Deja Vu is a movie about ATF agent Doug Carlin investigating a terrorist attack using a system that can look back in time. As he follows the lead, a woman who died prior to the attack who has potential ties with the suspect, he laments his inability to change the past... or can he?
This Vertigo-esque plot inspired me to draw from mid-century poster styles that conveyed a similar sense of dramatic hopelessness and distance, along with the classic elusive woman character who was just out of reach from the male protagonist.
I settled on the idea that I wanted to prominently feature Paula Patton's character in a way that would haunt Denzel Washington, featuring her in a ghostly, otherwordly, and ephemeral way that eluded Denzel's efforts to avenge and save her. A key moment in the film, in which he sees the fridge magnets spell out "U CAN SAVE HER," motivated me to depict Denzel as trapped/surrounded by the vast, cosmic odds of the universe that prevent him from being with Patton.
As I rendered the piece, I had a more colorful version planned that confused the tone. The fridge magnets felt out of place, and her eyes staring out at the viewer made her feel less distant, more attainable. I eventually changed her expression and face to be less solid and more like it was fading into the time machine. When I added the type, I made sure to stick to the 1950's font style to really solidify the homage element of the poster.
