New Film Contract

Monday 14th of October I begin work on the concept design for a new film. Can't wait to get started! In fact I won't wait... you may find me scouring libraries this week hunting for reference. The nature of the project is confidential for the time being. I will update more when I can.

This work will occupy much of my time so I imagine less posts and updates. I will be keeping up my own art practice alongside this big piece of work. I hope to share some stories as I can.

Minos - Radio Play Promo Poster

Tomorrow Marc Tyron will be re submitting a short film I wrote in 2012 for funding. It was called 'The Last Patrol' but has been retitled 'Minos'.  The film tells the story of four NZ soldiers who, during the 1942 battle of Crete, face off against the Minotaur of Myth. The film has been renamed after the Mythological Greek King of Crete.  We had a Casting call over the weekend and had a wonderful session with Tom Eason, Jonathan Power both recent Toi Whakaari grads and Shane Bolton who have all been cast along side Jamie Irvine for the film.

In the meantime Jamie is directing a radio play version from my script of which he has cast. Here's a promotional poster I've made for the radio play and development stage of the live action version.

The process : 2013 - 2014 drawing series

The series of drawings I have posted recently is a process of putting my thinking on creativity into action. I hope if one sifts through my earlier posts they will make a connection to the work I am making now and the process and approach to art I have discussed earlier.

This series of drawings is not about concepts. Too often I have wondered 'what work should I make?' This is a waste of time therefore I have ignored originating concepts. Instead I am selecting reference from old work I have created then applying a new artistic approach and medium to it.

The new medium is pen on archival paper at a large scale. Traditionally I have worked digitally or with pencil on paper. The new medium forces me into a position of learner.

The scale is important. It makes the process slow. I cannot complete the work in days. rather it takes weeks if not months. What's the benefit of this? The result is I am not connected to the result. The result is too far off therefore I am instead connected to the making. It makes sense then that In the future I will move into far more challenging mediums.

To further the quality of discovery in the work rather than a quality of discipline I do not plan the drawing out to it's end rather I work to discover it.  The risk and focus is intensified by working in the permanence of ink. I make mistakes. As i cannot correct or change those errors I must adapt the rest of the drawing to incorporate them and welcome them into the composition. The challenge in the work is to risk, make mistakes, correct and adapt for the greater composition.

The resulting work benefits from this process. The drawing has movement in the variation of approach and quality I bring to it each day. The lack of consistency gives the work it's vitality. The work is unique, unknown and new to me each day.

I wanted to say the process is alive and thrilling but to be honest it is quite the opposite. Being attached to a result creates the thrill and drive but in this process that attachment is gone. Instead the process is simply a joy. The art is about making, not what is made.  My hope is that this quality that I enjoy will remain somehow in the experience for the viewer even once the work reaches it's completion. Basically I enjoy making the work and I hope as a result people will enjoy viewing it. :)

'The Airport' is finished

'The Airport' Progress 5

'The Last Night' Trailer

Morepork Films have released a trailer for the short 'The Last Night'. See video here or at the links below.

Youtube - The last Night

http://www.brendanheffernan.com/The-Last-Night

Gallery Exhibition Summer 2014

Just had a great meeting with the owner of a Wellington Gallery which will exhibit my drawings in a joint exhibition early next year. I will update details as it develops but for now very exited to have a destination for the work :).

'The Airport' Progress 5

'The Airport' Progress 4: with a little help:)

'The Airport' - Progress 3

Last day

Today is my last day of full time Teaching at Toi Whakaari, NZ National Drama school. From here it's back to Freelance Art and Design for film. Excited to be back to work and I leave with a ton of knowledge and experience to apply.

And just because posts are better with pictures here's one of an alien environment for a project in development. Can't say any more 

'The Last Night' - Morepork Films publish first stills

Stills from the shoot and behind the scenes of 'The Last Night' have recently been published. You can see these and further updates on the Morepork Films facebook page. See link below.

Morepork Films Facebook

I production designed the film and am extremely pleased with how the set and locations looked. All the better as a result of the fantastic shooting crew. Here are the pics released so far. I look forward to sharing more of the design and construction process when I can. Enjoy.

'The Airport' - Progress 2

'The Spice Market' Library notes

Nola Millar Librarian Kris Wehipeihana has made 2 posts on her blog in reference to 'The Spice Market' on Exhibition there. If you have the time to take a read please do. Cool to see the work growing for both myself and the library.

Part 1 http://librarykris.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/the-spice-market/
Part 2 http://librarykris.wordpress.com/2013/09/09/the-spice-market-part-2/

'The Airport' - Progress 1

I've started this second pen and ink drawing.  The concept will reveal itself in time. For now here's the first progress shots. Look forward to sharing more.

Some more 'Sketches to Environment' models

The below sketches were made from historic maps and photos. Will Crooks then modelled the terrain from information obtained through google earth. The final step is placing architecture into the landscape and there we have a fairly accurate visualisation of the environment we want to create.

CAD Modeling environment sketches

A few weeks back I posted some sketches from my 2012 sketchbook. At the time my friend Will Crooks and I were taking the sketches and developing them in CAD. It was the first step in visualising shot options and developing Pre-vis. Here are some of the initial tests. And below a link to the sketches that started the process.

http://brendanheffernan.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/2012-sketchbook-favourites.html

'Spice Market' Exhibited @ Nola Millar Library.

'The Spice Market' drawing is now on exhibit at the Nola Millar Library.

Nola Millar Library
Toi Whakaari:NZ Drama School
Te Whaea: National Dance and Drama Centre
11 Hutchison Road
Newtown
Wellington

This year I have worked closely with the library in developing my Art. The resource and the staff have been integral to building my process. It is a pleasure to now share this drawing with them.  I hope the visitors to the space will enjoy the work also.

This is the first in a planned series of studio drawings.  I am openly seeking exhibition space in Wellington to present this work.  In the future I am eager to integrate drawings into the exhibition space itself.  Therefore finding spaces to work with rather than simply exhibit within will be key to the work I create.

The question of exhibition space is one I have seeded with the staff of the Nola Millar and I look forward to the conversations and work that grows from here.

Oh and here's what the description reads...

Spice Market

Pen and Ink on Archival paper

Drawn by Brendan Heffernan August 2013

A drawing is a series of risks, mistakes and corrections. Each line is drawn in relation to the other to create composition. I explore as little in pencil as possible and discover the drawing within the permanence of ink.  The stakes are higher and the result alive.

To see more of this work and how it progressed please visit the blog below.

http://brendanheffernan.blogspot.co.nz/

http://www.brendanheffernan.com/

The Market - Completed Pen and ink on Archival Paper

'The Market' - Progress Pics 2

Bulk of the work is done. Just some more detailing on clothes here and there and shading to go.

'The Market' - Progress Pics

More 'Earthquakes in London' Pics