What does that have to do with design you ask? I’m not quite sure, but I think I can make a connection. Last weekend I grabbed a few magazines and headed to the beach (play). First out of my beach bag was a 1994 National Geographic and the article was titled, Animals at Play. Of course the photographs are stunning — a two-page spread of a polar bear and Canadian Eskimo dog at play; an orangutan hanging upside down from a branch splashing in the water; juvenile gray wolves playing chase; a dolphin leaping out of the water near the bow of a freighter. Not only do the photographs themselves invite joy, the article sites the necessity of play for an individual’s development and social relationships. Play, it states, is an important part of a healthy, happy childhood leading to creative, brilliant individuals. (so play must be vital to an artist. right?) Unconsciously that led me to sign up for IMPROV. Christine Alexander, part of the Lazy Fairy Improv Troupe, convinced me to sign up for the free trial class…which led to my signing up for six weeks. In a word. FUN. It’s also scrambling my brain, blowing my mind open, making me laugh, pushing my ideas to the absurd, challenging my ability to not think, encouraging me to really listen, increasing my observational skills…and the added bonus? Laughter. Stay tuned as I allow PLAY to influence my WORK. (A big thank you to Stuart L. Brown for writing that article in National Geographic). A second thank you to Christine and Chris Friday. Sometimes not thinking works.
Archive for May, 2010
PLAY is a four letter word
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010Pucks. Penguins. And the NHL.
Thursday, May 6th, 2010If you’re unaware that a puck is made of rubber and is hit into a goal, and you think penguins are flightless birds, and you’re still deciphering N.H.L…you are not a hockey fan. My boyfriend IS a hockey fan. He teeters between extreme elation and despondence depending upon how his team — Montreal Canadiens – is playing. His desire for Montreal to win the Stanley Cup can only be explained by his Canadian roots. Although, I’ve witnessed that same love of hockey from my Uncle, who played in college and Marc Nathanson, who wrote and directed, Small Town, Big Dreams, Lake Placid’s Olympic Story. I suppose every sport has its loyal fan base, but I gotta tell you, hockey fans seem different. I may be biased, as my Uncle was quite the player, and I can’t help but be mesmerized as I watch these guys masterfully skate on the ice, stick in hand, rapidly passing this puck from player to player. I may not know the nuance of the sport, but these guys are impressive athletes.
So how could I resist Marc’s inital email asking if I’d help him design a DVD cover for his documentary on the U.S. Hockey Team winning the Olympics…twice. Marc Nathanson eloquently unites his passion of hockey, journalism and film. And I was lucky enough to be a tiny part of his vision when he asked me to design the cover — he had the idea, images, text, palette. I simply finessed it. I started by layering historical images of Lake Placid, newspaper clippings, pulling in the torch, and isolating the memorable shot of the victorious U.S. Hockey Team. Creating this graphic, torn edged, strip of stars was perfect for a repetitive symbol shown on the athletes clothing. The blue background creates a cooling, calm feel with the red stripes jumping off the page and adding to the energy of the primary image. Marc chose a handwritten, home town font for the title, and we paired that with a simple, condensed sans serif font. The back cover of the DVD was a combination of historic images placed loosely below an air borne image of Eric Haden, a brief narrative summarizing the film, credits and a special note to public television. We completed this through one phone call and several emails. Marc did a ton of work on this documentary, so I was thrilled that he got air time during this past Winter Olympics. Talk about believing in miracles….a cool project with an inspiring message and a dream client. Get the film. And get the hockey fever.
