Brandon Schaefer is a US-based designer. His website is www.seekandspeak.com, and many of his movie poster designs, including the Star Wars poster we're focusing on here, are available as prints from the Richard Goodall Gallery in London.
The particular poster we're looking at is Brandon's design incorporating an iconic visual element from the Death Star battle scene in Star Wars. I find the poster absolutely great. Like a lot of recent original movie artwork, this poster assumes that you know the movie pretty well—no need to show actors' faces or a key scene. Rather, this design celebrates the small details in a movie that we know and love—in this case, a visual detail many of us probably hadn't even thought about in isolation before.
I really enjoyed getting to know Brandon as we chatted back and forth over email recently. Here is some of what we talked about:
Tell me about
your
development
as
an
artist—where
did
the
interest
start,
where
did
you
go
to
school,
which
artists,
styles,
periods,
etc.,
have
been
most
inspiring
for
you?
Well,
my
family
has
a
background
in
the
arts,
with
my
dad,
uncle,
and
grandfather
all
having
gone
to
art
school
at
some
point.
It
was
something
that
was
always
encouraged,
even
if
it
wasn't
your
strong
suit
(and
believe
me,
drawing
was
not
necessarily
my
strong
suit).
I
wound
up
falling
into
design
after
reality
set
in
that,
unless
Marvel
switched
to
a
stick-figure-inspired
line
of
comics,
I
wouldn't
be
drawing
the
X-Men
any
time
soon.
I
was
more
competent
with
a
computer,
so
that
allowed
me
to
go
to
college
and
learn
the
other
side
of
the
coin—the
thinking,
problem
solving,
and
history—so
that
there
is
a
context
for
all
of
the
styles
you
get
exposed
to.
I've
been working as a freelance graphic designer for the past few years,
and before that worked at a local marketing firm not long after
graduating college with a degree in design. Short of a small stint in
delivering furniture, design has been something that's surrounded me
on a daily basis.
Is
there
an
artist
whose
work
you
wish
your
own
work
could
be
more
like?
In
terms
of
craft,
I
don't
think
so.
Everything
has
a
different
story
and,
most
of
the
time,
I
try
to
focus
in
and
honor
that
rather
than
try
and
consistently
force
a
brand
or
style
on
things. Bob Gill's approach
to
design
is
really
smart,
though,
so
I
always
strive
to
create
something
that
comes
from
that
same
intelligent,
witty
place
as
him.
Is
there
another
time
period
where
you
think
you'd
fit
in
well,
or
are
you
comfortable
where
you
are?
Maybe
the
1950s/60s,
only
because
I
can
identify
and
sympathize
with
a
lot
of
the
design
philosophy
that
was
being
generated
around
that
time.
Someone
would
need
to
outfit
me
with
a
computer,
though,
otherwise
I'd
be
backed
in
a
corner
and
stuck
delivering
milk
or
something.
This
wasn't
a
time
travel
question,
was
it?
What's
the
most
thrilling
part
of
your
work
as
an
artist?
What's
the
biggest
frustration?
The
idea
that
the
work
can
always
change
and
never
become
repetitive
is
exciting,
especially
when
you
realize
that
the
alternative
could
be
something
repetitive,
monotonous,
and
soul-sucking.
As
for
the
biggest
frustration?
Self-doubt,
closely
followed
by
the
realization
that
sometimes
enthusiasm
exceeds
ability.
Do
you
have
a
“typical”
way
that
you
create
a
work,
start
to
finish,
or
is
it
different
every
time?
I
always
spend
a
fair
amount
of
time
beforehand
pacing
around,
thinking,
and
scribbling
doodles
into
a
notebook.
Otherwise,
the
actual
building
changes
from
project
to
project,
but
with
the
consistency
of
my
butt
always
being
in
a
chair
in
front
of
a
screen.
I
do
bring
other
mediums
into
my
work
when
I
can,
but
more
often
than
not,
it's
the
continuing
saga
of
love/hate
relationship
between
me
and
my
chair.
When
you
create
movie
posters,
do
you
see
that
as
part
of
your
“official”
work,
or
is
it
something
that
you
do
just
for
relaxation?
Is
your
thought
process
and
method
the
same
as
with
any
other
work?
Everything
tends
to
fall
into
the
same
place,
work
or
not.
My
process,
the
excitements
or
the
frustrations,
it's
all
interchangeable
if
the
project
is
for
a
client
or
for
myself.
Relaxation
is
saved
for
leaving
the
house
or,
barring
that,
staring
at
the
TV,
haha.
Was
your
SW
illustration
a
commission,
a
challenge
from
a
friend,
purely
your
own
motivation...?
Personal.
What
were
some
of
your
stylistic
inspirations
for
the SW
arts
you
created?
I'd
say
the
only
real
inspiration
for
any
of
the
Star
Wars
stuff
I've
fiddled
with
was
on
the Empire Strikes Back poster,
where
those
curved
bars
that
bordered
the
poster
were
a
reference
to
the
old
Kenner
toys
from
the
80s.
I
really
like
how
you've
taken
an
iconic
image
from Star Wars
that
people
don't
even
consciously
think
of
when
thinking
about
the
movie,
and
put
it
front
and
center.
I'd
say
it's
so
simple,
except
that
no
one
else
has
thought
of
it
before.
When
people
look
at
your SW
poster,
what
are
some
things
that
you
hope
they'll
notice
and
appreciate?
Thanks!
It's
not
much,
but
I
hope
people
get
the
reference—what
it
is,
where
it
comes
from,
and
what
it
means.
I
have
a
feeling
fans
will;
a
broader
audience
might
be
trickier.
Talk
about
one
moment
in
the SW
movies
that
you
find
visually
really
satisfying.
There's
this
really
small
bit
in Empire,
during
the
duel
between
Luke
and
Vader.
It's
before
they're
fighting
on
the
catwalk,
one
of
those
small,
quieter
moments
where
Luke
is
walking
forward . . . and
then
all
of a
sudden
Vader
lunges
from
out
of
the
shadows
right
at
him.
Again,
it's
small,
but
that
image
of
Vader
towering
over
a
battered
Luke,
trying
to
hold
his
own,
it's
probably
one
of
my
favorite
moments
in
the
trilogy.
What
is
one
part
of
the
SW
movies
that
you
wish
you
could
re-design?
I'm
sure
everyone
has
this
same
feeling,
but
I'd
like
to
go
and
take
out
some
of
the
awful
changes
that
have
been
made
over
the
years—the
recent
"Vader
NOOO"
debacle
from the blu-ray included.
Is there anything you
wish
George
Lucas
knew
about
visual
art?
(related
to
the
movies,
the
merchandising,
DVD
covers...)
Honestly,
I
think
his
visual
sense
is
fine.
There's
a
lot
of
terribly
designed
merchandise,
posters,
DVD
covers,
but
at
the
same
time,
there's
a
lot
out
there
about
it
that's
good.
It's
hard
to
find
films,
or
franchises,
that
you
can
say
the
same
thing
about.
A
lot
of
times
you
only
get
one
side
of
it,
and
that
tends
to
be
the
horrendous
looking
one.
What
is
your
favorite
“official”
SW
illustration?
(poster,
McQuarrie
concept
art,
comics...)
That
piece
of
concept
art
by Ralph McQuarrie
with
Vader
closing
in
on
Luke
Starkiller,
decked
out
in
breathing
apparatus.
With
everything
available
everywhere
instantly
on
the
Internet,
and
trends
coming
and
going
so
quickly,
how
can
any
of
us
believe
that
our
arts
preferences
and
tastes
are
original?
Do
you
struggle
with
“being
original,”
or
is
that
something
you
don't
even
think
about
when
you're
working?
In
one
way
or
another,
everything
is
a
remix
of
something
else,
so
outright
originality
isn't
as
important
as
it's
usually
made
out
to
be.
The
way
people
interpret
the
past
while
combining
that
with
the
new
while
having
a
point
of
view . . .
that
has
the
potential
to
create
something
different.
I
try
not
to
worry
about
being
original
as
much
as
having
something
to
say
that's
appropriate to
whatever
I'm
working
on.
Talk
about
some
ways
that
art
builds
community.
Does
your
work
reflect
who
your
circle
of
friends
is
at
the
moment?
Has
the
exposure
your
posters
have
received
via
the
Internet
made
you
feel
part
of
a
wider
community
of
like-minded
people,
or
has
it
really
made
little
difference
to
you
personally?
A
lot
of
designers
I
know
surround
themselves
with
like-minded
people
and
build
communities
off
of
a
shared
appreciation
for
art
and
design,
which
reflects
back
on
their
work
and
their
habits.
I
envy
that,
but
only
a
bit.
Most
of
my
friends
that
I
see
on
a
regular
basis
aren't
artists
or
designers,
so
I
live
in
a
larger
vacuum
than
some
other
people
out
there,
and
I
guess
in
a
way
that
gets
reflected
back
in
how
I
treat
the
visual
side
of
things
(a
bit
lackadaisical).
As
for
the Internet
itself,
it's
allowed
me
to
connect
with
some
wonderful
people,
but
on
the
whole,
it's
been
more
of
a
reminder
of
how
under
the
radar
I
am
in
the
grand
scheme
of
things.
As
you've
looked
at
others'
movie-inspired
artwork
on-line,
have
you
seen
any
skill-related
errors
or
sloppiness
that
you
wish
you
could
help
people
avoid?
I'm
my
biggest
critic,
so
I
have
a
very
tough
opinion
of
myself
and
what
I've
created.
I'll
always
look
back
the
day
after
something's
done
and
think
that
I
need
to
do
better
next
time,
regardless
of
the
quality.
With
that
said,
I
wish
something
could
be
done
about
the
spread
of
poorly
designed
minimalist
movie
posters.
It
might
sound
crass,
but
I
honestly
believe
that
if
the
people
behind
them
weren't
so
enamored
with
the
idea
of
bandwagoning
on
a
trend,
they'd
be
able
to
look within
themselves
for
an
original
point
of
view
that
could
lead
to
some
surprising
directions.
I
do enjoy a lot of the minimalist posters that have been created in the
last couple of years, but you're right that in some cases "minimalist"
seems to stand in for "quick" or "simplistic."
There's a fine line between, on the one side, subtle, elegant, and
right-on, and on the other side gimmicky or novel for the sake of
novelty, isn't there? Sometimes a basic outline or silhouette or
small detail works, other times not. What do you think about guiding
principles for discerning good designs from bad?
The
minimalist posters are a bit of a can of worms. When there were few
people doing them in the beginning, the main thrust came from
exploring puns, limitations, and the distillation of ideas down into
something potentially iconic. The posters shared some similar strands
of DNA, but the execution varied, and the designers themselves seemed
to be more concerned with toying with an off-hand approach rather
than creating a singular vision for how posters could be done. Now
you have minimalist posters popping up everywhere, and they become
hard to defend because most of them are done without a desire for
exploration in terms of craft and communication.
It's
tough. Part of me thinks that everyone should do whatever they
please, but at the same time, it's tough to see attention given to
work without much thought or effort, while carefully crafted pieces
with a human touch and a personal point of view are less appreciated.
It's not a popularity contest, but it's still a shame. That's not
something that's exclusive to poster design, though, but there it is.
I
agree
with
you,
that
when
the
first
few
minimalist
poster
designs
showed
up
on-line,
it
was
really
exciting
to
see
people
trying
out
a
very
new
way
of
envisioning
the
SW
mythology.
With
those
first
ones,
it
didn't
matter
so
much
(in
a
way)
just
how
well
they
were
done,
because
the
whole
idea
was
new
and
interesting.
But
now
that
so
many
original
posters
and
artwork
are
appearing,
the
standards
have
to
go
up.
The
basic
idea
isn't
quite
enough,
because
it's
not
surprising
or
unexpected.
So
skill,
craftsmanship,
the
amount
of
time
that
seems
to
have
gone
into
the
creation,
originality
(some
posters
are
more
or
less
direct
imitations
of
existing
work)—all
of
this
weighs
in
probably
more
than
the
idea
itself.
For
me,
it's
kind
of
like
back
when
I
was
in
high
school,
and
Timothy
Zahn's
Heir
to
the
Empire
book
trilogy
was
published.
My
best
friend
and
I
were
at
Waldenbooks
on
the
day
that
each
book
came
out,
ready
to
buy
it
in
hardcover—because
it
was
the
first
new
SW
material
in
years,
officially
approved
by
Lucasfilm,
and
we
were
so
psyched!
But
now . . . the
publishing
niche
that
Zahn's
books
helped
to
spawn
(thrawn?)
is
not
something
I
have
any
interest
in
dipping
into,
and
even
Zahn's
story
seems
pretty
silly.
In
the
same
way,
the
standards
for
what
I
want
to
see
in
original
artwork
have
certainly
matured
over
the
last
couple
of
years.
It's
more
pressure
for
the
artists,
and
it
means
the
amount
of
total
work
will
keep
increasing
while
the
amount
of
truly
good
work
remains
at
a
smaller
percentage,
but
it's
the
natural
path
for
things
to
take.
I
know
what
you
mean
about
the
Zahn
stuff,
although
I'm
afraid
I
missed
the
release
boat
on
them
by
a
few
years
(Star
Wars
didn't
become
a
huge
interest
for
me
until
around
1994;
Crystal
Star
was
the
big
one
at
that
stage
of
the
game).
It's
weird
looking
back
on
it
all
now,
and
how
a
lot
of
it
was
easier
to
digest
at
the
time
because
it
was
something
new.
Time
seems
to
change
these
things,
for
better
or
worse.
I
think
for
the
better,
since
my
appreciation
for
the
original
trilogy
has
changed
given
the
direction
that
my
interests
shifted
over
the
years
(looking
at
its
relation
to
film
history,
or
the
Joseph
Campbell
connections,
etc.).
What
advice
would
you
give
a
young
artist?
I
think
that
we're
all
just
making
this
up
as
we
go
along.
But
that's
no
excuse
to stop
learning.
To order a beautiful, professional-quality print of Brandon's poster, click here.
I find your Color Way SW posters really
eye-catching and intriguing. I like how you emphasize the fundamental
color palette of each character, and I love the use of white space
for a subtle, refined, elegant look. When people look at your SW
artwork, what are some things that you hope they'll notice and
appreciate?
What is your favorite “official” SW
illustration? (poster, McQuarrie concept art, comics...)
