Tell us a bit about your organization and what your specialty is in the film and video space.

I created CINEMALAD PRODUCTIONS as an independent production company, following my years as a screenwriter, author, and filmmaker. Most of the work on the documentary I’ve done myself, including as an animator, editor, and videographer. I also designed and maintain the film’s website, www.richardamselmovie.com, entirely on my own.

AMSEL: ILLUSTRATOR OF THE LOST ART is the culmination of nearly 20 years worth of research into Amsel’s life and creative oeuvre. Excerpts of the film in progress have been featured at the Museo Museum in Anaheim, California. Participants on the project include such notable figures as actress Brooke Shields, Hollywood producer and executive Sid Ganis, writers Michael Musto and Bruce Vilanch, art directors Jerry Alten, Spiros Angelikas, Merv Bloch, and Mike Salisbury, Jim Henson Foundation president Cheryl Henson, animators Stephen Anderson and Gary Goldman, artists Blake Armstrong, David Edward Byrd, Alice “Bunny” Carter, Howard Chaykin, Greg Hildebrandt, Kyle Lambert, Marvin Mattelson, Ann Meisel, David Negron, Paul Shipper, Mark Raats, and William Stout, filmmaker Erik Sharkey, actress and singer Charlo Crossley, music producer and songwriter Bob Esty, Raiders of the Lost Ark’s Paul Freeman, and Flash Gordon star Sam J. Jones, among many others.

How can people join or learn more about what you do?

Go to our website at www.richardamselmovie.com, join our newsletter for updates, and learn how you can support our project!

Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?

One of the most prolific and popular American illustrators of the 20th century, RICHARD AMSEL (1947-1985) remains a titanic figure in the world of entertainment art. From his celebrated covers for TV GUIDE, to portraits of legendary personalities like Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin, and Barbra Streisand, to his iconic posters for films such as RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and THE STING, Amsel’s work has inspired generations of illustrators, and continues to be enjoyed by millions of art and film lovers around the world.

Tragically, Amsel’s life and career were all too brief. He died at 37, an early victim of the AIDS epidemic. The aim of the documentary is to celebrate his work, preserve his creative legacy, and shed light on an enigmatic life that was every bit as colorful and wondrous as the art itself.

This is not just a film about a movie poster artist. It is a human story of an artistic savant who achieved his first extraordinary success at the age of 21, while being abandoned and rejected by his family because he was gay. It is a time capsule of New York’s gay culture in the ‘70s, and the devastating onslaught of AIDS during the height of the Reagan era. It is a reconstruction of a fractured life story told through friends, celebrities, and colleagues, as well as an overdue appreciation of an artist’s work.

Filmmaker Adam McDaniel has conducted over 60 interviews with Amsel’s friends, family, colleagues, classmates, teachers, and new generations of artists who Amsel inspired.

The documentary will feature selections from the thousands of images McDaniel has collected, many never before published. Animated motion graphics have also been made from Amsel’s most iconic works, allowing them to be seen in a new, fanciful light.

Made with an exclusive arrangement with the Richard Amsel estate, the endeavor represents the culmination of over sixteen years of extensive research into Amsel’s life and creative oeuvre.

The project has received a Gold Davey Award (Social Campaigns – Arts, Culture & Lifestyle), a Communicator Award for Excellence (Social Content Series for Arts, Culture & Entertainment), and a Silver Telly Award (Documentary Series)

What are you most proud of about this piece? What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?

I’m delighted that my project, AMSEL: ILLUSTRATOR OF THE LOST ART, has received a 2025 Silver Telly Award for Documentary Series.

While the final cut is still in progress, the award recognizes all the work done for the project so far — from the teaser trailer and website, to our news reporting about Richard Amsel’s life, work, and creative legacy.

I’ve now dedicated about 10 years to making this documentary, following even more years of exhaustive research. It’s been an incredible journey, but it hasn’t always been easy. I’ve poured my life savings into the project, faced considerable challenges and opposition, and once even had to go to the hospital due to an anxiety attack.

Such recognition is not only professionally gratifying, but feels like something of a personal validation that all that hard work and struggle have been worth it.

I can not thank you enough. There’s still some road ahead, but I know I’m going in the right direction.

Do you have any advice to other filmmakers based on your career or your team’s approach to work?

Don’t wait for someone else to give you your big break. Sometimes, the best way forward is to do it on your own, even if you’re a film crew of one.

Can you share a behind the scenes story or fun fact about the making of your piece?

There was a bittersweet realization that Richard Amsel, who died from AIDS complications in late 1985, had yet to have a panel made for the AIDS Memorial quilt. I therefore created one myself, and it was unveiled on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1st, 2018, at The Wall Las Memorias AIDS Monument, within Los Angeles’ Lincoln Park. It’s now included in the main quilt in Washington DC, and goes on tour throughout the country.

Tell us about the most memorable response you got from this work.

One of the proudest results from my project thus far — both on the film itself as well as promotion Richard Amsel’s work — was when I learned that my efforts helped inspire The Society of Illustrators to induct Amsel posthumously into their Hall of Fame, in September 2023. I attended the event in NYC, and shot footage that will be included in the film.

Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’

… a journey of discovery, fueled by passion, perseverance, and imagination.