LOCAL SCENE
Mistaken identity draws artist to film scene
By Phil Villarreal
pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.07.2008
Brandon Kihl has sculpted an impressive film career for himself.
The 29-year-old worked as a sculptor on "Desperation," the 2006 miniseries filmed in Southern Arizona that was based on a Stephen King book.
Kihl did similar work in the direct-to-DVD "Road House 2: Last Call" (2006) and was a carpenter in the yet-to-be-released Anna Faris-Topher Grace comedy "Kids in America."
Kihl was the production designer on several recent TV and DVD sci-fi films, including "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (direct-to-DVD version) "100 Million B.C." and "War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave." He's also done trade-show props and displays for Red Bull, Marvel Comics and Activision.
"I have been a fan of science-fiction and fantasy films since I was a child, and that heavily influenced my artistic development," said Kihl, who is from Springerville. He also lived in Bisbee for three years and Tucson for a year.
"I never intended to work in the film industry," he said, "but always admired the creative process and people who were responsible for making films and television."
The self-taught artist now lives in Los Angeles but maintains a home in Eager, so he can work on productions here.
He owns Kihl Studios, which does design and artwork for filmmakers and other clients.
How did you break into your career?
"I was in Bisbee when Stephen King's 'Desperation' was setting up offices to begin filming in the area, and I was mistaken for someone on the film crew. That was how I found out about the project, so I met with the construction and art departments to show them my portfolio of sculpture and metal art."
So that was your "in"?
"They liked my work and let me sculpt a few small props to start. They hired me as the lead sculptor and gave me the opportunity to sculpt a large set and creature statues in addition to multiple prop elements for the film. I even hired a couple of friends to assist me for the last two weeks out of a 10-week project."
Was it easy sailing from there?
"The biggest hurdle was realizing that I needed to move to an area with a thriving film industry. I spent four years in Arizona trying to get film work and was rarely employed in that field due to the lack of continuous film projects within the state. In 2007, I moved to Los Angeles to work as art director on a feature film titled 'Something Like a Business.' By the end of that film I had more work than I could handle."
What do you mean?
"I had already simultaneously production-designed one short film and signed on to design a feature-length film the following month. Since then, I haven't been without film work for more than a few weeks during the writers strike."
Is there hope for rejuvenating Arizona's movie industry?
"There are some incredibly talented people working in the Arizona film industry. Unfortunately, the film projects are too few and far between in that region for most people to earn a consistent income."
Are the tax incentives helping?
"The bill is still in its infancy, so it could be awhile before Arizona has the same industry appeal as many other well-established states that have had beneficial tax incentives in place for years."
What's the significance of your neck tattoo?
"The tattoo is an ongoing art project which is a combination of bio-mechanical and tribal influence. I'm designing the entire tattoo myself and having Philip Felix of Red Sky Studio in Tucson ink the design. We began the tattoo at least four years ago and I rarely make it back for continued sessions because I'm usually too busy with work. I figured that if I was ever going to get a tattoo it should be something completely original."Â
How much real estate does the tattoo take up?
"The design . . . begins on my throat, down over the chest, and wraps up over the shoulders and upper arms. The shoulders form two symmetrical bio-mechanical skulls. The design will eventually wrap all the way around the back and down the spine from the back of my neck. It's a long way from being complete, but should be pretty cool once it's done."
Has it helped or hindered your career?
"Some people have told me that it would be difficult to get work after I get a visible tattoo and that I should forget about trying to work in the film industry. It's had the complete opposite effect. Random people including actors, directors and people on the street will just walk up to me and ask to see the rest of the tattoo that's hidden under my shirt. It's pretty common for me to be removing my shirt several times throughout the course of a film because people keep asking to see it."
If you're involved in filmmaking and would like to be featured in a Q&A, write to pvillarreal@azstarnet.com.
0 Comments on this story
