John Godfrey is the acclaimed graphic designer who created the amazing alternative movie posters for our LUV art print giveaway; LUV is now available On Demand and on DVD (order on Amazon). John kindly sat down with us to discuss his work and theory. Enjoy!
It took John Bergin two years to illustrate the 360-page graphic novel on which From Inside, the film, is based. From Inside, the epic graphic novel, was originally published in 1994 by Tundra/Kitchen Sink Press. A ground-breaking comic for its time, From Inside‘s publisher was also breaking new ground. John Bergin explains: “Tundra was a comic book publishing company founded in 1990 by Kevin Eastman (creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, current editor of Heavy Metal Magazine). Kevin’s goal was to establish a place where comic book artists would retain complete creative control over their books.
This was the early-’90s, so creator-owned books weren’t a new idea, but Tundra made it policy by adhering to the Creator’s Bill of Rights – a document which was drafted in the late ’80s as a guide to help creators retain ownership of their work. Kevin was one of the signatories of the Bill. As a co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, he was in a position to put the ideals of the Bill into action. Amazing books saw the light of day thanks to Tundra. Notable works include James O’Barr’s The Crow, Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell’s From Hell, Dave McKean’s Cages, Rick Veitch’s The Maximortal, and Scott McCould’s seminal Understanding Comics. James O’Barr and I worked together at Tundra with our own books as well as a comics and fiction anthology we edited together called Bone Saw.
John Bergin Explains the Mystery Behind “The Leviathan”
Unique award-winning animation utilizes panels from the original comic book combined with 3-D models, props and practical effects. The result is an adaptation with its “bookness” more intact than any other book adapted to film.
Based on the epic graphic novel by John Bergin, From Inside is the story of Cee, a young pregnant woman who finds herself on a damaged train traversing its way across a post-apocalyptic landscape. War, famine and a mysterious plague threaten the train’s passengers as they search for a new home.
From Inside: Gary Numan Special Edition will be released on DVD this fall. Watch this teaser trailer for a sample of what’s to come.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCyr5Uy9tOA
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If you think you know what Rob The Mob is about, think again. The movie opened in theaters last weekend in New York City, and the soundtrack is now available. On the eve of the film’s Los Angeles premiere, Lakeshore Records spoke with Grammy-winning Composer Stephen Endelman about this modern-day Bonnie and Clyde story and his introspective approach to scoring the film.
How did you go about conveying the spirit of the couple, Tommy and Rosie, in the music?
There’s something about their chemistry. It’s a simple love story. Basically you can’t help but notice the way they look at each other: they are very much in love. They are so quirky and weird. Their theme was the opposite of who they are. The metering is not the same in each track on the album; each bar is a different length. I wrote a waltz that wasn’t a waltz, for example.
Download The Album: http://bit.ly/RobTheMobMusic
Some of the tracks on the album sound very gentle, like you were guiding the audience into seeing deeper into who Tommy and Rosie are as people. Was that intentional?
I feel the movie is respectful of the characters. Each character in the movie does what they do, honestly. The characters can’t help themselves. I didn’t want to just show them as a couple of wild kids robbing people. I want to show them as a couple of lovers. None of the music is sentimental, even though the movie is about an end of an era.
Did you already have a goal or idea in mind at the beginning of the project, or did you allow the album to shape itself?
The album shaped itself. I didn’t have an idea about the score at the beginning. I read the screenplay and then it became apparent. We had decided on a piano score already. When we finished the music, we did move things around a bit based on what seemed right with the movie, but I let the music speak through me through the characters. I felt sad and a sense of yearning. I felt their imperfections.
How do you go about choosing soundtracks to score? Do you have a rule about what kinds of movies you will or won’t score?
No rules. I try to mix it up. I fall in love with characters. If I fall in love with them, then I write music for them. I feel that the human condition is looking for love, depth and resolution. When I look back at all the movies I’ve ever done, each character wants to do better in some way. I’m really drawn to the characters.
The movie Rob The Mob, directed by Raymond De Felitta, opens widely on Friday, March 28 in Los Angeles. The reviews have been very favorable.
“Music. It plays a key role in ROB THE MOB as well. The film takes place circa 1992(ish) but the music is much more timeless, evoking an era far more indicative of the mafia’s hay days. Stephen Endelman composes the original music while accompanied by tracks from The Staple Singers’ “City In the Sky” and Wilson Pickett’s “Somethin’ You Got.” The opening sequence of the film, however, oddly sets the mood in an unexpected use of Deee-Lite’s “Groove Is In the Heart.” Trust me when I say it sounds odd at first, but quickly makes sense…”
Read the rest of the article on We Are Movie Geeks.
Go to our Composer Interviews page for more on our other composers.