Hugh Marchant's photostream  

“We are generally the better persuaded by the reasons we discover ourselves, than by those given to us by others.”
(Blaise Pascal, 17th Century Physicist)

Welcome.

Hopefully this collection of work will give you an idea of my experience and interests. I'm a writer and designer working in project development and screenwriting, storyboard and concept design, art direction and animation.

I'm inspired by music, film and architecture and as a designer I try to emulate the creators I admire, such as Hermann Warm and Walter Reimann (Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1919) and Erich Kettelhut (Metropolis, 1927).

I enjoy the production design of Ken Adam on Dr. Strangelove and the old James Bond movies, Dean Tavoularis on Apocalypse Now, Charles Rosen on Taxi Driver, Mentor Huebner and Syd Mead on Blade Runner, and Anton Furst on Batman.

I'm a big fan of comic artists like Walt Kelly, Moebius, Eric Powell and Paul Pope.

For twenty years I've written screenplays while finding work as a freelancer in the entertainment industry. My employment background includes music videos, advertising, animation and feature film production.

I've worked as a character designer on 3D elements for a Hallmark mini-series of Moby Dick, the Forest Interactive computer game Khufu and the Becker sci-fi feature film Subterano.

Subterano is on record as one of the top ten best Australian Science Fiction films, which is because there are less than ten of them. It is an Alan Smithee film.

I've been extremely fortunate to work with Christopher Kennedy on "The Proposition" in 2004 and in early 2008 "The Road" based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning best seller by Cormac McCarthy.

Thanks for your time.
Hugh



PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS – AWARD; YEAR; TITLE, ARTIST and DIRECTOR - (MY CREDIT):

• San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Cinematography 2009:
THE ROAD - Cinematographer: Javier Aguirresarobe - Director: John Hillcoat - (Concept Artist)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQScPdcBnc

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_(film)

• SoundKILDA Music Video Competition 2006:
Best Music Video; BROKEN BONES - Artist: Blackchords - Director: Kasimir Burgess – (SpFx Design/Construct)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=e319EHE9Akg

• AFI Award for Best Production Design 2005:
THE PROPOSITION - Screenwriter: Nick Cave - Director: John Hillcoat, Production Design by Chris Kennedy - (Concept/Storyboard Artist)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7V-CW_SUos

www.imdb.com/title/tt0421238/

• IF Award for Best Production Design and Best Film 2005:
THE PROPOSITION - see above.

• AFI Award for Best Film 1995:
ANGEL BABY - Director: Michael Rymer -
(Preproduction Storyboard Artist)

www.imdb.com/title/tt0112362/

• AFI Award for Best Animation 1995:
MEMORIES AND DREAMS - Director: Lynn-Maree Milburn -
(Art Director for Animation)

www.imdb.com/title/tt0107550/

• Open Craft Award for Innovation in Form 1993:
MEMORIES AND DREAMS - see above.

• Logie Award for Best Australian Video 1992:
SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY BABY
Artist: John Farnham and Jimmy Barnes -
Director: Paul Goldman - (Production Designer)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwYLChM1zaY

• MTV Award for Best Video by Male Vocalist 1989:
VERONICA - Artist: Elvis Costello -
Director: Paul Goldman - (Art Director)

• AFI Award for Best Production Design 1988:
DEATH IN BRUNSWICK -
Director: John Ruane - (Set Dresser)

www.imdb.com/title/tt0101692/

• AFI Award for Best Production Design 1987:
GHOSTS OF THE CIVIL DEAD -
Director: John Hillcoat - (Buyer/Dresser)

www.imdb.com/title/tt0095217/






Here's a chronology of early film (and other) experiences...

1963 - Earliest childhood memory: Watching my Grandfather's home movies in a small cinema (with footlights and rows of seats) that he built under his house.

1965 - Saw Blake Edwards' "The Great Race" at the Manchester Unity Building's Capitol Theatre about fourteen times on Saturday nights with my parents - I still laugh when Jack Lemmon, with only half a moustache, slips off a wobbling wafer-thin ice-floe into the Arctic drink.

1968 - My parents took me to see Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" at the Trak cinema. My father got a headache and never ever went into a cinema again.

I purchased "The Making of 2001" at Space Age Books in Swanston street.

1971 - Somehow I got to see "A Clockwork Orange" - not at all what I expected, which is good.

1975 - Attended "Planet of the Apes" movie marathon at the Balwyn cinema - all five films, back to back. From really good to really bad in five easy steps.

End of year arts study week, watching dozens of films, including "Psycho", "Dr. Strangelove", "Easy Rider", "Blazing Saddles", "The Hellstrom Chronicles", "The French Connection", "The Magnificent Seven", "Lawrence of Arabia", "Bonnie and Clyde", "Catch 22", "Midnight Cowboy", "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid", "Soylent Green", "Duel" -

Unfortunately, the projector was not equipped with an optical converter, so the images had anomorphic compression - it was a strange way to see Charlton Heston call out "Soylent Green is people!".

1976 - Martin Scorsese releases "Taxi Driver" - I was under age, but I got in anyway. One of these days I'm going to get organisized.

1977 - Made my only horror film - writing, directing, acting, editing and projecting the final nine minutes (3 rolls of Super8) for an audience of the cast and crew, who insisted on petting thru-out the screening.

Saw "Sweet Movie" at Valhalla - this is a unique film, check it out:

www.imdb.com/title/tt0072235/

Also, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" at the Barrel Cinema, which was a like an endless bus ride to hell, four seats wide with a gangway down the middle. The film was looped, so you paid your money and walked in whenever you wanted. You watched the film thru, and then it started all over again, so you could watch the beginning and whatever else you missed - nobody cared how long you stayed, so long as you didn't throw anything sticky at the girl with the feather boa... I'm kidding, there was no girl, just that film, like a blood-shot eye staring into you... crazy.

1979 - Saw "Apocalypse Now". It was something else, with The Doors and napalm in the morning. I like Joseph Conrad's "Heart Of Darkness", and still never finished "Moby Dick".

Enrolled in Graphic Design at Swinburne, with some idea of entering advertising, driving a Porsche, playing guitar and taking very long erotic lunches.

That didn't work out - changed my field of study and entered the Post-Graduate course in Film and Television Production.




CONDENSED EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

STORYBOARD ARTIST, 20011/1990:

• Art Director/Props Buyer on CHUM dog food "Crunchy Chum Dry" and "Chicken Minis" TVC's.

• Concept style frames for VIOLET TOWN, television series in development by Clayton Jacobsen.

• Production Designer on Australian Equity Insurance "Eye On The Future" Australia Day TVC's.

• Concept Artist on Boags Beer "House Boat" TVC.

• Concept style frames for BINARY, feature film in development by Clayton Jacobsen.

• Art Direction on TVC's for GMH "Cruze" and "Road Ahead" TVC campaigns.

• Set Design & Construction on the "Strongbow Season" Tree Of Chairs TVC.

• Concept style frames for TVC's on Cadbury and EPA campaigns.

• PreProd Concept Art – 2929 Productions; Style Frames for THE ROAD - Directed by John Hillcoat

• PreProd Storyboard – Queensland Film Commission; action sequences for THE PROPOSITION - Winner AFI and IF Awards for Best Film and Best Production Design 2005

• PreProd Storyboard - Doll Coll, Toyota's Good Sports campaign

• PreProd Storyboard - Doll Coll, Jim Beam's Stay True campaign

• PostProd SpFx Storyboard - Becker Films, SUBTERANO

• PreProd Storyboard - Upside-Down Films, THE MISSING

• PreProd Storyboard - Black, Qualcomm and Peugeot TVC

• PreProd Storyboard - Astral Films, ANGEL BABY

• PreProd Storyboard - Whoshotthat? 2000 Olympics, ARL, EPA, Honda, Telstra campaigns

• Designer/Storyboards - Magnus Nankervis, for Mars, Pepsi, Puma, 7-11 campaigns





CONCEPT DESIGNER, 2009/1990:

• Concept Design - 2929 Productions, THE ROAD - Director: John Hillcoat/Based on the Booker Prize winning novel by Cormac McCarthy

• Concept Design - Forest Interactive, character designs for Khufu (DVD gaming character)

• Concept Design - Queensland Film Commission, design construction of 1860’s bush architecture for
THE PROPOSITION - Director: John Hillcoat/Based on the AFI Award winning screenplay by Nick Cave

• Concept Design - Directors Group, devise and construct sp/fx for Outdoorworks campaign

• Concept Design - Directors Group, devise and construct sp/fx for Singapore Hotels campaign

• Concept Design - Becker Films, design sp/fx for SUBTERANO

• Concept Design - Disney Special Events, creating Hercules, Pooh and Mickey Fest promotions




RESEARCH and DESIGN, 2005/1990:

• Research - Doll Coll, compiling visual reference for Vodaphone campaign

• Research and Design - GTV 9, recreating historical documents for WW1 documentary POZIERRES

• Research and Design - Lost Films, recreating period newspapers for docu-drama LOST




SPFX/SET DESIGN, 2009/1990:

• Props and Dressings for the Earth Choice bio-degradable detergent

• Props and Dressings for the GMH Holden Cruze & Road Ahead Campaign.

• Set Construct and Paint FX - SUMMER PARADE Nestle Drumstick Icecream TVC by Directors Group

• Set Design & Construct - IT"S STRONGBOW SEASON Apple Cider TVC by Exit Films

• SpFx Design/Construct – Adrian Moses - BROKEN BONES music video by Blackchords

• Set Construct and Paint FX - ADDICTED TO YOU music video by Atria Teenage Riot

• Set Design - Automatic Films, design and construct for QUEEN OF THE DAMNED - 3 x music videos

• Sp/fx Design - Mothers Art/Hallmark Films, designing sp/fx for mini-series MOBY DICK

• SpFx Design/Construct - Becker Films, design and sculpting of creature effects for SUBTERANO

• Art Director - Knox Design, set design and construction for short film TRAPPED




SET DRESSING, PAINT EFFECTS, 2000/1990:

• Set Dresser - Julie Stone Productions,
MEMORIES AND DREAMS

• Set Dressing/Paint Finishes – SPOTSWOOD

• Set Dressing/Paint Finishes – DEATH IN BRUNSWICK

• Buyer/Set Dresser - Outlaw Values,
GHOSTS OF THE CIVIL DEAD - Director: John Hillcoat/Based on a Jack Henry Abbot novel IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST

• VEGETABLE WRANGLER – Director: John Ruane/Based on a Raymond Carver novel FEATHERS

• Buyer/Set Dresser - KLM, assisting on production of post apocalyptic short film SMOKE ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM




MUSIC VIDEO HISTORY, 2006/1990:

• Production Designer, Art Director, Storyboard Artist, Location Manager, 2nd Unit Camera on Mushroom Records, The Rich Kids Inc; RML Productions and City Films -
Elvis Costello, Billy Bragg, Kylie Minogue, Crowded House, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham, Diesel, INXS, Kate Cebrano, The Models, The Reels, etc; more recently Blackchords and Atria Teenage Riot.




MISCELLANEOUS, 2004/1990:

• Animation Camera - Doll Coll, camera operation/stills animation for CUB campaign

• 2nd Camera - City Films, documentary footage of the Diesel 's Live Sessions documentary

• 2nd Camera - City Films, shooting documentary footage of the Big Day Out

• 2nd Camera - City Films, shooting documentary footage of Billy Bragg’s tour

• Animator - Julie Stone Productions, assisting on MEMORIES AND DREAMS

• Director – King Mob and Ghost Films, music videos for The Models, Mannikins, The Reels, Max Q




SCREENPLAYS and WRITING:

2007
• Completed second draft of NAUTILUS RISING

2006
• Completed first draft of NAUTILUS RISING
• Completed second draft of THE IDEALISTS

2005
• Continuing development THE IDEALISTS screenplay

2004
• Script Consultant - SUBURBAN MAYHEM - King Mob

2003
• First draft of THE IDEALISTS

2002
• First draft of SWEETCORN HEARTS

2001
• First draft of THE ZIPPER CLUB
• Script Consultant - development notes for
ONE PERFECT DAY - Lightstream Films.

2000
• Second draft of WAGES OF BEER with Chris Kennedy, edited by Tony Watts, funded by the AFC

1999
• 90 Page treatment of BLUE ROCK screenplay, devised by Chris Kennedy

• Script Consultant - King Mob Films, AUSTRALIAN RULES
for Director Paul Goldman

1998
• First draft of WAGES OF BEER screenplay with co-writer Chris Kennedy

1997
• First draft of 70,000 word novel DEEPDOWN
submitted to Random House

• Short treatment of DAISY CHAIN screenplay
for Director Kerith Holmes

1996
• Sixth draft of HIDING BILLY, edited and funded by City Films

• First draft of 60,000 word manuscript of GOODBYE BONRITZ, heavily illustrated travelogue/memoir with a collection of 150 collages

1995
• Fourth and Fifth drafts of HIDING BILLY, edited and funded by City Films

• Submitted three episodes for TWISTED TALES television series at GTV 9

• Develop an extended treatment of LODESTAR
for Director John Hillcoat

1994
• Third draft of HIDING BILLY, edited by John Ruane and funded by Film Victoria

• Research and conceptualize LODESTAR screenplay

1993
• Two drafts of LITTLE WISDOM
with co-writer Paul Goldman

• Second draft of HIDING BILLY, edited by Karin Altmann and funded by Cinemedia. The script is optioned by City Films, Executive Producer Daniel Scharf

1992
• Three drafts of NOT MUCH LESS THAN ANGELS, funded by the AFC edited by Director Paul Goldman and Producer Craig Griffin - City Films

1991
• First draft of HIDING BILLY, adapted from a novel written by Kevin Curnow. Funded by Film Victoria's New Writers Fund and edited by Daniel Keene
Producer Daniel Scharf (ROMPER STOMPER) and Kim Lewis (AFC) take script to Cannes




COMMENTS BY CONTRIBUTING SCRIPT EDITORS:

You! You’re bloody useless…
Tony Watts, Script Editor/Screenwriter 2000

Hugh is real a find. He is absolutely serious and...
I am in awe of his professionalism and determination.
Karin Altmann, Chair Person/Australian Writer's Guild 1994

Hugh's ability to write visually strong and complex scenes was clear from the beginning... This uncompromising depiction is no small achievement.
Daniel Keene, Script Editor/Playwrite 1991





SESSIONAL TRAINING HISTORY, 2007/2001:

• Sessional Trainer - Regional Learning Network

• Guest Speaker – Sth Gippsland Youth Film Festival, Industry Discussion Panel and Script Workshop

• Sessional Trainer - Swinburne TAFE, Media Theory and Projects by Research, ADMM 1 and 2

• Guest Speaker - Swinburne TAFE, Industry Knowledge, Cert II in Computer Animation

• Sessional Trainer - Swinburne TAFE, Media Theory, ADMM 1

• Sessional Trainer - JMC Academy, Storyboard Illustration, Module III

• Sessional Trainer - Swinburne TAFE, Writing for IM, Professional Writing - School of Social Science

• Sessional Trainer - Swinburne TAFE, Writing for Interactive Multimedia, EDIM 2 - Art and Design Dept;


EMPLOYMENT HISTORY (GENERAL), 2006/1987:

• Graphic Designer - Magnus Nankervis Agency, design and storyboards for Mars, Pepsi, Puma and 7-11 campaigns

• Market Researcher - LGA, compiling feedback from Sydney/Melbourne advertising agencies

• Effects Painter and Furniture Restoration – Graham Geddes Antiques (Sydney/London/Paris)





VOLUNTARY WORK:

• Teacher’s Assistant (Media Studies, yrs 10/11) at Templestowe College 2006

• Design and Construct props for La Mama’s production of Sam Sejavka's Mysterium 2004

• Panel Member judging the MIFF Best Short Film Competition 1996

• Yarra Valley Reclamation Initiative,
Manningham District 1995

• Art Director for ARC environmental protection TVC 1994

• Set Designer/Painter for The Tin Lids Children’s Christmas video 1992

• Design letterhead for Swinburne University,
Recognition of Prior Learning Dept; 1991

• Design and construct sets for
New Theatre’s production of Anton Chekhov's
The Seagull 1988