Custom Cover Art Thread

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by Nissen

You wouldn't happen to have all of the SW movies in that style, would you? Including The Force Awakens?

[Nissen]

Originally Posted by Partyslammer

I don't feel attachment to work I do that utilizes other person or company's original photos, art and graphics.

[Show spoiler] I occasionally throw together media (music and movie) packaging graphics for fun pretty much for my own use. Because of the nature and simple fact that I'm using say, screen caps ripped from the disc, promotional photos and other ephemera that I scan from books, or download, things that really belong to whatever studio or company put out the images, I can't put any sort of possessive value on "my" finished graphic.

As a graphic artist, the vast majority of work I do for clients belongs to them - they are paying me for my skill and work to do something for them, whether it's POP displays, book covers, whatever. I only have attachment to that work in a strictly financial sense - I get paid to do it. If I draw, paint or sculpt something that's wholly original, I have attachment to that work on a personal, creative (and financial if I sell it) level. It's mine, my mind and hands made that work from nothing. THAT has value to me.

Interesting to hear how others see this. Like you I have no attachment what so ever to materials I produce such as brochures, ads, books etc. It's just a job.* Even illustration jobs that I do, where I create something from whole cloth, may not be very important to me even though I invest a lot of myself in it.

But my custom cover work is personal, springing out of my obsession with movies and movie artwork. You said you can't fathom the logic behind this possessiveness, and I'd have to agree that I can't subjectively defend it. Custom covers are my babies and on an emotional level I get very possessive about them.

I do acknowledge that I have no legal right to either make them, distribute them or limit what people use them for (reselling, cutting them up and using bits in their own work..) I think everyone who has this hobby know the legal situation well and make no claim to ownership in the legal sense, but arguing this hobby from a legal standpoint neglects to acknowledge the genuine passion for what we do.

Steev210 was called a "pirate", as were all who do custom covers, and those allegations make it seem like we are all cynical profiteers. Which brings the spotlight on the elephant in the room, the custom cover sites that actually make money from our efforts. I am a member of several such sites myself, and I have uploaded my covers for credits, so I am also guilty of keeping those wheels turning. To the outside world, such sites have the stink of piracy attached, as they are seen as just a place to find artwork for people's pirated discs. I don't see it that way myself, but the ubiquity of disc labels on those sites can have little use other than to adorn home-burned media. I don't know if these sites are run purely for profit (if there is any - maybe they're earning good bucks, I don't know), or if they are all altruistic enthusiasts, but in the interest of keeping the hobby pure I wish the cover sites would cease hosting labels.

I hope you all excuse this little digression in this thread, as I find the discussion of the mechanics behind the hobby (and the enterprise) of great interest. I would love to hear from all of you about your views.

*In the interest of full disclosure, the nature of my professional graphic designer status is somewhat fluid. I am not, nor have I ever been a full-time graphic designer. I have a formal six month design education from a private school, as well as a year of night classes. I free-lanced for two years, doing odd jobs like technical tables, a logo here and there and some ad work. I have illustrated many children's books, 13 of them are even published, but my heart really isn't in it. Nor could I make it work financially, so I now work as an IT consultant full time instead. These days I only moonlight as a designer, doing as little as possible other than custom cover work, as I really don't want to invest my time in something I'm not passionate about, like doing logos and ads.

[Nissen]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

You wouldn't happen to have all of the SW movies in that style, would you? Including The Force Awakens?

I am doing a set of VHS-style covers for all seven films, but I believe this particular client does not want them shared. I'll ask him.

[Bytor2112]

i haven't made a cover in a long time and i miss doing it........time to break out the ol' photoshop again and get crackin'.

[AmishParadise]

Originally Posted by Nissen

To the outside world, such sites have the stink of piracy attached, as they are seen as just a place to find artwork for people's pirated discs. I don't see it that way myself, but the ubiquity of disc labels on those sites can have little use other than to adorn home-burned media. I don't know if these sites are run purely for profit (if there is any - maybe they're earning good bucks, I don't know), or if they are all altruistic enthusiasts, but in the interest of keeping the hobby pure I wish the cover sites would cease hosting labels.

I couldn't have said this better myself. Every time I visit one of these cover art websites the same thoughts run through my mind. Would be great to see one of the more popular cover art websites take the lead and stop hosting labels. Perhaps other such websites would take notice and follow suit.

[WhySoBlu?]

Originally Posted by Nissen

I am doing a set of VHS-style covers for all seven films, but I believe this particular client does not want them shared. I'll ask him.

Have you been accepting money for the custom covers you make for people?

[Moviefan2k4]

Originally Posted by Bytor2112

i haven't made a cover in a long time and i miss doing it........time to break out the ol' photoshop again and get crackin'.

I'm in the same boat, having not completed a full cover in at least three years. I still tinker with Photoshop, but I get frustrated by a lack of resources or inspiration.

[Robert George]

Originally Posted by jaws3dfan

Can someone PLEASE make a custom cover for ZAPPED! using the original movie poster....the new cover art is just awful.

From a label that is known for bad covers, with Zapped! they set a new low. I don't have this one (yet) but I felt like this travesty had to be corrected. Here's my correction...

[Nissen]

Originally Posted by WhySoBlu?

Have you been accepting money for the custom covers you make for people?

Yes indeed, but only for the actual creation. I'll quote my own post from a few pages back on this particular subject:

On those occasions where I am getting paid to design a cover I want to make it clear that I do not have any rights to the picture material or other assets (logos etc) used to create the cover and make no claims to compensation for the use of such material. I provide a design service only. What I am charging for is the actual work-hours spent on the design. I am getting paid for the service, not the product, and there IS a difference. It means I cannot (and will not) charge payment for a cover that is already made. Once I've been paid for the actual making of it (the service), I give out the finished file (the product) free of charge to anyone who asks*. While this in no way would hold water in court, I stand by my moral justification.

*barring the occasional impolite "demanding" members. I reserve the right to "limit who gets what" based on my own judgement.

We've already had a little debate about the cover sites earning money from our custom covers, while we as artists do not (apart from earning credits we can only use on the same cover sites. There's also the sites where you can pay for access to high-rez posters, photos and logos. There are also people taking money to print custom covers for people. I hope you're not going to try and make this thing sound like a cottage industry:-)

[BerryTheMusicMan]

I've always liked this thread above all others on this site cause of the helpful nature and less judgmental crap .
Guess that couldn't last !

[Zombie Dude]

I recently put these two together. I hated the art on these releases (US art for Black Christmas, Australian art for Howling).

Pretty happy with how these turned out, though the Howling back cover printed out dark than it looks on computer so I may have to do some tinkering there.

[Nissen]

Originally Posted by BerryTheMusicMan

I've always liked this thread above all others on this site cause of the helpful nature and less judgmental crap .
Guess that couldn't last !

To be fair, Mr. WhySoBlu? is probably here because I invited this discussion moved over here from the Jaws2/3/4 thread.

And I do welcome the debate, but I expect it to be kept civil. I just want to hear as many viewpoints as I can.

[Moviefan2k4]

I've always thought the copyright debate over custom covers was pretty ridiculous. I understand the part about not making labels, since those would mainly be used for piracy...but the actual sleeve art really sucks from a lot of the studios. You often get the impression they give some poor schmuck about $20 and two hours to finish the whole thing; its sad, from an artistic standpoint. If more studios treated their own artists better, fans with this hobby would have to find another one.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by Nissen

We've already had a little debate about the cover sites earning money from our custom covers, while we as artists do not (apart from earning credits we can only use on the same cover sites. There's also the sites where you can pay for access to high-rez posters, photos and logos. There are also people taking money to print custom covers for people. I hope you're not going to try and make this thing sound like a cottage industry:-)

To be fair, though, given the amount of hi-res images that are hosted and regularly downloaded, those sites probably cost a lot to host and maintain. That is likely where at least most of that money is going.

Originally Posted by Moviefan2k4

I've always thought the copyright debate over custom covers was pretty ridiculous. I understand the part about not making labels, since those would mainly be used for piracy....

I don't know if I necessarily agree with that.

I can see where some people may opt to use custom disc labels to match the custom case art. Often times custom labels are more elaborate and nice looking than the default art on the disc (if there is any art at all... many studios just have text over a plain silver or black background).

I personally don't use them mainly because I get concerned about it causing issues with the disc (i.e. the added weight... if it will have problems in any kind of player/game system that "sucks" the disc in, etc.) But I can see the appeal. If it wasn't for my concerns, I would probably even use some of them for some movies in my collection.



Now hosting scans of the actual labels from actual discs, on the other hand, that I can see as having little use beyond pirated copies.

[Ron Zoso]

The various covers I did for Hammer's Frankenstein Created Woman.


Aussie edition:










US edition:

[Ron Zoso]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

To be fair, though, given the amount of hi-res images that are hosted and regularly downloaded, those sites probably cost a lot to host and maintain. That is likely where at least most of that money is going.



I don't know if I necessarily agree with that.

I can see where some people may opt to use custom disc labels to match the custom case art. Often times custom labels are more elaborate and nice looking than the default art on the disc (if there is any art at all... many studios just have text over a plain silver or black background).

I personally don't use them mainly because I get concerned about it causing issues with the disc (i.e. the added weight... if it will have problems in any kind of player/game system that "sucks" the disc in, etc.) But I can see the appeal. If it wasn't for my concerns, I would probably even use some of them for some movies in my collection.

Good, and accurate, points.

Regarding your last one:

Now hosting scans of the actual labels from actual discs, on the other hand, that I can see as having little use beyond pirated copies.

Most of the major sites don't even accept label scans. Custom labels only. And in my experience, not a whole lot of labels get downloaded at the sites.


There's a number of reasons I make custom labels.
One, if I made the cover already, the label is usually a pretty quick and easy thing to do. A number of the sites require you to upload a minimum number a files to keep whatever status/rank you have at that site, so the labels are an easy way to help maintain that minimum.

Two, sometimes I'll split up multi-film discs/sets into individual films because I want to make a cover out of a poster I really like.

Three, sometimes it's just a fun challenge. An example: Kino Lorber Classics line, I dig the layout of their disc labels, but I wondered if there was a way to work the poster/cover art into the label, so I did this:



First image is a scan I made of the label, then I made a multi-layer template following the layout, then the final version.

I did labels for about 15 or so of the Kino films in my collection. No real use for them, as I sure as hell am not going to waste the money on discs to make a copy just so I can slap a label on it, just a fun little challenge.

[Alfalfa]

The original digipaks arrived somewhat banged up in the mail so I thought I'd try and make my own for the Viva Elite 15mm cases.
This is my first attempt at making covers so I haven't had that much practice
They are nearly finished, just some small adjustments here and there.

[jimjimmyjones85]

Originally Posted by Ron Zoso

The various covers I did for Hammer's Frankenstein Created Woman.



US edition:

My Fave ! Can you share ?

[Ron Zoso]

Originally Posted by jimjimmyjones85

My Fave ! Can you share ?

Glad you like.

I share them at the websites listed in my sig.

Right now, CNCustoms has my entire collection of Hammer customs available, many of which I haven't posted here yet.

Last I checked, the only cost to you is registering at the site, introduce yourself in the forum and commenting on the cover before you download it.

How to download at CNCustoms:

http://cncustoms.org/index.php?topic=707.0

[Nissen]

As promised I've made a variant cover for the Star Trek II director's cut release. PM me for link.


Part of this set: