Monday 13th March: The Cube Microplex

For this project, I was required to design a poster for an event taking place at the Cube Microplex in April. This was a live brief, so the client will choose a few posters from this course and stick them around Bristol.  I had decided to choose the film event called, ‘1984’ because I felt a stronger connection with the film because it is emotional and I like the concept of society not progressing over time; it shows how the author feels about the second world war, and I admire how he has used history telling skills to illustrate a possible future that may occur unless changes were to be made.

After collecting primary research from the Cube Microplex, I concluded that my client had a retro style to it that was welcoming with a warm atmosphere, so I put research into artist that had a similar style. Sheppard Fairey is an American graphic designer that I had already used in my Graphic Design taster project called, ‘Just my type’; I thought his work was appropriate to use and I wanted to look further into his use of colour and how he communicates context through his work. I made use of his limited colour palette in order to create strong contrasts within the poster, which will make the pigments feel more vibrant next to the darker colours. I also decided to make use of his block colours in order to make the poster feel retro and it will interpret my client’s character.

After watching and listening to the original version of 1984, I made some notes on different aspects that stand out in order to reflect on what the film is about and to gain some visual ideas from my notes, which was a very effective method to use because I managed to gain many ideas for my poster in very short time, and it enabled me to become enticed into this project.

Additionally, I also started playing and manipulating my photographs on Photoshop in order to show the consumer different aspects of the cinema in a fun and expressive way; by showing the consumer different parts of the cinema, they feel more familiarised with the client, and it increases the connection and interaction between my client and the consumer.

After selecting several of my favourite concepts, I started researching layouts and found a graphic designer called Neville Brody, who is another artist that I have previously used for another project, ‘pen to paper’. I liked his work because of the way he uses his typography in order to create a dynamic layout, and I wanted to explore his use of geometric typography; the typography he uses is harsh and relates to the way ‘1984 ‘ discourages any interaction or emotion. I looked further into the history of typography in order to gain a further understanding of how they have changed and decide whether I would want my typography to be within the 20^th century in order to emphasis the character of the film and make the consumer feel as if they have transported in time. However, after much research, I have found that typography has been borrowed and reintroduced several times throughout the years, so it is difficult to decide which typography would have been appropriate for my poster. I looked at the Grunge typography, which is the most recent typeface, however, I was intrigued by it because it has a wide range of styles that have all been produced in the act of rebellion (dada movement), which is the same style that Brody uses. I decide to use the ‘Masterplan’ typeface because I liked the battered appearance, bringing out the context of war and rebellion. The typeface also no serif, making the text even in thickness and clearer for the viewer to read. Using my selected ideas, I used Photoshop to explore different layouts of the text and added my client’s logo in order to gain a better impression of what the poster was going to look like and decide whether the space was used efficiently with more than one object. This also helped me decide which ideas I should consider because I found that adding text to the imagery allows you to perceive whether the ideas are practical to use. I chose to layer my title vertically on the left side in order to make my poster more dynamic and to balance the text on the right side. Once I limited my ideas to four designs, I was able to focus on what typeface I would use to inform the viewer when the event would be taking place. Bank Gothic typography was used because of its geometric shape and lack of serif, which suits the masterplan typeface I had used for the title and it makes the text feel impersonal and cold. 
After much consideration, I decided to choose the poster with the monitor for a background because I felt a stronger connection with it because I spent more time trying to get the text to feel balanced and lend into the image in order to create a sense of unity. And I feel that this poster captured the character of my client more than the other designs because it is retro and unique. I did tweak this design a bit because I felt the the printed version of this poster was too pixelated, so after discussing this problem with my tutor, i went back to Photoshop and went over the masterplan typeface with a paintbrush, increasing the contrast and making the poster as a whole feel cleaner and bolder. 
I like this design because the poster has a sense of unity due to how the text blends into the image. The use of block colours adds contrast, making the poster bold and clean. The limited colour palette adds vibrance to the '1984' title, which places emphasis to the right side and informs the viewer what the poster is about. The viewers eyes are then directed in a continuous circular movement because the  logo and the text have been careful aligned with the title, balancing out the weight caused by the left side. The proportions in the poster are appropriate because the bank gothic typeface has a large enough scale for the consumer to read the poster, however, it doesn't take up too much space or draw much attention away from the title; the text is subtle, but it has enough contrast and presence to turn the viewer's attention towards that direction. I also like this piece because of the mood it creates; the neutral clouds in the background doesn't make the viewer feel any particular emotion, which reflects how the context of the film and the lack of human emotion or interaction it contains. However, the vibrancy of the red text becomes a shock to the consumer, emphasising the danger that is about to occur and makes the consumer feel alert and uneasy. the use of red symbolises love, danger and blood, conveying the tragedy within the film. The surroundings illustrate that love doesn't fit in with this world and it is hard to hide it from others. 
I am pleased with my poster because I was able to lock closer into the history of typography and I have learnt what characteristic makes each typeface an individual such as the design movements that they have originated from or the composition of the serifs and horizontals. I have learnt that each typeface has been inspired by old typefaces and the development of each typeface has changed the way we have communicated with our audience and conveyed what we are trying to indicate to them visually. I have responded to this project efficiently by collecting primary research through my visit to The Cube Microplex as well as collecting notes on the film I am designing the poster for. I was also to put research into poster layout and colour, however, I think I could have done a some research on another artist since I was not required to create annotate my sketchbook for this project; adding another artist for this project would have increased inspiration for my ideas and would have given me more ideas on layout and possibly would have encouraged me to work with medium other than photography and Photoshop software. 
I think the most successful areas of my work was generating my ideas because I found it so easy since I had so many notes to work with, which is a technique I interned to carry on to my final major project. Generating my ideas was also easier because I felt less restricted on the quantity of work i was able to produce because i knew that i didn't need to annotate it afterwards; however, the law of annotation has limited the reflection of my work, stopping me from identifying closing what concepts of my work are successful and what I need to do in each deign to improve it. 
In conclusion, my understanding of typography has improved, which I will take onto the next project, however, I would like to learn more as it has become an interest to me, and I am sure that there are some areas I haven't touched up on. I am happy with the way I have responded to my work, however, I think I could have explored more with different mediums and do some more research in order to gain inspiration on what mediums are appropriate to use in a poster.
Next, I am going to write my proposal for my final major project and discuss it with my tutor.

The Cube Microplex- 6th to 11th March 2017

This week, I have been creating and developing my ideas for my poster. I was able to reflect on my visit to the cube and I had decided to re-use an artist I had already researched for a previous project; the cube is very retro and i thought Shepard Fairey was good example to work from. I didn't want to pay too much attention to the slogan, 'Big brother is watching you' because most of the students that have chosen to design a 1984 poster has mostly focused their visual imagery on eyes, which is similar imagery to the film cover. I wanted to keep my imagery unique, and i believe this will make my poster stand out from others. The layout of each poster was inspired by Neville Brody, another artist I have re-used from a previous project; I admire how he makes the text seem dynamic and I was interested in using text in order to add context to my work and convey a sense of rebellion within my work, which is what the film is all about. I have also looked at his use of geometric text because i like the idea of de-humanisation and lack of human interaction that has been used within the film.

For my first poster, I have edited a photo of the Cube's monitor using Photoshop software, which I have taken during my visit last week. I have applied the cut-out filter to this image, which separates the colours and creates a posterised retro appearance. This suits the style and use of block colour within Fairey's work. I was originally planning on using a smaller palette, which are white, red and black; however, the extra grey pigments neutralises the atmosphere, making the imagery pleasing to the viewer's sensory as well as bringing less strain to them. Additionally, the red pigment appears more vibrant due to the strong contrast in colour, which places more emphasis to the title; it balances the weight of the right corners as well as directing the viewer to the context first.

My second poster of a man being blind-folded with a robot being perceived within him. this shows that the man is fading away and slowly being de-humanised, and emotionally hollow, which indicates the horrors that the people within the film have to go through, and perceives the idea of disconnection from the real world. I have drawn two separate images of a robot and a blind-folded man, which was photographed and edited on Photoshop; the two photos were over-lapped and the opacity of both images were lowered in order to enable both images to become visible as well as producing a mysterious imagery.

The third image was drawn digitally on Photoshop. I drew a spiral for the background, and I used the photo of my drawing to inspire an outline of the same image. The remains of the individual being drawn was painted black in order to create strong contrast within my design. the fourth poster is the same design, however, I have changed the black silhouette into white, which provides negative space within my poster and gives the viewer a sense of relief from the tension being created.

I have decided to submit two of these posters because currently i am not certain which poster to choose from. i am torn between the first three because the fourth poster doesn't have any unity; the bottom text doesn't feel a part of the imagery and it throws the viewer off slightly.

once i have decided on my final posters, I will print off my posters in A3, send it off to my client and write a final evaluation on this blog. i am not expected to write anything in my sketchbook because the project is so short and it is a live brief; the client will not be interested in my sketchbook. This makes it easier for me because i have been able to be more practical with my project and i was able to only focus on my ideas. I have decided to keep a record of my ideas and the different layouts and research i have chosen in order to reflect on my work as I go through this project.

I have been told that my final major project is commencing on the 20th March 2017 and my project proposal is due in this Tuesday. i have been reflecting on y previous projects and have concluded that my final project should focus on branding and identity because I am interested in being commercial and I enjoyed being able to give my client a new fresh image and change the consumer's perception. I have been doing some research on branding and re-branding, and I have an idea in mind that involves rebranding Weston-super-mare. the idea occurred during a conversation with my uncle, saying how Weston is mostly known for its 'drug- addicts', and this made me want to change weston's current image; I am currently (not for long) living at weston, it is a place i have lived all my life and I want to give it a new perception. Its once ha a good name for itself, a place where people used to enjoy going on holiday for in order to escape the city life, instead, now it is a lace that is hardly recognisable on the map and unknown to people further away from Bristol. This project is big and will give me opportunities to create posters, slogans, logos, leaflets, etc. However, i will need to be careful not to set myself with too much because otherwise I will not have enough time to think about how i am going to display my final piece. Tuesday will be the start of my one week project, which involves producing a piece of work for a gallery in bristol, giving me the opportunity to expose my work to the public. i am looking forward to the upcoming weeks. 

27th Feb - 3rd March: The Cube

 This week, I have been assigned a two week project on a live brief for the Cube Microplex in Bristol, which involves creating a poster for an event in April. After completing this project, the client will choose two posters out f the course and place their work all around Bristol.

I have decided to choose the film event called, '1948' because I have found that I have gained more interest in this film than the other events because it is an interesting plot that has many visual opportunities, an it feels like something I can really get my teeth into.

I have listened to a few chapters of the audio book in order to gain detailed information on what the atmosphere was like and it allows me to interact more with the characters; it tells me what their personal monologues are, who they are, and introduces me to what was going on in the scene. Additionally, I have also watched the original film of 1984 because I think it is the version that the cube will watch because they are known for showing 20th century films. I prefer the newest version in 2003 because it appears more to the younger audience, which is something I can relate to, however, since it will most likely be the original film, this event will be aimed at an older audience, so the poster needs to be subtle and retro. Tomorrow I will have a better idea on when the event will take place and what film will be played because the client said that they will send in the details as soon as possible. I have already got some ideas for my poster. I am considering researching Sheppard's work like my Visual communication taster project because his retro style will be most appropriate to the characteristics of this client.

This week I have visited the Cube in order to gain some primary research. I have already got some photography, which I can work from as I go through the project, and I was able to look at the client's previous posters, which enabled me to gain an understanding on what style and layout the client prefers. Based on the collection of poster I have recorded, I am looking towards creating a retro poster, which will reflect the Cube's warm characteristics and charm as well as referring to the film's futuristic approach. Some of the photos I have taken relate to the film I am creating a poster for because the film describes the lack of privacy that party members had to face and the idea of keeping secrets and staying hidden in order to survive. I might consider drawing these scenes or using them as inspiration for other imagery.

 Next, I need to research other sources of poster design and be as practical as possible next week in order to develop and improve my ideas in a short amount of time.