Eighteen months ago the phone rang late at night at Word+Image, Michael Brewer's studio for design, illustration, photography, multimedia and text outside Zurich, Switzerland. Michael was burning the midnight oil working on an illustration project and was delighted to discover Peter Jackson’s office calling from Wingnut Productions in New Zealand on the other end of the line.
Peter Jackson had dreamed of remaking the classic film King Kong since he was a young teenage filmmaker. After his amazing success with the Lord of the Rings franchise he was finally ready to realize this dream. True to his legendary attention to detail, while looking for a specific illustration to use within the film, Peter Jackson was personally searching the Internet for just the right image when he found Michael Brewer’s site at www.wordandimage.ch which features over 400 illustrations by the CalArts trained artist. Peter Jackson called to compliment Michael Brewer on his interesting website and wide range of illustration styles. Like so many other clients through Michael Brewer's 25 year career, Peter Jackson found exactly what he was looking for at www.wordandimage.ch. After successful negotiations with Universal Studios, Michael Brewer agreed to grant Peter Jackson the use of his illustration in the remake of King Kong.
Peter Jackson’s King Kong was released worldwide in mid-December 2005. Michael Brewer’s illustration appears twice near the beginning of the film. Naomi Watt's character holds the script of the film that is to be shot on location on Skull Island. The film within the film is entitled “Isolation”. Michael Brewer's illustration is featured on the cover of the script held in the hands of Naomi Watts. The illustration is a silhouette of a woman standing before a window. This exact pose and feeling is echoed later in the film by Naomi Watts herself when the action takes place in New York after Kong has run amok and Naomi Watts finds him on a deserted city street, her image silhouetted in nearly the same pose as in Michael Brewer’s illustration. Michael received a credit for his work, which appears near the very end of the credits.
While the illustration appears but briefly twice in the film, it plays a significant role, one important enough that Peter Jackson himself searched for and selected it personally. He found what he was looking for from Michael Brewer, Word+Image. You will too. Visit Michael Brewer’s site today at www.wordandimage.ch and see for yourself.
