Renowned Cleveland-based artist Derek Hess has tested the waters of both the music and art world for over 20 years. Recognized internationally for his poster work with bands such as Pantera, Pink Floyd and Pearl Jam, as well as being featured brands like MTV, Vh1 and TLC, Hess' art has been featured everywhere from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to the infamous Louvre in Paris.
 
After enriching the art and music world with his intricate and emotive drawing-based-art for over a decade, Derek Hess has finally translated his medium to film by way of his new documentary, Forced Perspective. This intimate self-portrait was directed by filmmaker Nick Cavalier and has already won awards at the Cleveland International Film Festival, the Beverly Hills Film Festival and many others. Forced Perspective isn't just your average docu-story or even a biopic, but rather a journey through Hess' struggle with alcoholism and bipolar disorder and how these demons affect his artwork. This exploration presents a voyeur into Hess' personal life, revealing his process and philosophy. Forced Perspective showcases the evolution of a celebrated artist and his effect on music and culture while highlighting the link between creativity and mental illness.

Today, Forced Perspective is available for purchase via IndieMerch in DVD and Blu-ray formats, as well as for download and streaming On Demand via Vimeo. IndieMerch has several physical packages available, including signed limited edition posters, a 125-page Forced Perspective companion book, limited edition silk-screen prints, and more. In addition to the full-length film, the DVD/Blu-ray includes deleted scenes, a film premiere Q&A, behind-the-scenes footage, teaser vignettes, trailers, and more.

Derek Hess first drew attention to his art by creating posters to advertise the bands he booked at Cleveland's Euclid Tavern. Posters for bands such as Helmet, Cop Shoot Cop, Jesus Lizard and Soul Coughing attracted people to the growing underground music scene in Cleveland while gaining Hess notoriety all over the world for his artwork.
 
In the early 2000's, Hess began holding concerts in Cleveland named Strhessfest where Hess' favorite bands would play such as Clutch, Converge, Every Time I Die, Unearth and Stretch Arm Strong. The bands were mostly hardcore and metal bands, both local and national, whose songs had the same subject matter as Hess' art: dark tones, heartbreak and depression. Strhessfest eventually expanded into Strhess Tour and lasted 5 years, touring both the US and Europe with bands such as Shadows Fall, As I Lay Dying, Thursday, Bleeding Through and Poison The Well.