Communication artifact-packaging.

This is the packaging for the food truck that makes and sells delicious scones at festivals and outdoor events.  The company name is "Get Sconed" The main design features on this packaging are color contrast and leading lines.  Bright intense trendy contrasting colors are used to attract the eye of our cool hip audience of fun festival goers.  The bright festival colors emulate a festival or carnival spirit.  The over all simple balanced design, although more complex box designs were considered, follows the Gesalt principal of Pragnaz or simplicity.  The bright colors used are sectioned into thirds which is a pleasing design aspect.  The gabled box shape that we chose looks like a present or package and the lines that wraps around the box resembles a ribbon wrapping around the box to the other side and top of the box this Gesalt principal closure. 

This is the color Palette that our campaign chose. Bright contrasting festival trendy colors!

 These are some thumbnail sketches that were considered for the design of the packaging.

These were some of the patterns considered for the packaging, but we decided on the simple design.

Mis-en-scene

Mis-en-scene Everything in a frame tells the story.  Mad Max Fury Road is a post apocalyptic story about one basic instinct, survival. Most sequences on the film are reflected in either red or blue.  Although the red and blue mirror the harsh elements, red sand and blue skies of the barren desert in which the film takes place, they also represent the key elements of the movie: fire, blood and water.  

Mad Max Fury Road Cinematographer or Director or photography- John Seale

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWNWi-ZWL3c

I have chosen to discuss the role of the Cinematography or the director of photography (DoP)- John Seale in the following sequence;

Red Sequence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IReQRjm8cY

Red Scenes:

 The red symbolizes fire and blood.  Red scenes are usually fast and violent, incorporating either by fighting, fire or the storm. There is so much that goes into the role for the director of photography (DoP).  In this case, filming is done almost always while in moving vehicles with dust and smoke rolling in almost every direction! One sequence in this film took 138 days to film!  Multiple cameras were mounted on moving cars, gliding down wire cables. Cameras filmed racing cars, balancing sets with background, suspended actors, actors shooting fire and smoke, motorcycles jumping over moving trucks, actors climbing, fighting and hanging off of moving vehicles. The director of photography job includes controlling natural lighting. The DoP must make sure the scenes are balanced, taking into consideration foreground and background, and that lighting is perfect, and that the scenes have proper contrast.  Many scenes in this movie are visually harmonious. John Seale shot scenes in similar coloring: red, blue, and beige.    Lighting and color were adjustments and amplified with filters or computers to reflect the mood of the scene. Computer animation added effects to scenes to include the storm, lightening, explosions, flying bodies, and cars.  The DoP is responsible for balancing and organizing all of these factors to give the film a unique visual identity, or look. 

Blue Scenes: 

Other beautiful, balanced and harmonious shots:

If you want to watch more behind the scenes making of Mad Max Fury Road;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IReQRjm8cY

Favorite Director

Favorite Director?! Yeah right, that is like trying to pick a favorite food!!!

Ok, let me try to sort this out a bit.  I would probably classify my most memorable movies into three categories based on most memorable; story line, music and visually stunning scenes.   

Story Line Favorites   Life is Beautiful  director Roberto Benigni.   The Vanishing (the Dutch/French version of course, the American version is rubbish!) the director is George Sluizer.   High Plains Drifter, director Clint Eastwood.  The French movie Monon of the Spring and its sequel Jean de Florette by Claude Berri.  I noticed I love a good revenge movie or one with a heart wrenching shocker of an ending!

Music Favorites  Bladerunner by the director Ridley Scott has an amazing soundtrack.  American Beauty by Sam Mandes has a memorable soundtrack as well.  I also love the variety of music on the Romeo and Juliet by Baz Luhrmann as well.  I also love any move with the music of the French band  M83 and am thrilled to hear their music in movies like; Oblivion, Divergent, Fault in Out Stars plus more.  Another favorite Band that creates drama and leaves a strong impression is the Icelandic band Sigur Rose (or solo Jonsi) who have provided music for 127 hours, Vanilla Sky, How to Train your Dragon, We Bought a Zoo and many many more! 

Visually Stimulating Shots Favorites  There are so many that fit into this category so I'll just name a few from recent movies that I have seen.  John Wick by Director Chad Stahelski.  Mad Max Fury Road by director George Miller.  The Dark Valley by Director Andreas Prochaska.  These movies have stunning displays of visually stunning scenes shot with high contrast of light and dark, cool and warm colors and shadow and light.  Other scenes display thought and consideration to maximize balance and harmony.