Let's recap.
I have my concepts,
graphic elements, identity,
typography, and color palette.
All these elements together are like a set of blocks, or Legos.
As long as I maintain the same graphic elements,
type, and colors, every item will feel cohesive.
The color palette makes sense in theory.
I like the range of colors and association with the brand.
It feels unique to Sundance.
To
move it from theory to reality,
I need to explore the palette on actual items and
adjust the colors as needed.
The most important item for the festivals is the posters.
They become collectible and
are used online to represent the festival.
I suggested making two versions,
one with a large quantity and another as a limited edition signed poster.
Okay, yes, some of these were way off base,
looking like psychedelic drugs,
not a film festival.
Others were recessive and would disappear in a crowded space.
And some were just plain ugly.
I love the colors on this version,
but the tone felt too
quiet and tranquil.
I
hated to lose it,
but I moved on.
When I explore different options,
I like to print them out and look at them as a group.
Seeing one on screen or several small images is fine as a rough draft,
but it doesn't really show the reality.
Once you print them out, two
things happen.
First,
the problems become clear.
Once printed, some colors don't read as well as others.
Second,
you'll find that one or two pop out as pretty good immediately.
I
even took advantage of the screen-based applications and RGB colors.
Don't double-guess yourself.
Trust your instinct.
In this instance, I was drawn to a version that engaged the viewer to look closely,
had an air of mystery and drama,
and tied in with the natural and western tone of the Sundance brand.
I also knew that Robert Redford preferred rich,
deep colors rather than pastels.
So why not ride the horse in the right direction?
Using the same process as the William Tell poster,
I explored many color options and printed them out.
Again, some worked well, others fell flat, and a few like these were less than energetic.
I planned to use a silkscreen printing process for the Adam and Eve Limited Edition poster.
It had a low quantity that was too small for an offset printing job.
That meant I could play with the color of the paper in addition to the ink.
I
could print on ten different colors of paper and textures and make each one unique.
I
found a metallic gold paper in Switzerland and rough watercolor paper from Mohawk Paper.
This
is an exciting option for you.
If you're printing something, remember,
it can be on a myriad of paper options and colors.
With
digital printing,
smaller print runs on unique paper are completely possible.
Ask the printer to do a test on several colors of paper.
White,
gold,
black,
red, or whatever.
Some will work and others may be truly awful.
But you won't know until you try.
You just can't simulate this on the screen.
I realized that a simple palette of black,
white, and red would work best on a variety of paper colors.
Here,
I let the paper,
texture, and printing technique tell the story of something handmade and unique.
Even after all the explorations with ink color,
paper, and texture, I still like the black
white and red version best.
It's
clear, straightforward, and compelling.
I
know this sounds like you're just playing with color using no logic or reason.
Okay,
maybe you are.
But isn't that the fun part of being a designer?
I
find that even when I think I've thrown caution to the wind and gone crazy,
I can back up my choices fairly logically.
You can too.
Designers are pretty good at exploring while that tiny voice in our heads
creates reasons for all the play that we do.