Where In The Dump Have I Been?

I've spent the past 4 years pushing through what has been one of the most challenging things I've ever done.  I finished directing my first feature film entitled "Unicorn City".  It's a romantic comedy that I co-wrote with my brother (and a lot of feedback from our father).  The best way I can explain the experience is by saying it was like giving birth to an Alaskan bull moose.  Nearly killed me and my family, but dangit, I love my bull moose and didn't want to put it down.

It was a huge adventure that was made possible by Ken and Patrice Bretschneider, whom I love dearly.  They financed the film and were gutsy enough to invest in the Leflers.  Ken was an Executive Producer along with my father, Tom Lefler.  My older brother, Adrian, produced along with Courtney Russell.  I directed, co-edited, and storyboarded. 

You can check out the website here:  

 http://www.unicorncity.com/

Watch the trailer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V7BZy-dCyc 

 

Movie Poster

  DVD and BluRay Cover

You can purchase the film at Amazon, ITunes, Blockbuster On demand, CinemaNow.  It should roll out to Hulu, Netflix, and Zune in a bit, as well as Redbox.  Check it out, I know you'll like it!

(Below are some life drawings I've done but never posted.)

 

I started drawing some of the models as caricatures to help me look for the larger, more simplified shapes.  It was also fun to do something different for a change.

 
Every time I look at this one I hear a voice in the back of my head say, "Next time remember the arms.  Arms are good.  People like arms.  Everyone will think he fell victim to playing around a wheat thresher."

15 min gesture

15 min gesture

Sustained pose, about 2 hrs.  I like some things in this one.

15 min gesture

15 min gesture

30 min gesture... see what I mean!  The moment I think I have more time I start noodling and it ends up looking like a pile and worse than the 15 minuters above.  Aaarrah!

Fidelity investments bic pen and paper

45 minutes
15 minutes

Directors Alfred Hitchcock and John McTiernan

Here are two sketches I did while waiting for stuff to render at work.Hitchcock. Love this man. He had patience in his films, which is exactly what most films today lack. Most films today are really long frenetic commercials. Without silence you have no noise.

John McTiernan. Predator and Die Hard changed my life. I was so captured by these films when I was young, so pulled into the world, that I had to figure out how he did it. No one moves the camera like McTiernan. I really want to have him over at my place to grill him a slab of beef and chat film.

Recent Figure Drawings

Some Gestures

5 minute gestures. I haven't sat down and really concentrated on gesture for some time. It was extremely frustrating, but to focus on purely tracing the figure was quite refreshing. When I was a just a wee lad I was always noodling the life right out of my drawings in the attempt to make them as realistic as possible. It wasn't until college that I was challenged to interpret, and it was shortly there after that my brain melted. I've always had a very hard time loosening up and still do. I get in and focus directly on the details. Most of drawing sessions consist of me slapping my hand and saying "Yo, cornhole, loosen up!"

Recent life drawings

Went to the UofU for Saturday's life drawing session. It felt so good to draw for three hours rather than the standard two hours at that we do at work.

A really fun face to draw.

She had some augmentation going on.

Life Drawings Again

I started in on this knowing that I wouldn't have the entire 2 hours to work on it. Alas, my boss came in sooner than I had antcipated so I had to abandon it after about 30 minutes.

Still exploring with charcoals. The upper left side is evidence of my inability to contain this particular charcoal. It doesn't take much to push it away. If I burp I'll lose a full value.

My good friend Casey. She looks drowsy because she hadn't self medicated with diet coke yet ;)

Still haven't found my groove with charcoal and canson paper. Right now I feel like a gimpy kindergartner who can't seem to finish the arts and crafts hour without mess covering himself from head to toe. I remember having this out of body experience with this drawing. I seemed to be yelling at my hand, "A constant stream of "pile" is flowing from your finger tips! What are you doing?" But my hand would not obey.

I'm happy with this one. I'm realizing that the more I draw the more screwed up my drawings get. I had a clear idea of what I wanted before I started and I think that is why this one worked for me. All the others feel eager and sloppy to me.

Trying some things and going more graphic here.

This one is a mess. Typically, with any drawing I do, I always hit the "crap" point. That is where I don't think I can make it look any crappier and then it's just work to bring it up and out of the funk. This one is still riding the tide in the quagmire-ish bog of stink.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! Especially to those four noble souls who actually view this blog.

Here is something I just finished and posted on my work blog. It took me forever to complete it because I've been so swamped. Today I got up at the butt crack of dawn and came in early just to get it done. I hope you like it.

I wish everyone a safe and fun Halloween and happy diabetes to us all.

Life Drawing

Another life drawing I did a week or so ago. I've been using a dark gray nupastel that's a bit too soft for my liking. I've only ever used nupastel with my life drawings and because of that I've never had the full value scale. Everything I've done feels high key so the next stuff I post should be charcoal. I'll put it up even if it sucks.

James Franco

This is a pencil sketch I did today. James was unlikely subject matter for me, not for any other reason than he's good looking. I try not to discriminate and give uglies, hotties, freaks, and frumpies all the same amount of screen time. However, good looking people can be a drag to draw because they all look alike; what with being pressed from the same Hasbro plastic mold. James, however, has some good characteristics so I had a good time and good challenge with it. I have a friend who has worked with James on some films and says he is a real good guy... and then I thought, "Well, I'm a good guy too. So what's stopping us from being friends". I mean, heck, it really isn't a stretch to think that James could see this, call me up, and then fly me out to LA to play some Nintendo Wii and to become his newest BFF.

The other reason I drew James is because he reminds me of my younger brother Mason. Yes, he's that good looking.

Life Drawing Unfinished

The lesson for this week is to never be late to a life drawing session, especially 2 hours late.

Sweet Annie Bell

Nacho Libre and Jack Black

Life Drawing and Gesture

We (Avalanche Software) had a great model on Friday. She wore her hair in this great throwback to the 50's style and was a lot of fun to draw. It was a breath of fresh air. It's been a long time since I've felt I'm anywhere near to what I should be doing with life drawing. I've gone so long without practise so this session gave me hope. Because I'm in the story department at work I sometimes feel like my abilities are draining out of me, through my seat and onto the floor. It feels so good draw and I need so much more of it.