Nov 24, 2020

Exclusive Short Film Premiere: "A Session with Stan Lee" by Aron Fromm.

Two years after his death, the indomitable Stan Lee continues to appear in films. In "Sessions with Stan," a new short film by director/producer Aron Fromm, the comic giant speaks from beyond the grave on "the most useful words in the English language." (Hint: it's not "Excelsior.")

Fromm worked with Lee on and off for almost a decade. During that time, he built up a mountain of sound recordings of conversations with the great man, from which he culled interesting clips that can be heard in this film. In the recordings, which have never before been made public, Lee talks about the multifaceted power of "words. Fromm's team set this monologue to an animation that captures the artist's energy, which Cartoon Brew will premiere exclusively:

Fromm has edited independent shorts such as "Ovarian Cyst: Tales from the Tour Bus" He has also produced. However, Sessions with Stan is the first time he has used Lee's recording archives in a film. Here is what he had to say about his relationship with the artist, and how he adapted the monologue to film: Aron Fromm: I did a lot of freelance work with Stan Lee and his company over the course of eight or nine years. It was a non-exclusive, long-standing relationship. We would call each other late at night, whisper sweet nothings, and then not speak for a couple of months. Most of the time, if he needed voice over junk or promos, he just called me. I also took a lot of autographs. Later, I also produced a few pieces for him.

Do you remember the circumstances under which this recording took place...

It was 2013: Vine Star ruled the earth, Harlem shook us all, and Fidget Spinning was just a niche subgenre of German hardcore porn.

What made you decide to make a film of this footage? It's very likeable and candid. He is a sharp, goofy old man who will do anything for a laugh. I was sorting through some old folders on my computer and I found this picture and I thought, "Oh shit, I have to do something with this. ......" And I thought, "Oh, shit, I've got to do something with that. Stan did. [What instructions did you give to character designer Cos Perry and animator Richard Plata? For years I looked for someone who could nail that style, the kind of movie I fell asleep watching when I came home sick from school as a kid, not quite sure if it actually existed outside of my imagination. So when I found Cosperry, I was happier than Bruce Vilanch in the avalanche at Hidden Valley Ranch. I sent him a bunch of reference photos and Cosperry nailed it on the first try. He always does. I plan to use their designs on my next project. For the animation, I start with a production pass. I write the movements and facial expressions I want to see at specific times, mixing in audio with text and sometimes photos or video. I send it to Richard, and he does his own acting. He's a great actor, and he's able to bring the character to life in every frame.

How did you come up with the main backdrops? How much of it is based on memory and how much is creative? I sent him a reference photo and layout, and Guillaume Arantes (my favorite background artist on the planet) filled in the blanks and gave the place a bit more of a cinematic feel. That painting of Stan confronting Spider-Man really did hang behind his desk. That little statue of Captain America is also God's honest to God truth. He always kept it on his desk.