I would be lying if I said that design didn't affect me as a child. Even though I wouldn't put my passion into practice until I was well into my mid 20's, as a young impressionable lad growing up in middle America, design played an integral part in my development. Many of my early memories revolved around things like toy packaging, cartoon advertisements, and anything else sparkly and colorful that appealed to my malleable young mind. One of my earliest memories I can recall involved a video store. It was the summer of 1986 and my parents had just purchased our very first VCR. I couldn't imagine what that thing must have cost back then. I remember spending a lot of time scouring the racks of tapes at our local video shop. My mom would let me check out one video at a time and I was often disappointed that much of what I wanted to see was only available on BETA. "We can't watch that. You need a VHS. That is a BETA tape. We don't have a BETA machine.", my mom would say as I would tug on her shirt and show her some Transformers cartoon that I wanted to see.
One video box always spoke out to me though. It was something that has haunted me for years during my childhood. Let me back up for just a moment. I had been drawn to the horror genre at an early age. I was a huge fan of JAWS when I was young. We had a recordable tape of it that I had totally worn out. Something about the film was effective in bringing out a strong reaction. I loved it. I loved the thrill of being scarred and all the twists and turns that would lead me down a path of exciting terror. JAWS was really the only modern horror film that I was allowed to watch at that time. Anything beyond that was a little too intense for my feeble brain. Back in the video store, the cover for 'Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter' really made itself apparent to my impressionable eyes. You know the cover. The one with the hockey mask sitting in a pool of blood with knife stuck in one of the eye holes. I'd sneak over to the horror/suspense section and stare at this cover. Something about it was mesmerizing. What in the world was this movie all about? Why was this image so powerful? What about it spoke to me? I couldn't figure it out. My parents would never rent something so vile for me at that age.
Years later, when I matured slightly (well……. that's debatable), I was able to handle more edgier films. I begged my parents to rent 'A Nightmare on Elm Street part 3' when it hit the video store shelves. I dove head first into horror from then on out. The scarier, weirder, and more fantastical, the better. Later, I would get more exposed to these films during the heyday of late night cable programming. Shows like USA's Up All NIght and TNT's Monster-vision helped me gain access to movies that I would otherwise not be able to get my hands on.
That 'Friday the 13th' cover was still in the back of my mind though. What was it about this box that made me want to crack it open so bad? The thing was just calling out to me whenever I would enter the video store. You could argue that the creative director for this project did a phenomenal job. At least in terms of getting little Adam so excited and hyped over it. This might have been the earliest memory that I have where art and design have played such a significant role in my life. What other factors could have contributed to my fascination with this piece? With horror being such a taboo thing to my young understanding, maybe that's what made me want to explore it further. Just the fact that it was "off limits" made me wanting it more. Perhaps it was just the thrill of being scared. As I stated before, JAWS was my favorite movie. I can remember seeing it for the first time and totally getting blown away by it. That Friday the 13th box art was just the next level up.
Through the years, I've watched these films countless times and ultimately come to cherish them as objects from my childhood. It's probably still one of my favorite movie franchises of all time. Heck, I even have Jason Voorhees action figure sitting on my desk at work. (……..with an action packed kung fu grip no less!) For the purpose of this blog, I wanted to go through all the posters, VHS box covers, and advertisements for these films and explore the aura behind what they mean to the design world. At least from my own understanding.
These films aren't really meant to be taken very seriously, so I really don't expect you to take this blog very seriously either.
FRIDAY THE 13TH:
I love the way these old designs really set the mood of the film. Computers were a pretty non-existent design tool back then. So many of these old posters and video covers were hand rendered. I would imagine Illustrators had a really good place in the market during this time. Especially for really low-budget pictures such as these. The slasher genre was in full effect by 1980. The budget on these films were about as cheap as you could get but the profits generally exceeded beyond expectations. It seemed like all you had to do was film some masked maniac stalking teenagers and you could turn a quick buck. The original Friday the 13th was a colossal hit which in turn spawned a huge number of rip offs. The thing that I really like about this cover is the attention to detail. Look at the way the moonlight glistens against the trees. The counselors look so alone. It evokes a feeling of isolation and panic. The silhouetted outline of the killer brandishing a bloody knife only pushes the dramatic factor even further. The perspective point makes the dark woods an endless terrain of terror. Like it just stretches for miles. There is a sort of misty quality about it too that conjures up a very cold and damp feeling.
You can't help but to wonder how these characters are going to try and avoid being slaughtered. It puts you in a very "uneasy" mood. This poster is highly effective in telling a story about this film could possibly be about. It doesn't give too much away and relies heavily on mystery. After all, we don't really find out who the killer is until the end of the film. In many ways this film could easily be categorized as a murder mystery rather than a simple 80's cut 'em up.
The initial advertising model was something much simpler. It depicted the logo in a blocky 3D format crashing through a pane of glass. From what I gathered, this was printed as an advertisement in International Variety to see whether or not the film makers would get sued for using the name, "Friday the 13th." With the name being such a common phrase, they weren't sure if they could get away with using that title. No one really took notice or questioned their intent for the naming of the film, but it did however attract a number of investors interested in seeing this movie. The ad had sparked enough interest in the project to where the film makers were able to pad their budget with a few more dollars from outside help. I honestly don't think they even really had a finished script by the time they ran this advertisement. It sort of reminds me of kickstarter in that they were selling this idea rather than a finished product.
I don't really know too much about the poster depicted in the collage styling. I know a lot overseas distributors would create their own branding for particular films and this may be a European version. But that's just my theory. I really like it. I've noticed that a good number of films that came out around this time liked to use that illustrative collage effect. Look at the "Rock n' Roll High School" advertisement. I feel that pretty much sums up what creatives were after around that time. The Friday the 13th poster tells a lot about what is in the movie by including all the characters and a couple would-be scenes. It's nothing too revealing, but it certainly doesn't portray anything too frightening. In fact, lose the knife and photoshop a different expression on the woman's screaming face and this could easily be transformed into a simple, funny, heart warming, camp flick. Like St Elmo's Fire in the woods.
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART TWO:
I always thought this was the most uncreative design piece for the series. It's more or less a total copy of the original film but with way more simplicity and minimalism. Where's the suspense? Where's the counselors in peril? They even switched out the bloody knife for a bloody axe. What was the point? What we're given is the simple glow outline of the figure placed in front of an all black background. The use of that saturated black was well implemented increasing a dark brooking atmosphere. Especially if you compare it to a lot of advertising around this time. The 80's really seemed to flourish in a lot of vibrant color. The art essentially took everything that was on the first cover, but removed a lot of the dramatic imagery. Could you seriously play this up as something completely different from the first installment? It feels like a total rip off. I had a theory that the artist was under a ridiculous deadline and therefore slapped any old thing together. I think all designers are faced with that from time to time.
Years later, after a little more research, my theory was proven right. Well….. somewhat. I stumbled upon the original poster design and you can clearly see that much more thought was put into it. It does follow the same look and style as the first film, but depicts a different scenario. As a continuing piece to the story, I feel this connects much more efficiently with the franchise. The color palette and illustrative style is even the same. However, the filmmakers thought that the design revealed too much of what would happen in the film. Since that last film told the story of Jason's mother as the killer, there was still a mystery as to who the killer would be in this film. They didn't want to give the audience too much information. At the last second, the artist was forced to churn out something a little less straight forward and cryptic. And because this movie was rushed, the artist had no other choice but to do what had already been done. It's a shame they couldn't spend more time developing something more inspired.
The design for the foreign release takes a much wilder spin. For one, the use of black is kept at a minimum. It portrays the lead heroin from the film lunging a pitchfork at the viewer. Her dishevelment tells us that she in the the midst of some sort of crisis that can only be solved by sticking it with a sharp weapon. To me, this feels very "Night of the Living Dead" with the close up shot of the zombie girl's face. It has that whole brooding disturbance that only comes with portraying the deranged expression on one's face. I also like that the model for advertising focuses on the victim rather than the killer. Which I suppose is what the first film accomplished in its design. However, instead of the lonely counselors isolated in darkness, it shows that the antagonist acts out in determination and defiance. She fighting back as opposed to giving up. As the franchise progressed, the spotlight began to shift from the victims point of view to the killer's point of view. Up until a couple of the sequels, I think the audience was more interested in how the victims were going to outsmart or escape the protagonist. But after that formula wore thin, people were more interested in what the protagonist was going to do to the victims. An interesting turn of events.
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART THREE:
Not only is this my favorite entry in the series, but the poster is one of my all time favorite design pieces. I think mainly because it recalls a younger time in my life. Like the Final Chapter box cover, this thing fascinated me to no end. It has a certain nostalgic value to it that most modern design pieces don't possess. It's sort of like how I used to collect all those Estrus records in High School because I was so enamored by Art Chantry's work. The thing that I really liked about this piece was the type treatment to the title. It has that whole three dimensional wood cut vibe about it that conjures up an early eighties tacky look. It's completely outdated for sure, but at the same time, it hold a certain timeless appeal. The overall movie has a lot of naturalistic tendencies. Like the whole thing is saturated in all these tans and browns. The poster reflects that to some degree while still remaining dark and mysterious. It still uses that silhouetted motif that was popular with the first and second films but does something slightly new with it. The figure still maintains that subtle glow around it.
The focal point lies on the shiny knife penetrating the shower curtain which resides just above the title and everything else just seems to fall in round it. The composition is brilliant in forcing the viewer to notice the knife first. Even the shower curtain creases create these subtle invisible lines towards the focal point. And of course, the blood dripping off the knife draws the eye down to the logo. And because the title logo is represented in a darker motif, it blends into the background slightly without becoming too lost. The artist was really hellbent on you seeing that knife as intense as possible.
And of course, who could deny that this poster didn't conjure up thoughts of Alfred Hitchcock's, Psycho? Psycho is well known for it's infamous shower scene and this particular piece is playing right into that look and feel. It's certainly a step up from Part Two's lackluster design.
Years later, I came across another poster which I thought was even more outstanding. I don't know much about this version. It portrays Jason in full hockey mask hacking his way though a window with an axe. He looks so grim and monstrous. Like a relentless killing machine. The holes in the hockey mask even simulate an angry frown which I think is an interesting touch. Even his eyes has a bit of anger to them. I also really liked the fact that some of the glass shards in the foreground show off that anaglyphic red/blue 3D look to help tie in better with the fact that the film was shot in 3D. It's a subtle thing that I think works particularly well.
I can understand why the film makers wouldn't want to run with this piece. Like the original poster for part two, I can see how this can reveal a lot about the movie. The series seemed enthusiastic in shrouding these movies in as much mystery as they could. Remember, Jason wasn't cemented as a horror icon yet. The first film had his mother doing all the killings and it wasn't until part two that Jason got introduced as the main protagonist. But watching it for the first time in 1981, the average audience member didn't know that. It was still sort of treated like a murder mystery and it wasn't all that clear who was doing the killing. By part three, they had worked out a formula to follow. And once they included that iconic hockey mask as the series all encompassing symbol, everything just fell into place from then on out. This poster depicts the hockey mask for the first time. Maybe the film makers weren't ready to commit to that piece of the story as an advertising model. I think their reasoning was to still create an air of mystery and suspense rather then giving it to the audience in one fell swoop.
FRIDAY THE 13TH THE FINAL CHAPTER:
As I had stated before, this was the cover that initially drew me to the series. Being of an impressionable mind, this held a strong fascination for me. In contrast to what has come before, this particular design not only reveals the infamous hockey mask, but portrays it in a photogenic facade rather than an illustrated composition. I think as a franchise, they were coming into a little bit of money and could afford a more polished look and feel. The movie itself is leaps and bounds above what has come before. Having a bigger budget and a cast made up of seasoned veterans really made the difference. The film was faster, leaner, and jam packed with more action. It's still a B grade slasher flick, but a tad more care was at least put into the production. I think Paramount was getting ready to put an end to the series at this point, so perhaps they decided to go for broke on this last installment. The box cover tells us very little about what the film is really all about other than that this was intended as the last chapter in the series. The knife stuck in the eye does a good job in portraying something grotesque and unsettling and gives the viewer an inclining that this will more than likely be the end of Jason. Once again, the use of black is extremely strong indicating a harsher, darker entry into the saga.
This simple typographic poster brings the series around full circle by depicting large white letters against a saturated black background. The use of red only intensifies the composition. For some reason, I think this layout just works better than that of Part Two's. As simplistic as it seems, I just feel more connected to this piece. It certainly feels more focused and streamlined. The type is incredible effective in telling the viewer that this film is an unsettling roller coaster ride. This lettering style ultimately became the franchise's identity. I could never really figure out what it was supposed to be? Was is meant to be smeared and splattered blood? Or was it's "grunginess" meant to conjure up something more rustic and outdoorsy, like part three did with the wood cut theme? The setting for these films have all revolved around Camp Crystal lake and it's surrounding woods. In that regard, I've always connected this particular typeface with something that felt more naturalistic. Like something made from nature.
The foreign advertisement is nothing more than a scene ripped right out from the movie done in a blue-ish monochromatic color scheme with what looks like angular red lines criss crossing the layout. It's got a very "swiss-like" design aesthetic where I feel the whole thing is based on some sort of strict grid structure. It's effective for sure. The look on the victims face is the main focus. In addition, those red lines create a sort of frame around his head. Almost boxing it in and putting more focus on his expression. His eyes lead us upward towards towards Jason who is posed to kill. The fact that everything looks like it is on an angle really creates an uneasy and tense feeling. Compared to the rest of the foreign designs we got from this series, I feel this one stands out. For starters, it's based in a photogenic scheme rather than an illustrated one. Plus, it connects more closely to the film. Later, we'll get to more foreign designs that have almost nothing to do with the film it's meant to portray.
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART FIVE A NEW BEGINNING:
In my opinion, this has to be the worst film in the series. For starters, we aren't given Jason as the main protagonist, but rather an impostor who does a sub par job at giving the audience what it wants. The cover itself always confused me. The hockey mask isn't even the same mask that is used in the movie. Or any movie for that matter. Was this an attempt to communicate the fact that we weren't going to be seeing the REAL Jason? Was it meant to confuse and bewilder the average movie goer? Maybe that was the point.
The early promo poster was a much better design. I'm not sure why they decided to dump this one. The boy on the cover is a little misleading. I mean, this kid isn't even in the movie. I'm suspect that this was another deadline driven project and the artist in charge had no other choice but to quickly slap something together. But it was also fairly common for the movie poster and the VHS box to differ in design. Perhaps in this case, the creatives decided go another route for the home viewing audience.
I really like the overall layout of the early poster. I like that the hockey mask is tucked away in the background. It gives the information that he is a shadow in this particular film and that the main focus is on the impostor or lead hero (The figure set in the forefront). The part that I really like is the curved machete blade creating a good sense of depth in the composition. It sort of jets out slightly from the rest of the layout. It's certainly not a focus point, but it does draw the eye closer to figure in the front.
The foreign release poster is a strange interpretation of the film. The portrait of the woman in the forefront is nowhere to be seen in the movie and the overall use of lightning, blood, and dramatic imagery is way over the top. Although we can't see the expression on the hockey masked killer's face, the look I am imagining is ridiculous. Look at his eyes. It's just hilarious. I know the intent was create something scary, but the execution is anything but. This looks like a poster for a soap opera or something or a cheap romance novel. I can almost see it now. Friday the 13th: A love Story. Jason just needs some rippling biceps and a mane of flowing golden hair. They don't make them like they used to.
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART SIX JASON LIVES:
Like 'The Final Chapter', this film moved at a faster pace and was even able to include some fantastical elements in that helped put a new spin on the series. We were presented with a mythological slant that helped the film gain more momentum by resurrecting Jason as a killer zombie. The formula at this point was well set in stone so the film makers needed to come up with something new to keep this franchise exciting and fresh. The poster evokes a sense of something bigger on the horizon. Everything about this cover is over the top in terms of what the film hoped to accomplished. The light peering through the silhouetted mask is like the light at the end of a tunnel. It's a gateway of sorts into another world. Not only was this film leaner and meaner, but it brought something into the series that had yet to be explored. Humor. I'm not exactly sure if the cover really represents that. It's a pretty chilling layout and look. Yet, there is a classical sense to it that I feel communicates yet another facet to the movie. That is, a callback to the golden years of horror. Jason is much more connected to a figure like Frankenstein in this film which put an interesting light on the character. Before, he was merely seen as a relentless killing machine with no personality. This particular entry brought in a variety of elements which helped the character rise above his mute and silent persona and into something with a little more action and movement. Watch the movie, and you'll be able to see the parallels between this and some of classic universal pics from the middle 20th century.
Although Part 5 was a decent enough success, (at least successful enough to garner a budget for yet another sequel) audiences were turned off by it's sloppy cerebral story line. Not to mention the fact that the killer that everyone cheered for was nowhere in sight. Part 6 brought back a part of the formula that worked so well in the earlier films while adding a new set of rules. The title "Jason Lives" always seemed to bug me. It never felt creative enough. Since the reaction from the last film got so many negative comments from the fact that there was NO Jason, perhaps Paramount through the only way to reclaim it's core audience was to be as direct as possible. Like, "Look! He's back. He's alive. Come to our movie! We made everything all good again! See the poster? See? Jason lives!"
This foreign poster really cracks me up. I've always really loved the way Europeans have taken our culture and absorbed it into their own sensibilities. A lot japanese design done for Hollywood movies fall into that. It's really interesting to see how the movie is interpreted by non-american eyes. I only discovered this poster recently and I'm totally fascinated with it. I wonder if the designer had even gotten a chance to see the movie before taking on this project. And if he had, why did he make the decisions that he did? I don't think there was a system in place to where creatives were given a set of rules to abide by. Did movies of this nature even have a creative brief that was distributed among the advertising realm?It may have been a complete free-for-all for all I know. The creative brief could have gone something like this: " Psycho maniac in a hockey mask stalks and kills camp councilors." That's all anyone would need to create a composition like this. Everything about is all wrong. The hockey mask has a completely different look and I don't ever remember a chainsaw being used in the movie. It's certainly more terrifying than the last film's attempt at developing an ad for the foreign distribution, but it still holds a lot of hokey qualities.
While researching all the posters and advertising models for these films, I came across an interesting specimen. The ax and hockey mask mobile was used as a video store display piece for when the VHS hit the shelves. I find this incredibly interesting because at this time in American culture, the home viewing market had risen considerably. VHS players were becoming more affordable and video stores were becoming more common place. The distribution companies needed a new way to penetrate that market. It wasn't enough to simply create a poster and call it day. I feel that with the new media taking hold, advertisers needed to find new ways to get the product noticed. And what better arena to test those new advertising models than in a video store? I can remember seeing a lot of cardboard cut outs and display models around this time. The use of the hockey mask is effective in here because it is such a recognizable symbol. I don't think it would have been enough to simply display the axe. The fact that the iconic mask is prominently portrayed hanging from the ceiling or window ensures that the viewer that meet it head on.
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART SEVEN THE NEW BLOOD:
We sure came a long way from the first film where a large part of the work was derived from painting and top notch illustration. You know, to be honest, I really don't know when computers started taking over the design world. Early 90's maybe? Mid 80's? There was certainly a switch toward photogenic styled imagery around this time. Take a look at any VHS cover from 1989 and then compare it to any cover in 1981. You'll find that the style is radically different. This particular cover is hard to pinpoint just exactly what method was used? Computer generated imagery or a highly detailed hand rendered illustration? Maybe both? There is an airbrushed quality about it. It's certainly effective in portraying what the film might be about. I felt this particular entry was leaving the formula that it had spent so many films trying to perfect. Sure, it was still a body count contest with horny teens getting slaughtered in new and creative ways, but this film brought in a few extra fantastical elements to it. The main protagonist was a psychic girl who had mental powers that would ultimately prove useful when battling Jason. She could use her mind to start fires, move objects, and even see into the future. Yikes! You figure that one out.
I think at this point, Paramount was just churning these movies out because they were good money makers. I don't think they solely cared too much about telling an effective story or creating anything that held any merit with the preceding film. They knew people were bloodthirsty for the next Friday the 13th installment and in turn, maybe let their creativity run a amuck too wildly. There seemed to be a lack of driven focus as the series drew out. For Part 7, just think of it as Carrie Vs. Jason. I think that is what they were going for. If this isn't a "jump the shark" moment, I don't know what is. I think the film makers were looking for new ways to freshen up the franchise and since A Nightmare on Elm Street was such a big success during this time, the makers of Friday the 13th were trying to capitalize on some of that fantasy storytelling. I'm not sure if it particularly works or not, but it made some some serious 'WTF' moments. In fact, I heard that this film was internally written to be a Freddy vs, Jason story. However, at this junction in hollywood history, there were too many constrictions as far as rights went. The two studios couldn't come to an agreement to have the two horror icons of the 80's battle it out. We didn't get that until almost 15 years later.
The poster brought back a lot of the elements that were set in place from the beginning. The overuse of black. the glow outline, the use of blood, etc…… It's all there, but with a new mythical twist. The thing I like the best about this composition is the overall symmetrical feel of it. The knife coming down the middle makes a great divider for the two faces. Even the blood streaming down towards the bottom spreads out and creates a sort or triangle shape over the logo.
I couldn't find any variations or alternative advertising designs for this particular film. However, the NES game borrowed the likeness of Jason from Part 7 for their cartridge. This cartridge and box design really cracks me up because of the overall color scheme. Nothing screams more 80's than this concoction. And the fact that the figure in the foreground is decrepit zombie killer brandishing an axe is even more hilarious. It's like two polar opposites completely crammed together. Of course, I suppose the demographic for NES (and general video games) around this time was targeted towards kids. To think, an R rated movie riddled with nudity and gore could be toned down enough to be marketed towards kids. I don't see too much of that today with films like Saw or Hostel. I remember playing this game so much when I was a kid. It's no wonder I grew up and turned into a total weirdo.
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART EIGHT JASON TAKES MANHATTAN:
The poster for this film somewhat falls into the same trap as some of those early advertisements. At least in terms of it going through about two revisions before being finalized for mass consumption. For legal reasons, it needed to be altered. The initial poster depicted the infamous Milton Glaser "I love NY" poster being slashed in two by Jason's knife. It was a pretty creative way to tell the audience that this wasn't going to be your average entry into the series. Jason slashing his way through the big city? An interesting concept to say the least. The composition was ingenious with replacing the 'heart' with Jason bloodied hockey mask. There is playfulness with this look that I think veers into something more comedic than horrifying. But I tend to think that works seeing as how we are on the eighth installment of these films. At this point, could anyone take treat franchise with any seriousness? If you notice, there were not one but two version to this poster. The MPAA told the creative department to tone down some of blood from the first round. When the poster went into production and was ultimately distributed, they soon received a cease and desist from the company that initially created the famous "I Love NY" campaign. Apparently, those involved with creating the iconic campaign weren't at all that thrilled with their creation being associated with such a low-brow and offensive series of films.
What we ended up getting was something a bit more straight forward and simple. The layout portrayed jason behind the backdrop of the New York City skyline brandishing a knife. For what it is, I think it works rather well. He's certainly menacing enough to convey the feeling of the movie. Call me crazy, but I get a sense that the creative department had a little Godzilla influence under their sleeves. The idea of character like this taking over a city is prosperous. But then again, the movie itself is pretty over the top. In that regard, maybe moving in that direction was the right choice.
PROLOGUE:
I wanted to focus this blog on the golden age of the Friday the 13th franchise. Jason Takes Manhattan, released in 1989, was the last of those films before it really started going off the rails. Additionally, by this time, the slasher era was hitting the skids and studios weren't as interested in the genre as it once was. In 1993, we got the highly ambitious, albeit confusing Jason Goes to Hell and almost a decade later we got the ridiculous Jason X, in which he takes his brutal slaughtering to outer space. For the cover of Jason Goes to Hell, the famous hockey mask is depicted in a shiny metallic silver being coiled by some sort of snake-like demon. This is all happening in front of a texture of fire. I don't know…….. your guess is as good as mine. Interestingly enough, Jason X borrows elements from the part seven advertising model. It has that whole split face theme with a knife blade running down the middle as it portrays that the story line has "upgraded" the films protagonist to a new technological era. It's sort of interesting to see the series circle back to it's roots. We eventually got the Freddy vs. Jason crossover film in 2003. The advertising for this film was pretty straight forward. The posters were generally in grainy black and white and stuck to a dark brooding mood which only intensified the relationship between the two villains. There were all kinds of media tie-ins connected to this film as well. This was a film that horror fans had been waiting for since the 80's. It was really less of the film than it was a WWF cage match. I feel a lot of advertising approached it in that manner. They even went as far as staging a weigh-in press conference in which the two villains smacked talk each other à la the glory days of wrestling. In 2009, we got the much anticipated reboot. The poster for the reboot brought back some of the grittiness and distressed horror that gave the film franchise it's persona, but done in a starker modern style. It's as straight forward as it gets and I feel a lot of modern advertising for modern film falls into this. It's not really so much about creating an artistic representation of the film as it is showcasing the star or major storyline focus. I won't get too far into the reboot, but I will say that I am not all that excited about the way they handled the logo identity. What is that? Times New Roman? There was a bolder, blockier version that I saw floating about, but it's not of the DVD cover. I would have rather much seen the logo represented closer to the the iconic look and feel of the original. If not a complete copy, at least some sort of interpretation of it.
If you read this whole thing, you deserve a medal. This is by far one of the most ambitious attempts at writing for this blog. Sorry if it got a little long winded. I wanted to focus on what the film franchise means to me and how its creative interpretations have formed my own look at the design world. I believe as designers, many of the things that we were exposed to in our informative years somehow shape the way we look at the world today. It's all a culmination of experience, effectiveness, and emotional connectedness. The Friday the 13th films are something that I never felt I outgrew. Unlike certain things like cartoons, toys, and interests I had as a kid. In addition, we sort of live in an age where nostalgia reigns supreme. This is my nostalgia. This is what I was was so effected by as a child. Compared to rest of of popular culture, these films are really a miracle of invention. To think that something so ridiculous as a hockey masked killer could penetrate the mass consciousness and remain a symbol of horror for so many decades is really kind of a marvel. I'm always fascinated by what our American culture deems as worthy.
And through all the storied hollywood fables, director's visions, artistic interpretations, countless design revisions, …….To really put it in the context of modern hollywood and general film making, it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. But really, isn't that what makes it so exciting?
