With the topic of "collage", I had yet another opportunity to see how ridiculously out there (literally) I could go. The idea first started with possibly using retro images, ads, and photos from the 40s-60s to create a new versions of etiquette posters or videos... take the campiness and nostalgia and blow it out to the maximum. Then I started looking at some of the print and film war propaganda during WW2 and my idea made a significant turn. Why not use sci-fi art from the era to make propaganda with the same style and personality for an intergalactic war?
the CONCEPT
To create posters and videos that borrow, without overly copying or parodying, from US WW2-era propaganda by using and piecing together found retro sci-fi art from books and the internet.
the RESEARCH
Early on I decided this semester would be the one when I tried really hard to start off being organized and hopefully stay that way until the end. It was mostly successful. I started by ordering some WW2 propaganda poster books and some collections of retro sci-fi art. I figured these would work best for a starting point and give me names of artists and an overview of the different styles of both. I could see what would work well together and if there were any visual elements that overlapped. As I started looking at these books, I decided to follow through on my organization plan. For both parts of the project I created a system using Post-It notes. For the art I broke it down into categories such as Bad Guys, Good Guys, and Scenery. For the propaganda I separated it into types (to right). These same categories worked when looking at the old newsreels and videos. Based upon looking at both the videos and posters (and the art that had had begun to collect), I decided there were three that would work best.
the THREE
- FEAR- A large motivator used in the propaganda posters and quite a few videos was fear. By suggesting the enemy was closer and stronger than you thought, it could motivate people to enlist and help keep their family safe and their way of life. My video would be similar. Identify the villain and how terrible they had been, but then instill hope that you could make a difference and help save the galaxy.
- WHAT CAN I DO- Lots of posters showed what every day people could do to help with the war effort during WW2. Children, families, women, and individuals unable to serve were reminded that there were things they could do daily to help. Again, my video would similarly show the everyday things, but with a lighthearted alien twist.
- STD DANGER- I came across a couple videos and MANY posters warning soldier of syphilis and diseased women. Obviously I had to do a version of this and play up the "facts" of the diseases.
the PROCESS part 1
The first step was storyboarding. By looking at the art I had collected and the three ideas for videos, I was able to see what was possible for the videos. I made sure to keep a delicate balance of inspiration from the original videos, humor, and aliens.
the PROCESS part 2
This was the tedious part. The first half was hours of cutting, pasting, and layering all the pieces into each scene. Then I dropped each individual part into a basic animation app on my iPad. This app kept the animation very basic and allowed for a look and style that paired very well with the project. Each "scene" was animated and exported.
the PROCESS part 3
I decided to use my iPad for as much of this project as possible. Using the app LumaFusion, I was able to do all the video and audio editing to complete the videos. I added some aged overlays, intro/outros, and audio to create the old newsreel feel to all the videos. The title cards were reminiscent of the ones appearing in these newsreels, too. Last, I recorded and manipulated the voiceovers to fit with the retro style and feel.
the POSTCARDS
To go along with the videos, I collaged recruitment mailer cards. There are three different versions, each reminiscent of the WW2 propaganda posters and each connected to a video. On the back of the cards is some Galactic Army copy including some very, very wordy fine print. The QR code on the cards sends you to the finished videos on YouTube.