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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2020 1:45 am
by weyn
After my
Rear Window cover I rewatched some old Hitchcock flicks and wanted to keep the creative flow going
I'm kicking off this thread with
North by Northwest. The next one will probably be
Psycho just to be in time for the 60th Anniversary Edition release next month, eventually followed by
The Man Who Knew Too Much.
[attachment=44237:nbnw_01.jpg]
Note that the current state of the front key art is intermediate at best but you get a general idea of the layout. In particular I'm wondering if the TT works like that.
Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2020 6:48 am
by Speedz0r
Fantastic work so far, I have nothing to add. Awesome work on the TT imo, very creative

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2020 8:49 am
by Paris
nice start!
- there's no character my eye really settles on- too many different eye lines from actors and monuments. Change Cary Grant's eyes to be looking at the camera to give the viewer some stability in what could be a busy image
- There's way too much going on in the composition - a lot of good pieces, but too much together. Simplify with depth of field - blur out the background, and maybe find a different image of the monuments for a clearer, wider image - feels like clip art with the sharp details? Blur with depth of field should help. Remove the guys on the top of Jefferson, and maybe find a different way to put in the plane? it's not flowing with the composition atm
- Also I think what could help unify the cover is lighting? The light on the fg and bg are both very neutral, and it's not reading as "night" to me, seems uncanny. There's an amazing Casablanca cover in the HRC that has great use of colored rim light. I think blue rim light and warm key lights would be the way to go to sell night and bring these images together?
Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2020 9:32 am
by bazzah
Excellent layout and I really like the title too. I am sure when you have finished with the imagery, it will look as good as they always do

Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 3:57 pm
by yodamjh
love this so far!
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 1:25 am
by weyn
Thanks for all the inputs, especially Paris.
Ditched the airplane (will save it for the back), rearranged almost every single element on the front, enhanced the Mount Rushmore images thanks to AI, added a full moon and started with rim lights and color grading. For now I set everything in a blue hue. I'm thinking about a 2nd color, probably a complementary to the blue.
I'll also try to change his eyes as suggested so that Grant is looking directly into the camera.
[attachment=44255:nbnw_02.jpg]
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 1:27 am
by M0vieM0nster
Looking a lot better now and well i think we're all pretty sure the final cover will be awesome

Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:41 am
by bazzah
Awesome update buddy. And that moon is a really nice addition. I also like the new compass. I love the way you have reduced the background details to enhance the main characters as the focal point, but do you think it would work if you brought some of the details back in a little bit? For example, the trees and Mount Rushmore look like they have lost too much detail to me. Or would that ruin the focal point you have created?
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2020 9:03 pm
by Paris
Good update! Maybe push the night look a little more? And make Cary a little more front and center - Eve may need an image of her also looking at camera? There are already two giant heads looking to the left, and it feels odd to also have her look left.
[attachment=44261:post_459...99096235.jpg]
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2020 11:30 pm
by weyn
Will post an update soon. I like the idea with the boosted tones, especially blue. I'll also try to find a shot of Marie Saint where she faces in another direction, possibly towards the camera. Not so sure about the enlarged Cary Grant. Don't wanna cover the Rushmore heads too much. It was already a pain in the a$$ to arrange them properly beforehand.