And we’re back! That only took forever! “… And I Dig It!” is when I feature a mini interview with an artist (drawing, painting, music, photography, sculpture, whatever) I dig. This feature should be updated one Thursday a month (every other Thursday was getting to be too often). If you have an artist to suggest, even if it’s yourself, drop me a line to your website!
This month’s feature is Sean Petrilak!
- To start, please tell us a bit about yourself. What’s your story?
Sean is an interesting fellow, torn between what he’s doing and what he wants to do. But, let’s start with the basics. I was raised by a family of artists; more specifically animators, whom urged me into practices other than art. Other interests of mine mostly involved science- astronomy, biology, geology, that sort of thing. But we know better as to what happened.
I liked comics and going to museums, looking at all the masters; but most of all, I L-L-LOOOOOVE movies. I wanted to be a part of them in ANY way, but I wanted to be artistically involved after seeing all of the work the art department puts into them. Once I saw the Making of Jurassic Park book when I was 13, I knew I wanted to make STORYBOARDS!
I’m a bit diabolical and am using my skills as a storyboard artist to achieve my secret passion of being a director. I think the reason I would like to direct is that I enjoy working on a film in every aspect. I cherish every part of it and want to be involved in it.
- How long have you been creating?
I was born with a 36 pack of Crayola Crayons. Why 36 and not 24? 24
doesn’t have that teal that I like so much. There was a full sketchbook with me in there as well. How did I get a sketchbook in there? I don’t know. Doctors say that I may have constructed it from the fiber that my mother passed to me as nutrients. I’m pretty sure my mother’s uterus is marked-up like a caveman’s wall.
- What inspires you?
Anything strange, ugly, or utterly fantastic inspires me. Usually my sketchbook is filled with people with great “character”. My figure drawing instructor and best friend, Sheldon Borenstein, once told me “The only people ever worth drawing are beautiful people and ugly people”. I favor the “ugly”. There’s something beautiful about all of that character. Pretty people bore me. If a royal subject were to bring me the fairest maiden (dumbest) in the land, I would turn my head, yawn, and daintily wave them off.
Other things that inspire: 70’s cinema (the golden age of photography), music that goes unheard by the populous, robots, zombies, puppets/animatronics, B-boy dance, adrenaline rushes, live orchestra music, Sergio Leon flicks, hiking in the hills and surveying God’s work.
- Choosing the “ugly” over the “beautiful” – is that just your tastes and you’ve never really thought about it, or is it a purposeful choice in response to the oversaturation of the media with the plastic, cookie-cutter beauty?
You know, that’s a great observation. I just like things that are different. Sometimes I just scour the earth, looking for something I’ve never seen before, to get inspired. I do get tired of the cookie-cutter look. It’s tiresome and not special. I find that to be true with film, but especially TV. Give me Danny DeVito, give me character! I want to see a REAL person with wrinkles that give expression and not some 30-something guy or girl shot-up with Botox!
- Please describe your creative process (the how, the when, materials, etc.).
I get a crazy idea. I go for a walk, listening to music (sometimes the crazy idea happens on the walk). I’m thinking about a scene and letting the right music inspire the shots. Now here’s the part that makes parents grab their children’s arms tight when passing by me: when I problem solve, I move my hands how the shots and actions play out. I give the 1,000 yard stare and manipulate the scene in my head with my hands. I look like a bad raver. It’s a method I use to place my characters in a scene, move them, and move the camera.
I know the scene well and draw-out all the thumbnails for it. Other times, I’ll just sit down and write-out everything; all the actions, descriptions and dialogue. Then I’ll do thumbnails. Once you have the thumbnails (little pictures no one could decipher, but you), it’s done! All you have to do is draw it. Drawing is just the muscle, the power comes from Da Brain!
I love the conceptual process. If you sat a camera down next to my desk while I made up a scene/story, you would see me stare wide eyed at my wall thinking for several minutes, then suddenly burst into maniacal laughter.
- Do you get a lot or a little input from the directors/film people you do storyboards for? How involved are you with the way a scene is shot?
Some directors will give you creative input on the front-end of the project, but it’s really up to you to make it fantastic. Sure, it is pressure. You’re also trying to appease many people in high places in the production with your boards.
So what do I do to give it the Midas touch? I am in the scene. Remember the hands thing I do? Pretty much the same thing. I close my eyes and I’m the camera. I can see, feel, smell, hear my environment. I act as a person observing the scene. If you know the characters well, they’re going do what they’re going to do. You should know their acting choices. My job is to be the best observer I can to tell the story. I like props a lot. They’re storytelling tools and something I’m genuinely interested in. I like to figure out how things work and what they’re good for. You can see it in my boards. I love to utilize props and let the characters manipulate their environment. Why does this method work? IT FEELS REAL.
- Your process is pretty detailed, from thumbnailing to actual visualization before you even hit the paper. Is this just for the storyboarding, or do you also go through this process with your conceptual and illustration work?
I’m going to use the old 90% preparation and 10% execution here. If I could, I would spend all my time in the conceptual stage. I hate seeing a project finish, because I know that there’s always something I could have explored. But you need to move on.
I have a different way to approach each project, even between two storyboard projects. Each project is as unique as a spot on a puppy’s tongue. Strange analogy, but let’s roll with it. Each project has different needs and has a unique finish. True masters of their craft, like David Lynch, are true to this. Just try to compare Mulholland Drive and The Elephant Man.
I think illustrating is a glorified version of sketching, and that’s why I love it so much. You can explore a new way to accomplish something every time you do it. Of course, you have to love doing it; otherwise your work is going to suck.
- What’s your biggest artistic disaster to date? How did it help you progress? What’s your favourite piece that you’ve done?
Fortunately, all of my biggest artistic disasters happened at school. Being an art student is funny. All I did in school was fail and I graduated Cum Laude. My pitfalls were due to my endeavors of grandeur. I often made something intense and epic, but the payoff would fall flat. If I kept it simple, the audience reacted. Ah-ha! I would make these convoluted stories that involved too many elements, and people were looking at their sketchbooks or asleep by the time the lights went back on.
My favorite pieces are my original stories involving relationships and the quirks and heart behind them. They are things that people recognize in their own lives. Those animatics can be found on my blog; like “Villains”, “The Veldt”, “A Boy and His Dog”, “Drake Goldstein, Jewish Cowboy Senator vs. The Nazi Zombie Teddy Bears” – you know, the warm-hearted ones.
- What’s the best advice you were given when starting out?
Try everything. Be open-minded and acquire lots of skills, and you’ll never be out of work. I’m applying it now. I’ve worked in web animation, games, live action feature, music videos, ads, TV animation, poster illustration, this, that, and not least – the other.
- Do you have any advice to give others?
Yeah, do the same. Also, get some good mentors. Have some people who are light years ahead of you who aren’t timid of kicking your ass!
- So it sounds like the Art School experience was beneficial to you. Would you say that, if not an actual art school, being involved with other artists of varying levels is a good experience for all artists to have (kind of ties in with your find good mentors comment)?
Let me tell you why I had a great art school experience. My professors were more like mentors and the academic curriculum allowed mentors from outside the school to dictate assignments as well. So was it art school or a collection of mentors? I think I got lucky. I happened to be friends with a professor at SJSU, Sheldon Borenstein, and found exactly what I was looking for. What a price too! I shopped around at a lot of private art schools and they didn’t bear nearly as much fruit as this one. I was looking for schools on an international level as well.
Can’t afford art school? That’s okay. Put yourself in some local art institutions and start going to shows, exhibits, whatever. Meet some people who you think you can really feel comfortable with and are kind enough to look at your work. Artists like to share and be a part of their community. It’s not asking a lot to look at a portfolio or invite some kid to a cool show and meet some more awesome artists. I found out through my mentors, that if you show enough interest and are willing do some hard work for them, they like keeping you around. It’s a reward for everyone.
- What’s coming up for you; any big plans artistically?
I’m investing in some production equipment to start making some short films of my own. You know, showing my mug around the snooty film world and then tearing it all down to rebuild it the way it should be. So, I’d better get crackin’!
- Recommend 3-5 artists the rest of the world should know about.
Igor-Alban Chevalier; aka The Black Frog: A fantastic concept artist who tackles a range of styles and approaches when he gets bored of them. I find myself to be in the same situation. I have work that looks like mine and friends say that I definitely have a story style. However, I get bored with one way of doing something. Look at my online portfolio, you’ll see what I mean.
Maurice Noble: Everybody can learn something from Maurice, the animation design Guru. He was Chuck Jones’ right hand man. Graphic designers, vis-dev and background artists and fine artists can take a lot from him. I had the extreme pleasure of being his friend before he passed and going to Comicon with him one year.
Ken Adam: the Grand Pubah of production design. From James Bond to Kubrick movies and beyond. He’s the Frank Lloyd Wright of film.
Alfred Hitchcock (yes I know you know him…or do you?): He’s probably the most influential figure in my craft. I have dozens of books on him. He’s an enigma, wrapped in a riddle, covered in old crusty toothpaste in an old duffel bag stuffed under your bed. Know him, know cinema.
- Where can people find your work?
http://seanpetrilak.blogspot.com
Google me..somethings gotta pop up!
That was an awesome feature. Thanks to Sean for taking the time to answer my questions! He’s a really funny guy to talk with, so go to his sites, find him on Twitter, and check out his work!
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