Poster Series | Pickford Film Center
Design Brief
This project had two components: Students were asked to select a client, identify a ‘design problem’ through research. Second, students were asked to choose a design style and use it to create a poster addressing the client’s design problem.
Client: I selected one of my all-time favorite Bellingham hotspots — The Pickford Film Center — an independent non-profit cinema located in Bellingham, Washington.
Design Style: A lover of vintage ephemera, I was instantly drawn to the New York School of Design. In addition, the New York School was based on ideas that feel contemporary and resonate with me: Designers within the New York School break complex ideas down into simple geometric shapes and follow the principal that “form and function should be well integrated so as to achieve effective communication.”
Rationale
My concept for this project was “become part of the experience.” I used the imagery from iconic movie posters to create visual puns, which invite the audience to become part of the movies and, by extension, part of the PFC community, by purchasing a membership. This message supports the client’s advertising goal and their need to recruit new members and their identity as a venue for fun and unique film experiences. The message being expressed in these posters is that a membership with the PFC comes with great benefits and is an investment in the local arts community.
This series plays off the work of Saul Bass–one of the iconic designers of the New York School and a pioneer in designing for film. I borrowed imagery from his posters for the films “Anatomy of a Murder” and “The Man with the Golden Arm.” Displayed in the lobbies of the PFC and the Limelight, the retro-inspired membership poster will capture the attention of film aficionados as they pass by or wait for the movie to begin.
