Custom Cover Art Thread

[jaws3dfan]

Originally Posted by BobSimms

Who wrote that synopsis?

I'm not sure but like movie home video releases it's terribly wrong. I always laugh at the errors on the back cover of VHS Tapes and CED's

[Nissen]

Originally Posted by BobSimms

Who wrote that synopsis?

This opens up a topic I seldom see discussed regarding homebrew cover designs. The plot summary can become something of an afterthought, and I admit I sometimes shortchange these myself, but then again this is the case for "official" covers as well.

The plot summaries ARE important, thus I try to give them proper attention when doing covers, and I have a few personally imposed guidelines:

1. I don't write them myself. Sometimes I don't know the film well enough, or I don't want to impose my own bias on the description. If I have to, I'll stitch together mutiple sources with minimal editing, but I keep my own words to a minimum.

2. I want them accurate (to the best of my knowledge). It looks like I failed in the case of this Halloween cover.

3. Avoid spoilers.

4. They must "sell" the film, help the customer decide if this film is something they would be interested in seeing. Set up the genre, the main characters and conflicts, but be intriguing enough to entice the customer to want to see how it all unfolds.

5. Spelling and grammar. For those of us who are not native English speakers this presents a particular challenge.

6. Font and layout. Keep it legible, especially for those of us with ageing eyesight.


In the case of this Halloween cover, I appear to have failed in checking all of those boxes.

When doing a vintage pastiche such as these CEDs, I usually take the synopsis from an old VHS or Laserdisc, as I try to keep it stylistically appropriate and capture that inimitable style of old plot summaries. They are either laughably exaggerated or give away the entire film.

For Halloween, all plot summaries from the old tapes were too brief, and I wanted something more "wordy" to imitate the longer descriptions on the HII and H3 CED covers. I Googled Halloween plot summaries and found this one from Indieflix that looked okay to me (I'm not super familiar with Halloween):
https://watch.indieflix.com/videos/halloween

It's all a part of designing covers: Make it look good, make it informative, "sell" the product. It's a balancing act, and the most challenging part of cover design. I've said it before; designing a good back cover separates the men from the boys in the custom cover hobby. I would say I spend about 3/4 of the total working time on a cover job doing the back.

[Mikezilla3k]

Originally Posted by Nissen

In the case of this Halloween cover, I appear to have failed in checking all of those boxes.

Synopsis is about right in all honesty though

[Show spoiler]the part about Judith being killed soon after sex may indicate it's for the 2007 remake since I don't think she did the deed with him in the original but other than that, it's faithful enough.

[Gogeta149]

Does anyone have scans or custom covers for the USA releases of seasons 1-5 of Star
Wars: The Clone Wars?

Been looking for a while and haven't been able to find any.

Thanks!!!

[phraseturner]

Originally Posted by Gogeta149

Does anyone have scans or custom covers for the USA releases of seasons 1-5 of Star
Wars: The Clone Wars?

Been looking for a while and haven't been able to find any.

Thanks!!!

Here's mine:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/216437...57629547569639

https://www.flickr.com/photos/216437...57629547569639

https://www.flickr.com/photos/216437...57629547569639

[BobSimms]

Originally Posted by Mikezilla3k

Synopsis is about right in all honesty though

[Show spoiler]the part about Judith being killed soon after sex may indicate it's for the 2007 remake since I don't think she did the deed with him in the original but other than that, it's faithful enough.

Yeah, the synopsis struck me immediately as having been written by a fan and not someone whose job is or was ever to write film synopses. I used to encounter many such examples when Amazon Prime was my main film streaming service—you could tell they were written by very young people who weren’t familiar with the practice, always giving characters’ names, often their full names (as if either is necessary), and failing to describe what happens in the film beyond the first ten minutes.

This Halloween synopsis isn’t quite as bad, but… I wouldn’t say it was a “cold” night in 1963 (was it? It certainly wasn’t cold enough for the windows in the Myers’ house to be closed—they’re open and have screens in place), and the bit about Judith being killed after having sex seems especially unnecessary—the sex wasn’t a motivating factor in the killing (the way it definitely is in certain other slashers), so why mention it in the brief synopsis?

I totally get what you mean about wanting to fill the space on the very large back cover, Nissen, and also wanting to adhere to the longer format synopses one found on the backs of those discs back in the day, so this isn’t a knock against you! And that synopsis from IndieFlix certainly isn’t as bad as some other synopses I’ve read here in these pages by certain young apprentices.

I grew up devouring film guide books by Leonard Maltin, Mick Martin & Marsha Porter, Danny Peary, et al., and internalized the copy style of the backs of so many VHS releases over the years, as well as TV listings in my local newspaper and TV Guide, so I guess I just have a sixth sense (and an irritating pedantry) when it comes to these things. Anyway, it’s a great layout that honors the overall design of CEDs and Halloween’s original home video art in particular!

[AmishParadise]

Originally Posted by Gogeta149

Does anyone have scans or custom covers for the USA releases of seasons 1-5 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars?

Been looking for a while and haven't been able to find any.

Thanks!!!

[Nissen]

Everyone else was doing it, but I wasn't going to. But then I was commissioned to make separate covers for the new James Bond Connery Collection 4K UHD set, so here I am to join the fun!
My client wanted these shared with other forum members, so feel free to PM me for download links.

[jstxanothrxstory]

Originally Posted by Mikezilla3k

Synopsis is about right in all honesty though

[Show spoiler]the part about Judith being killed soon after sex may indicate it's for the 2007 remake since I don't think she did the deed with him in the original but other than that, it's faithful enough.

Judith and her boyfriend have sex in the original as well. The way the film's edited makes it seem like it takes all five seconds, but he's putting his shirt on as he's leaving, she's topless when Michael walks into the room, and the bed has clearly had two people on it.

[jstxanothrxstory]

Originally Posted by BobSimms

This Halloween synopsis isn’t quite as bad, but… I wouldn’t say it was a “cold” night in 1963 (was it? It certainly wasn’t cold enough for the windows in the Myers’ house to be closed—they’re open and have screens in place), and the bit about Judith being killed after having sex seems especially unnecessary—the sex wasn’t a motivating factor in the killing (the way it definitely is in certain other slashers), so why mention it in the brief synopsis?

I'm trying to dig through my archives, but I do remember there being an official release of the film that utilized the 'cold night in 1963' description, as weird as it is to say. I think they probably just used it since Judith starts the movie in a sweater, and the parents are wearing coats when they arrive home afterward. Though having grown up in the midwest, Halloween night is a bit late in the year for the windows to be open, lol.

[BobSimms]

Originally Posted by jstxanothrxstory

I'm trying to dig through my archives, but I do remember there being an official release of the film that utilized the 'cold night in 1963' description, as weird as it is to say.

Yeah if you find it, let me know. I just checked the long synopsis that was provided in the British pressbook from 1978 (can’t find a US pressbook), and it doesn’t mention the weather at all. The original script mentions it was a windy night and the curtains were blowing, but has nothing to say about the temperature. I’m originally from the northeast/mid-Atlantic, and we’ve even had snow on Halloween at times, so I wouldn’t doubt it’d be cold in Illinois, but… that’s not what’s depicted in the film!

[CompleteCount]

Again, crushed for posting.

[Robert George]

Fritz...check ur PM please...

[Guydowood]

Originally Posted by Robert George

Fritz...check ur PM please...

Lethal Weapon 4K Custom?

[Robert George]

Originally Posted by Guydowood

Lethal Weapon 4K Custom?

Is that a question?

[Robert George]

In all seriousness...

I completely forgot I started covers for Lethal Weapon. I've been going through computer hell for more than a week. Decided to replace an aging Windows desktop with a Mac only to discover several of the programs I use don't run on a Mac. Didn't want to do emulation so wound up adding a Windows laptop to what has become a crowded desk. Had to upgrade storage on the lappie and HP elected to not add a second SSD port on the main board of a $1200 laptop.

Finally got both rigs the way I want them and will get to finishing LW in the next day or so.

[Robert George]

Riggs and Murtaugh X 4, including steelbook conversion...

[Robert George]

Nissen's Bond covers on display...

[Formal Andy]

Originally Posted by WorkShed

I mean, the Craigs already are....

Good heavens, feel silly missing this. Sorry!

You're right! I do have those made and ready. Will be posting them + Connery's soon.

[WorkShed]

Originally Posted by Formal Andy

Good heavens, feel silly missing this. Sorry!

You're right! I do have those made and ready. Will be posting them + Connery's soon.

Oh, I was just being catty but THIS time my cattiness has worked in my favor!