MEDP 299 - Post #4

Please stand by for part 2 - I have to wait for the apples to rot.

MEDP 299 - Post #3

Type Crimes:

Pros:

• I think that white type on a blue background is a decent enough choice. With the help of the yellow sun, it invokes a day at the beach, with a blue sky overhead.
• The leading is OK - not too tight, not too loose.
• The text has just enough breathing room. It isn't too close to the edges.
• Although I hate the font choice, I can grant that it's pretty eye catching. The bold strokes have good impact. The large size of the type also helps here.
  
• Tanning places seem to consistently sport terrible typography, so perhaps the bad type is an easy-recognition marketing ploy...

Cons:

• Hm, I can't really say that deco typography really makes me think of getting a tan. If I saw the font out of context, I would probably think of a night out on Broadway in 1920s New York, with men wearing their pants a bit too high and speaking inhumanly fast. I would have used a typeface with a more beachy feel, like SignPainter HouseScript



• The legibility of the type is questionable. The thin stokes might render the text unreadable from far away.
• The placement of the the words "TANNING ZONE" is a little funky. They're weirdly centered off to the right. And next to the placement of the white arrow and the sun, the composition feels a little cluttered. I maybe would have right-aligned the text, scooted it over to the left, placed the white arrow to the right of the text, and moved the sun under "TANNING" and to the left of "ZONE."

Pros:

• The red type is eye-grabbing and draws a connection to the red cross associated with medical aid.
• Serif Gothic - though a dubious choice - is distinctive and easily recognizable.
• The brand name spelled out in lower case letters could lend an inviting air to the store.
• The combination of D and R is kind of neat.
  

Cons:

• Lubalin's Serif Gothic is a pretty poor choice for a modern pharmacy chain, unless they were intending to impart a 1970s groove to customers. I also feel like the type simply doesn't work with the red they chose. Perhaps a more clinical sans-serif would have, but Serif Gothic's peculiarity simply doesn't complement the highly saturated, somewhat threatening red. If I were a Duane Reade executive, I would have gone along with the trend seen in major brands in changing the color of their logo from red to blue - which is more pleasant. You especially want customers who may be buying medical products to feel at ease.
  
• The display type is completely mismatched to the more graphical logo. The rounded edges of the mortar and pestle doesn't quite jive with the display type, or the didone "DR" that it contains, for that matter.
  
• Although the sharp terminal of the "DR" inside the graphic visually parallels those of Serif Gothic, I would have much rather seen a re-use of one font or the other, rather than a crowding-in of the two.
• In fact, I think the presence of the display type mixed in with the graphical logo is over-the-top. It seems like there are two distinct, competing logos.
  
• The presence of three colors adds too much visual noise. It also makes the header seem inconsistent, since white and blue are only in two spots; they seem out of place.
• I'm not sure if I like the graphical logo interrupting the display text. One's eyes get stuck on the graphic before moving on to "reade."
  
• I believe Duane Reade has since made a series of branding changes. As a result, you can see at least three variants of the Duane Reade logo all over the city. The lack of unified typography hurts the Duane Reade Brand.
  

Pros:

• The bold, uppercase, white, idiosyncratic type on the red background draws the eye.
  

Cons:

• The kerning between the "A" and the "C" in both "FARMACIA" and "PHARMACY" is off. The slant of the "A" and the curve of the "C" opens up more negative space. In order to balance the type, the space in between these letters should be decreased..
  
• Again, the typeface is another regrettable choice for a pharmacy. The sharp edges and high contrast present in Benguiat's Tiffany give off the wrong connotations for a place where you go for your health needs.
• And again, although red is eye-catching and is associated with medical care, studies show that it also raises one's blood pressure and is irritating. I would have gone with blue, which is also frequently used in the medical field.
• The numbers, though likely the same typeface as the deco-esque sans serif used underneath the display text, seem out of place. The number 3, repeated three times, is pretty irregular-looking.
  

Pros:

• The words "SHOPPING CENTER" are fairly legible from a difference.
• The bold weight of the letters has impact.
• All together, the composition of the sign has decent hierarchy. "SHOPPING CENTER" is emphasized via size, as it should be. (That's the first bit of information that people are going to want to know.)
• Although the sign is far from elegant, this may play to its advantage. The poor aesthetic sends the signal that things can be bought here at a cheap price. On the other hand, if the signage used a sophisticated modern typeface, it might deter shopping for fear of high prices.
  

Cons:

• Although it's difficult to tell at this resolution, "SHOPPING CENTER" is spelled out in a terrible stencil font. Do I shop here for army supplies and punk regalia?
• The display type doesn't harmonize well with the "Hamilton" logo. They use drastically different typefaces. Also, the "Hamilton" logo itself is weak. Is it a credit card?
  
• The type is situated amongst other busy signs, all using different fonts. All together, the whole thing just looks like a big mess.
• I may be sounding repetitive by now, but red used in this context is just too shouty for me.
  

Pros:

• Uppercase red type on the white background gives the sign an authoritative air.
• Helvetica was a good choice here. It's legible from a distance and - in its uppercase form - give an impression of officialism.
• The beveled rectangular border focuses the viewers eyes inward, and also might convey that the sign holds an official message.
  

Cons:

• A case of typographic irony. This sign, found near City College, reads "DRUG FREE SCHOOL ZONE." Unfortunately, it also now hangs on its side and is covered in graffiti, giving off the impression that this may be a very drug-filled zone. Although I don't think there's anything terribly wrong with the type itself, due to lack of maintenance, the type has been re-contextualized and has lost it's original intended message.
• Although there is a size hierarchy, there still might not be enough contrast to keep the viewer's attention past the first two lines. To increase contrast, I would have use a bolder form of Helvetica for "DRUG FREE SCHOOL ZONE."
  

Type Triumphs:

Pros:

• This seepuertorico.com campaign by Oglivy uses a Bodoni varient beautifully. The pitch revolves around the country's unique culture, and the type (and it's placement) seems to communicate music and dance through its rhythm and flow, complementing the image well. The right-swooping terminals of the lowercase "m," "a," and "k" sashay across the poster. The teardrop terminals of the lowercase "s," "k," and "c" - as well as the comma - invoke musical notes (this comparison is enhanced by the black type on a white background, which conjures up sheet music).
  
• The balance between lowercase and uppercase, between italic and roman, between large letter and small letters could have come off as messy if less artfully done. However, here these characteristics add a playful tempo to the type.
• The sideways slant of the typographic composition lends interest and motion.
• The yellow lettering carries connotations of happiness and sunshine. The limited color palette is tasteful.
  
• Ample white space enhances the type's power. The large patch of emptiness to the left of the lettering's sideways slant is visually compelling, since it is something not often seen.
• A didone was a good choice here. It adds elegance, but avoids coming across as pretentious due to the type's playful treatment.

Cons:

• I'm not sure if the type communicates its message quickly enough. Since the poster is on the exterior of a bus stop, it has about 3-5 seconds or less of the viewer's attention. The onlooker may become lost in all of the beautiful visual movement and walk by before figuring out that the poster advertises vacations in Puerto Rico. Perhaps the words "Puerto Rico" should have the most prominent position instead of "masks."
  

Pros:

• Although the type here isn't exactly a work of art, it gets the intended message across from a mile away: "oriental food here." You wouldn't see this kind of brushed lettering for a doctor's office or a bank.
• The color palette is not too bad here. The white and orange-yellow type against the darker red grabs your attention without screaming at you (as several of the compositions under "Type Crimes" do).

Cons:

• Yeah, it gets the message across, but the typographic treatment of "ORIENTAL KITCHEN" is still kind of ugly.
  
• The telephone number is so squished that it borders on illegible. This one blunder cheapens the entire composition.
• "ORIENTAL KITCHEN" is too close to the top border. The fact that it touches the border adds unnecessary visual tension.
  

Pros:

• The header type, Hoefler and Frere-Jone's 96pt light optical variant of Didot, on this magazine is gorgeous, love the extreme contrast between the thin and thick strokes.
  
• It's a publication about fine wine and the chosen font features fine lines - a great thematic match.
  
• Didones in general have a certain sophistication about them, which perfectly supports the subject matter.
• The slightly wide letter-spacing and use of all caps further enhances the refined look of the title.
• "THE WORLD OF" is wonderfully placed, aligned with the top of the "F" and the side of "E." It has just enough breathing room below it.
• The color of "FINE" parallels the negative space in the image underneath. The deep red of "WINE" parallels the red of the image while also alluding to the color or red wine.
  

Cons:

• Personally, I might have aligned the header type with the image below for a tighter composition.
  

Pros:

• The type here screams "heavy-duty SUV." It's bold, it's expanded, it's solid. It might have worked even better if they added "hell yeah" as a subhead.
• It's visually pleasing that the letters run parallel to the lines beneath it.
• The logotype is nicely center-aligned to the graphical mark to its right.

Cons:

• Although visual balance may have called for a tight kern between the "C" and "A," and the "L" and "A," the fact that they're joined - whereas other letters are not - feels somewhat inconsistent. The eye likely get stuck for a few milliseconds on theses pairs, interrupting the flow of the logotype.
  

Pros:

• The letters spelling "Chamomile" superbly communicates everything that Chamomile tea should be: relaxing, soulful, and warm. This is conveyed by the little humanistic details in the type, such as the leftward stress of the "o," the modulations in stroke-width, and the slanted terminals of letters like the "h" and the "l." The relatively small counter-space in the eye of the "e" somehow conveys coziness to me - the counter is almost being "hugged" by the surrounding stroke.
• The tight kerning of "Chamomile," along with its earthy brown fill, also gives off a homey feeling.
• The warm yellow space surrounding the type harmonizes well with its brown color.
• The type is well-aligned to the text below it.
  

Cons:

• I honestly can't find any problems with this particular typographic solution other then the tail of the "a," which could have been softer.
  

MEDP 299 - Post #2

Image 1


Image2


Image 3

MEDP 299 - Post #1

Jacqueline a Mantille Sur Fond Rouge

Serenity

Loneliness


Intimacy


Growth


Business



Anger 1



Anger 2

Anger 3

MEDP 160 Blog Post #5

This semester I've learned quite a number of things, from "hard skills" to soft ones.

In the first half of the class, I learned first-hand how hectic film-making can be, and how much planning is required for even a small production. It became apparent that one should spend the majority of time in preproduction - storyboarding, scheduling, scripting, etc. - if a smooth shoot is desired. It also became apparent that regardless of the amount of work you put into planning, the shoot will always be hectic. I found my mind boggles by all the variables it had to process in balancing loads of zombie extras, main actors, the sequence of shots, overall morale and energy, and more.

My first foray into Adobe Flash proved a challenge as well. Discovering Flash was almost like exploring an entirely new dialect, complete with obscure terminology (symbols, movie clips, tweens, .swf, .fla, .flv) and a unique coding language behind it all. I also had to embrace a new way of thinking, while trying to picture how to create a smooth animation over multiple frames. Having had a good deal of graphic design experience, it felt wonderful to bring my previously motionless design elements to life.

The biggest things I've taken away from the course is the epiphany that I have no desire to restrict myself to one creative medium. MEDP 150 and 160 have helped me realize that my interest is in becoming a truly cross-media designer, harnessing audio, video, interactive, and print production skills in order to create cohesive messages.

Media 160 Blog Post #4

"Bendito Machine" is a short film series developed in Flash by talented animator, Jossie Malis. The shorts explore philosophical issues such as human frailty, religion, and corruption. "Bendito Machine 3" acts as an attack on technology, which it frames as the new religion.

From the outset, we see a Moses-like figure climbing a great mountain. Yet, rather than receiving commandments, a godlike beam delivers a strange, beeping apparatus. In the next scene, a group of villagers trashes their previous religious relic - a statue that doubles as a radio - for this new technological wonder, which reveals itself to be a television. Jossie Malis here seems to comment on our constant, frivolous drive for better and newer technology. Throughout the rest of the video, the television machine proceeds come alive and destroy the village while the villagers worship it regardless. Malis appears to be saying that we're allowing the pursuit of technology to destroy our society.

Bendito Machine's minimalist, silhouette-style aesthetic ensures that the viewer isn't too distracted from the feature's core messages. In addition, the spareness of the scenes - with their ample employment of negative space - combined with the spindly and silly-seeming human characters reinforce that idea that humans are small and petty.

MEDP 160 Blog Post #3

For Mark Simakovsky and I, the zombie movie we created for our video project was quite an adventure, both creatively and logistically. With a shared interest in all things undead, the creative process flowed furiously, with Mark and I jumping, gesticulating, storyboarding, and faux-acting all over the place. The logistical side, however, was more of a challenge.

First came location scouting, which lead us to the Hunter Library. The location was great, but it had an innate problem...in that it was a library. How would we film a movie full of moaning and groaning zombies in a place where silence was the rule? By making a silent film, of course! Here, it was interesting to see how a logistical problem actually fed into the creative process. Since the movie would now be silent, it would also - of course - have to have film grain, contain a cheesy 1920s-esque horror movie score, and be in black and white.

Next, we focused on people, i.e. a make-up artist, zombie extras, and our sole main actor. In addition to in-person badgering, I created a Facebook event, made lots of calls, and sent lots of texts. All-in-all, this organizing stage took more time than the actual creative brainstorming.

Finally, the day of the shoot came. We arrived in the library before our lab period with 10+ zombie extras, Jessica Olsen (our make-up go-t0-girl), and Eli Cohent (our lead actor and Hunter's lone zombie plague survivor). Though Mark and I - particularly Mark - had spent considerable time planning out our shots, I had no idea how hectic things would become. Looking back, it would have been nice if I'd made a shot order and schedule; we sort of just haphazardly came up with such on the spot.

Overall, the most important thing I took away was the clearing up of a misconception about the filmmaking process. I learned that creating a film is as much of a process of organization as it is ideation.