#15 The Directors Toolkit and Other Experiments

After completing the typographic experiment on female identity, I started playing around with how female identity is removed and how female characters can be viewed as objects.

In my notes, I had mentioned the idea of creating a colouring book where the female characters were silhouettes and just 'part of the scene' rather than characters in their own right. I could play with this idea using a colouring book I already owned containing comic art. I selected a few pages, but rather than remove the whole figure, I decided to cover the face, as the female body as image/object is still relevant in film.

I had previously coloured one of the pages, but I didn't think that mattered as this was a quick experiment. I added captions such as 'INSERT FEMALE FACE HERE' to show how it didn't matter what model/actress/character was in the shot as they are purely there to be a female body. As a further exploration of this concept, I could try this with movie scenes.

The second idea I started working on was 'The Directors Toolkit'. I identified this as something to experiment with when using my mind map; however, I think I got a bit carried away during such an early stage.

I had identified aspects to include in the toolkit in my notes, featured at the top of the page, and decided to create some simple icons that I could use in an outcome.

Using sites such as The Noun Project for inspiration, I focused on creating icons for the camera, lighting and the female body. I did some quick rough sketches, as it didn't need to be a finished piece, and looked at different forms the icons could take, i.e. filled shapes or lines etc.

I realised I had spent a bit of time on this, so to move on, I quickly sketched an example of how a 'Directors Toolkit' could look. The box design is on the left with cards that may be inside on the right. I thought these cards could include information or be Top Trumps etc.

This experiment didn't work as quick ideation as I spent time on it and developed the idea towards a potential outcome. I need more practising responding quickly to ideas as quick visuals rather than overthinking.

Bibliography

The Noun Project. (n.d.). Icons and Photos for Everything. The Noun Project. Retrieved May 2, 2021, from https://thenounproject.com/