The Warner Discovery Debacle

Image courtesy of Wikipedia. 

    So, first I would like to apologize if I am a little late to the subject. However, I would like to also chime in that the Warned Bros. and Discovery merger has been an awful mess of shattering dreams, and a demonstration of incompetence. In case you haven't heard, recently the two companies have merged, and are now making some questionable decisions. Namely, cancelling movies like Batgirl, the Scoob! holiday special, etc. While they did that, they're also pulling a lot of animated content from HBO Max, TV channels. and just not offering physical copies.

       Now, from what I've seen, these cancellations are the result of two reasons. A debt that they're paying off with tax write-offs, and the new president just 'not getting it.' In other words, the wrong people have been put in charge, and just don't care enough to make money on these properties. I mean, if I don't have any reason to get HBO Max now, because a lot of the shows I want to watch are gone, why would I get a subscription,  or think of keeping one?

      This has been a bad time for enthusiasts of these properties. Not to mention for animation, as it already gets too much flack as is. I want to say I hope things get better, but that's not enough. Keep your support up for the right people in this industry guys! A small amount can go a long way!

Apologies for interrupting the flow of my blogs. The continuation to the last will be out soon.

Author's note: So, it's at least a few days after I initially finished this, and just a quick update. The work that was done for the Batgirl movie was deleted right before it could be salvaged. I don't know what to say at this point, this is downright infuriating. Even if the movie didn't wind up being good, deleting what was left shows this CEO is just being a total control freak.

Holiday Special

    

    Ah, who doesn't love the holidays? I know that I don't, as I've made clear in the past. Every holiday season, whether it be Christmas, Halloween, Easter, you'll usually find an arrangement of colors, sounds, and flavors all welcoming you in their own special way. Now, I know a part of this is just because capitalism has made companies need to soulessly chase money... I don't want to harp on that however, I just want to focus on the good right now.

      One of the first positives I can think of is, of course, the holiday specials you see on TV. Even if some of them are dated, there's a nostalgic feeling I get from watching them. For Halloween, you got episodes with horror elements and creepy visuals. Christmas would be able to bring both winter wonderland, and warm home visuals. Valentine's Day would always focus on hearts, the color pink, and usually two characters falling in love. Again, even if not every special was perfect, or very flawed, I can't help but feel happy when I see the ones I do like.

      Another good memory is the theming and decorations around these times. Take Easter for example, that holiday has somehow mutated from biblical sacrifice into a rabbit leaving eggs around. So, we get lots of focus on grass, cute animals, and differently designed eggs. You also have fireworks and 4th of July, shamrocks for St. Patrick's, and that's just the tip of both! 

      Overall, I do enjoy seeing the effort that goes into holiday seasons. From something obvious like Christmas,  to something that's not even a holiday, like the beginning of school. The nostalgia, ideas, and fun you see people having is always something I look forward to, even if sometimes it goes overboard.  With all that said, thank you for reading this,  and stay tuned!

Preservation

 

    As we move further and further into the years, preservation becomes more and more important. Preservation of ourselves, of the earth, and the topic of this blog, media. Continuing off of the Warner Discovery debacle, I insist that we take a look at the issue of disappearing media in all forms. This may range from small to large, but it's all to important that this is discussed.

     So, a question to start us off. Have you ever worked on a project for quite awhile, only to lose the files in two seconds? It's awful...... You might have to miss a deadline, or lose something you needed to keep for reference, or just flat out lose something you're proud of. Now imagine that happening not only to you, but your co-workers, your mentors, your employer, etc. What I'm trying to show here is that the media we create and consume, needs to be kept safe.

      I say this because after everything that happened with HBO Max, a lot of those shows have become lost media. How we retrieve it now, might need us losing an arm and a leg, or will be downright impossible. I know these scenarios are very extreme, but they've certainly happened in the past. Even before current events, this issue has persisted with lost games, movies, episodes, even catalogued history. That's right, I'm including the destruction of the Library of Alexandria!

      There is the argument that some media deserves to be lost, and that not everything deserves to be kept. However, I counter by saying that what we keep preserved, doesn't always need to be shared. I just ask that it becomes more apparent to everybody that they find ways to lock media down, as it might never happen again. Until next time, stay tuned.

Too Much

     So how much is too much? When is a good point to step back and say 'Ok, that's enough hooba dooba'. As someone who has witnessed this happen in the past, I thought it best to go over it today, and share my thoughts. Without further ado, let's head on in.

     For starters,  we always have too much being added to a film, picture, etc. While this might come up to opinion for most people, let's not deny we tend to be weary if something is too long. I find still images aren't as bad in this category,  as you can take the time to really see all it has. Granted, the size if the image could make the extra detsild hard to see if it's to small.

     Another example I want to bring up however, is to much of the same thing. It could be a plot, an overabundance of anniversary specials, whatever. At some point, people will notice, and loose interest.  I guess a good example here is The Simpsons. While it will always be considered a classic, let's be honest here, most people probably dropped off halfway through.

   

Image courtesy of IMDB

      

        While ambition can be admired, and lasting long will gain respect, it's always important to know when to stop. Deadlines exist, as do technical limitations. Another thing that exists is your body, and the time of others. Don't force out something that's super grand if it puts damage on you; remember that your audience, and any others you work with, need to be acknowledged. You don't always need to go big or go home. With that said, thank you once again for reading, and stay tuned!

Generic Brands

     Going to be a shorter blog this week, but I wanted to do discuss it none the less. You ever think about how a generic brand can either do its best to imitate a product, or stand out with their own look? Think of it like a cereal with a cartoon mascot that looks vaguely familiar, and then one that has the store's logo on it, some appealing image. Basically what I'm trying to say is that some generic brands are a bit of a wild card when it comes to design. Sometimes the store is responsible, other times it's another, smaller party. 

     At the end of the day though, I find that these brands at least have some form of unity about them.

 

Image courtesy of https://www.whosaidnothinginlifeisfree.com/2013/05/recipes-using-chek-soda/

   Take Chek for example. A clear and concise look for all of their flavors; including cola, cherry, orange, etc. Essentially, these would all be given very different names if they were made under Coke or Pepsi. Meanwhile on the flip side, you have brands that, while having different looks, are trying to influence you with familiarity. Namely, all of the generic Mountain Dews and Dr. Peppers. You've seen them before!

     Anyways, I just wanted to go on a quick rant about this. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned!

Repetition

    

     If there's one thing in media that can help or hinder a product, it's being repetitive. Saying the same words over and over again, or using the same image, and imprint a feeling into the audience's brain. Whether the reaction you get though, while slightly depending on them, also depends on your method. We're looking at a double edged tool for marketing here, so let's take a closer look at it.

      So how is repetition used in good ways? Well, I'd like to think of the chorus of a catchy song. Memorable, and fun to listen to. You want the part of your project that repeats to be nice, or interesting to focus on. Either that, or make it a nice, out of the way background element that blends in nicely. As long as you have a repeated message, phrase, or element that adds to the  picture, you should be in the clear.

     As for poor uses of repetition,  best I could say is don't be annoying. An example I could think of is blowing a loud air horn constantly in a commercial, and not giving the viewer time to recollect. For a more visual example, don't make the repetitive element clash with the overall image, or make it hard to decipher. Really, what you want for this is to find a test audience, and see their reaction. If the majority is getting to a point of anger, you might want to change it up.

       Now sometimes, there will be instances where repetition can happen, whether good or bad.  Say a movie plot is reused for the sequel, or you accidentally use a patter twice. Best advice I could really offer is to double check your work, and don't  be lazy. However, if you can find a way to form a creative twist after doing so, good for you!

      With that being said, thank you for reading! Be sure to share your thoughts,  and stay tuned!

Two In One Package

Image courtesy of Kamen Rider Fanon

      Part of the challenge of graphic design is not just making  a good and compelling logo. One also has to ensure that said logo fits the product it is assigned with. Sure, one could create the greatest image known to mankind that provokes oneself to truly think about life's greatest questions. However, this does not mean that said image is perfect for advertising, let's say, a $2.30 burger from a fast food joint.  There are so many things to consider, other than the obvious, when making a logo, ad campaign, or even merchandise. 

       Take the look have placed above for example. This logo is for the upcoming season of Kamen Rider: Kaman Rider Geats. A Japanese tokusatsu series that features A new main character every year, usually with a new gimmick. As such, the logos for each season are usually made to reflect either the gimmick, main characters design, or a central theme in some way. As such, I feel it best to show the design for the main character itself as well.

    

Image courtesy of Kamen Rider Fanon

    So, as you can see, the logo here is fitting in with this current iteration of the show, based on the design of our hero.  I wanted to do this discussion because after looking at the logo, and not anything else (further info was nor released at the point), it had me thinking about this subject. When designing, you want a concise style that fits in with the end product. When adding to said product, you want to ensure it keeps in with the style selected. As I said before, it's a two in one package with this business.

     With that being said, I do plan on continuing this discussion with the next blog. Granted, it won't be the same topic, but I do think it lines up enough. Until then, stay tuned.