Stockland Martel Blog

Larry David’s hit HBO comedy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, is returning after a six-year hiatus, and Art Streiber had the distinct pleasure of shooting the marketing campaign and directing David in a teaser for the premiere. The concept: David as Julius Caesar. A very long time ago, Caesar famously declared: “Veni. Vidi. Vici,” or “I came. I saw. I conquered.” David’s version is slightly less ambitious: “I left. I did nothing. I returned.”

“It only took 1,970 years for Caesar’s phrase to be properly updated,” quips Art, who shot PR stills, key-art stills for two concepts, motion, BTS, time lapse, and 3D render.

Given the amount and variety of assets Art needed to produce in the shoot, he met with David in his trailer a few hours before the star was due on set to lay out how their time together would unfold. “I explained how we were going to take him for a spin on a 2-foot turntable and that the camera would start at the hem of his garment and travel slowly north until we landed on his distinctive visage,” Art recalls. “And once there…IMPROV! ‘I got it, I got it,’ David replied. ‘I’ll come up with something.’ And he did. Over and over and round and round he went.”

Scroll down for behind-the-scenes images and Art’s detailed captions…

Photo by Art Streiber for HBO.

“Veni. Vidi. Vici.” -Julius Caesar, 47 BC-ish. “I left. I did nothing. I returned.” -Larry David, 2017. It only took 1,970 years for Caesar’s phrase to be properly updated. This is the key art for Season 9 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” returning to HBO after a 6-year hiatus. One of two killer concepts we executed that day, but the only one with a turntable that had Larry / Julius spinning around in a tunic! Check it out on YouTube! Many thanks to the KILLER CREW… Amazeballs production by @sunny16productions. Excellent executive production by @luvlouella. Digital tech extraordinaire @johnnytalay. Lighting for stills, motion and 3D render by Mr. Awesome from Awesometown, @jtergo and #lunchtime @belioff and Ventura Highwayman @iamkevingray and European Vacationer @seanmoorephoto. Camera mover / Nerves of Steel @kaiserbear_inc. @hbo #hbo @curbyourlarrydavid #larrydavid A thousand thank yous to all of the folks at HBO and BLT!

A post shared by Art Streiber (@aspictures) on Jul 12, 2017 at 12:12am PDT

Finally…the reveal. For the key art for Season 9 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” returning to HBO after a 6-year hiatus, that’s Larry David as Julius Caesar. We did PR stills, key art stills for 2 concepts, motion (check it out on YouTube), BTS, time lapse and 3D render. Hot lights behind the silk for motion, umbrellas behind the silk for stills. All in a day’s work! Actually, all in 3 hours. How…? The killer crew!!! Amazeballs production by @sunny16productions. Excellent executive production by @luvlouella. Digital tech extraordinaire @johnnytalay. Lighting for stills, motion and 3D render by Mr. Awesome from Awesometown, @jtergo and #lunchtime @belioff and Ventura Highwayman @iamkevingray and European Vacationer @seanmoorephoto. Camera mover and Nerves of Steel by @kaiserbear_inc. @hbo #hbo @curbyourlarrydavid #larrydavid A thousand thank yous to all of the folks at HBO and BLT!

A post shared by Art Streiber (@aspictures) on Jul 12, 2017 at 12:16am PDT

And…ACTION! Actually…IMPROV! The teaser trailer for the return of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” A few hours before Larry David was due on set I met him in his trailer and laid out his time in front of the camera…key art concepts, PR shots, stop action, BTS, 3D capture and…motion. I explained how we were going to take him for a spin on a 2’ turntable and that the camera would start at the hem of his garment and travel slowly north until we landed on his distinctive visage. And once there…IMPROV! “I got it. I got it,” he said. “I’ll come up with something.” And he did. Over and over and round and round he went. And now…the credits: Amazeballs production by @sunny16productions. Excellent executive production by @luvlouella. Digital tech extraordinaire @johnnytalay. Lighting for stills, motion and 3D render by Mr. Awesome from Awesometown @jtergo and #lunchtime @belioff and Ventura Highwayman @iamkevingray and European Vacationer @seanmoorephoto. Camera mover and Nerves of Steel by @kaiserbear_inc. Styling by @leslie_schilling. Grooming by @thomaskolarek. @hbo #hbo @curbyourlarrydavid #larrydavid A thousand thank yous to all of the folks at HBO and BLT!

A post shared by Art Streiber (@aspictures) on Jul 13, 2017 at 11:39pm PDT

And now, let’s go to the video. There is A LOT going on this BTS image of Larry David as Julius Caesar. A lot. In a very small space in a storefront just off the New York street on the backlot at Universal Studios, we find, from left to right…the Elinchrom Octobank that we used as part of the 3D capture we did with Mr. David. The sound guy who came to our rescue. The time lapse camera. @surferfresh manning the clapboard. Larry David in a tunic riding a 2’ turntable. A 4x floppy. Ken James from TNG Visual Effects, driving the turntable. The 8x silk with (2) 2K’s behind it that served as the key light. Let the credits roll!!! Amazeballs production by @sunny16productions. Excellent executive production by @luvlouella. Digital tech extraordinaire @johnnytalay. Lighting for stills, motion and 3D render by Mr. Awesome from Awesometown @jtergo and #lunchtime @belioff and Ventura Highwayman @iamkevingray and European Vacationer @seanmoorephoto. Camera mover and Nerves of Steel by @kaiserbear_inc. Styling by @leslie_schilling. Grooming by @thomaskolarek. @hbo #hbo @curbyourlarrydavid #larrydavid A thousand thank yous to all of the folks at HBO and BLT!

A post shared by Art Streiber (@aspictures) on Jul 13, 2017 at 11:39pm PDT