poster design for college play (140k image)

[Jason Fraker]

Here is something I worked on last night. It's for a play about a southern marriage that is kinda mismatched. There are undercurrents of liberal vs. conservative Christian theology as well as discomfort on the part of both families due to this pairing. Feel free to rip it to shreads.

http://img447.imageshack.us/img447/628/raneyweb2pp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Eraser Nubbin]

I really like how you handled the blue/white text at the bottom, as well I think that the hands being split by the zipper would really work better if there weren't the transparency effect going on at the top. I think it may be one step to far and is detracting a little from the rest of it.

[ronin44]

agree..the transparancy..try without..the cross...might be over kill..Think about the zipper. The zipper seems to reveal somthing that was hidden..or is a secret. was that intended? or have you consider a torn page?

[Eraser Nubbin]

Ya, I didn't notice the cross.
Looking at it a little bit more I think that the top and bottom halfs contrast too much, the bottom is strong and simple whilst the top is busy and graphicy. I think you need to simplify the top.

[Jason Fraker]

I agree that the top should be more simplified, but I also know the guy I'm doing this for. This is the 12th poster I've done in 4 years, and he loves the layered photoshop look. I went through several variations, trying to represent the themes of the play including the conservative/liberal, blue blood/poor country folk, socially refined/slack-jaw yokel conflict. I finally settled on this because it seemed to me to be intriguing and will most likely sell tickets. The most successful posters I've designed for this college have revealed little to none of the story and have just had a bizarre vibrant look to them. I think that the location of the school (a rural area nestled in the Cumberland Gap in East TN) has something to do with it in that most of the advertising in that area is kinda vanilla and perfunctory, and these are markedly different from the norm. Geez, what a long post.

Sorry. Continue tearing to shreads.

btw: I had considered a tear in the poster, but I just liked the zipper for whatever reason.

[Eraser Nubbin]

The ripping idea might be a little more applicable than the zipper based on what you said about the narrative, the zipper might be a little to deliberate, not aggressive enough.
Are there hands over her wedding dress? Or is it a table cloth of some sorts?

[Jason Fraker]

I believe that's a table cloth. It was a closely cropped photo, so it's difficult to tell. Looks more like a table cloth.

[ronin44]

So your just showing us what you've done and not really looking for a critique of your work...you did say you've done this for them before and you know what they like. so were helping you with???

[Jason Fraker]

sorry to have conveyed that notion, ronin, but I do welcome any critique or suggestion. My "excuse" post was merely to provide background, as this kind of thing is a case-by-case basis and every client has different tastes and expectations.

do you have any critiques for the poster, or just my character?

[ronin44]

not looking to sling shit..just curious..didn't sound like your looking for assistance..if you know the poster is good, then it must be good...reality is if your client likes the poster, thats all that matters..what we think here is irrelevant...if you felt i attack your character, then i need not say more...

[Jason Fraker]

I was only kidding, ronin. No hard feelings.

[D-Zine]

I think that you did a great job. It's a lil busier than what I normally like BUT its what the client likes. I think that you did a really good job with the layering of all the images and that the design is really well thought out. I have found that each time I look at it I see another element I missed and I think that's cool. Overall I think you did a good job and the thought process for the poster is great.