Sunday, March 30, 2008

Interesting Typography

This Semi-Pro article in Complex uses a classic 70s typeface.




I like the ads and flyers I've found for Imperial Junkie jeans. The logo shows contrast between a more classical, scripted font for "Imperial" and a torn up looking typeface for "Junkie." On this flyer, it uses fun colors and illustrations to create a very distinctive brand style.





Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Kool Type


Yes, it's true. There was a Kool-Aid Reebok contest through Complex, and someone won a pair. Each different colored pair smells like a Kool-Aid flavor. Cherry-flavored feet! Anyway, this ad mimics the funky Kool-Aid type very well.

Monday, March 17, 2008

More About Clients

So I've mentioned clients who get too involved in directing our work as writers and designers. Then, there are clients who are so far removed you begin to forget who you're working for. At first, the creative freedom feels good. But then, you realize they're testing you. They want you to come up with tons of ideas and then they can pick and choose as you work them all out, sometimes as you're approaching the finish line.

Yes, we are supposed to create the concepts, but ideally that phase should become before the labor begins, not after. It blows to almost finish a project only to find that they want you to explore another avenue--particularly when they weren't real interested in discussing ideas before the work began. Beware of clients! They get ya every time.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Words: Convos

Words I like saying in everyday conversation:

Definitely
Douchebag
Exhausted
Fabulous
Goddamnit
Hell
Intrigued
Lame
Lazy
Ouch
Redundant

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Words: Food and Drink

Words that bring to mind great food and drink:

Barbecue
Creamy
Filet
Ganache
Glaze
Mojito
Puff
Roasted
Skillet
Tonic

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Words: Emotions/Characteristics

Words about emotions or characteristics:

Adore
Aflutter
Callous
Furious
Integrity
Lunacy
Perturbed
Underwhelmed

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Words: Meaning

Words I like the meaning of:

Brevity
Daunting
Graciously
Smiley
Tragic
Trust
Uplift

Monday, March 10, 2008

Photos

I never realized how difficult it would be to find photos for my layouts. I like istock and flickr the most, but for some of my topics, they just don't have the right pictures. Oh how I would love to set up my own photoshoots!

I really admire all of you who can illustrate. I would love to give it a try, but I'm not quite sure where to start. Someone gave me the idea to use stick figures for my classification about breakups, but I am scared to try it. My stick figures are just sad. I'd love to take a drawing class to learn a few tricks.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Fun with Classification

Here's something I found on advice.eharmony.com. The topic is similar to my subject, which is bad breakups. I love the idea of looking at different types of relationships and breakups. It's something anyone can relate to and I like to find the humor in something that's not always funny.

This celebrity relationships piece does a nice job of breaking down the four categories with real examples. I don't think anyone should really use these kinds of comparisons to celebrity couples to analyze their personal relationships, but it's fun to think about how you fit into these types and what couple you and your mate are most similar to. It'd be cool to see this as a designed print spread.


Celebrity Relationships

Admit it: you may be obsessed with the tawdry – and even the tame – details of celebrity couples. We live vicariously through the ups and downs of famous relationships. Under the looking glass of the public, the love lives of luminaries are on display. Yes, these popular partners are people, too, and their lives actually parallel our own, at least when it comes to love. What celeb couple does your relationship mirror the most?

Bridging the Age Gap
Several stars are romancing their elders and still going strong. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones share a 25-year age difference, while Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher note a 15-year deviation. Much has been made of the age inequality in these couples, as each of the elders have children closer in age to their beloved. It’s true, generational gaps must appear at times in these age-blind cases, but it’s a good sign that these lovers can look past the superficial number of years on Earth. May–December couples must beware of the parent-child relationship, but can also delight in the complementary blend of age’s experience with the vigor of youth.

Low-Profile Partnerships
Healthy celebrity coupledom is sometimes attributed to a pair’s ability to keep low-key about the ins and outs of their durable interdependence. It’s evident when celebs put their relationship and family first, before their careers. Some couples who seem to exhibit the successful low-profile formula are Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, John Travolta and Kelly Preston, and Julia Roberts and Danny Moder. With children to hold it all down, these couples seem to focus on their family, their values, and their work together both on and off the stage.

Crazy Connection
Passionate pairs have always been the most fun to watch, but rather than proving true love, these types of poisoned lovers act more often as enablers than saviors. The truth is, while opposites may attract, they usually get converted. The relationship of songbird Amy Winehouse and Blake Fielder-Civil exhibits a maniacal love affair that drips with drama. Kate Moss and Pete Doherty have their own share of public scandal ranging from drug use to jail time. Perhaps your mate isn’t partaking in illegal affairs, but your partner’s behavior may be just as toxic.

Happily Unmarried
Some superstar sweethearts cherish their unconventional deep-seated commitments. Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have been together for nearly 25 years; they had been married and divorced from other people, and now seem to enjoy the boyfriend-girlfriend title. Goldie points out that she likes the notion of being his girlfriend and deems it sexier. She maintains that the union of their hearts doesn’t need a piece of paper to validate it. Rocker Gene Simmons and actress Shannon Tweed have been together for 23 years, and Simmons makes no apologies for his unwedded bliss. Convinced that it isn’t broken so why fix it, he boasts that his long-term partnership has continued to outlast those of other traditionally tied celebs.

Stealing the Spotlight
Being eclipsed by a loved one who enjoys widespread professional success can sometimes be hard to take without resentment and jealousy, but some squeezes are happy being the wind beneath their sweetheart’s wings. The queen of daytime television, Oprah Winfrey, and her long-standing love, Stedman Graham, have been able to prosper for nearly 20 years. Stedman has been building his own life brand as a successful businessman, public speaker, and author, proving he’s more than just Oprah’s guy. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, married more than 11 years, started as a marriage of professional equals. While Kelly has catapulted to stardom, Mark is fulfilled with less-than-famous roles. Staying busy with occasional guest roles and Mr. Mom duties, he has gracefully encouraged his girl to stand out. Allowing your other half to shine in the spotlight while taking a backseat exhibits confidence, trust, and your sincere wishes for very best for your dearest.

Celebrity couples have triumphs and agonies, successes and failures with marriage and divorce. Although fame highlights the lives of the stars, most don’t pretend to be poster children for successful relationships. Perhaps from the examples of others we can learn to balance our own prosperous partnerships. While the lives of others may always intrigue us, it is clear that Hollywood love affairs simply mirror those of us who are not in the public eye.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Inspiration: Trailers

Like most people, I usually enjoy a movie trailer more than the movie. Who doesn't love the rush of action, adventure, comedy, and romance you get in just a three-minute clip? The only thing I don't love is when a movie is marketed in the trailer as something its not. I've seen a few trailers that make a movie seem like a happy comedy when actually it's a total downer.

The film "Lady in the Water" was shown in the trailer as more of a fantasy film or a legend. The movie itself is this ridiculous mystery in a hotel and about modern-day prophets or something, and it's unbelieveably stupid. Luckily I saw it on HBO and not in the theater.

I wonder how much control the producers and directors have on the trailer that's created and used. I'm sure it's all the studio and marketing peeps.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Random Thoughts on Pencils

It's been a while since I've used a pencil. Seriously. As an editor, I use a red pen quite often. Sketching the phase 2s for this class has been fun. I like being able to erase my fuck ups. But I don't so much enjoy dull pencil points. I miss the electric sharpeners we had back in high school. Now, I have to manually sharpen. Not as cool as hearing that grinding noise as your pencil gets it point back.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Clients Are a Pain Sometimes

Clients really can be rough little buggers. You never know what they'll love and what they'll hate. A lot of the designers I work with complain that clients art direct them when that's not their job. I agree with that on the writing side. Clients will practically rewrite an entire piece but want you to clean it up--which often means rewriting their rewrite. Assholes.