrera
In this case, I really wanted the story behind the audio and what it means in the movie is important and I think I let it in a place that was visually intriguing. Mike was into it thankfully which is what matters to me in the end. In my mind, this is most definitely a collaborative piece so Mike's approval from that perspective was important to me. The end result has a kind of pulp vibe with a little more modern aesthetic which felt right to me, given the way the movie was shot.
Do you have a dream project?
I have the freedom to work with fellow designers and artists now, which is great. I am at a place where I can choose projects more carefully so collaborating with artists is part of the dream right now! Working on more movie posters would be pretty sweet. Movies are a passion of mine and movie posters hold a special place in my heart.
Any tips or advice you have for someone looking to break into the industry?
My advice can be taken or left of course, but I would say to always strive to be the best artist or designer you can be. Be pleased with the strides that you make, but be humble. Know that you can always be better and work towards improving in little or big ways every day. The reality of commercial illustration and design is that we work to convey the vision of others, so their opinions matter. One day you may find yourself lucky enough to work with a client that wants to work with you because of what you do. When that time comes, give them the best you have and bathe in the glory of being recognized and trusted with the skills and experience you have acquired along the way, then pat yourself on the back and then get back to work.
I’ll be forever grateful to Joel for not only this gorgeous poster but his patience and guidance.
Hop over to www.joelherreraart.com to check out his work, buy a few prints or commission him for your own project or portrait.
While you’re there, we hear there’s a pretty rad poster available for a little short film called ‘Threshold’.