Film Viewing Assignment: Helvetica

Helvetica was extremely interesting, both in the design concepts it delved into and the broader questions it raised.

According to many designers and design historians interviewed in the film, Helvetica represented a radical transition in graphic design. Before the font debuted in 1957, advertising and graphics were busy, lengthy and convoluted. Afterwards, both typeface and graphics themselves became simple, modern and bold. One designer held up two Coke ads to serve as before and after examples. The after was markedly stronger than the before, zeroing in on one crisp image and a short phrase in Helvetica. The transition to simplicity, he implies, followed the transition to Helvetica. The idea of a typeface as the genesis of a design revolution is fascinating. It suggests the extreme importance of that which most casual consumers take for granted. As one interviewee pointed out, Helvetica “says everything.” As it began to “say” simplicity, then, the rest of the medium followed suit. If Helvetica truly did spark a revolution, text is highly undervalued in our interpretations of the media that surround us. This film forces the viewer to rethink type’s role in communication.

Though a relatively minor point, multiple figures in the film discussed the use of negative space in text-based designs. While many people view negative space solely as incidental space created by images, the designers point out that all space surrounding and inside letters is negative as well. They even go so far as to suggest that the use of type is “all about” the negative space created. So often, novice designers and graphic students are tempted to choose a font for what it itself lends to their message. The film creatively reinterpreted the use of text, however, inviting the viewer to consider the impact of the spaces around the text while paying less attention to the type itself.

Particularly interesting is the film’s attempt to paint Helvetica as a global power in design. From seemingly endless shots of the typeface cluttering signs in cosmopolitan cities to a plethora of designer interviews, the message is clear: Helvetica is ubiquitous, not only to the viewer’s world but to the world at large. Several designers claim that everyone knows the font, and the film’s distinctly international feel enforces their claims. The director labels each new city and country depicted and chooses frames that showcase the type in as many languages as possible. Perhaps the most telling comment comes from a designer who likens Helvetica to air saying, “You have to breath, so you have to use Helvetica.” This idea raises an interesting question about the cultural limits of graphics, and particularly type. Global as it may appear in the film, Helvetica is only available to those who design in Roman alphabet languages. This excludes at least half the world’s population. So then, is there an east/west divide in design? Images, of course, always have and always will transcend languages. But with type playing such an integral role in the designs and ideas that infiltrate daily life, it appears that Helvetica is not as universal as Gary Hustwit would have us believe.

YouTube Assignment: Words

Words

This made for YouTube video is a creatively assembled montage that communicates a variety of words through images instead of simply speech. The theme “words” unifies the shots, but each one is also decidedly different, a necessary trait of an effective montage. This short film uses dozens of different shot types, from extreme close-ups to long shots to in frame, out frames to tilts. The diversity of shots, and the many angles from which the shots are taken, contributes to the montage’s effectiveness. Each shot is short in length, between one and three seconds long.

The film’s premise is extremely engaging, the quick transitions from shot to shot draw the viewer in, inviting him or her to analyze the frames and figure out the word depicted before one image gives way to the next. Though the transitions are quick, the video frequently uses an inventive interpretation of cutting on action to lessen their abruptness. The subject of one shot begins moving, and the subject of the next shot seems to complete the action by doing something similar. For example, when the film depicts the word “run,” we see the back of a woman’s leg with a run in her tights. As she begins to walk, the shot transitions to the back of a man’s legs running, giving the illusion that his strides complete hers.  Or, a falling piano transitions to a falling skydiver, again allowing one shot’s action to serve as the logical completion of another’s.  The film’s ability to communicate with very minimal dialogue is also a strong point. Though it is entitled “Words,” it speaks powerfully to the communicative ability of the image. The emphasis placed on the use of different shots and angles to “speak” is both cleverly ironic and speaks to the importance of film as a medium.

Despite a variety of creative transition techniques, the short shots do become overwhelming at times. The film would have benefitted from placing more action shots that could create a flow together, or perhaps using slightly longer shots to convey the same ideas. While montages should draw on a variety of shots, the use of one still frame (the x-ray) seemed to contrast uncomfortably with the rest of the movement centered video shots. That shot could have been eliminated or set up differently, perhaps using footage of a cast being applied. In general, most of the shots could have been organized so that the movement from each appeared to flow into the next, getting rid of nearly all the abrasive transition problems.

Graphic Design: Poster Project

             

This assignment resulted in a general poster/advertisement for an on-campus club and chaplaincy group, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship. The principle of the poster, and of Chi Alpha as a group, encourages a level of stability and freedom allowed by basing one’s identity on that which, like trees, is largely immovable. The three sets of roots and the large text communicate this idea, while the two smaller pictures depict two of the things Chi Alpha is rooted in, worship and community. Juxtaposing these small images with the dominant trees attempts to convey the importance of both things in being rooted.

            The poster draws on a number of design concepts to convey its message, most noticeably repetition, proportion, simplicity and color. These four overarching design principles act as a vehicle to more subtly utilize a host of visual literacy ideas and Photoshop techniques that come together to convey the poster’s message.

Repetition

            The image of a tree trunk and roots is repeated three times, both creating a visually appealing graphic display and providing a sense of balance for the poster providing enough visual weight to balance out the text. The repetition also creates the negative space in which the two smaller pictures lie. To accomplish this, the trunk and roots were placed on a white background by selecting the background with the quick selection tool and erasing it. Then entire picture was selected with the rectangular marquee tool and the magic wand was used to remove the background from the selection. The move tool was then used to duplicate the tree three times, and the trees were evenly positioned on the bottom two-thirds of the page. Each copy was placed in a separate layer to allow for easy and precise positioning.

Proportion

            The elements in the poster are arranged in a variety of ways that create visually pleasing relationships. The rule of thirds is in play both horizontally and vertically. Horizontally, the thirds consist of the tree roots, the trunks and photos, and the white potion with text. Vertically, the repetition of tress creates three lines that can be imagined even after they disappear.  The poster also utilizes negative space between the tree trunks to create a natural frame for two smaller photos. The photos were cropped and placed in layers under the tree layers to allow for this effect. In addition, this placement of the photos sidesteps the visually distracting trapped white space that would otherwise exist. The tree trunks act as directional forces as well, directing the eye upward to the words.

Simplicity/Economy

            Everything superfluous to the poster’s message has been removed. The first version contained upwards of ten images. Several drafts later, all visual litter has been removed to leave only three powerful images. The poster also forgoes long descriptions of the club or excessive text, allowing the images and few words to communicate more strongly than written ramblings could.

Color

            Color is most noticeably used in the poster’s text. Because the bottom two thirds of the poster are visually heavy, the intense color of the text provides an asymmetrical balance. Choosing from within the green family also encourages a bright, engaging feel and complements the reds in the picture of the hands. The vibrant colors in both of the smaller images also contrast with the largely neutral color of the tree trunks. Even though the trees are clearly the foreground of the picture, this color contrast allows the background to stand out as well.

Photoshop Lesson 3

Wish: Group Photo Project

Completing this project, scheduling and communication were large issues. Members schedules did not overlap, so communication was strictly via email. While convenient, this method is more unreliable than face-to-face meetings. One lack of response created more confusion for all. However, the distribution of preferences served the group well. Some preferred working on photographs, some thought creatively and some preferred organization and presenting, simplifying the division of labor. With more time and more experience with Photoshop, editing the photos would have enhanced them. In addition, it would have been wise to dedicate less time to taking photos and more to preparing the presentation. 

The final product’s most pleasing attribute and most important lesson was its insight into the personal nature of photography. An individual took each photo. Despite the common theme, the photos were all immensely different. While to one person wish meant depicting people, to another it meant tangible objects and to another it was more abstract. The project’s diversity accents the truth that photography is rarely impersonal and never objective. It also provided a valuable lesson in the importance of lighting. Given the abstract nature of the topic, light was often used to suggest imagination or optimism. In many cases, the point of the photo would have been lost without appropriate lighting, a constant reminder that light can make or break a shot.

This photograph captures the idea of wish by showcasing the time 11:11 in an aesthetically pleasing way. The shot draws on contrast, shadows, and short exposure time to visually tell viewer, “It’s 11:11. Make a wish.”

Contrast

The photograph derives much of its appeal from areas of sharp contrast. There is a drastic contrast between the pure white created by the candle in the upper right corner and the pure black seen in the bottom left portion of the shot. Both these shades are enhanced by the presence of their opposite, creating a more interesting photograph. Even more striking is the contrast between the digital numbers and the clock that displays them. Light from the candle was angled to make the screen appear completely black, instead of its actual grainy grey. Against such complete darkness, the red numbers pop, introducing vibrant color and light that become the focal point. These contrasts also underscore a thematic contrast; a wish highlights the marked disparity between desire and reality.

Shadows

Contrast and depth are added by the use of shadows. While the sides are engulfed entirely by light or darkness, a middle layer of shadows softens and enhances the frame. The positioning of the candle and an overhead light outside the room where the shot was taken created the shadows. Most important are the shadows cast on the upper right corner of the clock and the shadow that emerges from under the bottom left corner. Both accent the clock’s curvature, ensuring that it is not entirely lost in darkness. They also suggest the clock’s shape, allowing the viewer to imagine its continued curves as they disappear into darkness. The shadows cast in the areas directly above the clock and below the candle blend with areas of contrast to lend the shot a hazy feel, juxtaposing the whimsical, undefined nature of a wish with the certainty of longing. 

Exposure

The darkness of the shot was allowed for by the camera’s very short exposure time. The room in which the photo was taken was significantly brighter than the photo suggests, but the camera absorbed little of that light. Excluding much light created a more powerful shot, enhancing the presence of the candle and creating interesting regions of complete darkness.

Business Card

Pulitzer Photo: Fatal Fire

 

This photograph is certainly among the most visually striking Pulitzer winners displayed at the Newseum. It is at once shocking, engaging, and horrifying, compelling the viewer to stare in spite of the desire to look away. Stanley J Forman took this shot in 1976 while on scene at a fire in Boston. The woman and girl in the photo were climbing down a fire escape when it suddenly collapsed. Forman began to shoot, turning away only seconds before they hit the ground. Though clearly a matter of happenstance- the photographer had no time to change lenses or adjust aperture- this frame draws on point of view and composition to tell a tragic story.  

Forman’s point of view in this shot suggests precisely how drastic the fall is. He has positioned himself under and in front of the scene. It is clear that the camera is angled up, letting the viewer know that subjects have a great distance to fall.  The angle also included enough of the building to give the viewer perspective; the cut-off window suggests a tall building and a long fall. Had the frame been captured even second later, the two individuals may have been too close to ground to create a startling picture. In this case, the photographer’s point of view accounts for the jarring effect of the photo.

Composition is also a key component of this frame. As evidence of a remarkably gifted eye, Forman has managed to enact the rule of thirds both horizontally and vertically, even in a high-pressure situation. Horizontally, the rule of thirds draws the eye to the adult woman in the frame. Above her, the top third drawn contains the falling child and below a window creates the bottom third. As a result, the eye is immediately drawn to the center third, and to the woman who appears to be the most in focus of all the shot’s elements. Vertically, both the woman and the child make up the center third, framed on one side by the collapsed fire escape and on the other by a line of building bricks. The lines in the outer thirds, as well as the windows directly behind the two people, give the illusion of a straight line that allows the viewer to imagine the subjects’ movement and trace the path of their fall. These composed lines ensure that only the two people are emphasized, making their story central to the shot.

This image was immediately attractive solely because the subject matter was both upsetting and provoked curiosity. It seemed essential to read the story that explained it, and study it further, even though the image is not a desirable one to have etched in the brain. The photo is certainly powerful, drawing the viewer to gasp one second and blink back tears the next; even several who hardly glanced at most of the gallery paused to study this frame. It isn’t a shot the viewer is drawn to “like;” it’s far too tragic for that. But it is one the viewer is drawn to understand. As many great photos do, it makes the intangible tangible. The ephemeral nature of life is shockingly real in this photo. The woman died just moments after Forman clicked the shutter. The little girl, however, survived.