Exclusive: Artist Tim Burgard Tells What it Was Like Working on BATMAN & ROBIN

Batgirl cartoon by Tim Burgard

What was it like to work on Batman & Robin? Tim Burgard shares some hilarious stories.

Recently I did a post on Batman & Robin and Tim Burgard very kindly sent me some illustrations while working on the film. In the course of the conversations he shared some gut-busting stories about what it was like in the art department, so here they are along with some exclusive artwork from the film.

Tim Burgard is a professional concept and storyboard artist who's worked on Hollywood movies like Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and Thor (2011).

Click on the images to enlarge.



Maurice Mitchell: You have a design for Poison Ivy that is pretty different from the final film. Was it considered?
Tim Burgard: Because the costume department didn't release their costume designs to me for me to do my job I went ahead and did their job first. You can see from my boards that I decided to use Poison Ivy's original comic book costume, which was better than the film version in my opinion.

MM: I see some of these storyboards show Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, but several actors were considered for the role. How late in the production was he cast?
TB: When I started they had not changed the script to reflect Arnold as Mr. Freeze. Patrick Stewart was their first choice and his dialog was written in faux Shakespearean. I annoyed everybody but tickled myself constantly by reading the flowery Mr. Freeze lines out loud in my pretty-good "Arnold" voice. Priceless. I'm still sorry they would not let me keep my old script. If they had the guts to make Arnold say those lines it would have saved the movie (well, made it a comedy).

MM: You mentioned that you almost got fired from Batman & Robin?
TB: Batgirl rode a cycle, not walk down a fashion catwalk, so I did this practical outfit.

I did a sketch, just as a joke (or a cry for help) to pass around the art department, that almost got me fired off of "Batman and Robin" on week one. Silverstone appeared on the Oscar's the Sunday night before I started boarding on the film on the Warners lot, and she seemed completely stoned, enormously round and covered in some pink fluffy dress like she rolled over several times in cotton candy.

My first job was to draw her in a scene and there was no reconciling the costume that they were planning with the girl I watched the night before. Like Rosanne Barr strutting in the Victoria Secret fashion show. Then I heard Alicia was actually on the lot with the costumers cinching her into a corset to get the measurement for a costume she would have to lose weight to fit in. So in my frustration I drew a cartoon.

I had it tacked up above my desk in the artist's room where passers by couldn't get a direct look at it. Little did I know that one of the art directors or PAs loved the cartoon so much that he had to have his own copy. After I went home he made a color copy and put it up in his cubical in the main art department. Where everyone can see it. See where I'm going? Bob Ringwald, the costume designer, saw it and had a fit. Luckily I hadn't signed the cartoon and my fan didn't give me up.

See more of Tim Burgard's fascinating portfolio at http://timburgardart.com.

Click on the links if you want to see more of Tim Burgard's work or Batman & Robin on my blog.

What do you think of the concept art and storyboards? If you've seen Batman & Robin what did you think?

Official Batman & Robin Synopsis
The fourth outing in the popular movie franchise features yet another personnel change as George Clooney dons the mantle of the bat. Joel Schumacher directs for the second time as Batman (Clooney) and Robin (Chris O'Donnell) have to stop the vengeful Mr Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from taking over Gotham City by using his new ice weapon. To make matters worse, the venomous Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) decides to join forces with Freeze, so making an almost undefeatable double-whammy of a team. Luckily for the caped crusader and his rebellious ward, they are able to team up with a tough and courageous new partner - Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone).
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt
Production design by Barbara Ling
Starring: George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone
Release Date(s): June 20, 1997 (United States)
Official Site: batman-robin.com/
© Copyright 2005 Warner Bros, All Rights Reserved 


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