An In-Depth Interview With The Creative Team at Sideshow

80.lv’s Kirill Tokarev interviewed some of the Senior Creative team at Sideshow to talk about their history in the collectibles business, their artistic process, and the unique challenges that arise when bringing 3D art into the hands of collectors. 

Kirill was joined by:

• Dani Bel: Creative Director
• Anna Van Slee: VP of Business Development
• Ricky Lovas: Design Director
• Matt Bischof: VP of Development and Manufacturing

Can you take us back to the beginning? How did Sideshow start, and what was the original vision that drove the founders to enter the collectibles space? What were those early years like, and how has the company's mission evolved as you've grown from a startup to an industry leader working with the biggest entertainment franchises in the world?

Anna Van Slee, VP of Business Development: Sideshow’s origins came from our love of monsters.  Our founders were a group of freelancers working in-and-around Hollywood in the nineties, doing creature makeup, special effects, miniatures, and model making. Their first foray into the collectibles space was with Universal Monsters, with a hyper-stylized and cartoony line of toys called “Monster Shredderz” which were sold in Toys R’ Us (among others). 

The Shredderz were fun, but the team wanted to produce something more representative of the actors and the Universal movies they loved. They went on to make a series of much higher-end poseable figures, deluxe statues, and eventually even life-sized busts. Box stores obviously weren’t the right home for those, and so they began to sell direct to the customer, and Sideshow.com was born. 

Matt Bischof, VP of Development and Manufacturing: We’ve been around so long that a lot of people don’t realize that many of the early innovations in the collectibles industry came from Sideshow. From how we engineer statues and utilize polystone, to new ways of incorporating mixed media in production pieces, to the infrastructure of the industry itself. Pre-ordering statues online, with payment plans, dedicated customer service teams.

Anna Van Slee: Back in the day, if you googled ‘Iron Man Statue’, you might find one or two if you were lucky! We used to be one of the only games in town. How do you stay fresh and exciting? Not only to new fans who have so many options to choose from nowadays, but also to veteran collectors who may already have dozens of statues already? That’s the question we have to ask ourselves.

Matt Bischof: There are different ways you can level up as a brand. Not just with artistry, but also in delivery. Consistency, quality control, integrity, dependability. We’ve worked hard to provide the very best customer support in the industry. We want to be a company you can rely on. The focus is always on being better.

Walking through your production pipeline: when a new project gets greenlit, what are the first steps? How does a character or concept move from initial approval to a finalized ZBrush sculpture? Who's involved in those early creative decisions, and how long does this phase typically take?

Ricky Lovas, Design Director: We start with getting a feel for the character. There’s a fact-finding stage for licensed characters, trying to gather every piece of reference you can get. For our original characters, this is replaced with worldbuilding and storytelling, creating all that reference material from scratch. 

Then we begin prelim 3D design. Rough digital sketching. Figuring out the collectible. There’s a mindset shift as we go from pose to product. Starting to wrap our heads around the piece as an actual manufacturable item. How it could be engineered to have swap-out accessories or maybe special features we could add into it, like lighting effects or whatnot. 

Dani Bel, Creative Director: As we get into the journey to a physical object your brain has to split between making a piece that you want for yourself, and making a piece you can manufacture for others. 

Matt Bischof: At this point, we may assign a Sculptor to work with the Creative Director and the rest of the team to take this project to the next level and really start collaborating on bringing this sculpt to life. 

A Design Manager works on retaining focus, keeping everything on-target with the approved design, and is part of the crucial aspect of creative problem solving during the Design and Development stages.  Meanwhile, a PM (Project Manager) handles scheduling, costing, production processes, solving development issues as they arise, and eventual delivery. Then you factor fabric tailoring for certain projects which requires a specific qualified and tenured approach, digital printing, packaging design, paint…yeah, this could go on all day! (laughs) 

Our projects are a collaborative and symbiotic group effort. I’d say any one Sideshow statue could be brought to market through the collective effort of anywhere between 50-70 individuals across the company during the projects’ active life. There are key artists of course, but it takes a village.

One of the biggest technical challenges in this industry is translating a digital 3D model into a physical product. What happens between that final ZBrush file and the actual polystone or resin piece that ends up in a collector's hands? What are the printing, molding, and casting processes involved, and where do the biggest technical challenges arise in maintaining detail and accuracy at scale?

Matt Bischof: Interestingly, for us, 99% of the time resin doesn’t come into the picture until later in the process. For our prototypes, these days with digital sculpting, we print and paint directly onto sculpt output 3D prints. 
Our artists typically paint two print outputs: one is used for manufacturing as a deco master, and the other is a solicitation master used for photography, marketing, and promotional use. We print a third output which is cleaned of all print build lines and used to make master tooling molds for manufacturing. 
 
There are so many challenges. For example, think about the engineering for production – there needs to be an understanding of the internal foundational structure, the laws of gravity, the undercuts, the eventual molding process for manufacturing, and so on. Most of our artists and PMs are industry veterans and inherently think of these things as they are working, but we also have dedicated sculpt engineers on hand to help figure out how to break these things apart for print and production.
 
Tailoring is one that’s pretty much unique to Sideshow. Cut n’ Sew changes things, especially at scale. Fabric stacks differently in miniature…it’s way more complicated than people may realize. We are fortunate to have artists who have been with us many years and are experts at scaled tailoring and how that is executed and married to the hard parts.

Quality control seems critical when you’re hand-painting hundreds or thousands of pieces. How do you maintain consistency and ensure that piece #500 looks as good as piece #1? What's your approach to quality assurance throughout production, and how do you train painters to achieve museum-quality finishes repeatedly?

Matt Bischof: There aren’t many manufacturers who can capture our painting style. Our manufacturing partners have been with us for over 15 years now, and they are familiar with our style as well as our expectations.  There is a shorthand that can only come with decades of artists working together. We also rely heavily on the expert eyes of our veteran PMs (Project Managers) many of whom have been here over 20 years. Our QC process is extensive and highly detail orientated. 

Ricky Lovas: …and sometimes you just need fresh eyes on it. It can be as simple as that. You need to lean on the team around you for their guidance. You can get too close to a project. You have to learn to lose the ego and ask. 

Dani Bel: The human aspect is essential. We need to retain an environment where it’s OK to ask for help at any stage. You have to retain your humility. Asking “what do you think of this?” is quite daunting for an artist. We want to make Sideshow a place where asking an opinion doesn’t mean loss of control. You are utilizing the best tool for the job, and that includes the expertise of your peers. 

How big is your creative team, and how is it structured? What roles are essential to getting a statue from concept to completion, beyond the obvious sculptors and painters? How do project managers, art directors, and other team members contribute to the pipeline?

Matt Bischof: That’s hard to pin down. We have plenty of specialists here at Sideshow, but no one wears just one hat. We lean on experience more than job title.

There are Concept Artists, Sculptors, Tailors, Painters, Art Directors, Engineers, Graphic Designers who handle decals and pattern masters, Project Managers for development, and other PMs for manufacturing…it’s a lot!

Anna Van Slee: There’s a reason why Sideshow has become a campus over the years. It’s a real privilege for me to be able to walk down a hallway and get fresh eyes on something, regardless of the department the person works in. Knowledge is knowledge.

Distribution and logistics for high-end collectibles must be complex, especially with pieces that can weigh 30+ pounds, require museum-quality packaging, and ship to collectors worldwide. How do you handle getting these products from your facility to collectors' homes safely? What are the unique challenges in shipping fragile, high-value art pieces internationally?

Anna Van Slee: That could be a whole interview in itself! (laughs). I think the running theme of this conversation really is always coming back to the understanding that you are making a collectible. Not a one-off piece. Something to be duplicated. You have got to engineer something to disassemble and fit in a custom-made box, then be safely delivered to a bunch of people in one piece. 

Matt Bischof: …also, with collectibles, you need to think about things delivering safely to the customer and going back in the box too! Folks may move a few times in their lifetime. There’s a whole science that goes into packaging design and the poly foam layouts within to deliver the piece safely. That’s a skill in itself. 

Working with major IP holders like Marvel, Lucasfilm, and DC requires careful collaboration and multiple rounds of approvals. How does the approval process work with licensing partners, and how much creative freedom does your team have when interpreting these iconic characters? Do you have freedom to pursue a unique artistic direction or is it more controlled?

Anna Van Slee: Ultimately, we don’t own Disney, or Star Wars, or Marvel, or DC, or whatever…and some of these characters are almost a hundred years old. There’s a legacy there, and that might come with restrictions on how the characters are depicted.

Having said that, we’ve been in this industry for over three decades ourselves, so we’ve built great relationships with a lot of our long-standing licensing partners. They see the vision, and they are often collaborative when we are pitching new ideas. 

And…every now and then, something like Sideshow Mythos comes along. When a licensor believes in our artist’s concepts and ideas and see that they align with the true beating heart of the characters – they endorse that vision. That’s a stamp of approval from the original visionaries who built those worlds! That’s unique to Sideshow. To know that we’ve been able to do that in the Star Wars galaxy in particular, and for decades now! It’s amazing when you think about it! We have a lineage there. It’s an honor.

Your team has been described as passionate fans of the properties you work with: "a team of geeks" as Rob (Hammond, Sideshow CEO) put it. How does that genuine fandom influence the creative process and the final products? Can you share specific examples where a team member's deep knowledge of source material resulted in a detail or design choice that resonated strongly with collectors?

Anna Van Slee: Sometimes we can be too geeky for our own good! (laughs) Look at our new Creature from the Black Lagoon statue. Anthony Mestas was creative lead on that piece, and it’s his favorite movie. He intentionally designed The Creature with a missing claw on one of his feet as a small nod to a plot point in the film. We had so many people thinking it was damaged that we had to notify our Customer Service team! No! it’s meant to be like that! (laughs)

Ricky Lovas: For our new Pennywise 1:6 Scale Figure, we reached out to Bart Mixon, who designed the original look of the character. He had continuity Polaroids, sketches, behind-the-scenes photos, as well as the firsthand experience of actually applying the makeup and prosthetics to Tim Curry every day! We thought our initial prototype was pretty solid, but with Bart’s help, we took it to a whole other level. 

What areas of growth or new directions excite you most? Are there emerging technologies like advanced 3D printing or new materials that could change how you work? Are there new categories, scales, or types of collectibles that Sideshow is exploring? How do you see the collector demographic and market evolving over the next five to ten years?

Dani Bel: I think color 3D printing could eventually revolutionize our prelim design phase. We have also been exploring AR as a way for fans to visualize how a piece will fit on a shelf or look in their collection before they have even purchased it. I’ve seen people doing statue reviews on YouTube using our AR tech! That was fun. But I think it’s also important to remember these are just tools… 

Ricky Lovas: We’ll always have dirty hands (laughs). To me, Sideshow is always about the smell of wet paint and clay. The tools may change, but the attitude doesn’t. It's human-made.

Anna Van Slee: We want to make things that our artists are passionate about. For a lot of us here, we feel some of the most inspiring stories in the last decade have come from games rather than cinema, so don’t be surprised if you see some new announcements in that realm coming up.

What's the trick of making videos of these sculptures? You have such a complex job of selling these physical products through video and socials, you must have picked up some interesting techniques along the way. Do share some if possible.

Ricky Lovas: That brings up a good point that I don’t think we’ve ever really talked about. We rely so much on the skills of our photography and video teams to show you as the customer exactly what we’re seeing as the artists. That’s also reflected in web design, our product galleries, our social media posts, everything. It’s all carefully considered.

How many times do you go somewhere, like a museum or an art gallery, and take picture with your cell phone then think “huh, well it looked way cooler than that when I saw it in the flesh” (laughs).  A lot of effort goes into lighting, staging, and displaying our products for videos and photos – not just to show them at their very best, but also at their most REAL. We want you to see what we see…

What are some of the most successful releases you've made over the years? Share those stories? The Child, I'm assuming, is making a killing?

Anna Van Slee: Absolutely! Grogu is by far one of our all-time best-selling products. Collaborating again with our friends at Legacy. The figure is so lifelike, he looks just like the real thing! I think every employee here at Sideshow has one (laughs). 

Matt Bischof: Our X-Wing Luke Skywalker Premium Format Figure was a very ambitious and eventually rewarding project for the team. Everything about that was a challenge. Engineering that floating X-Wing gag and creatively connecting it to the base. The tailoring on that flight suit to Luke’s pose and his mid ascent up the ladder. Mark Hamill is always a challenging portrait to capture. That alone was a team effort which took many weeks to get to the final portrait sculpt. For me those are the memorable projects, the ones where it all just came together through a group effort of creative debates and problem solving.

Ricky Lovas: The Clint Eastwood collection. That was a career highlight for a lot of people, especially Tom [Gilliland]. He’s been here since day one, and this was a dream project for him. To work directly with Clint Eastwood. Seeing Clint walking through the hallways, sitting at your desk, giving you notes, telling firsthand stories that directly inform the design. From the man himself to the statue. There’s nothing like that. That’s one of a kind. 

The collectibles market has become increasingly competitive over the past decade, with new companies launching regularly and production capabilities expanding globally. What do you see as Sideshow's key advantages that have allowed you to maintain your position as an industry leader? Is it the relationships, the talent, the processes, or something else entirely?

Ricky Lovas: I think our willingness to take risks has always been our biggest strength. Not everything lands, y’know? But there’s never any doubt it was made with love. Every project here is a passion project. 

Matt Bischof: …and every project is a gamble. You have to be OK embracing that. 

Dani Bel: You have to fall in love with a project, but you can’t get married to it. You know what I mean? Sometimes the business side and your personal ambition don’t align. That’s a tough thing to try and explain to new people who are just getting started in the business. 

Matt Bischof: You have to be motivated by the whole experience. Which certainly isn’t for everyone. We ask our creative team to care so much on every aspect of Design, Development and Manufacturing.  At the core though, it is about the process. That is the most significant aspect. 

Anna Van Slee: I’ve seen full-blown arguments about Batman’s cowl ear length (laughs). You have got to see the humor in that. To be willing to fight for the ideal ear length on Batman’s cowl and then be willing to let it go if we go in a different direction. 

Ricky Lovas: But then other times you win the argument (laughs). And we’re making Batman with the ears just how you want them. Then you can’t help but think of that as your Batman, oh, it’s personal now…

Matt Bischof: …and you hope the collectors don’t hate it! (laughs)

How do you work with individual artists? I've seen Maria Panfilova's stuff on your website. Does it mean that if you're a good sculptor you get do some kind of collab with Sideshow?

Dani Bel: First of all, we’re always looking. We’re fans!

Sculpting is an ancient artform, but the materials and the techniques are always changing. There are new innovations in the way we sculpt but also in the way sculptors see the world. The visual language changes. There are so many great artists out there, but you have also got to be a great person…

Ricky Lovas: Right! If you are cool to work with, then we’re cool working with you.

Dani Bel: You’ve got to be excited by the process. Problem-solving is part of the art. Making art and making collectibles is sometimes a different mindset. It takes a certain person to enjoy that and embrace the collaboration. Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but we don’t work with talented assholes.

[Ricky Lovas] No, you are entirely right! (laughs) There’s a reason we work with the same people over and over. There’s a reason people become part of the family.

[Dani Bel] We want a teammate. A collaborator. Like Matt said, there might be 50-70 people working on this. You must want to be part of a project with other people…

[Matt Bischof] There are so many factors to consider. We are always looking for folks who get that. And we’re constantly working on our own side to make that process as inspiring and enjoyable as possible.

[Anna Van Slee] I think that’s the answer. Loving the process. 

Sideshow, Artists' Studios & Collectibles Manufacturer

Interview conducted by Kirill Tokarev