Vegas artist has designs on ‘Apes’

Friday, July 27, 2001 | 9:23 a.m.

Graphic artist Deric Harven grew up a devout fan of the first five "Planet of the Apes" movies and the short-lived CBS series that was spun off from the movies. He even liked the cartoon show based on the film.

So when the 37-year-old Las Vegas resident was chosen by Twentieth Century Fox to design the logo for the sixth film in the franchise that began in 1968, naturally he went ape.

Director Tim Burton's version of the original film hit theaters today.

"WTBS was running a 'Planet of the Apes' marathon last year when I got the call (to submit logo designs)," said Harven, senior art director for the Shonkwiler-Marcoux advertising agency. "Roddy McDowell (who appeared in four of the 'Planet' movies) was narrating the program and they were showing a lot of the posters.

"I was watching that while working on (the logo for) the new 'Planet of the Apes.' "

It was good that he had that for inspiration because he said he had no idea what the new film would be like -- whether it was going to be a remake, a continuation of the series or something altogether different.

With Burton directing, you have to place your bet on something different.

Burton's credits include "Beetlejuice" (1988); "Batman" (1989); "Edward Scissorhands" (1990) and "Sleepy Hollow" (1999).

"But when I got the call, it hadn't been set in stone that Burton was going to direct. At the time, he was going to produce," Harven said. "They couldn't tell me anything about the project at all. I couldn't even see samples of the costumes. I was completely in the dark. Everybody outside the actual project was pretty much in the dark."

Which may have influenced him to create a dark logo, one that focuses on a close-up of the side of an ape soldier's helmet. The title of the film is embossed over the helmet, whose swirl resembles the cochlea of the inner ear.

The logo is shadowy, highlighted by a bluish tint.

"They didn't finish designing the costumes 'til August of last year," Harven said, "and I'm working on the logo in the middle of July, which was sort of putting the cart before the horse.

"It was very hush-hush. James Cameron ("Titanic") was originally one of the directors chosen for the project, which was ongoing for years."

The film didn't actually begin shooting until November.

"I heard they were shooting some pieces up until last week," Harven said.

Harven was one of several graphic artists who were asked to submit logo ideas.

"Fox had been doing their own in-house designs in terms of logos but they didn't like what they were coming up with and so they out sourced it," he said.

Harven said he had four days to submit his ideas.

"It was a last-second thing."

Harven's research involved watching the old movies and going to Blockbuster video stores, where, he said, toys from the movie already were being sold.

In four days he came up with a couple of dozen ideas.

"It was a quick turnaround on my part," he said. "When it's a big project like this one, it usually takes months."

It wasn't until after the first of the year that he finally learned his ideas were the ones that were going to be used in the logo.

"I would hear little things," Harven said. "My agent in L.A. would call and say, 'Well, they've narrowed it to four (designs) and three are yours.' "

Burton designed the helmet that was incorporated into the Logo, said Harven, who noted that studios accept ideas submitted by artists, then finish the work themselves.

"They don't pay for the finished artwork, just the comps that we submit," Harven said. "Studios are very smart. It's cheaper to pay someone to come up with ideas, and then for them (the studios) to finish it."

Harven was 4 years old in 1968 when "Planet of the Apes" debuted. The film was based on the 1963 satirical novel by French writer Pierre Roulle (1912-1994), who also wrote the novel "Le Pont De La Rivire Kwai" ("Bridge Over the River Kwai" (1952).

For trivia buffs, Roulle's novel about the apes was titled "La Plante Des Singes," or "Monkey Planet."

Harven's work is well known in Las Vegas, even if he isn't.

Among his creations are the Paris Las Vegas balloon logo and the logo for the production show "Imagine" when it was at the Luxor. He is working on a project for the Palms.

Harven hopes to do more logos for movies in the future.

"I have been asked to possibly work on the new 'Scooby Doo' film," Harven said.

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