Graphic Design in Film

Why Graphic Design Interests Me

While I don’t plan on turning graphic design into a career, I have always found it fun to play around with with shapes, fonts, and colors on the computer. While I was a kid, I even tried making pictures out of PowerPoint shapes, of all things. As I plan on pursuing a career in film production, learning how composition can effectively give a message should be very helpful.

Motion Design

This one in particular caught my attention. It includes trailers, animations, opening titles, etc. Like I said earlier, I’ll be pursuing a career in film production, so the graphic design component of that medium caught my attention. A film’s trailer needs to convey the tone of the film and the basics of its narrative to entice the audience. The art of making a trailer seems to be pretty tricky to me, since one has to determine whether a trailer is giving away too much as well. Opening titles and logos are fun to put together, too. I’ve included opening titles in my films in the past, trying to find ways to make the viewer excited about what they’re about to watch. Kurzgesagt and Tim Gray do great work in motion design.

Advertising Design

This is a type of design that feels like it’s ever-changing, evolving alongside our society’s culture and norms. The book notes that magazine advertising and direct mail are two forms this type of design can take, but I’d argue posters (movies, concerts, etc.) ought to be included in this category as well. Posters are another type of design I’ve experimented with in the past, and it’s always fun for me to look back at the old-school style of movie posters and modern-day styles. Saul Bass‘s work with movie posters is incredible, in my opinion. Drew Struzan has created an abundance of movie posters as well.