Illustrations for Covers

Covers.
I have decided that I would do covers for each of the films with black backgrounds, try to stick to a colour theme and make the illustrations on the covers as realistic as possible without being very detailed. Just as I have done the Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill illustrations. I am wanting the covers to illustrate an iconic scene in that film, I am not going to include the name on the cover as I think that the people who will be buying this boxset will know which film is which from seeing the iconic moments from the films. Although I may include a small name on the spine, so that when they are in the boxset they can be pulled out with ease.

Also for each of the covers I have decided to do a questionnaire to find out which is the most iconic scene for fans of Tarantino films. This is so that I could tell which of the scenes I should use on the cover. The people who fill out the questionnaire will need to have a good knowledge and understanding of the film, so that they can help decide which iconic scene to use on the front cover. After doing this I started to illustrate the scenes that were chosen for the covers. Trying to stick to a limited colour palette and a similar style throughout.

Reservoir Dogs. 

With Reservoir Dogs, the cover chosen was the scene where Mr White and Mr Pink had the gun off where they crossed guns towards the end of the film. There was another that could have been used which would have been the scene where they are all walking down the street in their black suits. Although I think that this may have been overly used, therefore I want to use one that is still iconic, but not overly used.
 
From Dusk Till Dawn. (the first film)

For From Dusk Till Dawn, the most iconic scene chosen was the moment just before the major incident in the film, where the vampires come out. This is an iconice moment in the film, showing both of the main characters is important, also the hand is crucial in the scene, as to a fan it shows the exact moment before the vampires come out and the shootings take place.

Inglourious Basterds.

The iconic scene from Inglourious Bastereds is the scene where he carves into Nazi heads. This is very iconic, and the camera angle is an iconic touch of Quentin Tarentino, therefore is perfect for this cover. I have decided that I would try a few different options for the covers of each film. Then when they are all finished I can find something that will match them all, and suit every cover. A style that will work throughout. Even if it means cutting out a large past of the illustration, it will be okay as the larger/full illustrations can still be used on the inside or in the information publication.

Django.

For Django the scene chosen was right at the start when they first started working as a team. This was a very memorable moment for the film. I am also unsure of the layout and what to do for this film, I could have them together or apart on the cover. The illustrations in this is quite colourful, more so than some of the original first ones illustrated. I may have to adapt some of them when finished so that they can all work as a set together.

True Romance.

After doing the first illustration, I found that I really don't like it, I don't think that it goes well with the rest of the illustrations. Therefore I started to do a different illustration and other iconic scene in True Romance. Although I wanted there to be two main characters on the front covers, where this is one man and he isn't a main character. Therefore I started to rework on the original image so that it suits the others more.

The scene chosen for True Romance was the end scene where there is a big blow out where there is a big shoot off. Clarence gets shot in the eye whilst Alabama crawls along the floor to be by his side. This is a good scene for the front cover as it shows the love between them, but also the violence that occurs around them. I am happier with the illustration now than I was when I first finished, the muted colours and more details makes the illustration more suited to the box set.

Jackie Brown.

The most iconic scene in Jackie Brown in my opinion with when she is annoying Lewis so much, and pushes him so far that he shoots her in the chest and belly. The was agreed upon by both me and the people who answered the questionnaire. These aren't the main two main characters in the film, although they are very important characters who make this film what it is. The illustrations are quite colourful, although I think that this might work for covers as there are a few of the illustrations that involve more colour than just black white and skin now.

Death Proof.

When doing the feet for Death Proof I decided to use a natural skin tone pallete for the feet, so that they look more real, as the previous colours I used didn't look great. They looked unreal and very garish. Although after illustrating them using more skin tone colours, they looked too far from the other illustrations colour and style-wise. Therefore I decided to put a mask over the top with a 50% opacity of the original skin tone colours. This makes the colour changes less harsh and makes them fit in so much more.

The cover for Death Proof was chosen from a few different car and feet combinations, this is an image of the main characters feet up on the dash board in a car. This is a good scene to choose as it is one of Tarantino's trade mark moves, he has got a thing for feet. The main character in Death Proof was always seen in the car with bare feet, therefore this works really well for the cover of Death Proof.

Other Covers.
The other covers that were previously done before Christmas and re starting this brief were; Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill Volume One and Kill Bill Volume Two.

Pulp Fiction.

Pulp Fiction was the first cover that I initially did, it is the reason why I wanted to create the box set in the first place. I created this image before I did the questionnaire about the covers, although I did find that all of the images that I have already created, the people who answered the questionnaire chose the same, or there was a draw on the same one. The Twist is one of the most iconic moments in Pulp Fiction and it is something that everyone remembers.

Kill Bill Volume One.

Kill Bill Volume One is very well known for the yellow leather suit. This is something that I decided I really want to use on the cover of Kill Bill. This is also quite and iconic colour for Tarantino.

Kill Bill Volume Two is a little bit different as I decided that I would only illustrate the parts that were going to be on the cover of the DVD. This may have been a bad thing when it come to making the publication. This is becasue all of the other illustrations are full, where as this one is half.

From this I will get all of the options printed so that I can put them in sets together, and see which on looks best. I will start to think about the inside of the DVD cases and how they will look, but also the discs themselves. After doing this I need to think about the measurements of the boxset and the DVD cases so that when they are finally printed it will all work together. I will also be making a poster to go inside the boxset  of all of the posters, either individually or all together. This will be a limited edition boxset therefore I need it to be special.

Quentin Film Research

Quentin Tarantino Films. 
Iconic Moments.
Searching for the most iconic scenes in Quentin Tarantino films is quite hard. Although I have watched them all, and I have my personal favourite scenes, I think that it is important to find other peoples iconic scenes is also very important. I will be finding some of the most iconic moments in each film, then finding people who like and have watched Tarantino films, and asking them which they think are the most iconic scenes for the covers. I think that everyones opinions will be different, but any Tarantino fan will recognise any of the iconic moments on the covers. For example the pulp fiction cover could have been a number of different scenes. Although I decided to choose one that doesn't get used that much in the film ephemera, although is one of the most iconic scenes in the film.

Ezekiel 25:17 - Pulp Fiction

At this point in his career, Samuel L. Jackson and foul language are inextricably linked, to the point that he is willing to parody his own persona (Snakes on a Plane anyone?). While some might debate when that connection first was established, we think this scene from Pulp Fiction might be an ideal candidate. In the scene, Jackson's gangster enforcer, Jules, is interrogating poor young Brett (Frank Whaley), asking him a question that doesn't make sense at first, but eventually becomes clear. Unfortunately, the imposing presence of Jules, combined with the barrel of a loaded gun, were too much for Brett, who says the word "What" a few too many times. Luckily for us, his nervousness provides Jackson's character the fuel necessary to deliver his iconic biblical monologue - a quote that (spoiler alert) comes up in another scene that made this list.

The Bride vs. The Crazy 88 - Kill Bill

We featured this scene on our list of top martial arts scenes so it makes sense that it also be included here. Unlike many of the scenes that made this particular list, however, this is perhaps the most bloody. In fact, this scene from Volume 1 of Kill Bill features more blood and gore than Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction combined. As The Bride takes on Oren Ishii's entourage, appropriately named "The Crazy 88," she uses her Hattori Hanzo sword to make swift work of every single one of them, slicing through limbs and torsos like they're butter. And while many of the Crazy 88 are simply katana fodder, it is Gogo Yubari – a young school girl that brandishes a bladed ball and chain – that is the pièce de résistance. No stylized Tarantino dialogue needed here, just some good old fashioned martial arts violence.

Perrier vs. Col. Landa - Inglourious Basterds

At the start of Inglourious Basterds, few people knew who Chrisoph Waltz was. But by the end of the movie (if not this scene), they would never be able to forget him. Not only does this scene allow Waltz to show off his mastery of several languages, it outed him as a venerable tour de force and future Oscar-winner, playing a villain so effortlessly it's scary. Nearly every scene featuring Waltz's character is worth mentioning – he's just that good – but the opening gets the nod for its ability to set the tone for the entire film without featuring a familiar face. Hence why it was our favorite movie moment of 2009 Once the dust had settled, and Hans Landa had said goodbye to Shoshanna, we were hooked. But more importantly Tarantino was hooked on Waltz, and has since added him to his rotating troupe of actors.

Sicilian Story - True Romance

Though True Romance was only written by Quentin Tarantino (it was directed by the late Tony Scott) this scene deserves some recognition because A) it features film legends Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper and B) it epitomizes one of Tarantino's many calling cards: the useless fact monologue. Many of the scenes that made this list, for example, feature monologues of a similar nature, with a character spewing out knowledge that, in the context of the film makes great sense. We don't know if a guy has 17 tells and a woman has 20, but that's not the point. A good Tarantino conversation is usually equal parts observational and comedic – exaggerating a potentially true statement to the point the audience will, at the very least, chuckle. As was mentioned, this type of scene pervades each and every Tarantino film, but it's always fun to look at earlier examples for comparison.

Tipping Scene - Reservoir Dogs

Before Steve Buscemi was ruling the Boardwalk Empire he was Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs, the comical member of the film's colorful heist team who, in this scene, explains why he doesn't believe in tipping. It's an entertaining scene on a very basic level (who hasn't used the world's smallest violin on occasion?) but it's also a thought-provoking commentary on minimum wage employment. It might be weird to look at the scene now and see Nucky Thompson cracking wise, but back then Buscemi was a bit player. Speaking of bit players, this scene also marks the start of a trend for Tarantino: putting himself in his movies. Distracting? Maybe, but it's another calling-card for a director with a rolodex full of them.

Royale with Cheese - Pulp Fiction

There's no escaping the impact of this scene, which arguably features one of Tarantino's most memorable lines of dialogue/phrases in a film brimming with iconic monologues. We dare you to find anyone who doesn't know what a Quarter Pounder with cheese is called in France, and if you do find such a person they've likely never seen or heard of Pulp Fiction. This scene ticks many of requisite boxes for a Tarantino flick – from the pop culture references to witty banter – and all it's missing is some violence and foul language. In terms of the larger narrative, the scene is a complete throwaway - a chance for Tarantino to showcase his knack for (once again) spewing out useless facts - yet somehow we'll never forget that Royale with cheese...

Superman Monologue - Kill Bill

For a film that's called Kill Bill some might argue that the inevitable confrontation between heroine Beatrix Kiddo and Bill is a little anti-climactic. That is, if they don't know Tarantino. In the film, Tarantino created a villain that is almost an extension of himself - a character that is prone to protracted musings on life, but has a deep dark center just waiting to come out. Bill's Superman monologue, for example, is both his way of explaining Beatrix's inability to escape who she is and an expose on the character of Superman at the same time. And all the while he's playing mind games with Beatrix – providing the audience with a tantalizing appetizer before the actual sword fighting goes down. That final showdown is great as well, but a certain fondness for the Man of Steel wins the spot on our list.

Mr. Blonde vs. Officer Nash - Reservoir Dogs

Linking action and music is one of Tarantino's strong suits, as evidenced by this scene from Reservoir Dogs. His ability to find music that works on many levels is part of what makes him so talented - even if sometimes his musical choices call a bit too much attention to themselves. So, of those great musical cues, this one ended up making the list because of the imagery, the comedic undertones, and the sheer horror of watching Michael Madsen's character torture a poor police officer. It's now nearly impossible to hear the song "Stuck in the Middle with You" by Stealer's Wheel and not think of Mr. Blonde cutting off Officer Nash's ear.

Guess Who Game - Inglourious Basterds

The game is simple: each player must put a card with the name of a famous character from pop-culture on their forehead and then ask questions in order to figure out "who they are." However, when used in this scene from Inglourious Basterds, the game takes on a whole new meaning. Tension building is a subtle art, and Tarantino does it almost effortlessly in several scenes from this film, including the film's opening (which also made this list). We, the audience, know that the Nazi soldier is bound to find out he's in the company of frauds, but that doesn't make the scene any less of a nail-biter. And whereas in a traditional, non-Tarantino film, this scene would play out with minimal casualties for the good guys, that is unfortunately (or fortunately) not the case here. Thankfully, this brief role was only the beginning for actor Michael Fassbender.

Jules vs. Ringo - Pulp Fiction

By the end of Pulp Fiction two things were clear: Tarantino is not a fan of traditional narrative structures and his characters, while most of the time masochists, are quite entertaining to watch. Book-ending the entire disjointed story, the finale in the diner features a wonderfully poignant monologue from Samuel L. Jackson, who up until that point had been a laser-focused, foul-mouthed killer, teasing us with that mysterious briefcase. It also reacquaints the audience with the characters of Honey Bunny and Pumpkin, the two would-be robbers who opened the film. Tarantino always goes out with a bang, so to speak, but it's tough to beat Pulp Fiction's style. And who wouldn't want a wallet that says "Bad MotherF#$%er" on it?

Honorable Mentions

 
Even with a list that encapsulates a large portion of Quentin Tarantino's career there were still plenty of memorable scenes - and whole films - that inevitably didn't make the list. With Django Unchained arriving in theaters, who knows whether or not one or two scenes from that film will make their way onto our list. Either way, here are some scenes that deserve HONORABLE MENTION:

• Vince and Mia's Dance - Pulp Fiction
• Robert De Niro and Bridget Fonda "Quickie" - Jackie Brown
• The Car Chase - Death Proof
• The Theater Massacre - Inglourious Basterds
• Marsellus Wallace's Pride Speech - Pulp Fiction
• Vampire Tarantino - From Dusk Till Dawn

Wide Eyed Brand Guidelines.

Wide Eyed.
Brand Guidelines.
As Wide-Eyed is a branding brief I think that it is appropriate to design brand guidelines especially as this is a live brief. This means that I can give it to the client so that he can have his guidelines so that if he gets anymore design work done, he has the brand guidelines to follow. Although he has said that he wants me to continue doing his design work, and when he needs an EP cover, an album cover, or any event poster, I think that it is still a good idea to have a hard copy of the brand guidelines for future reference.

Development.

Including the logo do's and don'ts in the publication is important. Especially including the exclusion zones, this is really important as it isn't an obvious rule unlike the fact that you can't stretch or quash the logo.

I think that there should be a page on the typefaces that I have used throughout the brand. But as well as this it is important to say how I used them. As for the Headings and main titles I tracked the typeface and made it so that the letters were only just touching.

The colours that are used throughout the brand are black and white, although there is also the teal colour that is used. It is only used for smaller details, and the website and online presence. This is so that there is a distinct detail that stands out amongst the rest.

Playing with the layout to make sure that it follows the brand guidelines is important. Therefore playing with the different layouts is important, making sure that the page isn't too cluttered. But also make sure that there is enough information on it.

Making sure that the layout is balanced is really important. I think that the body copy is slightly too large in these guidelines, therefore I need to make the point size a bit smaller.



This is the brand guidelines publication without the cover. The publication is going to be a single page publication bound by a black bolt to keep within the brand guidelines I need it to be black or white. Overall I am happy with the brand guidelines, I think that they are really important to a brand and that the brand is demonstrated well throughout and shows enough without babbling on a lot.