LOS ANGELES -- The name Tim Palen doesn't have the same Panem-esque ring to it as, say, Katniss Everdeen or Peeta Mellark, but to fans of The Hunger Games film franchise, he's no less important a figure.
Palen is chief brand officer and president of worldwide marketing at Hunger Games studio Lionsgate -- but that's just his day job. When he's not busy crafting some of Hollywood's most innovative and digitally integrated film marketing strategies, he's moonlighting as a professional photographer ... for himself.
The award-winning shutterbug has been shooting the studio's campaigns for a long time, including The Hunger Games. If you've seen any of those iconic character images over the past few years -- gorgeous, saturated reds and golds, often with stark, monochromatic backgrounds -- it was probably Palen (pictured below, second from left; with Liam Hemsworth, left, and Mockingjay director Francis Lawrence, second from right; and star Evan Ross) behind the camera.
With the series set to conclude on Nov. 20, Palen has collected his works in "Photographs from The Hunger Games," a high-end version of which will be available the day of the film's release.
A reception was held Tuesday night to kick off the exhibition, with Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth and many Lionsgate luminaries in attendance, including Palen himself.
Dozens of the photographs are on exhibit at The Leica Gallery in Los Angeles starting Wednesday, including many images that have not been publicly released. One set on display (second image down, below) was supposed to be the first film's original character posters, but Palen told Mashable that they were rejected because with closed eyes, they looked dead -- and this is a movie about kids killing kids, after all.
Palen told Mashable it was cool to tweet some photos of his photos -- despite that we clearly couldn't do them justice. If you want the full effect, you'll have to visit Leica this week (or buy the book).
Here's a look at what we saw:
I'm @ Leica Gallery for Tim Palen's Photos from THE HUNGER GAMES exhibit. (Tim told me photos OK to tweet.) pic.twitter.com/z3MO2GBlfa— Sexy Josh Dickey (@JLDlite) October 28, 2015
These were supposed to be THE HUNGER GAMES character posters. Rejected for looking ... dead. pic.twitter.com/HpJZsIgJHs— Sexy Josh Dickey (@JLDlite) October 28, 2015
Tim, worldwide marketing president at Lionsgate, started taking pics during THE HUNGER GAMES and never stopped. pic.twitter.com/fEEAtIVMj4— Sexy Josh Dickey (@JLDlite) October 28, 2015
There is a Hemsworth here. Can you spot him? pic.twitter.com/GdkpABf3jM— Sexy Josh Dickey (@JLDlite) October 28, 2015
Don't shoot, Katniss! pic.twitter.com/Vya2x844Xg— Sexy Josh Dickey (@JLDlite) October 28, 2015
It's the truth! It's actual! Everything is satis-factual. pic.twitter.com/SSBwdXN5wg— Sexy Josh Dickey (@JLDlite) October 28, 2015
KNEEL BEFORE TIM PALEN! I SAID KNEEEEEL pic.twitter.com/MXa9zZCMqZ— Sexy Josh Dickey (@JLDlite) October 28, 2015
Two bitter enemies showed up at Tim Palen's THE HUNGER GAMES photo exhibit and it's AWKWARD pic.twitter.com/38FKE9jKaa— Sexy Josh Dickey (@JLDlite) October 28, 2015
Leather pants not pictured. pic.twitter.com/7MM1pWaFNe— Sexy Josh Dickey (@JLDlite) October 28, 2015