"We were working on the style guide for The Incredibles, and my creative director at the time just said to go nuts and told us to do what we would do if we didn't have to listen to anyone," Eric says.
There’s a good chance you’ve seen Eric Tan’s work before. His retro-inspired, visually striking Disney and Pixar movie posters have struck a chord with Disneyphiles, film fans, and art aficionados alike. His posters’ crisp colors and flat graphic shapes recall an earlier era, much like the ride posters from the ’60s that greet guests at the entrance to Disneyland—think Matterhorn and Monorail. As it turns out, this isn’t by accident. It is these iconic images that first inspired the look for Eric’s designs.
What started as somewhat of an experiment when Eric was working on a style guide for The Incredibles has since blossomed into an entire collection of retro-themed art. Eric has created posters for The Little Mermaid, Ratatouille, Up, WALL·E, Cars 2, and numerous other films, Disney and otherwise. These images have also made their way onto countless consumer products and, where many might remember first seeing them, various forums and fan sites around the web.
D23 recently got a chance to sit down with the Eric to learn more about his inspiration, his upcoming projects, and why working for Disney is a dream come true.
Can you start off by telling us a little bit about your background?
I grew up drawing and painting as a kid. And I grew up on Disney films, so I always had the goal of working here in any creative capacity. I kept up the drawing and painting all through high school, and then I went to college at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and concentrated more on graphic design. About halfway through school, one of my teachers knew someone who worked at Disney Consumer Products (DCP), and I started as a freelancer there. Then I wound up staying. I’ve been here almost 13 years.
What are some of the different things you’ve worked on at DCP?
I started in the Records division, so we designed CD covers and read-a-longs. Then I moved on to working on the style guides for films and TV shows, and that kind of led to working with Pixar on their style guides and posters. That’s what I do today—work on the Pixar guides.
What sort of challenges do you face in your day-to-day job?
Since we deal with so many divisions within DCP, it can be challenging to make everyone happy. They all have to sign off on it.
"All the different storylines in Cars 2 also made it challenging, because there are so many different characters and so many different settings," Eric points out.
Do these groups always have changes and edits? Or is that rare?
No, there are always changes. It’s not a grumpy process. It’s a collaborative process. It ends up making everything we do all the more believable.
The first poster you did was for The Incredibles, correct?
Yes, that was the first kind of retro poster I designed. It was just by accident. We were working on the style guide for the film, and my creative director at the time just said to go nuts and told us to do what we would do if we didn’t have to listen to anyone. I always liked illustrating and design, so the poster format was a perfect way to put it all together. It kind of just caught on from there.
What was it like seeing your art displayed for the first time?
That was crazy! I never get used to it. We work on things so far in advance. There’s sort of a detachment. As much as I know every detail of it, we move on so quickly. So I’ll see something and think, “That looks familiar.” And later I’ll realize it’s something I worked on. But it’s really cool, especially when people send you photos of your stuff that they see around.
A lot of your posters are reminiscent of the Disneyland ride posters from the ’60s. Is that intentional?
Almost all of the projects I get now are based on the retro look. It started with all of the Pixar films. Those posters were inspired by Disneyland attraction posters because that’s what Pixar was using as reference. Those posters were up in their hallways, and they would always refer me back to them to look at the color palettes, how the characters were drawn, and how the type was laid out.
Do you have a favorite ride poster?
I have the Monorail poster up in my home, so that one is probably my favorite.
"I went to Hong Kong just to see how a product is made," Eric adds. "I got to see the Stitch I designed actually produced."
What other art do you display in your house?
It’s always changing. Right now I have a lot of my friends’ artwork up. I work with so many talented people, and I try to collect as much art as I can. We trade, so I have a few of my coworkers’ paintings up in my living room. I also have the Enchanted Tiki Room poster displayed.
What’s your favorite poster that you’ve worked on?
I think it’s probably the Cars series. It was the most challenging, most difficult and intense project, but it was also the most rewarding to see them being used out in public. They really got around.
What made the assignment so challenging?
It’s kind of a different style for me. It’s painted, and that’s something I had to learn. I also had never worked with vehicles before. All the different storylines in Cars 2 also made it challenging, because there are so many different characters and so many different settings. Each of these settings has a different look, so trying to capture that and have it come across as authentic was challenging.
How would you describe your creative process?
I tend to just write a list of what the parameters of the project are and any ideas I have. I try to figure out in my head what a nice layout would look like. From there I do a little crude sketch on a napkin, and I work from the crude sketch to tighter characters. Then I go to the computer and get it into a comp. That’s the comp that I’ll show to production to get approved. After that, once they make their tweaks, each of the characters is rendered one by one, and then I figure out the type and the colors. It all kind of comes together on the computer in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
How long does this process typically take from start to finish?
It takes anywhere from a couple of days to a week. If that’s what I’m concentrated on, and I have eight hours a day to do it, it can go very quickly.
So all of the Cars 2 posters only took a week to make?
Those actually took a couple of weeks when you include reviews.
"I'm working on Monsters University right now, and I'm working on the style guides, the branding and also stylizing some of the characters," Eric says.
Can you talk about any of the things you’re working on right now?
I’m working on Monsters University right now, and I’m working on the style guides, the branding, and also stylizing some of the characters. We have to figure out what audience the film is going to resonate with, and sometimes we style not only for kids, but for adults as well. That’s one of the cool things we get to do—not just think of kids, but of adults and what we would wear.
So these characters that you’re working on could show up on all sorts of consumer products?
Anything you could actually purchase in a store, yes. Everything from clothing to back-to-school supplies.
What is your favorite Pixar movie?
Up. Not only is it a really strong story, but that was probably one of the coolest experiences I’ve had here.
Could you elaborate on that?
I got to work with the whole group that was producing that movie up at Pixar. I got to work hands on with the director for this small Up guide. Every once in awhile we’d be sketching in one of the rooms, and the director [Pete Docter] would come in with story ideas for his artists, so I felt like I was part of the process because I watched the making of the whole film. You know how they put Ellie’s pin on Russell at the end? I was in the room when the director thought of that. It was cool to see history being made.
If you had to pick your favorite day at Disney so far, what day would that be?
I’ve been here a long time. I think just walking on to the Studio Lot for the first time as an employee. It felt official. I’ve always wanted to work here. I worked all through high school and college to get here. To finally get my nametag was really surreal and memorable for me.
What would be a dream project for you?
There have been a lot of cool ones, but I think actually designing a ride poster would be kind of cool. I loved those as a kid walking into Disneyland.
"For three and a half months they sent me to London to live and work in the DCP Europe office," Eric says. "It was really neat, because everything was paid for, and I just got to immerse myself in that city and in that team."
Have you had the opportunity to go on any cool research trips?
For three and a half months they sent me to London to live and work in the DCP Europe office. It was really neat, because everything was paid for, and I just got to immerse myself in that city and in that team. I got to show that team how I work and teach them, and I also got to learn from them. It was an immersion thing.
Any other cool perks like that?
We do a lot of fun things as groups. I went to Hong Kong just to see how a product is made. I got to see the Stitch I designed actually produced. It’s a Tiki Stitch. This is actually one of the reasons they sent me. I got to see him come down the conveyor belt.
Anything you want D23.com readers to know?
I think their love and passion for Disney is really cool. I’m the same way. I’m such a Disney fan, so getting to work here is really amazing for me.
By D23′s Sarah Smith.
