Drawing: Woody Allen and Vilmos Zsigmond

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Allan Stewart Konigsberg is the infamous jazz clarinetist playing small venues in Manhattan, in particular a regular Monday night slot at the Caryle Hotel. He is also known as Woody Allen, often cited as one of cinema’s ‘treasures’. He describes himself as a “militant Freudian atheist” after 37 years of psychoanalysis. In August 2009, Woody was shooting his fourth London based film.

At that stage untitled, but released in 2010 as You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger at the Cannes Film festival. Even though is his a serial Oscar nominee (23 nominations and 4 wins) he has constantly refused to attend the ceremonies or acknowledge his Academy success. His one and only appearance was unannounced, when in 2002 he turned up and made a plea to producers to continue to make their films in New York after the 9-11 attacks. It was followed by a short montage of New York clips and a standing ovation.

One of my favourite DPs of all time is Vilmos Zsigmond – the Hungarian-American cinematographer.

The International Cinematographer’s Guild placed him as one of the ten most influential cinematographers in history. An exponent of the technique of ‘flashing’ or ‘pre-fogging’ which exposes the negative using small amounts of controlled light to create a muted colour palette. Nominated on four occasions, he won the Academy Award in 1977 for Steven Spielberg‘s Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

I found out that they were using a number of exterior locations around the Paddington area. On the fourth of August, 2009 I followed a Panovision truck heading into a quiet residential area called Cumberland Square. Bingo.

I did a very quick sketch of Woody and Vilmos and spoke to one of the techs about the Panovision Panaflex Millennium XC cameras with the primo lenses (not that I have an obsession)…

Oh yes, and would it be possible to meet Vilmos? He said he would see what he could do. A break for lunch and a lucky break for me. I got to meet one of my idols, he signed my sketch and I asked him if he could get Woody to do the same. I left it with him, and about an hour later a production assistant brought it back, signed.

Drawing: Emma Stone

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The Amazing Spider-Man is the fourth instalment in Marvel Comics Spider-Man film series.

Emma Stone plays Gwen Stacy, love interest (both on and off screen) to Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man.

Emma gladly signed my sketch at the Premiere in Leicester Square (at the Odeon) in June 2012. She is set to reprise her role in the sequel.

Her real name is actually ‘Emily’, which her friends and family still call her. She chose the name ‘Emma’ when she registered for the Screen Actors Guild as there was already a listing for a ‘Emily Stone’.

Drawing: Richard Wilson in Twelfth Night

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Richard Wilson played Malvolio in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Twelfth Night in 2010, a role which dragged him some way out of the shadow of the nation’s favourite misanthrope Victor Meldrew in the hugely successful sitcom One Foot in the Grave. Virgin territory, playing his first Shakespearean part and donning the yellow stockings to play the puritan steward duped into erotic humiliation.

It transferred to the Duke of York’s Theatre in London’s West End and Richard signed for me in January 2010 at the stage door, well, more the public pathway on St Martin’s Lane since the stage door is inaccessible.

Drawing: Robert Redford

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

For the past two years, Hollywood legend Robert Redford has brought his Sundance Film and Music Festival to the O2 in Greenwich, London. On both occasions, the Sundance Kid himself has attended. I was fortunate enough to get a ticket to his Q&A last year and this year he introduced the History of the Eagles doco and the band members themselves. I have not seen or heard that he signs for anyone at the Festival. He politely slipped past us after the Q&A to his waiting limo and this year I didn’t even attempt to ask.

Instead, I did a quick sketch of him and mailed it to his office at the Sundance Resort in Utah. I was told by a seasoned collector the he is a very good signer ‘when round the office’ and that proved to be the case.

See my earlier Redford drawing here.

Drawing: Judi Dench

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Dame Judi Dench – one of the greatest stage and screen actresses of all time, is also one of the best signers. Her most recent stage performance was as Alice in Peter and Alice at the Noël Coward Theatre in London. There was huge demand for her ‘graph and she always obliged – a real trouper!

I did this quick ‘portrait study’ in March 2010 and dropped it into the Rose Theatre in Surrey, where she was playing Titania as Queen Elizabeth I in A Midsummer Night’s Dream – almost 50 years after she first played the role for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Drawing: Amy Adams

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Amy Adams portrays Lois Lane in the rebooted Superman franchise Man of Steel. The 38 year old, three time Academy Award nominee braved the wind and the rain in Leicester Square, London to sign for as many people as possible. Including my sketch. Even though the wind was flapping it around and the rain was turning it into maché she took her time to sign an dedicate it and compliment me – which I returned – a real trooper.

Drawing: Sally Field

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Popular American actress Sally Field signed my sketch a few years ago when I sent it to her via ABC studios where she was in the family drama Brothers & Sisters (2006-2011). She received both an Emmy and a Screen Actor’s Guild Award for her performance in the series. Sally has also won two Best Actress Academy Awards for Norma Rae (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984)

Drawing: Juliette Binoche

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Juliette Binoche signed my drawing at the Curzon Cinema in Mayfair, London after a Q&A session following the screening of her film Certified Copy in August 2010.

She won the Best Actress Award at Cannes that year for her role in the movie.

Drawing: Daniel Radcliffe in Equus

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

When Richard Griffiths passed away earlier this year, Daniel Radcliffe lead the tributes:

“Richard was by my side during two of the most important moments of my career. In August 2000, before official production had even began on Potter, we filmed a shot outside the Dursley’s, which was my first ever shot as Harry. I was nervous and he made me feel at ease. Seven years later, we embarked on Equus together. It was my first time doing a play, but, terrified as I was, his encouragement, tutelage and humour made it a joy. Any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him.”

Peter Shaffer’s Equus is a favourite of mine, both on screen and stage. A revival, directed by Thea Sharrock opened at the Gielgud Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue in February 2007 and subsequently transferred to the Broadhurst Theater on Broadway, running until February 2009. Daniel received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Play.

I did a quick ‘montage’ sketch of Daniel as Alan Strang, the boy who blinds a number of horse with a hoof pick and Richard’s Martin Dysart, a child psychiatrist trying to understand the cause of the boys actions, while wrestling with his own sense of purpose.

In the mayhem that surrounds Daniel I risked damage at this year’s Olivier Theatre Awards at the Royal Opera House to get it signed. Daniel’s signature is always his full name, so that combined with haste to sign as many as possible means the final ‘graph can vary in quality. However, he did take the time to dedicate it to me and seemed genuinely touched by the drawing.

I had also drawn another sketch of just Daniel with Richard behind him, so dropped it into the rehearsal room where Daniel was preparing for The Cripple of Inishmaan (currently in previews at the Noël Coward Theatre). I also enclosed a flyer for him to sign, which he did and sent it back. As you can see, the more ‘relaxed’ ‘graph is a model of legibility.

Drawing: Catherine Deneuve

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Catherine Fabienne Dorléac is one of France’s most renowned actresses and better known as Catherine Deneuve.

Promoting the period comedy film Potiche at the British Film Institute in June 2011, she was ‘mobbed’ by autograph hunters and protected by a number of of security staff as she quickly went from the entrance to the BFI’s green room.

I was positioned at the halfway point on the bend. She was about to rush by, saw the sketch and stopped to sign it, then continued on her trajectory at light speed.

Earlier that year, she made headlines in Madrid when she was asked to put out her cigarette at a press conference promoting the same film. She said she would rather pay the fine. I didn’t see her with a ciggy in hand, but I did get her siggy, which was very fine!