— Vincent's Emblem —
My inspiration for this design comes from the 2011 remake of the 80s cult, classic horror movie, Fright Night. A popular vampire film, featuring Chris Sarandon as a sexy vampire, Jerry Dandridge. However, as the name of this piece suggests, it is another character, Peter Vincent, that ignites my interest.
Who is Peter Vincent?
In the 80s, Peter Vincent (named after horror icons Peter Cushing and Vincent Price), is a failing TV host/vampire slayer, first played by classic British/Irish actor Roddy McDowall. While back in the day, McDowall's casting was a success, in 2011, his soft-faced, grey-haired and often kitsch sort of character is unlikely to have made the final cut in a now more demanding Hollywood.
For the same role to work in 2011, Vincent's character had to pack a punch with audiences. Which, is why in the remake he is now a long-haired, egotistical, foul-mouthed Brit, living in LA; with gothic tattoos and several piercings, while wearing an impressive pair of tight leather pants that only a cold bath can remove.
So with this new gothic look in mind, the one actor that perhaps doesn't come to mind, for the role, is British actor David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch, Good Omens). Yet, once kitted out in guyliner, full beard and a long black coat, it's an impressive transformation, that at the time of release, saw the press comparing Tennant to British comedian, Russell Brand, and real magician and illusionist, Criss Angel. A name that crops up again when you see Vincent's show. A theatrical extravaganza, using high-end magic, and illusion that imitates the kind of show Angel, himself often participates in while in Vegas. Course, Vincent is nowhere near as competent as Angel, as is witnessed in later scenes.
However, it's an emblem placed on a backdrop, during the rehearsal of a show that catches my attention. Although, it's rarely seen up close in the film. So, to get the detail right, I had to study the footage with a keen eye. And it's the logo for Vincent's show, first seen on a theatrical backdrop during a rehearsal of one of his shows, that first came to my attention. However, you rarely get to see the emblem in any detail. So, to create my design, I had to study a lot of the footage.
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The Artwork
It's accurate in detail as far as the inclusion of Vincent and the font used for the script, which was placed purely for aesthetic reasons.
However, a small fact that recently came to light, as mentioned here, is that the props team working on Fright Night may have purposely designed, and included items that looked Gallifreyan in appearance, to pay homage to, Tennant's Tenth Doctor. If so, HOW BLOODY COOL!!
The initial design is built up from several large vector / PSD files. Left, is the file before effects were added.
Right, is the file as the illustration was gradually built up.
Right, is the file as the illustration was gradually built up.
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