Chapter 1 - 27th Letter Assignment

Antonio Serna

GD 230

Dolores Wilber

For the 27^th Letter Assignment

During the time of my early design work, I viewed typography as a stationary/flat component to design. Fonts were generally sought out one at a time, and although combinations were possible, the combinations only came as individual parts to a greater whole. In this sense, fonts were much like paints to a painting, where the individual colors don’t tell much of a story; that is until the painting itself is complete. What I have realized in the my progression through the art of motion graphics is that fonts are more representative of music rather than painting, if speaking of cultural comparisons.

Below are three images of fonts that were used in a fast title sequence for a short video I made. Each screen receives about :05 of a second for screen time but creates a powerful narrative in that time, so much so that the viewer is likely to revisit the sequence to analyze the words and fonts. In music, each instrument and its accompanying part tells its own story while simultaneously contributing the greater narrative. By story I refer to the ability to the listener to isolate that instrument and still enjoy a complete progression, created with its own unique characteristics such as mood, tone, pitch and key. Once these parts are combined, they can be used to create a full piece organized as a narrative with builds, crescendos (climax), breaks and conclusions. This speaks to my revelation with fonts. Fonts, if combined well, can create a complete story out of smaller parts. There can be moving narrative through fonts.

Below, the progression begins with the seriousness similar to your employer giving you an order but in a calm tone. This is the build of a song, where people are not laughing or talking, but instead paying close attention. Next comes the body of the song, more playful and perhaps a bit sexualized depending on the genre, this could be in the form of vocal work, chorus, hooks, or improvisations on certain guitar sections. Last we have the climax of the piece, the part that demands the most attention but without overwhelming the audience. This is the guitar solo or vocal crescendo of the piece.