A Brief History of Production and The Experts!

The key to becoming an expert is merely through practice, most experts can consider themselves because of specific qualifications and hard work, sometimes its not only the case except for hard work, hard work is expected as it helps a practitioner become an expert, but most importantly it has to do with skill and technique with that the practice can be perfect. Experts are considered to have an intense ongoing experience in what they do in order to push the boundaries of obvious mindsets a creative must work hard and expect challenges along the way. In some cases perfection isn’t the most important factor to be considered most experts are best at their profession because of skill and technique this helps an expert create their own style and own techniques and methods within that particular profession whether it is photography, graphics, or illustration. As a photography student it is natural to get inspiration and ideas from other photographers and visual communicators in the field in order to create my own style of work.

Being a photography student I have come across various photographers but one in particular that inspired me the most for his spectacular and marvelous black and white photography is Ansel Adams, best known for his black and white photographs, Adams had developed the zone system as a way to determine proper exposure and adjust the contrast of the final print. The resulting image and depth characterized his photographs. From childhood Adams had appreciation for nature, which would become his primary source of photographic inspiration. He was a visionary figure in nature photography and wilderness preservation. He Inspires me as he produced images of nature which some people take for granted and don’t’ appreciate as much as they should. Adams primarily used large format camera’s despite their size, weight, setup time and film cost, because of the high resolution helped ensue sharpness in his images. Adams photographs are reproduced on calendars, posters and in books making his photographs widely distributed, this skill and preservation is unique in this world of photography today which demonstrates how his skills and techniques is what made him an expert.

From doing research on the history of production I found it interesting at how the first book in Europe was printed , During the 1300’s printing was first printed on cloth, it was in the 1400’s that Johannes Guttenberg a German printer and publisher had designed the Guttenberg Bible also known as the 42-line Bible. It was the first book printed with movable type in the west and the first major book produced on a printing press anywhere in the world. He had used oil ink and a wooden printing press similar to the screw press and production of movable type to produce the printed version of the bible. It is said Guttenberg had created the bible traditionally using metal alloy and hand mould for casting type.

Story Development: Film and a Hero's Journey!

The Hero’s Journey relies on some variation of the three act structure. There are a number of ways to recognise this particular narrative structure the three act structure can help construct the story into three acts that the audience can familiarize with as initial beginning middle and end in some cases it doesn’t have to be in that particular order argues Jean-Luc –Godard.

" Every movie needs to have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order."

Jean- Luc- Godard.

Demonstrating the three act structure from a most recent film such as Twilight: Breaking Dawn seems rather easy but explains the hero’s quest to freedom, the story consists of the three act structure to be useful in terms of describing the protagonists story, for example most narratives consists of an exposition or in other words an equilibrium of the story this suggests the normality of the beginning, for e.g. The wedding of Bella and Edward and following the journey to the honeymoon, at this point in the narrative the equilibrium is established and act 1 has occurred and the protagonist makes a commitment which leads to the main action of the movie. Enter Act 2 which suggests how the equilibrium changes due to some sort of conflict or complication which disturbs the equilibrium and this happens to create a sequence of events, for instance Bella finds out that she is pregnant with Edward the vampire’s baby this immediately changes the path of the protagonist and it results in conflict with Edward who doesn’t want to keep the baby if it means losing Bella.

The protagonists journey gradually changes through many obstacles such as romance, pain and conflict which results in the protagonist in danger of this creates a new equilibrium and follows through to act 3 which is the resolution and to amend the disturbance in hope to find a better and new equilibrium such as the protagonist character Bella gives birth to the half-vampire half-human child and dies and overcome the threats and the danger that followed which ends in a new equilibrium where Bella turns into a vampire and this helps create a cliff-hanger that makes the audience to want to watch more, and have pleasure in finding out what happens in the end.

The Hero’s journey is about someone in this case the protagonist sheltered in some way, who receives a call to adventure- Bella and Edwards’s magical wedding. This protagonist must leave the comfort of her world she has always known and set forth on a dangerous quest. Gaining allies and learning new things along the way, the protagonist faces many challenges and barely escapes death all to gain insight or freedom. Joseph Campbell demonstrates the different stages of the hero’s journey that are familiar to the audience. This helps the audience identify the situation or dilemma and ultimately engage within the story and follow the hero’s journey till the end. The three act structure helps dominate the narrative in a structured plan that enlightens the audience on the journey and taps into an archetypal pattern.

Production and Outcomes: Interpretation and Delivery!

It is considered important when looking at a creative consisting on its zeitgeist of their time, and how it has value over its messages, the content and the interpretations of the piece, researching the content of a piece can have its influence on you as a practitioner. Many designers interpret zeitgeist with many communication whether it is in photographic format or illustrative format, both formats have a similar interpretation, for example Alice in Wonderland is demonstrated in many shapes and forms over the years each era demonstrated the character of Alice in a different way but interpreted similar elements of Alice whether it is photography or a film or illustration. Time and place has a massive effect on the production whether it is on the content or the making of the piece.

 For instance the interpretation of Cinderella has been demonstrated in many ways in time, each era shows the character blossom from a servant to a princess but the interpretation of the character in its time shows a great deal of inspiration from the story, To demonstrate the poster of the 1950’S Cinderella is shown in an animated content which shows the illustration of the character’s appearance the poster shows the posture and the style of the character to be less complex and illustrative to suit the time it was originally created. Whereas the poster of the 1997’s Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is somewhat different in race and color, but also interprets the similarities and likability of the Cinderella character for example the costume and posture of the appearance is somewhat similar to how the character of Cinderella is portrayed giving a sense of archetypal value and also fits in with the zeitgeist of its era.

Furthermore through the years and the time and place in which Cinderella was initially created shows how the story and character has improved and inspired other creative’s to interpret its message. For example looking at photographer Annie Lebovitz reminisce in Disney dreams,  has captured that spirit in time and interpreted it to create a sense of inspiration as well as merely a use for fashion photography such as the beautiful blue gown, which is a stereotypical view of the characters appearance and costume.  Cinderella has been inspiring to different creative’s during their time, portrayed in platforms such as movies and books etc. It also comes to show that most inspirations come from other creative’s but the interpretation points out that the initial piece lives on throughout time and place of its production, reminding the audience of its key marketing ploys behind the making of the piece and the use of platforms that help deliver the message to the audience.

Lebigiblity and Tone of Voice!

Legibility consists on how a visual communication is portrayed whether it is clear or unclear. However the most prevalent uses of visual imagery can be shown in many types of forms using numerous elements and sometimes half of those images are often seen as illegible, on the other hand it is not often the case that a visual piece is completely illegible as there are always two sides to each story. A piece can be artistically illegible intentionally, for example a photograph that is shown out of focus can be seen as a blurry image but also can have a concept behind it. Tone of voice can also be often used in this particular practice, for example looking closely at Steve McCurry’s photography which consists on documentary photography can often have an intentional illegibility towards it but can also portray its message that it sends across, This Steve McCurry image initially portrayed an image of an Afghanistan girl but can also encode many messages including the ideologies behind the photograph, the typography in the image is encrypted over the poster to have a blurry effect but also demonstrates what the content illustrates.

Tone of Voice can be very effective when illustrated in a visual communication it becomes of great importance when delivering a message to a particular audience by the use of color, layout and style of typography which all contribute to the overall tone of a piece.  Typography tells a lot about the tone of voice of a creative as it demonstrates how the message is put across and has suitable factor about it for example when seeing a the word shout written you initially think of it being portrayed in a big bold type to specify the word and bring the meaning of the word in motion for example SHOUT, this shows the density of the typography to have tone of voice on the type.

Typography is shown in many different formats and various colors the layout structure of a type is highly recognized in specifying a tone of voice as it can suggest a meaning to the audience, For example my personal interest in all things 60’s helps me to recognize its style from either creative practices for example this illustration of a concert/gig poster is designed in a 60’s style this is recognizable by its use of bright colors such as green, purple and orange these three colors are used for different purposes within the layout for instance the purple color is used for the background of the poster and the to highlight the key elements within the image such as the key image and the artists name this suggests the layout structure is portrayed in a 60’s style for either signifying the identity of artist/event or to create a sense of a retro style of a psychedelic concert poster. Alternatively this suggests that legibility and tone of voice of a creative piece is highly valued when inspiring or informing an audience.

Practice discovered through Research and Inspiration!

Practice is commenced through gathering research from different forms of elements and media that are found inspiring to you as a creative practitioner. Through the use of taking advantage of the tools and things that surround you influence you to broaden your minds as to finding raw materials to generate a creative outcome. Looking at the technical and conceptual side of things helps you to respond to the emotional and the appreciative sides from these influential materials that inspire your constant creative thinking, and the work you produce. Research is a fundamental aspect of design practice and an essential part of problem solving, research can be carried out through many forms of materials and media, collecting, drawing and images. By surrounding yourself with things that inspire you is the key to basic primary research and brings you one step closer to being a creative practitioner.

Secondary research is a method of which I tend to use when coming up with an initial idea, through this preference I choose to explore, examine and digest numerous things, people and different forms of media that surround me this supports my way of creative thinking and analyzing. Exploring and analyzing these interests and themes makes me capable of contributing to a deeper and in-depth understanding of the subject. By demonstrating this particular way of practicing is by recording these ideas in your own personal reflective journal.  Taking pictures, scanning, and Photoshop them is what helps me to imitate my idea’s and inspirations through experimenting and manipulating with images, my preferences and interests are what describes my own personal visual vocabulary and this helps me to generate new and fresh idea’s and use it as a source material, and helps me to challenge myself to create an ongoing creative process of enquiry.

Many creative designers find inspiration and idea’s from collecting, observation, drawing and other forms of techniques, by relating and understanding how visual communicators work and produce one is capable to progress and advance one’s own practice. The significance of a person’s practice is to be knowledgeable of other people’s practices and question how they come up with idea’s and generate a creative outcome through various resources and preferences. Assess other artists and how they challenge their mindsets to follow through their creative process. Inspiration is around us collecting helps stimulate things and reignite our thinking of fresher ideas and help us to work hard to gain the role of a practitioner.

“The ability to think visually and the development of a personal visual language comes from learning the basics, being open-minded, hard work, sustained practice and taking risks”

Mark Wigan - Thinking Visually 2006

Through the research and observing your surroundings and finding inspiration echo’s your practice and your fundamental thinking. Fundamental practice is seen through inspirational materials that are recorded and manipulated in your own style. Don’t recycle but invent in stuff and interpret your own designs and ideas. Being aware of your surroundings support the process of fresh new ideas. Recording in your RVJ that are relevant to your work represents your practice and understanding of where your inspiration and ideas come from. .. For instance i have used Andy Warhol as my inspiration as he produced the visual Movement through Pop Art which has influenced me over the years. His influence of bright printmaking skills has inspired my magazine work and helped me develop new ideas and learn new skills along the way.

Bricolage and its use in contemporary culture and Notions of Originality

Learning the historical background of any medium or artwork affects the way the meaning can be approached. Although recreating a contextual reference requires a narrative of initial intention of the reconstruction, it signifies a piece to be shown in depth and refined quality. Many designers use bricolage to come up with innovative and unique ideas and is an important aspect in visual communication. Through the acceptance of bricolage the remake of existing ideas or imagery can suggest a lack of originality, but the intention and meaning behind it can be used as an inspirational reference or an established theme which can lead to the development of a new concept or imagery. The use of bricolage in photography is prevalent in original imagery.

 For example Rankin’s interpretation of Richard Avedon’s Dovima with Elephants shows its true intention of how images changed the fashion expression. This shows its use of appreciated photography and suggests the in depth intention of the content and the use of originality in the promotion of the theme of the reference. The idea initially is conceptually different only to reference the meaning recreated for different purpose of imagery. It can also suggest a pastiche reference through being put across as superficial, however the original content and the initial intention can help create new meaning’s and inspirational focus to uncovering unique talent through appreciated conceptual reference. By appreciating past reference can you development of thought occur in any idea.

To get the zest of recreating contemporary imagery, the notion of originality should be explored. The lack of conceptually originality can be justified by referring to the inspirations and utilize it effectively, this shows that their intended meanings differ substantially. Referring to the ideologies behind the idea acknowledges the use of the concept or image for your own purpose supports your knowledge of contextual art. The inspirations noticed and the personal proximity to it creates originality. As the population evolves and changes the more practitioners can digest historical context and interpret into unique and sophisticated styles and ideas. Therefore the analysis of bricolage imagery and the notion of originality tie together and create a new kind of visualization that differ the initial idea to something original.

Overcoming Mindsets whilst Managing a Creative Environment

Creativity is more than a way of thinking.  It encourages you to broaden your minds and assist you to explore your general curiosity of coming up with fresh new idea’s that create an element of surprise,  than giving into our traditional way of doing things. This supports a creative practitioner to challenge their initial connections or idea’s we would typically make when problem solving. When being creative one must overcome negative attitudes towards creative thinking, overcoming mindsets helps you to tackle your everyday problems, social life and relationships. By a conventional approach to avoid habitual thinking. It serves a purpose to support a person to go beyond the predictable and easy road and find u- turns to help broaden the mind to all possibilities and be given the opportunity for true creative expression.

To be creative is to take risks and learn from our mistakes and being able to get out of our comfort zone.  Being safe with an idea prevents the skillful and spontaneous thinking that most negative people lack, to avoid thinking of the bad things, prevents an individual to take risks and be crazy and enthusiastic in their work, which will help them gain creative results. Limitation prevents the true creative expression of a brilliant idea. To truly become a creative practitioner within the creative industry you must overcome negative attitudes towards things and let go of perfectionism. To challenge oneself to produce a creative art piece is to have the desire to be inspired by it. As students we are encouraged to cross boundaries and break rules to remove ourselves from familiarity and to work towards originality.

A working environment influences you to experiment and work creatively. The availability of a stable working environment assists in the production of coming up with creative idea’s and your development of creativity and originality. A stimulating place can allow creative individuals to interact and broaden their minds.  Culture is an important part of our lives it motivates unique and creative idea’s and helps us to keep up with changes in society and our lifestyle. For example Popular Culture not specifically art in western societies are coming up with new ideas and inventions that stimulate our environment, to reveal what is around you helps you to see things in life from a creative perspective and is centered on freedom of expression. Collecting helps you to appreciate and be passionate about a subject. It can help you to reflect your own interests within your idea’s and be inspired by your surroundings, for example my working environment helps stimulate a secure space to experiment and bring new and fresh idea’s to the table challenging typical mindsets.

Utilise Creative Brain and Drawing in Visual Communication!

Being creative is a way of thinking, and a way of thinking is drawing. Drawing is an essential part of creating and developing idea's as it allows us to visualize them; this enables us to generate an initial intention and theme of an idea. It helps us to see the advantages and disadvantages and create visual solutions of further development to improve on them. It is an entirely different process of thinking in words or drawing with the simple materials like a pencil and paper.  

When working creatively it is significant to make use of both sides of your brain, as it supports your intentions of generating ideas, and to reach your full potential by aiming towards your goal. Both inputs allow you to progress your creative side that is linked with the logical side and helps narrow down the evaluation process and be open to improvements to help produce new solutions. 

This helps identify the problems with the design/idea, and encourages us to play and organize; with the input of both sides of the brain it enables us to visualize the problem by planning ahead using your RVJ. Planning your idea’s across the page gives you a chance to explore and experiment ways in which to present your design in forms of different angles. This compliments where the focus of the design is, and points to how to solve the design problem. It encourages opening your mind to the possibilities and using the pages in your reflective visual journal to plan big in the open space given rather than plan your idea’s small that won’t be seen. For example, for my magazine project we had experimented different ways as to prepresent facts about birmingham here i have illustrated all of the Bullring Shops within the shape of the bull.

Both sides of the brain work together in order to produce an apparent solution to the problem which conveys your initial idea, both sides compliment one another by working together as it supports your problem by pointing towards the solution. Having general awareness of when these modes occur supports how effective the creative process will develop. This is shown by creating your ideas with connotations of the use of the design this helps you to pinpoint the solution and evaluate again.  It supports your visual vocabulary to develop further and helps you to reflect your initial idea with more idea’s and helps you to improve your creative thinking.

Working by hand helps you to engage a connection with your creative right brain, and helps you to convey idea’s visually. Although in various cases drawing emerges by means of working by hand. When visually exploring idea’s it enables your creative side to explore beyond the initial barrier’s and store your ideas, drawings and experimentations using all kinds of elements and forms of mixed media across the pages of your reflective visual journal. Numerous individuals have negative behaviours towards drawing; this limits their ability to work to their full potential. The RVJ provides a safe environment, as it allows you to take risks and work beyond your comfort zone. It guides you to explore ways of challenging your skills in mark making into developing ideas further.