Here’s How to Create a Bad-Ass Monster That Could End Up in a Robert Rodriguez Short Film
Robert Rodriguez knows a thing or two about villains and monsters. With a resume that includes films like Sin City, Grindhouse, and Predators, Rodriguez knows that to make a good villain, you need to dig deep and develop a great monster. But now, he wants you to help him create the monster that will be featured in the upcoming Project Green Screen film he's making in conjunction with BlackBerry, Two Scoops.
The trailer introduces us to Lola and Lucia, ice cream-scooping twins by day, monster hunters by night. First, Robert asked you to play the part of the part of the agent. And the submissions from the Gawker readership didn't disappoint (check out all the submissions here). Then, he asked for your weapon ideas. Inspired by that call to arms, Gawker pal Mike Bracken, the Horror Geek, came up with five insane weapons that really, really should be real.
Now, he wants you to create and submit the ultimate monster for Lola and Lucia to take on in the final climactic showdown of Two Scoops. Use any medium you feel comfortable with: design, drawing, painting, writing. Submit your monster idea here and Robert may bring the foul creature to life in CG to do battle in the final cut of the film.
To get your creative juices flowing, artists Brian Viveros and Tracy Tubera have created their perfect monster for Two Scoops. Their masterpieces are in the gallery above, along with some insight into what the thinking behind their creations. Take a peek, then share your monster idea with Mr. Rodriguez. You have until April 17 to enter.
Brian Viveros is a contemporary artist known for his stunning, seductive portraits of powerful women, and is a big self-professed Robert Rodriguez fan. Brian's work has been extensively exhibited around the world, as well as in the pages of numerous magazines and on LA Ink — where artist Nikko Hurtado tattooed one of Viveros' paintings onto a client.
For Two Scoops, Brian was inspired by the bright colors and campy funhouse vibe of the film's trailer, combined with the iconic sexiness of the film's heroines. True to his own style, Brian imagined quite the monster for the film's villain — but with a dark, hauntingly sexy twist.
Tapping into his long-time fascination with the Mexican tradition of Dia de los Muertos, Brian's vision for the dark resident of Two Scoops is a terrifying monstress — a female embodiment of a dark celebration of the dead. Like Lola and Lucia, the monstress appears normal during the day, but when she dons her evil ringleader's hat, she becomes possessed by the hat's demons. She's a villainous combination of her two parts, animating the snakes that protrude out of her body, ready to attack any who dare challenge her.
Known for his work with Rob Dyrdek's animated Wild Grinders series, we tapped Tracy Tubera to apply his awesome, edgy cartoon style to come up with a different take on the monster that will make an appearance in the final battle royale in Two Scoops.
Similar to Brian's concept, Tracy's monster also came to life as a shape-shifter. Inspired by the twins' ice cream truck, bright pop colors and circus-like atmosphere of the film's trailer, Tracy's monster appears to its unsuspecting victims as a harmless clown. Using its non-threatening appearance to lure its victims, it transforms into a hideous, gigantic beast with beady red eyes, billowing fiery hair and a wicked, crooked smile.
I don't know about Lola and Lucia, but this nightmare clown definitely gives us the heebie geebies.
Now that you've seen Brian and Tracy's monsters and learned the stories behind them, it's your turn to bust out the pencils and hit the drawing board. Find out more about Project Green Screen here, including other ways to participate, then submit your monster idea here by April 17.