Author: Rob
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The Sara Jones Cycle – Dead In Time
Dead In Time is first book from the The Sara Jones Cycle, a paranormal thriller written by Terence Bailey, it’s published by Accent Press. The book focuses on a psychologist based in London and Wales, so these places were the main sources of images used in the visuals. The main essence of the brief was that this was…
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Focal Press Books 1
Focal Press is a publisher of media technology books and it is an imprint of Routledge, itself an imprint of Taylor and Francis. These two books are by the same author and feature a similar design style, not quite the same but near enough. Although the sleeves are not part of a series, I feel they benefit from having a familiar…
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David Fulton Books 1
David Fulton is a book publisher that specialises in education and produces textbooks for trainee teachers, practical books for classroom practitioners, and research and scholarly books for the international academic community. I’ve been working on some of their academics titles that have recently been published. The selection here features images of children, it’s surprising that finding good, contemporary shots of British schoolchildren is so hard, it’s…
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David Fulton Books 2
Another section of books from the Academic publisher David Fulton. These mainly feature abstract images in use with text. With Computing and ICT in the Primary School, the final sleeve actually removed the dots in the background, however I think this makes the sleeve to flat, so for my own purposes I’ve reinstated them!
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Let Your Children Break The Rules
Let Your Children Break The Rules: How To Create Young Entrepreneurs by Hazel Davis and Hugh Wilson is a forthcoming title from Accent Press. A nice bright vibrant cover to accompany the content, Let Your Children Break The Rules was briefed with a fantastically detailed summary of the book. Sometimes, it’s not necessary to have all the text,…
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Smoke Chaser Series – Wildfire
Wildfire is the first in the Smoke Chaser series of books published by Accent Press and written by Annabel Allan. This is the first fiction book I’ve worked on. Again a thorough sleeve brief from Accent, left me with a clear design style that I wanted to follow; create something clean and contemporary. The most challenging aspect of this…
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Knight Of Cups Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
Knight Of Cups is from Terrence Malick, the visionary director of The Tree of Life and To The Wonder, and stars Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Natalie Portman. It tells the soul-searching story of a screenwriter living amongst the excesses of Los Angeles. The American poster art for this one varies quite considerably from the UK theatrical artwork that was…
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Hiroshima Mon Amour Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
Hiroshima Mon Amour is Alain Resnais’ 1959 groundbreaking first feature, a springboard for the French New Wave movement and its influence continues to this day. Featuring Emmanuelle Riva and Eiji Okada it’s the story of a brief and passionate affair in post-war Hiroshima. This was a catalogue release for the 4K restoration of the film. The visuals for…
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Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 Blu-ray Steelbooks
The critically acclaimed films from ground-breaking writer and director Quentin Tarantino. Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 follow the story of The Bride, played by Uma Thurman, and her hunt for revenge. These Bu-ray steelbooks were adapted from flat international artwork. They were retouched and resized to account for the additional copy and the extraordinary 10mm bleed needed for…
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Hannibal Season 3 Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
I’d worked on Seasons 1 and 2, so it was just a matter of time before Hannibal Season 3 came out of the shadows. I’d been keeping an eye out on the artwork that was being teased when the series was screened and it was a bit of a different mood to the first and second series…
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Hannibal Season 1-3 Boxset Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
Hot on the heels of Season 3 (well, done at the same time actually), came the Season 1-3 boxset. Featuring all the usual suspects, the challenge for Hannibal Season 1-3 boxset was to use some new imagery, or treat something existing in a new way. The original images from the first season had been used…
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Mon Roi Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
Released on Bu-ray and DVD comes Mon Roi. Seemingly a straight-forward artworking of the theatrical poster, there was quite a bit of work on different concepts for the sleeves, but ultimately the director was set on keeping the original image. The grainy nature of the sleeve reflects the fact that the main image has been enlarged quite a…
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The Happiest Days Of Your Life Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
Creating the artwork for The Happiest Days Of Your Life on Blu-ray and DVD O-rings was a pleasure to work on. Featuring the wonderful actors Alastair Sim, Margaret Rutherford and Joyce Grenfell, it also features artwork by the brilliant Ronald Searle. The artwork is based on a old poster that featured the illustrations of Ronald Searle, however, this artwork only existed…
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School For Scoundrels Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
Enrol at the wacky College of Lifemanship where a senior host of great British comedians teach a completely uproarious course on how to come out tops in any social situation. Study with Alastair Sim and learn his valuable hints on the art of comic One-upmanship. Follow his expert advice to victimised Ian Carmichael about romance and you’ll be a top class pupil…
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Lion In Winter Blu-ray and DVD packaging
Lion In Winter is a Vintage Classic from StudioCanal, featuring a very impressive cast of (the Oscar Winning) Katharine Hepburn, Peter O’Toole, Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton. Filmed in 1968 and directed by Anthony Harvey it’s the story of King Henry II’s obsession with finding a new successor to his thrown. I originally worked on…
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Pool Of London Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
I enjoy working on the Vintage Classic titles, some can be a real challenge with limited assets, while others have some really lovely old archival posters that cry out to be used. With Pool Of London I loved the original title treatment, but I was little sceptical about using the poster image at first, however, I’ve grown to…
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Payroll Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
A Vintage Classic from StudioCanal, Payroll is a 1961 British crime thriller starring Michael Craig and Billie Whitelaw. Payroll has got a couple of lovely, if poor quality, shots with beautiful ‘film noir’ lighting. This is a film that I had previously worked on, and the assets were exactly the same, so it was just a case…
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The Sound Barrier Blu-ray and DVD packaging
The Sound Barrier is a StudioCanal Vintage Classic title. Directed by David Lean and written by Terence Rattigan. Starring Ralph Richardson, Denholm Elliot, Ann Todd and Nigel Patrick, the film is about the men who challenged the speed of sound. I like the simplicity of the sleeve, but the subtle elements the background ‘blueprints’ bring to the design. The…
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Shocker Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
His name was Horace Pinker, a psychotic TV repairman sentenced to death for a series of sick and twisted murders. But it’s after his execution by the electric chair that the real trouble starts. Having made a deal with the devil before his death, Horace Pinker has now transformed into an evil energy source capable of travelling through electrical currents…
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Leaving Las Vegas Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
Working on the artwork for Leaving Las Vegas brought back some fond memories of watching this on it’s release. It features Nicolas Cage in an oscar winning performance and Elisabeth Shue as two disenfranchised souls. It’s an emotionally demanding and extraordinary film that was directed by Mike Figgis and received 4 Oscars and 4 Golden Globes nominations. The artwork brief was to use the existing…
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Indochine Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
The packaging for Indochine is a straightforward adaptation of the French artwork for the brand-new restoration of this film. Available early in 2017 on Blu-ray and DVD in O-ring sleeves, the film is a multi-award-winning masterpiece by Régis Wargnier and features Catherine Deneuve and Vincent Perez.
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I’m All Right Jack Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
A StudioCanal Vintage Classic, I’m All Right Jack stars the mighty Peter Sellers, Ian Carmichael and Terry-Thomas (he of the double-barrelled ‘uniname’). With a great supporting cast that features the likes of Dennis Price, Richard Attenborough, John Le Mesurier, Irene Handl, Margaret Rutherford and Liz Fraser. Directed by John Boulting it’s a satirical comedy lampooning the issue of industrial…
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Red Sun Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
Billed as the first East meets West Western, and directed by Terence Young, Red Sun is based on a true story from the American Wild West of 1870, when paths cross for an outlaw (Charles Bronson), a gunfighter (Alain Delon), a prostitute (Ursula Andress) and a Samurai warrior (Toshirô Mifune). Red Sun uses an old Spanish…
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Darling Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
Darling is a Vintage Classic from 1965 starring the stunning Julie Christie and also features Dirk Bogarde and Laurence Harvey. I was supplied with some good assets for this title, some nice posters and still photographs. The supplied posters were classic 1960s poster I’ve seen referenced in books, however, in the end we wanted to move…
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Comfort and Joy Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
Comfort and Joy wasn’t a film I was familiar with when I was sent the assets to work on. But when I saw the original artwork of a man with an ice cream on his face and I knew I couldn’t go far wrong! The original poster used different colours, but we wanted to use…
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A Chorus Line Blu-ray and DVD packaging
I remember A Chorus Line from my childhood. Growing up in a family that were very much into dance and amateur dramatics, I especially remember my older cousin being into it although most of it went over my head (and at that time in my life, it really didn’t feature enough football or computer games for…
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Catch Me Daddy Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
The wonderful Catch Me Daddy Blu-ray and DVD packaging was an incredible experience to work on. I can’t take any credit for the actual design for this, but my experience in dealing with print, hopefully meant the artwork printed as it intended! With three spot fluorescent Pantones, a ‘Micromotion’ varnish, a white plate and printed on rainbow…
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Before I Go To Sleep Blu-ray and DVD Packaging
A title from the archive, Before I Go To Sleep was a pretty straight adaptation from the theatrical artwork and was released way back in 2015 on Blu-ray and DVD with O-ring sleeves. The only issues I remember on this one, was getting the type to work on the faces. The poster artwork placed the type over the faces but…
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’71 Blu-ray and DVD packaging
I started working on the initial packshot for ’71 back in August 2014 and the final artwork files have just been sent. It’s rare for me to spend so long on an individual title (unless the delays are due to production issues!). The Blu-ray and DVD packaging has gone down a slightly different route to the Steelbook release. Although using the…
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’71 Limited Edition Blu-ray Steelbook
I was anticipating that this artwork would be sent off in 2014, but a few last minute tweaks pushed this back and therefore, makes it my first StudioCanal home entertainment artwork to go off in 2015! A Limited Edition Steelbook for the Blu-ray release of ’71, the imagery is based on the theatrical artwork. Initially we did…
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Hannibal Seasons 1 and 2 Blu-ray and DVD packaging
Following on from Hannibal Season 2, I’ve recently completed the box set packaging for Hannibal The Complete First and Second Seasons on Blu-ray and DVD. I had originally created a number of different visuals for the outer slipcases, as well as using some shots from the original promotional photo shoot, I tried to feature the art from the season 1 with the art from season…
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Hannibal Season 2 Blu-ray and DVD packaging
Hannibal Season 2 (Starring Mads Mikkelson, Hugh Dancy and Laurence Fishburne) artwork files have been uploaded in preparation for the second course! The latest instalment of everyone’s favourite cannibal(!?) will be available on September 22nd on Blu-ray and DVD, both featuring 4 discs, they contain all 13 episodes. Having originally worked on season 1, it was nice to carry…
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Swallows and Amazons DVD and Blu-ray sleeves
Another Vintage Classics sleeve for StudioCanal, Swallows and Amazons is the 1974 film adaptation of Arthur Ransome’s novel. Set in the 1920s, the story tells the tale of four children and their adventures on board their boat, the Swallow, whilst on holiday with their mother in the Lake District. The brief was to modernise the existing sleeve (it…
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Under The Skin Blu-ray and DVD sleeves
Under The Skin is released on Monday 14th July and I can’t wait to see the final versions on the shelves. The artwork was developed into Blu-ray and DVD O-ring sleeves, as well as regular case inserts. The Blu-ray version features a black case and a slightly shorter length O-ring to make the black case visible. Having been…
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North Korea book cover
A book cover that I recently designed for the lovely folks at Zed Books, North Korea: A State of Paranoia is written by Paul French and is an in-depth examination of North Korea’s history and politics. It’s recently picked up book of the week in The Daily Telegraph, you can read the review here. For the sleeve design, I initially looked…
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Army of Darkness Limited Edition Steelbook
The Army of Darkness Blu-ray Steelbook artwork has been sent off to Scanavo for printing. Featuring two of the original posters on the outer and a still from the film on the inside, this was a relatively straightforward adapt from some previous artwork I had designed. I originally completed the DVD and BD versions of this back in 2008 and it was one of my…
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Under The Skin Limited Edition Steelbook
I’ve had the pleasure of working on the limited edition Steelbook for Under The Skin. It’s a retailer exclusive and it’s already sold out. I loved the film, it’s beautifully disturbing and disturbingly beautiful. Under The Skin starring Scarlett Johansson, is Jonathan Glazer’s critically-acclaimed third feature after Sexy Beast and Birth. It gets released on BD and DVD…
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Sexuality and Social Justice in Africa book cover
Sexuality and Social Justice in Africa by Marc Epprecht, was sent to print almost a year ago – where does the time go? Part of the acclaimed African Arguments series for Zed Books, it’s an accessible overview of the issues surrounding homosexuality in Africa. The sleeve takes on the signature gritty and earthy look that is…
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An Inspector Calls – 60th Anniversary Edition, BD Sleeve
The most recent of the Vintage Classics I’ve worked on for StudioCanal, this BD and DVD O-ring release celebrates the 60th Anniversary of An Inspector Calls. Featuring the brilliant Alastair Sim as the inspector and directed by Guy Hamilton, this is the film adaptation of J.B. Priestly’s book and has been digitally restored. I originally worked…
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Languages of the Unheard PB sleeve
The lovely folks at Zed Books have been supplying some interesting briefs recently and Languages of the Unheard was no exception. Written by Stephen D’Arcy, this is a daring philosophical text about a controversial subject. The editors wanted to avoid the use of the handmade/stencil aesthetic and have a more elegant look. The set of visuals I created incorporated some…