Just finished a stint as graphic designer on an actual movie – with real a-listers in and everything. This was my first time working on a film and proved to be a very different proposition to the type of work I normally do.
The scenes being filmed in and around Cardiff are set in 1980, so the job entailed re-creating that era for everything from hotel stationery to bus stops. The real challenge actually was not the design work so much as the schedule. As a designer, one of my most valuable resources is time (in fact it’s only time, attention and a bit of electricity that I use up in a normal week). Time to consider the nature of the problem and time to explore possible solutions and let your ideas form fully. Whilst working on the film we had no time. Work had to be conceptualised, designed, printed, cut, stuck and sent out at break-neck speeds. This was a real culture shock to me and crystallised a few ideas for me, about my usual work, and my working environment.
I now know that…
Firstly that there are 2 types of design – making things look nice, and making things work. I am much more interested in the latter. In the context of the film, we were primarily making things look the part. Scouring source material for inspiration and creating almost but not quite versions of recognisable brands etc. These items are still physical items and practical considerations were never too far from our mind, but it was really an excercise in the aestethics of the era. I’m sure this isn’t true of all films – production designers for futuristic or sci-fi films need to consider the evolution of existing products; choosing a possible future for your car or kettle. This would require a much more considered approach, understanding the whys not just the whats’.
Secondly – I quite enjoy actually making things. This I knew, but must have forgotten. So much of my work exists purely digitally for me that I have become somewhat detached from the object that some of it will become. Printing, cutting, pasting and otherwise physically creating work gives you a totally different sense of the object you’re working on. This doesn’t apply to everything – but a lot of my work is still for print, and while I can be confident that it will be legible and usable on screen, I think that in the future I’ll want to handle the actual object before I consider a job finished.
Thirdly, fourthly and fifthly:
I love stationery -I believe Staples and Hobbycraft have a unique allure for all graphics people.
I really missed the variety of having a number of client jobs on the go at a time. This allows me to change tack when I’m starting to burn out on a particular problem. As the saying goes: “A change is as good as a rest.”
I hate to waste effort. This may be unique to the film industry – quite often we would work on a particular prop or set, hohning and refining, ensuring all questions were answered. Only to have the camera avoid any contact with our treasured work. In some cases, not even entering the same room. Normallydesign ideas evolve rather than get discarded. The finished product may not resemble the original draft at all, but they have a shared DNA. To have a piece of work go completely un-utilised is really frustrating and I wonder if that ever gets easier.
In conclusion
I’m not sure there is a conclusion. I’m certainly grateful that my normal working life is not as hectic as the past week, and I can’t imagine six months like that. If the phone ever rings again with a similar offer, I will certainly have to think about my answer – but I’m sure there will be unique challenges to consider and conquer and I hate to refuse a challenge.
