Backdrop Design Sketches

Graffiti Studio Worcester - Backdrop

(Photos taken by Robbie Brittain while accompanying me to meet artist Jo in the art studio.)

Through these ever changing development within the shows multimedia, after the director seeing a quick sketch of my impression of Wonderland, I was asked to help direct the design for the show’s backdrop curtain. This all in all gave me a role of a creative director in part for the show; the backdrop was made over three five-hour sessions at a graffiti studio where I directed three artists to where we co-visualised the composition, colours and subjects within the piece of art. A great experience to be free to just design and instruct at will very freely, very Wonderland.

Ticket Analysis +

Again the Take That ticket is very official on the one side, with my target audience luckily I didn't have to consider too much security wise. But from this design approach I wised to take was to make sure if young children are to purchase ticket at school, the information communication structure would have to be aimed at them, while on the other side the elegant simplistic adult tone could be achieved by adding simplistic poster design to for it to be a an overall memento for all.

Ticket Analysis

During my research for tickets, the visuals were something I started to focus on. Seeing the same or a similar structure on every ticket, most being very dull and mainly official looking because of terms a conditions security matters; I decided to go the opposite route. I asked people what they liked about their kept tickets, what was special about it and why. The main answers a received back were based one the importance of the event, but a key point was that it was a reminder, a memento of the event and that it a ‘fun’ thing to keep. This was all I needed as a designer. To keep the information on point to the subject but create an elegant keep able ticket, this was where my existing example research started.

A very good example I found was firstly a Michael Jackson ‘This Is It’ ticket, one side very formal in the excitement to actually having a secure seat to the king of pop live, however on the other side have reflective graphics to emphasize the innovative aspects to his performance and over all era.

Program Design Ideas +

These were all designs taken and development from my much-up photoshop visuals I'd produced for peer evaluation and meeting with the Loco Committee.

Getting the layout ratio was the main key as the ideas were already there, and had even been suggested by other in which I incorporated.

Program Design Ideas

After several meetings with the Loco committee I knew what information that needed to be included, so my development designs were visualizing the page compositions using shock value expressive techniques i.e. in the viewer face March Hare and Hatter profile pictures with tag lines. Suggestive humour while introducing characters was a combination that allowed the reader to interact while in taking the information.

Designer: David Schltz

In terms on labelling and layouts, a huge influence on my work in the program and poster pages was designer David Schltz how on his ‘Lee Jean’ adverts used selective imagery that teased the audience, but added the square boxed tag lines. I thought this works to more grace to what meets the normal eye; the descriptive value from the adverts leaves the viewer with a vast knowledge of the product and image in just seconds as well as left wanting more.

A strange layout I found in the ‘Wicked’ program was the extremely basic and word press looking cast list. At first I thought I looked quite dull and unimaginative, but one thing I picked up on was th at I could read all this information very clearly and in order.

Program Research +

After trend i found within a lot of the programs, but mainly in the 'Lion King' program was the use of a single image tacking of two pages for a greater impact. With this a very small tagline use of text to let the audiences mind wonder and imagine the show as it it were live once again.

Program Research +

Within the MamaMia Program and through most other programs i found a trend of overlaying images to get as much different scenes in to the booklet. This showed a great depth to the show leaving the audience reflecting on i photos after wards thinking... 'what a great show'.

Program Research

Programs acquired to start analysis process...

Through contacting as many links in the drama department I was able to get my hands on ten West End Musical Programs including big shows like ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘Billy Elliot’. These programs became like Bibles to me in terms of information control and layouts.

Poster Developement

When slowly developing the designs, a moch poster was trailed to the public at first that did started selling tickets and also gave me instant feed back on what people thought.

Pentagram Design Typeographers

The use of type on this design then became extremely important to make sure the title of ‘Alice’ agreed with the feel of the poster layout. I began to look at movements and designers like Pentagram Design who used expression with text which gave inspired me to look further into what the type actually said based on it’s features.

Poster Designs: The Upside Down World

The Concept

Using the Wonderland Vs Earth the audience saw and alternative world straight away which could also be edited to make weirder or more elegant if needed. The simple yet effect design also emphasized the characters displayed on the top while to bottom was a great use of negative space saying that the normal world is quite bring really.

Typefaces

Trail and error in testing different typefaces for the Alice title was crucial to hit both a younger and older audiences... the more opinions i got on the typefaces to more in ablied more to make a final design: 'Coffee Shop'

From moving onto my own designs i was still looking for the design that hit both younger and older audiences.

Everyone is most probably doubtful about who was stronger defied gravity Philippe Ramette (An Upside Down World – this gallery) or Li Wei (I Think I Can Fly – photo gallery). Both artists had a great idea but it’s up to you to choose the winner. “The French artist Philippe Ramette believes nothing should ever be faked. His improbable, gravity-defying poses might look like classic Photoshop, until you notice they are peppered with little incongruities. “You see a tension in my hands, my red face is far from serene as the blood rushes to it, my suit is ruffled.”" – guardian.co.uk

The upside down feeling on the world gave me a great Wonderland Vs Earth concept in my mind....

Poster Designs: Down The Rabbit Hole

The Concept

This is supposes to represent the hole Alice falls through. It has a cool urban feeling to it. For the viewer the rabbit is kins of starring at you, luring you into Wonderland.

Why It Didn't Work

When showing it to the committee at Loco, they felt the type the similar to other productions, like the Tim Burton film.

Poster Designs: The Storybook

The Concept

In the show, Alice is a writer and plays here game-boy. I liked the way the writing looking on an apple. It'd like a once-upon a time thing.

Why It Didn't Work

It was a little too complex of an idea to sell. It was a little over people's heads.

Poster Designs: The Deck Of Cards

The Concept

The heart represents the Queen, the Mad Hatter has his hat, the watch is the idea of time ticking away, and there's the rabbit himself, starring at you.

Why It Didn't Work

It wasn't chosen not because there was anything wrong. It was just that between this and the final art, it just lacked a angle for children to engage with. Where was Alice?

Poster Designs: The Rabbit

The Concept

The idea is that there's a rabbit and Alice, and the two are a reflection of each other, likes she's within the negative space of the rabbit. You might not see her straight away.

Why It Didn't Work

You could almost put a lot of titles underneath it and it didn't say 'Alice In Wonderland' like i wanted it to. It was too vague, and almost ominous looking.