Hannah Rose Newson Type in Motion Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication Design for Moving Image Level 3 DMI301
The Brief I have decided to make a set of Promo’s for Channel Four’s “Cutting Edge” documentary film series. So far in total there are 23 films within the Cutting Edge series all offering real life, distinctive snapshots of modern life. I propose to make 3 promotional advertisements which are 15 seconds long, to be aired between commercial breaks on Channel 4. These promos will create a stronger awareness of the documentary series, as I think that the current Cutting Edge promotion is lacking. The current problem with the Cutting Edge branding is there is no collective presence between all of the documentaries, and I wish to create a style of advertising that can unite all of the Cutting Edge documentaries together. I want to create a concept and promotional pattern that can be reused and developed for all of the programmes, giving them a relationship, and helping viewers to understand that they all belong to one entity. I want the promos to brief the audience on the various subject matters, as well as keeping a certain mystery, in order to create intrigue. I want the camera moves and style of each piece to feel related, to hint at a bond between all the other documentaries in the series, with an adaptable yet precise visual language. Things to consider within this project are… * Create a theme and a way of getting people interested that can be applied an manipulated over and over, to various subjects. * Current branding of Cutting edge. (Logo / Title Sequence etc.) * Current branding of Channel Four. Keep in brand with this, must use Channel 4 logo, could also promote 4od. * Find a typographical solution that is suitable for all documentaries. * The documentaries are sponsored by VW.
Current Cutting Edge logo.
Current Channel 4 logo.
Research Channel four describes Cutting Edge as its Flagship documentary series, showing distinctive, compelling films that offer a snapshot of modern life. I shall begin my research by analysing how the current branding of Cutting Edge represents these things. Below is the list of all the documentaries that are currently available on 4od, the online Channel 4 on demand programme player. The content ranges from a mother who has fourteen children, to a young model who is coming to terms with a burnt face. All the documentaries are interesting and unique, no two are the same. The branding on this page show how Chanel 4 wish Cutting Edge to be perceived. In my opinion, it is simple, engaging, realistic and vibrant. The channel branding works along side the Cutting Edge imagery to create a strong, professional look, which clearly represents both the channel brand and the content of the programme. The logo on the bottom right is an example of how it can and is also be used with negitive space,as a window revealing the content in the documentary.
Research This it the current Title Sequence for Cutting Edge. The sequence works around the negative space in the logo. As I have redesign the Logo (which shall be revealed and discussed later) the title sequence would have to be redeveloped in order to work with my logo. A very similar approach could be taken with my logo.
The sequence is 10 seconds long, very quickly cut, with a strong black and blue presence. These colours are used frequently within the current Cutting Edge branding. The black acts as the frame through which the viewer sees the footage, I think this represents the idea of Cutting Edge being our window of perspective on the subject. The sequence starts with close up shots that move past the screen and first, and stop, revealing slow moving footage. It continues to explore various footage by looking through different letter formations and shapes that make up the words “Cutting Edge�. The logo then appears on screen for a second and a half, and then zooms towards the screen, engulfing the viewer into the opening scene of the documentary. (As seen is the last frame).
Research
All colours are chosen from pallet.
To fully understand how to create a brand that represents both Cutting Edge and Channel 4, I need to grasp the channel branding, and guidelines. Here are rules I am going to have to consider, to ensure my ideas are strong enough to create a promos that looks comfortable on the channel. Below are examples of the Channel 4 font and colour pallet.
When text box is on image use white.
‘Sound bites’ short simple description of content used.
Headline font must be placed in a colour text box.
Consider correct size and position of logo.
content and URL’s are layed out like this
Research The most important things for me to consider are colour, typography, imagery and tone of voice. A brand’s ‘tone of voice’ is not restricted to its visual representation. The written and spoken word should also reflect the core values of the brand. Channel 4 believe that the writing and deisgn must work together. Channel 4 is innovative, independent and irreverent. Therefore the tone of voice needs to be bold, surprising and challenging. Sound bites, which I briefly mentioned on the previous page, play a key role in Channel 4’s communication. They are clear and simple. They are used as headlines that describe a program, in a witty and interesting way. Below are some examples.
I am interested in using sound bites, as they describe the content of the programme without being too literal or giving too much away. I shall include a subtle usage of this within my promos.
Logo Development Here are some of my initial drawings for a logo. I began with the concept of a shard glass. I like the combination of both curved and straight lines that occur in broken glass, I thought this may make for an interesting graphical effect. I also explored the use of negative space within letters, and the formations and shapes that are created from this effect. I like the strong contrasts of black and white. By exploring both of these with pen and paper I then moved into illustrator and started a graphical approach.
Logo Development I played around with many ideas for logo designs, from the very beginning they all incorporated the use of negative space, as I wanted to make sure the logo could be used in the title sequence in exactly the same way it is now, so the whole brand could fit together.
This is the final logo. I used one type size, kept the angle and the stacked effect. I decided not to use curves, like the previous logo idea, but instead I simplified the shape down. The logo is simple, strong, and quirky, which is not only what I wanted, but it fits with the channel brand.
CUTTING EDGE I then decided to consider having the text on two levels, and make the shard shape a more dominant part of the logo.
CUT TING
EDGE
I decided to add an acute angle into the shard, breaking it up slightly. I also placed the word edge below, I like the overall shape much better now. I do not like the two type sizes, I think it over complicates it.
CUT TIN G EDGE I like the layout of this logo, but I feel the glass shard effect of using curves and straight lines is a bit confusing for a logo.
The negative of the logo allows the background to show through. This integrates the logo into any environment. This also links back to the current title sequence, and the idea of the logo being a perspective from which to view from.
Promo 1 - The Homecoming - Initial Ideas PIERCE The theme I am going to use for The Homecoming is cross stitch, as it is a connotation of ‘Home Sweet Home’. I want to use this picture perfect image and twist it around, to create something dark and unsettling. All of my promos will use some sort of cloth, material or paper being intercepted and damaged in some way. I feel this idea can be easily adapted to fit various different moods, for each documentaty, and it represents the Cutting Edge documentary breaking facts down, and piecing stories together. Each promo will build up in small sections, to create an entire story.
In this Cutting Edge film, journalist Rachel Roberts goes in search of the people with whom she once shared a children's home, with only a photo and childhood memories to help her.
Here is an initial idea I had of how the promo could work. The camera starts off close to the detailed cross stitch, and comes out, revealing words, and images to build up a story. Initially I had the idea that the shard part of the logo could slice through the final frame to reveal an end board. This has now been dropped as I don’t think it’s strong enough.
Promo 2 - Would you save a stranger - Initial Ideas TEAR The theme I am going to use for Would you save a stranger, is a torn up collage Union Jack, as it represents damage and salvaging, and creates a literal image of ‘Broken Britain’. I plan on having key words, like the ones on the brainstorm below being torn away from blue and red scraps of paper. These words will be pieced together like a puzzle to form a scrappy Union Jack. The tearing is another way of intercepting the cloth, material or paper that will be in all of the promos. The words will be pieced together, just as the words in the previous promo were stitched together. This builds up the story.
In this film Cutting Edge examines events leading up to vicious, public attacks on complete strangers. Cutting Edge asks questions like ‘Has the fabric of our society disintegrated? Or can we still look out for one another?’.
Promo 3 - Emergency in the Womb - Initial Ideas SLICE The theme I am going to use for Emergency in the Womb, is a cutting board, covered in inks, scalpels, and paintbrushes, jars of coloured liquids and sheets white paper with cut marks and grids on them. I want the promo to feel beautiful and graphical, yet gory and representative of an operation. As with the other two promos, key words, like the ones in the brainstorm below will be cut out of the paper. The close up shots of the inky blade slicing through the paper, crossed with pans of paint bushes, blades and pots of ink will be gruesome, but essentially just an artist / graphic designer at work.
This Cutting Edge film follows the life and death stories of critically ill babies undergoing radical surgery in the womb.
Promo 1 - The Homecoming - Final Storyboard
This is my final storyboard for my first promo. Sound: Eerie nursery rhyme music, and a voiceover. Voice over: ‘How many of Britain’s children grown up in care homes?’ ‘Have we as a nation forgotten about them?” Camera will pan over three specific words - Britain’s - Forgotten - Children as he says them. When zoom out we get the ’sound bite’ (that channel four used, i mentioned it earlier) that explains the programme content in a simple manner. The title the programme, and time it’s on, along with other on screen graphics will also appear.
Promo 2 - Would you save a stranger - Final Storyboard
This is my final storyboard for my second promo. Sound: Old Salvation Army horns, scratchy grungy noises, and a voiceover. Voice over: ‘Can we still look at our country with pride?’ ‘or has Britain been broken apart?” Camera will pan over three specific words - Look at - Broken - Britain as he says them. When zoom out we get the ’sound bite’ again. The title the programme, and time it’s on, along with other on screen graphics will also appear.
Promo 3 - Emergency in the Womb - Final Storyboard
This is my final storyboard for my third promo. Sound: Eerie classical, scratchy, blade swipe noises, and a voiceover. Voice over: ‘How long can a mother continue to battle for the survival of her unborn twins?’ ‘Can one life ever be sacrificed in order to save another?” Camera will pan over three specific words - Battle - For - Survival as he says them. When zoom out we get the ’sound bite’ again. The title the programme, and time it’s on, along with other on screen graphics will also appear.
Production I firstly purchased some 8 count Aida fabric. A material/ chart that allows you to cross stitch easily, because of the gridded system that is woven together. I then research computer software that allows you to draft out your cross stitch. I found the best software on the Apple website, called Stitches. This allows you to plot a grid, by inserting the height and width of your Aida, and how many stitches per inch you are going to be doing. The grid is then generated, and you are free to plot your design.
Aida fabric
Above is my typographical solution to Britain’s Forgotten Children in cross stitch. This was difficult to get right for a long time, as you have to sacrifice the natural curves on the letter formation. However, I persevered , and I am pleased with the outcome.
Production The actual realisation of how I was going to produce this promo took me quite some time. I initially put the picture frame on a blank wall at my house, where I lit it properly with a mini Redhead kit, and then filmed the cross stitch. The footage wasn’t very successful, as I didn’t achieve smooth enough panning and zooms. I had a problem with it getting successfully lit and focused close up shots. There was also an issue with set, as I didn’t have a budget to purchase the wall paper I needed to create the desired effect, and I was zooming out onto a blank wall, which looked really dull. I imported the footage into Final Cut Pro and played around with it , but I quickly decided to disregard these two days work and think of another way of making the promo.
I then moved onto photographing the frame with a Canon 400d Digital SLR, i used a Macro lens on the close up shots, and I wide angle lens on the wide shots. I achieved some really wonderful images with this camera. I put the images into Photoshop, where I manipulated them to become more saturated with crushed blacks, giving a sumptuous and engaging appearance. I then chose five images I thought were best, because of their colour depth, focus and detail, then imported them into After Effects. It took me a long time to edit the images together into a smooth pace. A lot of the time, I was making the mistake of cutting a fast moving shot into a slightly slower moving shot, which was uncomfortable to watch. I also found that cutting images together that had a camera tracking over them was difficult, a lot of the time it seemed unnatural. The great thing with After Effects is it allowed me to composite my own background into the piece, which adds a lot of character. I also inserted lights, drop shadows, filters and a vignette around the piece to add mood. Inserting the onscreen graphics onto the final shot in After Effects was really easy too, however lighting each graphic and ensuring everything was always type safe was the difficult part. I edited the sound in Final Cut Pro. I used a Rolls Mini Mixer and a SM58 microphone to record a friend of mine who did the voice over, this worked really well. I then used an online music and sound database to find a piece of music that would fit, this took quite some time, but it paid off, as I really like the music. Both the voice over and music work well together and the editing of the piece is also in tempo with the sound.
Final Stills
Please watch DVD included in pack for the final piece.
Conclusion As with any conclusion, I need to ask myself if I think my final piece works, and is it effective? If I was to look at the final product objectively, I think it would engage and stimulate me visually. I like the subject, the colours, the mood and the music. What I have created in the final piece is exactly what I envisioned early on in the project when I decided to use cross stitch in type. However, it is not quite as crisp and slick visually as I would have hoped, which lets it down for me. I need to look back to the goals I initially set myself in the brief wto see if I solved the problems I posed. Overall the untended outcomg my investigation into Cutting Edge was to create a visual identity, style and promotional formula that could adapt across all of the documentaries, making them distinguishable amongst other promos. I also wanted the style for promoms to be and recognisable as part of a family of documentaries, through camera moves, editing and mood. I wanted the promos to brief the audience about the subject matter of the documentary, but keep the mystery, and create intrigue amongst viewers. I deisnged a new logo for Cutting Edge, which would work better with my branding, and I wanted my logo to be easily adapted into the current branding and title sequence of Cutting Edge. I wanted my branding and designs to be in keeping with the Channel 4 as much as possible. All the things I have just mentioned, I believe I have managed to do, the only thing I didn’t achieve was making 3 promos. Taking all of this into consideration I think I have solved my problem. The only things I would have done differently in the project is that I would have planned and given myself more time on the making on the promos, I became very bogged down in the difficult challenge of creating a concept that could be adaptable over all of the promos, that I didn’t give myself enough time to make them. Also, I would have given myself more time and organise shoots, get the right equipment, make the right set and generally produce better quality technical aspects of the project, as wasted two days filming, and I never used the footage. However I see this as a great learning curve.
thank you.