The aim of this project was to design the branding and communications for an existing film festival of my choosing. I needed to come up with an original look and feel and visual system. I was drawn to the Mountainfilm Festival, held annually in Colorado, because I appreciated the way it highlighted crucial environmental, social, and political issues. Mountainfilm is all about “celebrating indomitable spirit” through film, art, and ideas, and educating and inspiring individuals to create a better world.
Process
I began by doing research on the film festival: what it was about, where it was being held, and its aims. I then began watching a number of films being shown in the festival. Next, I created word lists associated with the festival and the moods and spirit of the films. To get more ideas for the project, I went to various locations in nature and took my own photos, aiming to capture the grandeur or greatness of specific elements such as trees and water, and incorporate them into my designs. I ended up rejecting my photography as I couldn’t find the right way to fit it into my work. A problem I faced early on with this project was that I wasn’t initially thinking and designing in terms of a system. I fell into the hole of making one-off, book-cover-like designs that had no relation to each other. To break out of this, I spent some time researching and reading about how festivals around the world were being branded. This sparked my creativity and I was able to come up with a few concepts for systems. I then took my three ideas and made a series of posters within each system. Ultimately, I rejected the “splitting/repetition” and “gritty” ideas since I had the most flexibility with the filmstrip concept. For example, the film strips created natural dividers and I was able to place type within them. I ended up changing the vibrant green to a mossier and less expected one. In addition, I added orange as a secondary color to achieve an earthier mood. I then began to expand the brand by applying my designs to across media, including an app screen, social media, a web page, clothing, motion graphics, and spatial graphics subway ads.
Concept 1: Mountain & film strip
This direction references mountain ranges—a direct nod to the festival and its theme, but also a visual metaphor for the peaks and valleys or ups and downs of a journey. Film strips, overlapped and winding in this design, also have a dual meaning here, as they create a trail or path.
Concept 2: Repetition and Splitting
This concept deals with the technique of splitting text. By splitting or cutting each section a fraction smaller than the previous one, this approach brings to mind an aerial view of a mountain. It also creates steps in which your eye climbs to the top or center, where the text is fully opaque. This furthers the overall message of the festival, which is climbing toward your goals. I also used repetition to place emphasis on certain words
or messages.
or messages.
Concept 3: Gritty
For this idea, I wanted to call attention to the rough and rugged textures found in nature. I also wanted
to show how one can suffer wear and tear or injuries while facing adversity, and still overcome them.
to show how one can suffer wear and tear or injuries while facing adversity, and still overcome them.
