This module gave me the opportunity to focus on something I really enjoyed and also the chance to get to know some new software.
I chose the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone for my DVD project. The westerns have so many elements of iconic imagery and design solutions that the range of material for me to consider and evaluate was fairly vast.The print based designs for the western filmsspecifically, were varied, and gave me the opportunity to consider a range of possible aesthetics for my idents. The title sequences for the films also impacted heavily on my design decisions; the colours, the timing, the sound and the typography.
I feel that almost for the first time I have been able to fully focus on and understand the direction I was going in throughout the project. With the help of crits and tutorials I made confident and justified design decisions and also more importantly was confident enough to begin creating the idents early in the brief, to give me as much chance to develop the visuals as possible. Because of my confidence and greater connection with my project than I might have had previously, I had time to relax and sit back from my work and self evaluate it. I did not get behind on work or even feel rushed at any point to get back on track, it gave me the time to consider all the elements of the brief fairly equally.
Since the beginning of level 5 I have made a real effort to stay on top of my work, I feel I have done better this module than with the last, and as a result I have had more time to design, but also to do things other than design. My hobby is rock climbing and it is a part of my life that I am determined will not be pushed into the background and out of my weekly routine. I strongly believe that if anything is done too much, no matter how much you enjoy it, it eventually becomes a chore. This module I have found a balance that work well for me and as a result have enjoyed both the graphic designing and the climbing. This is something I hope to continue throughout the next couple of years and indeed into the further future.
The PPD sessions have made the reality of becoming a professional much more present day to day. It has made me think more about who I am as a designer, what makes me tick, and what possible futures do they hold for me.At present it is fairly obvious to me that my speciality areas of interest are in editorial, typography and photography as a part of my designs. However this is something that up until now I have not used in my designs, I will be keen to try it soon.
Also, looking through examples of portfolios and CVs I have now got an idea of where I would like my career to head. I am looking for a placement in or around London as that is where I would ideally like to be based once I have graduated. I would like to appeal to a high end, possibly corporate market to fit in with the London scene. I think there will be plenty of chance to for interesting projects with interesting companies this way.
The software I have learned this module was eye opening. I have only touched on motion graphics in the past, but I have found that I really enjoyed it, and in fact am possibly quite proficient with it. However I do not think it will shape the path I choose to take concerning my future career. I would like to progress my skills with it though, so that if I was every offered a job using it I would be capable of creating something great.
DVD Studio Pro was very exciting to use because it has now opened up a whole new possibility for a design solution. It has also taught me to keep track of all my files and be neatly organised. This is just as important if not more so when applied to a print based brief.
Overall I am happy with my work and myself this module. However in hindsight there are specific things that I would like to have changed or even just tested. The continuity of my idents bothered me in the last couple of days of the brief. I was not sure whether they would be recognized as a series when viewed in context on TV. The feedback on the other hand did put my mind as ease as it was good in that area.
I think one or two of my idents were stronger visually than the others, but I was constantly aware of my audience and the connection they have with the films.This informed the vast majority of my decisions. The films were varied, no two had the same character.Therefore I wanted each ident to reflect those characteristics.
Another thing I would have liked to change certainly is the DVD menus. I like the design I came up with and the general style of the DVD, but I feel the menus are a bit repetitive, especially with the loud gun-shot every time another menu is opened. Some variety such as a gun shot when moving forward to a new menu, and then a reload sound when stepping back to a previous menu, or even some background music could have worked. I should have tested these things, but eventually I had to finalise them and submit.
Overall I think this was a successful brief, as I have been able to apply everything I was hoping to get better at from last module. I also feel I reached a competent level of skill with the new software and was able to create some good work.
Things to consider doing differently:
- If the brief requires more than one element to be designed (such as the idents, the DVD and the packaging) considering them all as one will help clarify continuity and a clearer design direction.
- Organising files clearly and logically throughout a brief is integral to the success of the project as well as essential practice for the future.
- I think I need to ask more questions to myself about my brief at hand. Rather than waiting for a crit or a tutorial to guide me. I have said that I did this well, but there is always room for improvement.
- Although it didn’t turn out to be an issue, I did have some apprehension when coming into college to compile my DVD in DVD Studio Pro. This is because I had not spent enough time familiarising myself with it. So getting to know the software to a confident level before needing to use it would be good practice.
- We were told to bring questions to our crits so that we had something we could ask of that was directly relevant to that stage of thee brief. This was very useful, therefore from now on I will bring at least 4 questions to each crit, focusing on specific design decisions I am making at that time.
