These weeks I’m teaching a course on the design around a TV series. It’s a very hush hush top secret project so I can’t tell you what it is but I CAN show you a list of my top 10 TV intros. I have a deep knowledge in this field due to extensive research (…that’s a nice way of saying I’m a TV-addict ;-)
No. 10: House MD
Being a huge Massive Attack AND Hugh Laurie fan I still love this intro. But it’s also just so well composed timing wise, with all the old medical drawings and the blood running through the veins. Made by Digital Kitchen.
No. 9: Mad Men
A great take on the 50ies inspiration with awesome compositions running through. Made by Imaginary Forces.
No. 8: Borgen
A show from Danish TV. Good work by Danish studio Benny Box.
No. 7: True Blood.
One of the best crafted intros of all time when it comes to the clipping and timing. Everything is choreographed to lead your eyes around to see the exact right thing. Made by Digital Kitchen.
No. 6: The Americans
A super example of a certain style intro. Love the fast pace and the typography with inspiration from old documents. Made by Elastic.
No. 5: House of Cards
The sound! Can listen to it over and over and over. The symbolism of going through a day and the darkness creeping up on you is so magnificent for the show. Made by District 7 Media.
No. 4: Six Feet Under
For me, this intro started a new era in opening titles. It really defined the TV series as a media for great design and Digital Kitchen nailed it on this one.
No. 3: Dexter
Another great Digital Kitchen intro, the crop on each frame is amazing to give the whole intro a macabre look without actually being so.
No. 2: Masters of Sex
This intro always puts a smile on my face. I love how they’ve visualised every slang and every metaphor for sex. Like “buttering the muffin” and so forth. It fits the quite innocent approach to sex that the show has. Made by Elastic.
No. 1: True Detective
The first time I saw this intro I rewinded it to see it again before I actually started to watch the episode. THAT must be the characteristic of a truely great intro. Made by Elastic.
While researching a project I was doing I came across this mindblowing project by American artist Liza Lou. OMG I’m blown away! This entire kitchen is made of beads. Even for me, this is crazy! I’m in awe.
See other Liza Lou projects: http://www.lizalou.com
Filed under: Illustration/Art
Yesterday I had the pleasure of the company of Mr. Paul Willoughby. He was helping me with a course I did about film marketing and it was SUCH an inspiration. I wanna share one of his projects with you that he did for an exhibition celebrating the 20 year anniversary of Twin Peaks. He bought vintage postcards that kinda fit the area and drew the characters on them. AWESOME job Paul!
See more: http://www.paulwilloughby.com
Paul is the creative director of Human After All, go see what they do too: http://www.humanafterall.co.uk/
Filed under: Typography
Hand Type is the procrastination (or procrastiwork as Jessica Hische would say) of designer Andy Lethbridge. I can’t stop watching him write, I’m so fascinated with how coordinated every damn stroke is…OK I secretly hate him ;-)
Of course I especially love the Beautiful Rudeness video, of course I do!
Look at him write: http://hand-type.tumblr.com/
Filed under: Typography
How would you like to pay 250$ for an envelope? No? Well! When it’s a custom handlettered envelope with your own name and address by Erik Marinovich it’s gonna be a big YES PLEASE! from here. How great are they?!?!?! Puts a smile on my face everytime I come across this project. Someone please send me a pretty letter :-)
Have a great weekend!
Go to the Do Not Open project: http://donotopen.it
See more by Erik: http://www.erikmarinovich.com
Filed under: Graphic Design
Was I the only one who sat through the endtitles when I watched The Grand Budapest Hotel to see who did all the graphic design for the movie? If so then I’ll share my findings with you, because I’m completely smitten with this girl’s work and she definitely deserves some respect (HIGH FIVE ANNIE ATKINS!!). What a fab, but also quite difficult job she must have, she does design that features in movies, like signs, newspapers and other documents and it must be such an exciting research process to get to the end result. I’ve always had a laugh about the graphic design that features in TVseries and movies because it’s usually REALLY badly done (like when you see spreads from MODE magazine in one of my all time fave shows Ugly Betty, OMG!).
Just the other day I watched the trailer for the new TVseries Penny Dreadful and was also quite amazed with the visuals. And ofcourse that’s Annie Atkins too! Can’t wait to see it!
See more: http://annieatkins.com/
Posters from Penny Dreadful:
Stuff from The Grand Budapest (ohhhh those Mendl’s boxes ♥)
Filed under: This and That
So last week the odd inspiration was birds, this week it’s rocks. Call me crazy, but I do find these mineral formations to have such contemporary aesthetics. So much so that I made a total rip off of Damien Hirst’s piece (the pink one below) for my wall at home. I guess he had the same appreciation…only two decades ago! ;-) I’m still amazed that nature produces such beauty all on it’s own. Go to your local library (yes, the actual place) and have a look through an old book on minerals (yes, an actual book!). You’ll see what I mean. Very inspiring!
I’ve recently been fascinated with the work of French streetartist Eltono. I’m not usually a big fan of geometry but it just works so well on these large scale buildings and in the middle of busy cityscapes. Wish we had one in Copenhagen. He should do my old workplace (Danish School of Media and Journalism) which I lovingly call The Concrete Castle, would be a perfect location!
See more: http://www.eltono.com/
Filed under: Packaging
Monday morning (well…9.40 AM), start of a new week. Had a few well deserved cocktails on friday and stayed in pretty much all weekend and watched The Americans. I’m HOOKED! So here’s an homage to the show (although these aren’t Russian at all)…or to you if you’ve had a boozer weekend ;-)
Don’t kill me if you can’t get every single one of these at your local, and if you’re the designer of any of these please put your name in the comments :-) You did GREAT!
Filed under: Packaging
It feels like autumn is coming to Copenhagen and I’m getting a little travel sick, not as in I need to barf, but as in I could do with a trip abroad. I’m missing walking into one of the Japanese supermarkets and foodcourts in my old “hometown” Hong Kong, and of course actually going to Tokyo is not that bad either ;-) But for now I’ve done a little ode to Asian (mostly Japanese) packaging. Best in the world if you ask me. I think I’ll close my eyes, sip on a glass of umeshu and pretend I’m in a little izakaya tonight :-) Have a great weekend!
Pics from: kokeshi-m, hitotubu, ameblo, rakuten, sumally, commune-inc, luontobakery, shizenkan, tomoechan, designdesign, potager-marche, hatena, akaoni, zuika, hiroshima-adc, doppoinc, spoon-tamago, everyday-needs.
Inspiration Lab 