Throughout the past 7 months, a varied cluster of guest lecturers have spoken at Stockport College. From practitioner's working on their own, to individuals representing large and successful design agency's up a down the country. These agencies have included, Thoughtful, Glorious and Truth to name but a few. Two freelancers in particular stood out for me and although their styles are poles apart, the medium in which they both utilise is the same, ie: moving image.
Tal Rosner, a self-taught film maker and graphic designer. Fuses his two artistic skills to fashion short moving, radical interpretations of musical compositions. Turning slow-paced video art on its head, to mold dynamic, ever-changing motion graphics. His work is personal and created more often than not for himself. However, on occasions he has been commissioned for title sequences including, Skins on Channel 4.
Ex-Stockport graduate Grant Gilbert on the other hand has created moving image identities for important (or important seeming) clients such as The Big Breakfast, The Word and The BBC under his studio, Double G. Although the similarity between the two isn't so different as preliminary believed. They do however differ greatly in the manner and way in which they both work to solve a clients brief.
Aesthetic based Rosner on one hand often has the freedom of a blank canvas to make and create images/film for himself with no inflicting design corporations to answer. Although Gilbert still produces aesthetically beautiful pieces akin to Rosner, his are created on an idea that he believes will communicate to a mass audience and comply to briefs set by powerful television institutions.
Gilbert denotes, "a trailer is no good unless one knows what one is watching".
Although Gilbert will generally create a logo, graphics and brand identity for an assigned client, frequently involving a bound brief with inflexible guidelines, Rosner inclines loose and adjustable ideals. His finished outcome will be pitched to the client subsequent to him explaining it to them with all creative aspects produced in house. Gilbert on the other hand will be given a film or indent to apply his formed graphics/logo within. Working much closer to the client throughout the design process often changing the design several times before the final outcome is reached. The liberty and creative control both designers encompass and the communication between themselves and the client differs immensely. I believe a high level of interaction between a client is an essential part of the design process.
While self-governing Rosner could repeatedly be seen as a fine artists (on occasions) with examples of his work possibly becoming gallery instillation's, Gilberts creativity will depend on the boundaries of a set brief. Rosner at times will also share such restrictions, but combines professional and personal work evenly and without animosity. Sometimes the client will know they require a change of design, but Rosner convinces corporations that they do. He likes to create for himself and aim to later generate profit from it. Rosners work is wide-ranging and his reputation is vast (individuals will specifically source him if he is what they desire). To a degree this is as well true of Gilbert, having successfully completed logos and identity for Smirnoff, More 4, C4.com and Channel 5, his class speaks for itself. Generally individuals will be familiar to the high standard he is capable of. This however, is no guarantee to him clinching a new contract as he still has to compete with other agency's.
The process and techniques used by both are again similar, as the bulk are labelled under the umbrella term moving image. Nonetheless Gilbert trained as a Graphic Designer and gradually progressed towards a career in film and television. A by-product of a necessitate to be involved in an industry he believed the future. Our current green tendency as a civilisation is that if an example is printed on paper it will then become waste, if an example is generated on a computer screen it has the capacity to be re-used. Thus a seductive design enticement.
There is a clinical approach to Gilberts process that is visible. He is regimented and highly trained in his subject. He has the ability to solve inflicting problems because of the way in which he was taught (at Stockport College). Whereas Rosner appears loose and self-assertive possible due to the fact he is completely self-taught and holds his own processes and techniques close. During his lecture he mentioned that the preliminary software he began with he had to experiment and learn until he was competent enough to solve questions, visually. "My work is often accidental" which is a matter of interest for me and an area that differentiates Rosner from Gilbert. Rosner does not create for profit or acclaim he does it to fight an unquenchable subliminal force/desire burning deep within his gut. PASSION. I feel what Rosner feels (perhaps) if my artistic side is not fat i will simple explode.
Although both designers are from the same field i have gained a lot of knowledge and an appreciation towards design because of them? A belief that if one sits comfortable for to long one will simple wilt and die.
Keep moving. Keep learning. Keep the PASSION burning.
xx
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