I'm happy to unveil the all-new MattBusch.com! Below is a list of updated sections, including some brand new areas! Of course, you can always just explore it for yourself by clicking the banner below and heading there right now!
CHIT HAPPENS.
This is the main section for news, chit, and chatter. One of the biggest changest you'll see is that the main page is much more user-friendly, and the headline news is right there, rather than having to fish for it. As well, you'll notice ARTIST, WRITER, and FILMMAKER buttons at the top. This customizes the headline news for you, in case you only want to see news in a specific area.
WE'VE GOT BUSCH!
This section is about yours truly, as a professional, or lack thereof. The BIOGRAPHY has been updated with new info and pictures. The CREDITS section has also been updated. One of the brand new features on the site is on the ABOUT MATT page. Recently I was interviewed by Brandt Keller. We had a great time and a really interesting conversation.
T & A (TECHNIQUES & ART)
This section is dedicated to aspiring artists, or folks interesting in seeing how I work. In addition to the Darth Maul tutorial on the STEP BY STEP page, you'll also see related news on where you can find cool drawing and painting tips around the web.
One of the biggest additions to the site is the all-new STUDIO TOUR, which takes you inside my home and Planetmatt headquarters. This is a really neat look at how I work... And play. You see the serious stuff like my office, art studio, gallery, recording studio, and product warehouses. You'll also see how I relax in my bar, mini-movie theater, and classic video game arcade.
POP GOES THE CULTURE
Here you'll find all my updated Online galleries, complete with all-new un-cropped an re-sized thumbnails. Nearly 100 new pieces have been added to the SKETCHES, GALLERY, and STAR WARS sections! The new stuff is on the top page, but each also has new re-archived pages, for those who like to dig deep.
FORBIDDEN PLANETMATT
This section is geared towards several of my creator-owned properties, like CONJURE, ALIZARIN'S JOURNAL, and DARIA JONTAK. The CRISIS page also has a link to the first couple pages of the illustrated screenplay. You can read through, check out the storyboards, and if you like what you see, you can get the book in the ONLINE STORE!
BUY SEXUAL
Finally, a new working version of the ONLINE STORE is up and running, and of the first time ever, you can use your credit card to make purchases- quickly and safely! At the moment, there are only 9 featured items, however, a more complete version of the store will open on March 1st, 2008! And every order comes packed with freebies, including this new MattBusch.com vinyl bumper sticker! What else will you get? It's too hot to mention, but rest assured the SWAG will be sweet!
THE LIBERAL MEDIA
This whole section is brand new. In MATT AUDIO, you'll find several radio interviews, with some new podcast chats on the way. In BUSCH VIDEO, you'll find a select group of video shorts from my video channels on MySpaceTV and YouTube. One of the new sections I'm really excited about is DOWNLOADS, where you'll eventually find cool games and items to customize your computer or avatars.
Right now, for the first time ever, I've got 8 really nice WALLPAPERS you can pimp your desktop and screensavers with. Each image is available in three sizes for you to choose from! Another brand new feature are 4 PUZZLES featuring my artwork! These are so fun to do! Seriously, I've already spent hours having fun with these!
ALL-DAY COMFORT AND SUPPORT
Firstly (and a first for me) is the new F.A.Q. page. I don't want to discourage you from saying hi or asking anything, but if you do have a question, please check here first as I may have it answered already! There's a new TOUR DATES page where you'll be able to see where I'll be and when. The LINKS page is updated and so is the CONTACT page, if you want to get in touch with me.
Phew! That's quite a checklist of new things to check out... Anyway, I hope you like the new look and feel. Thank you all so much for all of your support over the years. Seriously. I hope you guys celebrated as much as I did last night!
With no further ado, check out the new site by clicking the image below!
You Can Draw STAR WARS... The DVD??!! I'm really excited to finally announce that the first arc of How To Draw STAR WARS episodes will be available on DVD format!
You might have seen the Press Release floating around Online this weekend... But if not, here it is:
"YOU CAN DRAW STAR WARS" THE DVD- UNVEILED AT CELEBRATION 4!
LOS ANGELES, CA-- On May 24th, DK Publishing will unveil a new DVD titled "You Can Draw STAR WARS", a pseudo-supplement to the book of the same name, released earlier this year. The DVD is hosted by notorious STAR WARS artist Matt Busch, and collects all seven episodes that were previously available Online at KidDK.com and StarWars.com, though now on DVD at four times the resolution. While intended to promote the existing book, the video episodes feature all-new material, and have already found much praise from aspiring artists Online.
Produced in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd., DK Publishing, and Busch's own production company- Planetmatt Entertainment, these episodes are a far cry from boring step-by-step tutorials you'd expect to see. With cutting edge storytelling, editing, and even special effects, the episodes are entertaining to even non-aspiring STAR WARS enthusiasts, as you'll see guest appearances of stormtroopers, jawas, even Artoo Detoo. A sense of humor remains consistent, and one fan favorite episode has Busch doing a hilarious parody of legendary Bob Ross, painting a "Happy little interigation droid..." The arc of episodes reveals the enitre process of creating a limited edition STAR WARS poster, which will also be unveiled by Busch in L.A. on the 24th.
Busch also produced nearly 400 drawings and paintings for the book You Can Draw STAR WARS, which was written by Lucasfilm's Bonnie Burton (who also narrates episodes on the DVD), and co-illustrated by Tom Hodges. Comments Busch, "My two greatest professional loves have been teaching and illustrating for STAR WARS, so the opportunity to combine these loves has just been the most fun I could possibly have." Currently a professor in the Media + Communication Arts Department at Macomb College north of Detroit, Michigan, Busch has written, illustrated, and contributed to dozens of other published books and magazines both on developing illustration skills as well as how to break into the industry.
Mostly known for his vast work with STAR WARS products over the years, Busch has also worked with such Hollywood properties as LORD OF THE RINGS, THE MATRIX, G.I.JOE, THE CROW, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, THE HULK, and STAR TREK. He has also worked with numerous music acts, creating art for such names as OZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE COOPER, BILLY JOEL, BEASTIE BOYS, JESSICA SIMPSON, KID ROCK, FOO FIGHTERS, and MOTLEY CRUE. Busch also recently wrote and directed his first independent movie CONJURE, which was released last year by Razor Digital Entertainment, shattering records in the Indie Horror genre. You can find out more about Matt Busch at MattBusch.com.
DK Publishing will be giving away 500 limited edition copies of the You Can Draw STAR WARS DVD to fans attending the CELEBRATION 4 event, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from May 24th through the 28th. The event marks the 30th Anniversary of the original STAR WARS movie which exploded onto the box office in 1977. In addition to multitude of festivities, Burton, Busch, and Hodges will be signing books, and even hosting drawing workshops at designated times. Fans interested in getting a promotional copy of the DVD should stop by DK's booth (#825) or Matt Busch's (#11 in the Art Show) to get details!
A 2-minute trailer of You Can Draw STAR WARS can be found on YouTube HERE.
The complete set of web-quality episodes can be downloaded for free HERE.
Find out more about how you can get a promotional copy of the DVD at DK's site HERE.
How To Draw STAR WARS Preview on YouTube! There seemed to be a glitch with my post yesterday- trying to embed the YouTube file directly here... Not sure why it didn't work... So Let me try this again- linking directly to the page... :)
There's a brand new 2 minute preview of the How To Draw STAR WARS video series on YouTube, hosted by yours truly!
How To Draw STAR WARS Video Episode V: WASH PAINTING! Well, a new episode of How To Draw STAR WARS is now up. I thought that today I'd share with you some behind-the-scenes images of what goes into making an episode...
It's been a wonderful ride so far- only three episodes left. It's kind of neat, because the overall arc of the episodes is to show the full creation of a 30th Anniversary STAR WARS poster, yet when you break down each individual episode structure, it has it's own beginning, middle, and end.
It's making me have a newfound respect for TV shows. While I can't compare these 7 minute Episodes to a show like LOST, I'm really intrigued at the effort that goes into making each Episode its own little mini movie. There's a larger story going on, yet each Episode is a satisfying piece of the puzzle. I'm finding so much inspiration with that.
Here I am playing director for this Episode, shot at the Moscone Center in downtown SanFrancisco.
So, Episode 5, WASH PAINTING, finally begins the color painting stage on the poster. It's the first half of my process, and shows how I make my under-painting with acrylic washes. The Episode also touches on PROCRASTINATION, and even covers using an AIRBRUSH!
You'd be surprised how much work goes into a single shot- which just ends up being seconds of the final product.
Did I say that this Episode has Stormtroopers?! "Nothing to see here... Move Along... Move along..."
You can download the latest Episode HERE right now... FOR FREE!
SKYWALKER RANCH DRESSING I've got some cool photos from Lucasland, and, as promised, I've got some photos sharing the journey to
SKYWALKER RANCH!
After our "You Can Draw STAR WARS" book signing for Lucasfilm employees, we had a few more places to check out at the Presidio before heading off to the Ranch...
Here I am hanging out with Artoo Detoo at INDUSTRIAL LIGHT and MAGIC! Yeah, I've got the Vader tattoo, but Artoo is actually my favorite. Come on now, getting an Artoo tattoo wouldn't be very manly, now would it...
Certain areas of ILM were off limits since they were hard at work on the upcoming TRANSFORMERS movie. However we did get to see a lot of the offices and cool archives on display. And yeah- they had Jar Jar frozen in carbonite. :)
Back in the Lucas Online offices, I fell in love with this little guy. Taxidermy Biker Scout.
Lots of photos and the journey to Skywalker Ranch behind the cut!
How To Draw STAR WARS Video Episodes NOW ONLINE! At last! The first two episodes of How To Draw STAR WARS, hosted by yours truly, are now up at DK's site!
EPISODE I: PREPARATIONS gives a quick tour of my illustration studio. It also covers some of the basic tools, talks about thumbnail compositions, and multiple ways to collect reference. As well, it shows a sneak peek at me drawing DARTH VADER for a 30th Anniversary poster of STAR WARS!
EPISODE II: LIGHT AND SHADOW gives a glimpse of the new book, You Can Draw STAR WARS! The focus of the episode shows you how to render light and shadow over form, then how to illustrate a complete full value monotone composition. It then gives a sneak peek at drawing STORMTROOPERS!
Check them out Right Now! Click on the image above!
You may need the latest version of Quicktime, if you don't have it already... Also, these episodes are approximately 7 to 8 minutes long, so be patient and wait for them to fully download.
The MATT BUSCH CHANNEL on YouTube! I've been a busy little beaver. I've just completed Episode 2 of the HOW TO DRAW STAR WARS video shorts, and have just begun on the third, which should be the most entertaining to date... I'm so excited for you guys to see them.
They should be debuting at DK's site very soon, with a few episodes also running on Amazon.com... Eventually they'll make their way to StarWars.com once a healthy portion of Episodes are complete. After that, they'll make their way to YouTube, MySpace Videos, and everything else.
Speaking of YouTube, I've finally uploaded some older videos for anyone to see. Some of these are on my Fantastic Visions DVD that was released in 2003, though some are newer and haven't been released yet.
There are a couple STAR WARS animated galleries, as well as one for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA... Both Episodes of the CRAZY MARK TV Show I was on... Two music videos featuring my pin-up work... Animated trailers for both CRISIS and ALIZARIN'S JOURNAL... Me rockin' out on stage with the band EVEN THE ODD, and even my bloody cameo in the zombie movie BERSERKERS!
Anyway, check some of these out. You can rate the videos, leave comments, and even subscribe to the Channel to be notified of when I put new videos up.
You can enjoy all the fun by going to www.YouTube.com/MattBusch , or just click HERE to go to the MATT BUSCH CHANNEL directly!
It is the "Little Miss Sunshine" of my life! Little Miss Sunshine, the laugh out loud comedy, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and written by Michael Arndt is an inspired work of comedy, acting and cinematography. ( A Sunshine Day )
I wanted to give the heads up on my brother's new short film DEAD INSIDE, which can now be seen on both the SCI FI CHANNEL and the SUNDANCE CHANNEL's websites!
DEAD INSIDE is an intense and emotional short film about an isolated man who struggles with his loneliness and uses technology to overcome his depression. The film is just over 6 minutes long with credits. My Brother Ian did an incredible job with- and he's already won an international screenplay award for this! It's definitely worth checking out!
I don't know if this would be an added incentive to check it out but yours truly also has a 'blink-and-you'll-miss-me' cameo to look out for. Well, don't look TOO closely or you'll see that I'm wearing my "Lucasfilm Ltd." jacket! ;)
So- Here's the deal. Ian could really use your support. DEAD INSIDE made it into the SCI FI CHANNEL's Exposure Contest. 100 films are selected and every week 10 films are showcased online. Each week those 10 films on display get narrowed down to one winner per week by votes. This week Ian's film DEAD INSIDE is one of the 10 films being showcased!
See DEAD INSIDE HERE at the SCI FI CHANNEL's website.
You can also see it HERE at the SUNDANCE CHANNEL's website.
Simply select the film DEAD INSIDE and submit your vote. You can vote as much as once per day per computer on the SUNDANCE CHANNEL site, and once per person on the SCI FI site. (It will ask for you name, email, etc to keep votes from being duplicate.)
If DEAD INSIDE gets the most votes this week, it will make it into the top ten. The top ten films are eligible for really incredible prizes that would really help my brother out!
Please go watch DEAD INSIDE and vote for Ian's film!
And when you finish and want to learn more about my brother, check out his website HERE at IanBusch.com.
This is the new pic for the Matchflick "Guess that Movie" contest.. Anyone know what movie its from? I have gotten the last two ones but I'm pretty much clueless on this one!
L.A. Filmmaker Friends! Come out and say hi! Hey, my fellow filmmaking LiveJournal friends- if you live in the Los Angeles area, come on out to DARK DELICACIES next weekend! Sarah and I will be there on SUNDAY, March 12th from 2pm to 4pm...
You're not obligated to buy anything, just come on out and say hi. I'd love to talk shop. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.
Of course, we will also be promoting my new movie CONJURE, and you'll be able to get it on DVD there for the first time anywhere. Sarah and I will also have a ton of original art on display, plus STAR WARS posters, The CROW wallscrolls, and tons of other exclusives. We'll also have freebies and prizes too, and you certainly don't have to buy anything.
Just come out and say hi at the very least!
You can get more information and directions at DarkDel.com.
Can't make the get-together in Burbank, California? You can still Preorder CONJURE right HERE at HorrorMovies.com and own it for just $9.77 (that's less than a single movie ticket in most states)! And- everyone will be entered into a drawing where 8 lucky winners will receive ORIGINAL PIECES OF ARTWORK by yours truly! One of those pieces is a vibrant full color painting I did for the STAR WARS book "VADER: The Ultimate Guide" that came out last year.
The official movie website has also just been updated, so for the latest (and to download the trailer) head on over to ConjureTheMovie.com!
The CONJURE Screenplay I'm a big fan of screenwriting. I love the format. I love reading them, I love writing them. I have a process that I enjoy as well.
Usually I start with crazy notes and sketches scattered throughout a sketchbook, but the story initially comes together in the form of index cards. It's a neat way to lay out all of the elements you want to include in your story, and then you can see whee you need to tie up loose ends. It's funny- because I've always done this naturally, but in the last few years have read books and interviews with established screenwriters that also do that. And here I thought I was the only one who had this crazy way of crafting my stories together!
Anyway, what's odd about the CONJURE screenplay is that it was extremely unconventional, in terms of the way it was put together. The very first idea of CONJURE came about with an opportunity to shoot part of my independent movie at a killer location in Hollywood. I had full access, incredible sets and props, but only a limited number of weeks to do it. After a week of brainstorming on scraps of hotel stationary, I started filming my independent movie. No script. Just partial dialogue scattered on scraps of paper. The movie was written and re-written throughout six nine months of shooting in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, New York, and my home town of Macomb, Michigan.
I would never suggest putting your movie together this way.
That being said, I'm extremely proud of how the story and overall movie came out! It's the best story I could've done. I was able to use my creativity with the limitations I had to film the movie. Next time, though, I'll be taking my time with the index cards, to plan everything out ahead of time. That way shooting won't last nine months! :)
Without giving any of the story away, I wanted to share with you the titles of CONJURE's 13 Chapters, as they'll be presented on the DVD.
CONJURE
1. Pursuits as an Individual
2. The Day I Met Her
3. The Creative Process
4. Embracing the Darkness
5. Something's in the Basement
6. Dark Manifestation
7. Casa Del Diablo
8. They Whisper at Night
9. Trapped in the Castle
10. Matt's Secret
11. Sarah's Transformation
12. The Confrontation
13. A New Beginning
Speaking of the movie, it comes to DVD this March 28th from Razor Digital Entertainment! If you're interested, you can Preorder CONJURE right HERE at HorrorMovies.com. Right now they are running an incredible sale price of just $9.77! And- EVERYONE who preorders will be entered into a drawing where 8 lucky winners will receive ORIGINAL PIECES OF ARTWORK by yours truly!
Of course, you can always find out the latest on CONJURE, and download the trailer at ConjureTheMovie.com!
What happens when an official STAR WARS artist makes his own movie? Many of you may know me for the STAR WARS illustrations I do, but you may not be aware of my first Independent movie called CONJURE, which I wrote, directed, and produced myself. The movie comes out on DVD everywhere March 28th from Razor Digital Entertainment. As you can guess, I'm pretty excited about it!
The movie itself isn't a whole lot like STAR WARS, or even Sci-Fi. It's a creepy Supernatural Thriller. HOWEVER, there are tons of STAR WARS references and connections that I think many SW fans will enjoy.
In it, I play a real-life licensed STAR WARS artist. There is even a sequence in the movie where I talk about STAR WARS art, and it shows many pieces- all which were approved by Lucasfilm to be in the movie, of course! The movie also stars Sarah Wilkinson (pictured below) who also happens to be an official STAR WARS artist.
There are plenty of STAR WARS Easter Eggs and nods to look for. In fact, Anthony Daniels (See Threepio in the STAR WARS movies) himself has a cameo!
Speaking of the movie, it comes to DVD this March 28th from Razor Digital Entertainment! If you're interested, you can Preorder CONJURE right HERE at HorrorMovies.com. Right now they are running an incredible sale price of just $9.77! And- EVERYONE who preorders will be entered into a drawing where 8 lucky winners will receive ORIGINAL PIECES OF ARTWORK by yours truly! In fact, Some of it includes official STAR WARS art!
Of course, you can always find out the latest on CONJURE, and download the trailer at ConjureTheMovie.com!
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