Based on the postmodern novel by Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice is a bizarre detective story fueled by psychedelic drugs and references to the counterculture of the 1970s. Given the wild nature of the script, the BLT team had free rein to produce an appropriate promotional concept. The design for this poster was originally created using unit photography. Once the composition was finalized, a large-format print was produced on matte paper, over which Steve Chorney painted to create the illustration. The in-house team at BLT then tweaked the image, pulled colors from the cover of the first edition of the novel, and added details. In addition to the payoff poster, eight incredibly detailed character posters highlighting the star-studded cast were produced in the same style, as well as a billboard with moving pink legs.