Context of Practice 'From Theory Into Practice' Research

For this brief, we need to produce a publication that responds to an aspect of the Context of Practise Module.

For a source of inspiration, I went through all of the lectures that we had had and found several topics that I could go into.

Print Screens of Topics of Interest from the Lecture Programme

From these areas of interest, I felt that some of them were either too board or too restricted. I wanted to be able to find a topic that would give me a healthy balance.

Areas of Interest in the Topic of Hitchcock

Eventually, I settled on the topic of Alfred Hitchcock as I felt that it would be an interesting topic to go into which I could pull a lot of visuals into. This had also been a topic of a lecture that we had had.

I decided that I wanted to look into is way of working, the motifs and themes that he would visit in his films and how successful his films actually were. Also, I felt it would be beneficial for me to look into his background to find out his influences and his lifestyle.

My first port of call was the library as I knew I could get a lot of detailed information from reliable sources.

Library Books Out

I managed to find a lot of books on his films and any stylistic elements, however, I couldn't source anything on his life itself. I had to collect a copy of his autobiography from another Universities' library.

Range of Hitchcock reference materials

I went through these books, read them and I found that the most interesting and relevant was learning about him as a person. They gave me information about the filmography (all films produced as well as ones which weren't produced), technical abilities and motifs within the work.

Bibliography:

Bordwell, D & Thompson, K (2008) "Film Art: An Introduction" 8th ed,. new York: McGraw-Hill
This book gave an easy introduction into film theory and the technical terminology used. It made me appreciate the doors that Hitchcock broke down in regards to experimenting with the technical aspects of film and how he pushed the boundaries for others to experience. The most important aspect which helped me which allowed me to visually see how film works is the use of stills which I intend to use to my advantage.

Chandler, C. (2005) "It's only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock- A Personal Biography"New York: Simon & Schuster 
The biography is amateur friendly, giving a chatty yet informative and friendly tone into the world of Hitchcock showing him as a person, his relationships and his approaches to film. The fact that Chandler knew Hitchcock means that the source is quite reliable and the interviews she conducts with not just him but those around him allows for a range of views on him, good and bad, making for her a reliable author. Out of all of the books, this one was of astounding help and gave me a great understanding of  Hitchcock.

Deutelbaum, M. & Poague, L. (2009) "A Hitchcock reader" 2nd ed,. UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd
This book was more of an analytical look into Hitchcock using essays and analysis that others have used and compiling them together. I didn't find it that helpful and found it difficult to read so I will only use it if I needed to find a quote or some further information and understanding

Duncan, P. (2003)  "Alfred Hitchcock: Architect of Anxiety 1899- 1980" Koln: TASCHEN GmbH
This novel gave great background detail on Hitchcock's films, focusing on the works themselves rather than his personal life. The images to illustrate the comments made in the body copy visually provide an insight into the behind-the-scnees goings on within the films which puts you in the centre of the film studio alongside Hitchcock.

Hare, W (2007) "Hitchcock and the Methods of Suspense" USA: McFarland & Company Inc. Publishers
Similar to the 'Hitchcock's Motifs' book yet it focuses more on how aspects of his films were affected based on the need to create suspense. This takes arguments and comments from others and includes them as well as having separate sections that focus on just one aspect or gives examples. If I include a section on suspense then I will consult this book for added detail and depth.

Krohn, B. (2010) "Alfred Hitchcock" 2nd ed,. Paris: Cashiers du cinema Sarl
This was very similar to the "Architect of Anxiety' book yet it had less detail so I will probably use the other book as a reference rather than this one. It is good if you want a quick general overview which is helpful when your first looking into Hitchcock as it is quite an indepth subject so it was helpful int he beginning.

Walker, M. (2005) "Hitchcock's Motifs" Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press

This anthology into just a number of Hitchcock's motifs was a very interesting read as it gives a number of accounts into the meaning behind his motifs and the ways they are introduced within his films as precursors. This helped shed new light into the purpose of his motifs and allowed me to think deeper behind the directorial choices of his films.

I made some notes based on the information that I learnt to record key information that I felt would be necessary to include within my publication.

Double Spread Notes Page with areas of Interest for Publication

Notes made from the books

The next thing I felt would be helpful was to actually watch some of his films which would give me some source material to work with. I felt that reading the books first gave me something to work with so that I wasn't looking just at the films and not knowing what to look for- I would be able to point out motifs and aspects of importance.

The main films I watched were Psycho and Vertigo as they are the most well-known so I wanted to be able to see why they are the most accessible Hitchcock films which have a more mainstream, mass-audience. I found what made them similar is that they use scenes which are fast paced and quick to produce a big impact to the audience. Using the technique of the film stills, I read about, I decided to record them in this manner.

Film Stills from Psycho Shower Scene

Film Stills from Vertigo Tower Scene

What I liked about having them shown in film stills was how they tell a story. It shows how you can look at some images and connect them together and still know the story that it is giving. The cinematography that Hitchcock puts into his films means that the atmosphere and themes of the films still show through even when it is just in images. I definitely want to be able to show this within my product.

I wanted to hear from Hitchcock himself about the techniques he uses and the way he produces his ideas and imagery. A fantastic resource was a Youtube channel I found dedicated to Hitchcock describing his technical aspects and the psychology behind his works.

cannonb17 (2012) "Psychology of Hitchcock" [Youtube] Available from http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1E26CD35E026078F(Accessed 2nd April 2013)

The channel, entitled 'Psychology of Hitchcock', has a range of clips that are taken from a wide range of interviews and documentaries where Hitchcock explains areas of his work like technical directorial choices (such as cutting) or aspects of his life that have affected his film- making (like his parents). I felt that this was a valuable resource as it meant that I could get a lot of insider information and be able to see Hitchcock be reflective of his own work. The way he talks is very commanding and very much full of confidence within his work.

What I did want to do was be able to have a comparison between Hitchcock's films and other films which he has influenced. I want to be able to connect to the audience and I feel as though I would be able to get the audience to interact with my product by having some of the contents recognisable to them.

'Dial M For Murder' (1954) and 'Midnight Lace' (1960)

The plot (the stalking of a young woman via the telephone by somebody who knows her) and visuals, such as the characterisation of the actors are distinctly similar, with Midnight Lace mirroring Dial M for Murder, as well as the themes throughout the films. The suspense behind finding out the culprit adds to the thrill of the films.

'Shadow of a Doubt' (1943) and 'Stoker' (2013)

Stoker is a modern blockbuster take on Shadow of a Doubt in regards to the storyline, plot and even the Hitchcockian motifs. The main characters in the films are mirrored (motif of doubling) and the beginnings of the film are the same. The screenplay writer for Stoker, Wentworth Miller, has even publicly acknowledged the influence that he got from Shadow of a Doubt and saw Stoker as a way of modernising the original.

'Psycho' (1960) and 'High Anxiety' (1977)

High Anxiety is a parody film which takes a lot of elements from Hitchcock films and puts them all together in the style of a spoof. This means that many of the shots or the scenes have been taken from Hitchcock films and are slight shot-for-shot remakes.

'Vertigo' (1958) and 'Obsession' (1976)

Vertigo and Obsession deal with the same themes in a similar storyline with the idea of the male finding a reincarnated version of their female love. It looks into the madness of the main lead and the idea of why they are trying to change the female into something they want but can't have.

I thought that it would be beneficial to gain some inspiration from other designers who have produced publications of their own about Alfred Hitchcock in order for me to get some inspiration of my own.

"Publicacion tipografica" (2013) by Ellie Bpink

Bpink, E (2013) "Publicacion tipografica" [Weblog] 7th March The Behance Network Available from http://www.behance.net/gallery/Publicacion-tipografica/7499567 (Accessed 15th March 2013)

Bpink's specificity in regards to her approach to typography has allowed for her to have free range at working with type and layout. She sticks to a consistency in regards to colour and typeface yet it is the dynamic layouts that make the publication exciting and draw you into wanting to read it. I want to try to be as brave as this when I am considering what I do with my publication.

"Alfred Hitchcock Book Series" by Terra Loire

Loire, T "Alfred Hitchcock Book Series" [Internet] Available from http://cargocollective.com/terraloire/Alfred-Hitchcock-Book-Series (Accessed 15th March 2013)

The main thing about this publication was that it was to be geared towards an audience of Hitchcock fans, thus it attempts to include knowledge that is rare and from behind the scenes. This is why I felt it was necessary to include it as it has a clear focused audience. Despite that, I do not like the layout and design decisions made by Loire. Some of the layouts are clumsy and seem completely unconsidered with not many aspects that are unifying the publications, particularly in regards to the relationship between image and text in the layouts.

"Information Design- Hitchcock" (2012) by Mengying Wang

Wang, M. (2012) "Information Design- Hitchcock" [Weblog] 25th October The Behance Network Available from http://www.behance.net/gallery/Information-Design-Hitchcock/5661005 (Accessed 15th March 2013)

Wang has presented information about Hitchcock in a way that makes the audience instantly recognises the influence through visuals alone. I adore the visual interpretations and the approach to making the information quick to digest. Wang manages to stay true to the essence of Hitchcock whilst managing to communicate to the audience in an engaging and fresh approach.

"Vertigo // Magazine"(2012) by Magdalena Thur

Thur, M (2012) "Vertigo // Magazine" [Weblog] 30th September The Behance Network Available from http://www.behance.net/magdalenathur/frame/5332275 (Accessed 15th March 2013)

This magazine editorial is based solely on the film 'Vertigo' and is quite rigid in its structure and layout yet I like how it is of a quality in regards to the content and the quantity of it. I like how the presentation of the magazine is similar throughout yet has a different layout for each page so it keeps it fresh. I don't like the serious tone and un-experimental approach to producing the magazine as I feel the topic of Hitchcock leaves room to be quite experimental and ambitious in regards to layout.

After the unsuccessful Crit I had, I went onto looking at Hitchcock posters and how people have interpreted him and his work. I was recommended to have a look at the traditional posters first so that I could see the way it was laid out and the visual influence they had.

Miscellaneous Hitchcock Posters

Misc. (2013) "Hitchcock" [Internet] Available from http://www.cinemasterpieces.com/cine_H.htm#hitch (Accessed 23rd April 2013)

A fantastic resource for traditional, vintage posters was Cinemasterpeices which has a wide range of vintage posters for famous films on sale. It allowed me to view not just one poster but several posters for one film therefore giving me a range to compare and contrast.What I noticed about the posters was firstly, the bold colour schemes. The use of stark, bold colours reflects the Technicolor of the more modern Hitchcock films with the use of filters to produce a coloured image from the black and white so that it has more of a visual impact on the audience. It seems to stick to being the primary colours with white and black overall. Another thing I noticed was the boxed, considered layouts with the use of rectangles and columns to mark all of the information and design out- It's very linear and sectioned off. One more thing is the constant use of capitalisation for the information on the poster, particularly for the Header in the shape of the film title which is usually accompanied by Hitchcock's name above it.

From this, I wanted to find some more modern, contemporary design inspiration which reflects the way that people have interpreted Hitchcock's films today.

"Alternative Alfred Hitchcock Posters" (2012) by Misc Designers

ShortList (2012) "Alternative Alfred Hitchcock Posters" [Internet] Available from http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/alternative-hitchcock-posters (Accessed 23rd April 2013)

The difference between the modern and the traditional is the use of illustration and more creative imagery rather than using photographs. The use of information is shown via the visual image rather than the need to include text and the work is pretty much centred, without boxing off of the use of columns. Another difference is the use of black and dark colours which completely contrasts from the bright colour schemes of the traditional as they focus more on the horror aspects of the plots of the films.

I think that when I produce an aesthetic for my poster designs, I want to be able to bring together a mixture of the traditional and the contemporary so as to create an aesthetic that works which keeps them together. 

In a celebration of the graphic design of Saul Bass, renown for his Hitchcock posters and movie title sequences, Google produced a video on the date of his birth to celebrates his work.

Stills From The Google Doodle

Saul Bass Tribute Google Doodle Video

Google Doodle (2013) "Saul Bass" [Internet] Originally uploaded to Google Homepage but Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MK09vd_YG0 (Accessed 8th May 2013)

I felt that this was a very clever tribute which takes influence from many of the Hitchcock films that he produced. Hitchcock films included within the animation involve North By Northwest, Vertigo and Psycho. It takes on the quirky and disjointed aesthetic and parodies it but in a fitting and respectful manner which reflects how influential his work was.