Personal Updates June is now upon us…and with the school year coming to a close, I’m looking forward to dedicating more time to editing the documentary. It’s evolved into such a bigger project than I could have possibly imagined a decade ago, and there’s still a lot to do. My work on the film of late has been in fits and starts, as I juggled teaching both a new cinematic arts elective and a helped take over a separate 2D design art conservatory at a nearby high school. It

May has been a heartbreaking month for cinema lovers, as we lost three extraordinary individuals whose work helped shape, define, and elevate the golden age of modern movie-making. Whether slicing film stock to find the human heart of a massive space opera, creating the psychological blueprint for classic marketing campaigns, or revitalizing the lost art of the illustrated poster in the 21st century, these three creators left an indelible mark on how we look at the movies.

I remember years ago – I think it was early September, 2016 – when Drew Struzan first called me on the phone in response to a heartfelt letter I’d written him, asking if he’d participate in the documentary. “Hi Adam, this is Drew,” he said. His softspoken voice was instantly recognizable; I often compare it to that of filmmaker Werner Herzog, only without the German or the crazy. “Drew!” I exclaimed…then I froze, tongue-tied. “So is it ‘AM-zel’ or ‘am-ZELLE’?” he asked.

I wanted to pay tribute to four illustrators who passed away recently. My thoughts go out to their families and friends. We’re on the cusp of losing a generation of masters. Philip Castle (1942-2026) Castle, who died last February, was the English illustrator behind such legendary movie posters as A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket for Stanley Kubrick, the concert tour campaign for Paul McCartney’s Wings, and record sleeves for albums by David Bowie, Mott the Hoop

In late March, Robert Risko told me about an old documentary short film about Bette Midler that was posted on social media. Astonishingly, it included a short interview with Richard Amsel. The film is Bette Midler: Divine Intervention. The Amsel clip is only 30 seconds long, but I was flabbergasted when I saw it. Amsel briefly shares his experience in meeting Midler through Barry Manilow at the Continental Baths, and comments on how her stage persona was akin to the Hollywo

It was April 11, 2024, when I last saw my friends David Edward Byrd and his husband Jolino Beserra at their home in Los Angeles. They were moving to New Mexico the next day, after living in California since 1981. While I was happy to wish them off into the new chapter in their lives, the goodbye was obviously bittersweet. David, who had just celebrated his 83rd birthday, was in ailing health, and as we hugged, we both suspected it could be the last time we would ever see each

I’ve been going through edit after edit of extensive material filmed over the years, and now find myself able to finally fill in some of the narrative “gaps” through some new, additional interviews. One such person is TONY SEINIGER. Like Mike Salisbury , Spiros Angelikas , and Merv Bloch (all of whom I’m proud to say are featured in our film!), Seiniger is a titan in motion picture marketing. Through his advertising agency, Seiniger Advertising, he has been involved in over

I could make a fatal drinking game for every post I preface by apologizing for the lack of updates. Long story short, this year I’m now teaching both filmmaking and art classes for high schoolers, and creating the new lesson plans, while juggling day to day life events, has kept me pretty busy. But work on the Amsel documentary continues! I recently did three new interviews for the project – two of which were a long, long time coming. Since my last trip to the east coast in