$BURN$

(VisionFriend)

(2023) Mixed media

$BURN$ is Chris Friend’s fictional mythos of which all of his personal work is an extension. $BURN$ started life as a card-game project when Chris was sixteen, and he is proud to finally be close to releasing the first iteration.

Old-Earth

(VisionFriend)

(2023) Digital painting

Old-Earth is a four-volume, 1,200-page graphic novel cycle written, drawn, and created by Chris Friend. It is both a prelude to his short film, “Geneva Jacuzzi’s Casket” and part of his $BURN$ mythos.

Geneva Jacuzzi's Casket

(VisionFriend)

(2021) Pen and ink, digital

“Geneva Jacuzzi’s Casket” is Chris Friend’s four-year passion project short film. It entered the film festival circuit in 2021 and has been featured in over 70 film festivals around the world including Slamdance, Dances with Films, and Maudit 2.0. It has also received over 40 first-place awards ranging from Best Experimental Short Film, Best VFX, and Best in Festival.

Therapy Dogs poster

(Ethan Eng)

(2022) Photoshop

Director: Ethan Eng

Chris hand-painted and animated a poster for Therapy Dogs, the Slamdance AGBO Fellowship-winning feature documentary.

Stone

(Alice in Chains)

(2013) graphite

RoboShobo: Director

Working closely with the director, Robo Shobo, Chris sketched key scenes, sets, and costumes for the Alice in Chains video, “Stone”. It was cool seeing how close the final product came to the sketches.

"Oh La La" double spreads

(Flaunt Magazine)

Art Director: Clayton Webster

Flaunt Magazine art director, Clayton Webster contacted Chris Friend to illustrate a series of four double-spread illustrations in a whimsical yet sexy style.

Lenshead concepts

(Lenshead)

(2016) pen and ink

Director: Hunter Peterson

Chris worked with director Hunter Peterson to design the titular character’s helmet, which he would wear in all scenes. One of the main challenges was developing the helmet’s destruction state once it had been smashed open at the film’s end.

Headcount creature concepts

(Head Count)

(2010) Pen and acrylic

Director: Elle Callahan

Chris worked closely with director Elle Callahan at his Hollywood art studio to design a terrifying creature, the HISJI, for her feature-length horror film HeadCount. One of the main hurdles Chris had to design for was achieving a highly elongated and emaciated creature. Chris’s solution was to design a puppet-rigged suit, with the head and upper torso extending out in front of the performer’s torso, allowing the head to be puppeted.

Dog Bone

(Vacation Theory)

(2022) Pen and ink

Chris Friend: VFX Supervisor

This is the VFX supervisor brief and VFX storyboards for Vacation Theory’s proposed spot for Braveix dog medication. Chris excels at conciseness for his VFX Supervisor’s suggestions through storyboards, bringing everybody involved to a clear understanding.