Interview with Matt Busch, Star Wars Artist

Matt Busch has a list of credits longer than Aurra Sing’s arm. RebelPilot took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to find out what it’s like to be overworked and sleep-deprived.

Matt Busch Interview
 
REBELPILOT: Do you find it hard to sleep? With all those projects you've gotta be brimming with ideas. Does the creative side of your brain shut down at night or does it interrupt your slumber with new ideas. It seems that your imagination has run away and taken you hostage.

MATT BUSCH: Actually yeah. I find it extremely hard to sleep. I love my work and there's always something new I'm excited about.
 
REBELPILOT: How does one go about becoming an official Lucasfilm approved Star Wars artist?

MATT: I'm not sure if there is an official way one would go about doing it. I actually stumbled onto in a round-about way. I had tried to do some writing for West End Games' STAR WARS Roleplaying books about six years back. They weren't thrilled with my writing but loved my art.
 
REBELPILOT: You’ve got a fine eye for detail. When do you STOP working on a piece of art?

MATT: I have this goofy theory that when I start a piece it's just one big mistake. I keep fixing and fixing, and when I get to a point where I can't find anything else to fix, I'm done!
 
REBELPILOT: Just when did it occur to you that you could make a living from being an artist?

MATT: In the beginning, I had my doubts. It was such a slow process that I don't really recall any overnight success. I always knew what I wanted to do, though, and have always loved my work. So, rich or poor, this is what I'll be doing until the day I go.
 
REBELPILOT: You were classically trained on the piano since the age of four, studied drums and percussion, taught yourself guitar, is a music career beckoning?

MATT: Music is an important part of my life, and when I see a great band play live, I can feel my heart calling out, begging to get back into it. But now I'm content with just jamming here and there. Sometimes it's great to take a breather after painting for hours to go sit at the drum kit and pound the aggression out...
 
REBELPILOT: When you're working on a project do you need complete silence or do you need background noise? Do you have music or the radio on?

MATT: If I'm writing, or doing concept sketches I need the silence to think. Anything else I have music, sometimes even TV...
 
REBELPILOT: What sort of music would you have playing if you're doing a piece on Darth Maul?

MATT: Duel of Fates. Duh! Haha!
 
REBELPILOT: If Darth Maul lived in our universe what style of music do you think he would be into? What band in particular?

MATT: I would guess that Maul would be into Ozzy, perhaps something harder.
 
REBELPILOT: What is it that a production designer does?

MATT: It always depends on the project. I have done production design of films where I actually get to design the look of the character (or robot, or creature). Sometimes, for a film like The MATRIX, it meant designing the look of the sets...
 
REBELPILOT: What movies have you done poster design for?

MATT: Off the top of my head, these are the films that I have done poster design for. Keep in mind that this doesn't mean mine was used, just that I was hired to work on them. CALIFORNIA FEVER, CON AIR, The DEVIL'S OWN, EPISODE 1: The PHANTOM MENACE (Canadian Theatrical Release), HARD RAIN, HOME ALONE 3, HOW TO BE A PLAYER, LETTER FROM DEATH ROW, and The WHITE MONK.
 
REBELPILOT: As an 'Entertainment Illustrator' what sort of skills and talents does your
resume list?

MATT: It's extremely broad. It covers the entire spectrum that an illustrator could be capable of, yet I limit myself only to entertainment-related mediums.
 
REBELPILOT: Scriptwriter, cover artist for a New York Times bestseller (Star Wars: Tales From The Empire), storyboard artist, comic book artist, production designer, Advanced Illustration Techniques Teacher, Clothing Label Designer. . . is there anything you haven’t done?

MATT: A comprehensive list, or at least an overall idea of what I do can be found at my web site, www.MattBusch.com... Currently, I'm taking a little more time to focus as a writer. My second screenplay, CRISIS, is now complete, and I'm in the process of developing my comic book ALIZARIN'S JOURNAL into a syndicated TV series, like the X-Files or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
 
REBELPILOT: Phew! I look forward to seeing your stuff when it’s released downunder. Thanks for your time.

MATT: My Pleasure!

 
Check out Matt’s site at www.MattBusch.com and see what else this busy little beaver has been up to. Especially take some time to see his how he created the Darth Maul image used on a postcard STEP by STEP.

Interview taken from RebelPilot Issue 55