CGSociety - EXPOSÉ 4 Grand Master

					Luc Besson’s ‘Fifth Element’ was the first major film Martiniere worked on. Although his part in the project was minimal, it was the beginning of a very fruitful career in the film industry. As Martiniere continued to further his reputation in theme parks and animation he also established himself as an illustrator and concept designer in the film industry working on movies such as ‘Dragon Heart 2’, ‘Red Planet’, ‘Virus’, ‘The Astronaut’s Wife’, ‘The Time Machine’, ‘Star Wars’ (Episodes 2 and 3) and ‘I, Robot’. Book covers were something that Stephan wanted to do for many years: “As a kid I was buying sci-fi books mainly because of the cover art. I was a huge fan of Chris Foss.” His first cover was for a story from Jack Williamson, 'Terraforming the Earth'. “Doing book covers is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding thing for me”, says Stephan. “As an artist, book covers offer individual recognition. Coming from a background in movies and animation where everything is part of a huge machine, you have no idea where your work goes and how it’s being used. It’s rare when you can see it all on the screen. As an artist it’s important to be able to show people what you do and receive feedback. It validates your art and yourself as an artist. Book covers are exciting because they are “undiluted”. Stephan Martiniere’s style is eclectic. He is very comfortable switching from ‘cartoony’ style to realistic, from whimsical to science fiction. Martiniere feels this is due to his ability to wear different “hats” in projects. “I always like the creative aspect of things that have never been done before. It’s what drives me. The idea of devising completely new worlds and new ways to draw elements is extremely rich and rewarding. Especially when it comes to sci-fi and fantasy; it’s all about dreaming worlds. That is my background, and it transfers into my art. It’s a bit of American, Japanese and European styles combined together in a melting pot.”

Over the last several years, Martiniere has started to explore different techniques in Photoshop. A process he calls a “scratching technique” is outlined in his first book, Quantum Dreams. It is a technique based on erasing or subtracting paint, as opposed to adding it. This technique of erasing reveals layers built under. “Erasing a piece of paint with an eraser in Photoshop creates a very aggressive line and precise shape”, explains Martiniere. “It’s like cutting a piece of paper. It’s very direct, graphic and spontaneous, almost impressionistic, reminiscent of John Berkey. My experiments with Photoshop have somehow taken me to a place where I found the satisfaction of a unique self-expression in digital painting.”

In 2001, with Martiniere established as an accomplished professional in the entertainment industry he was approached by Cyan, the company behind Myst. “I had always admired what Rand Miller had created with the Myst universe especially with Riven and Exile. At the time Cyan was working on expanding the Myst universe. Rand Miller was looking for somebody who could bring a cinematic feel to the new game.”

Stephan was hired as the Visual Design Director. His role was to create a cinematic vision and shepherd that vision through the production pipeline. For three years, Stephan found himself involved in every visual aspect of the project: designing environments, characters and props as well as participating in the story. He also found himself collaborating with a team of very talented people.

“The experience was extremely rewarding”, he admits. After Cyan, Stephan worked for several other companies, including 3-DO, Pandemic, Disney Interactive, Ion Storm and Naughty Dog.

					After producing ‘Psi-Ops’, Midway Games was gearing up for its first Next Generation game: ‘Stranglehold’, the sequel to John Woo’s movie ‘Hardboiled’. The compelling goal in the game industry has been “convergence between film and game” and Midway was determined to have a strong art team and somebody with a solid cinematic and artistic experience to create and drive a vision. Martiniere was hired as the Visual Design Director. “My role is much more comprehensive at Midway than it was at Cyan. I’m also working with a much bigger team. As the Visual Design Director I’m responsible for creating the artistic and cinematic vision for the game and carry that vision through the production pipeline. I am also responsible for bringing a cinematic and narrative feel to the project by doing storyboards and collaborating with the cinematic team. It’s like having the role of both a production designer and a director. It’s a very exciting and challenging role.”

	Looking back on his career, Stephan believes he has come full circle: “I started 25 years ago at a turning point in the TV animation industry with new markets, exciting possibilities and with aspiration to grow as an artist. I now find myself again, at a turning point in a new industry with even more exciting possibilities. And still with aspiration to grow.”
	Stephan Martiniere site EXPOSÉ 4