2023 SIFF
siff
2023 Seattle International Film Festival Campaign
The 2023 SIFF Festival received sponsorship from WongDoody. As Art Director for this project, I collaborated with an illustrator and internal team members to create the festival poster, bumpers, and trailer. The theme of the designs was exploring the MovieVerse, where audiences accompany an astronaut character on an incredible and surreal journey through a one-of-a-kind cinematic universe.
“Enter The MovieVerse’ pulls inspiration from the thrill of epic journeys of discovery, drawing parallels between the unknown of space exploration and stepping into the vast unknown frontier of film festivals.” - Creative Movement
Creative Director: Monkey Watson; Art Director: Lena Lee; Designers: Lena Lee, Reese Murakami, Runak Chavoshi
ART DIRECTION
poster
Inspired by the playful and mesmerizing visual style of Tadanori Yokoo, I endeavored to expand upon his aesthetic to create a vibrant and captivating movie universe. I incorporated spiraling radiation beams in the background, bright accent colors popping from the page, and textures from oil painting for a trippy psychedelic feel.
Poster References
The above artworks served as references for my movie poster. Specifically, the planets on the poster—each of which depicts a different movie genre—incorporate the oil paint graphic texture of the top left image. The line work in the various images also appears in the outlines in my movie poster, which helped to achieve a simple and contemporary illustration style. My team also drew from the curvy radiation beams in these images, rather than straight ones, to depict the psychedelic mood of the MovieVerse.
Collaborating with Pavlov Visual
Final Output
Trailer
Collaborating with Dos Rios
BUMPERS
The 2023 SIFF bumper features distinct design elements representing the festival and are split into four captivating themes(two of which are below): Popcorn Launch, Monkey Bone, Space Junk, and Theater Screen POV. Notably, Monkey Bone pays homage to the iconic introduction of Stanley Kubrick’s acclaimed film 2001:A Space Odyssey. Popcorn Launch creatively depicts a “rocket” launch of an astronaut’s helmet with popcorn fuel, adding a delightful and amusing twist to the artwork. These diverse concepts are an engaging and fascinating addition to the festival.
SIFF2023 Bumper Popcorn Launch
This bumper features a rocket launch concept, substituting the rocket and flames for a space helmet and popcorn, respectively. The latter images are symbols of the 2023 SIFF Film Festival, set in an intriguing animated sequence.
SIFF2023 Bumper Monkey Bone
Combining an homage to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey with the themes of the festival, this bumper depicts a monkey throwing a bone into space, urging the audience in the theater to silence their phones. The intriguing aspect is the transition from slow motion to real-time.