#01
Name_ Ross Francis Student ID_ 102181 Level_ 06 Module Code_ OUG603
Brief Title Type Of Brief Skills Collaborators Nature of Collaboration
DRIP
Brief
Live brief for the context of film. Layout, Type Design, Concept Generation, Art Direction
Create the visual brand for the independent film DRIP, which includes but is not limited to the main visual image for the film, any supporting visuals, the press kit and screener copy packaging, and the further promotion of the film.
Joel Burden In the collaboration Joel and I generated concepts and conducted research independently. The design direction was done collaboratively. I put together the press kit and designed the poster under the direction of the film director. We collaboratively designed the typeface.
Background
Considerations
The film DRIP marks the start of the professional working relationship of Mark Trifunovic and Mike Smith. The collaborative pair will be looking to submit the film to nationwide film festivals in order to help spread their name as a production duo, with the hope for more lucrative future work. The film is in it’s final stages of development, with the visual identity, promotion and distribution the only things left to add. Consider how the packaging of the screener copy can help to make the film stand out amongst other entries. Consider how much the visual identity gives away about the film? How can the visual identity and promotion of the film be executed to exude professionalism, but maintain an independent conscience?
Solution
To resolve this brief, a eery and disturbing aesthetic was created in order to reflect the subject matter of the film. Unsettling child like scrawls were created with a level of ambiguity to the creator. While being initially child like the scrawls, in context, start to hint on the wider subject matter of the film. The theme is carried through a range of deliverables, from press kit and screener copy, to the post production titles for the film.
Evaluation
The brief started out very well. I personall y had to pitch to get the brief, to do this had to put together a personal portfolio of work, and respond to a set brief from the film director. Having been successful with this I thought that this would give me a level of ownership and garner a certain respect as the graphic designer. However, it became apparent that the director had a very particular idea about the film’s graphic design elements. While some ideas were kept, such as the child like scrawls, many of our ideas were at the mercy of the director. I feel that this lead to a very average and immature response. The design process became very difficult to navigate through as a multitude of amendments came through for a range of different deliverables. This meant that the design became a mash of initially good ideas followed by bad and unimaginative executions. The issues arose due to a lack of planning , a forced aesthetic, a failure to take control of the design direction and as a result, a mundane and difficult design process. Working within the context of film is something that initally excited me and was something that I was interested to be a part of, however I did not particularly enjoy the brief, and it has helped me realise that I do not want to design for film directly. I think the industry is highly intriguing, however I think my own interests and skills are more directed towards the wider contexts of film, such as, theatres, production companies, as opposed to the film itself. Perhaps this is too quick to right off, and it may be safe to assume that my next experience will be better after learning so much from this brief, but as far as I am aware, I will be steering clear of working within the context of film directly. Ultimately the director was very happy with the work that was done, however, I personally was left very unsatisfied with the brief itself. The design work completed struggles to be called graphic design, and reminds me of a photoshop project done by a 14 year old.
Research
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
What did I do?
Why did I do it?
What more could I have done?
For this brief I conducted a variety of indepth research. I held meetings with the director in order to find out the design problem. I documented my own account of the film, and looked further into some of its themes. Inline with the tone of the film I looked into similar film graphics and found precedents. I looked into themes of trauma psychological dissonance and connected this to the typography. I conducted primary research collecting children’s handwriting and used these to inform the typographic development.
I conducted a lot of visual research in order to gain examples for the film director. The primary research from my own investigation of the film, and forming lines of enquiry with the director gave me a deeper understanding of the films rationale, and indeed, my own. Collecting the hand writing from children would give me direct and honest material to use in the creation of the over arching visual style. Taking influence from the acclaimed film Se7en I gained a valuable precedence and point of reference for my design.
In the full research pack on my blog, it is clear to see that I looked at a variety of films, and analysed them in depth. While I think it was a good exercise for me to do this, I do not think it was particularly informative for the brief. In order to gain better research I should have looked outside the world of film. I touched on this by looking into the world of Post Traumatic Stress. However, I feel that I could have drawn visual research from a wider sphere than the world of film, in order to gain a more versatile range of options for the direction.
DRIP Brief #01
Design Direction
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
What direction did I take?
Why did I take this direction?
What influenced me?
From the outset, the direction I chose to take was that of a psychological horror due to the films intention. The film’s lead character was a young boy, so I wanted to juxtapose the visual with an innocent edge. This meant that I could shift the balance between innocent and psychotic by using the scrawls as a starting point. Making the text slightly more dissonant would give the impression of the films antagonist, a psychotic serial killer, and giving the type less dissonance would lead it to look innocent and child like.
The brief had a very distinct tone, and I feel that in the film industry certain standards and conventions need to be adhered to. The director had profound influence on the direction, and I felt that because this was his film, and my first experience working in film, I decided to keep the direction safe, and in keeping with the usual conventions. Certain elements, like the news channel, needed to look genuine and convincing, so it was easiest to base the graphics on something prexisting, and this seemed to be the case thereafter.
I was particularly influenced by the film Se7en. I collected a lot of images, that could be used as a reference point, and these seemed to become more and more relevant as the film progressed. The director mentioned this film in passing, and I thought that the film had common themes of mystery and horror. The director had a particular affinity with industry conventions and using typefaces like Trajan Pro, became a particularly difficult negotiation to get out of. It became more apparent that the director was going to direct the graphic style.
DRIP Brief #01
Development
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
How did I develop the brief?
What problems did I have?
Was it successful?
The development of the brief was a long process. From endlessly drawing out the alphabet, figuring new ways of getting a child like but dissonant type, to scanning, and creating textures, and preparing all the aforementioned to be used on screen and in print. The work produced was under the constant crit by the director, and liasing with the director allowed me to make the necessary changes in order to complete the brief. The brief became disjointed through indecision about formats and print and this needed to be resolved.
There were some serious problems when it came to choosing formats for the press kit. Due to the constant direction from the director about the visual style, I had not even started to think about the format and print of the deliverables. Without thinking about this early on, it made it very difficult to figure this out later. As the development of the brief started to take much longer than expected, I became stressed about the print and wanted a quick resolve to brief. This lead to a very mediocre product, after a very mediocre aesthetic.
The brief was successful in the eyes of the director. My own satisfaction was another thing. I did not particularly enjoy the brief, and I must say that I regret taking it on. I believe the problem was in my own disatisfaction with the initial content. I am not particuarly interested in horror films, and I think that the graphics for them is not to my own taste. Perhaps it was my own fault for choosing an aesthetic direction that was not to my taste at all. I think to be more successful I should have chosen a more subtle direction, which is more design driven.
DRIP Brief #01
Presentation
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
In-Film Opening Title
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
In Film Opening Titles
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
In Film Opening Titles
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
In Film Opening Title
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
In Film Design for After Effects
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
In-Film Opening Titles Design for After Effects
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
In-Film End Credits Design for After Effects
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
In-Film End Credits Design for After Effects
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
In-Film End Credits Design for After Effects
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
In-Film End Credits Design for After Effects
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
Press Kit
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
Press Kit
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
Press Kit
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01
Press Kit
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
DRIP Brief #01