Posted by Nicole in Opinions on January 31, 2012 - 6:37 pm
I’ve said it once, twice, three times in my blog posts; I love animation. Animation has a unique ability to translate and speak to our emotions. The only thing comparable to animation is music. When the two combine? Magic. Plain and simple. Below are a few animated music videos that I feel most effectively translated abstract emotion.
Credit
Animator: Sean Pecknold
Song: The Shrine
Band: Fleet Foxes
I would like you to take a moment and think of your favorite advertisement. What about it did you love? What about it made it stay with you? What about it made you want to spam all your friends, neighbors, and possibly even strangers with Youtube videos, sound clips and screenshots?
I would be willing to bet my left pinky (which I’m particularly fond of, so take this bet seriously now) that most of you immediately thought of an advertisement that made you laugh. Humorous advertisements have a certain level of staying power, but why?
Humor can act as a gateway into the minds and hearts of an audience. When people laugh or smile they immediately feel better. This chemical reaction lowers stress levels, relaxes the muscles and improves mood. So really it’s no wonder that many of our favorite commercials, ads and products tend to be ones that make us laugh so hard we fall off the couch (this has happened, don’t judge). When we laugh, we feel better and when we feel better we’re more open to new things.
Humor’s ability to cheer us up and stay in our minds has had surprisingly powerful results. Viral ad campaigns, such as Old Spice’s ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’ or Blendtec’s ‘Will It Blend,’ are insanely popular, and are effective methods of spreading brand awareness. Combining direct advertising and quirky humor, these campaigns have seen unbelievable success by exploiting people’s urge to share what they find funny. This form of marketing is a much more advanced version of the good ol’ dancing baby days.
As a designer, I take every opportunity I can to slip a funny into my projects. To me, there are very few occasions when humor is inappropriate. Everything we do is an opportunity to make people smile. It doesn’t have to cause a big guffaw or even a little chuckle. Sometimes it’s just one line that gives your reader their grin for the day. Not only does it help me get my message across and stay in the memory of my viewers, it also means I improved someone’s day. If only a little.
Then again, I’ve accidentally cracked a joke at a funeral. And then wondered why everyone was glaring. So maybe I’m not the best judge…
And now for a few of my favorite commercials on television:
Movies are, without argument, the meeting ground of all forms of art. They draw in artists from all fields, from make-up artists to set designers, from graphic designers to interior designers, no artist is left out of the movie-making process. As a designer and wannabe illustrator, I can’t help but love the world of movies.
Although movies incorporate many forms of art, I can’t help but focus on title credits. Title credits are an excellent way to introduce the film’s world, and they do so through the use of eye-catching visuals and mood-setting music. These are the things that set the stage for the entire film; the elements that draw you into their world.
Zombieland is a great example of using credits to their fullest. The credits are run over, smashed into, and otherwise destroyed by the chaos happening on screen. They’re not just a rolling list of big celebrity names, they’re part of the action. They’re nearly characters themselves. By being physically part of the action, they tell you something about the state of the world they’re ‘in’ and give insight into the world these characters live in. (Honestly, I could go on endlessly about Zombieland’s wonderful typographic integration, but that’s for another blog post.)
Art of the Title is the perfect blog to follow if you’re looking for great examples of innovating opening credits. This blog offers insight on the title credits of shows such as Mad Men, Cowboy Bebop, and Fight Club. And Zombieland, of course.
Another great blog to follow, called The Movie Title Stills Collection, archives Movie Titles from 1920 to the current age. Not only is it interesting to see the history behind the art form, it also makes a good reference. Learning about the trends of the past can be very helpful for inspiration. Plus it’s just fun to look at all the old typefaces and movie titles.
Movies universally catch attention. Their ability to seamlessly integrate so many art forms into one solid piece is without compare. And often without praise. So next time you watch that old family-favorite, be sure to pay a little more attention to all the little details that went into making it. You might spot something that will turn that old movie new again.
Posted by admin in Design on April 11, 2011 - 8:04 pm
Whether you love to leave sticky notes on everything you do or like to leave frivolous notes, we all have a special place in our hearts for sticky notes. They make our desks colorful and are always handy in our greatest times of need. Personally, I have sticky notes everywhere; in my car, purse, nightstand and anywhere else you can imagine, because let’s be real—if an apocalypse comes, I want to be prepared to write a quick note to whoever survives.
These sticky note fanatics have taken it to the next level by creating awesome artwork and super cool videos, all out of sticky notes. If you can make sticky note art as cool as this, you’ll always be a genius in my eyes. Take a look at these bad boys to make your day better and inspire you:
In the making of this video they used 280,951 sticky notes in less than 3 minutes. Don’t worry! No sticky notes were harmed in the making of this video.
More recently, I’ve started to see marketing for this cool new high-definition video camera called the GoPro HD Hero. The best part about the marketing would have to be that the company’s customers are making the commercials. What’s so great about this camera? You mean besides the fact that the unit is water proof and virtually indestructible? Well, while being thrown into rocks, getting submerged into water and slammed into the ground, it manages to also capture 60 fps 1080p high-definition video with its ultra-wide angle lens.
How does it achieve this? The camera boasts a stainless steel construction with a polycarbonate exoskeleton. What’s got my attention is that the Camera achieves incredibly high-quality recordings while maintaining an affordable price. Under $300.00! Check out GoProCamera.com for more information!
Check out the Hero in action…
Marketing can be a challenge for any business, especially small ones. Businesses have to become highly-efficient to succeed in marketing their products, however when the product your selling can market itself, it’s safe to say your at an advantage. By directly involving your customers in the marketing of your products, they clarify to any future customers that they are happy with it’s performance, especially when they’re demonstrating its capabilities for you.
