First Movie: Manufactured Landscapes

 

Manufactured Landscapes is a documentary created by Ms. Baichwal about the work of a renowned photographer, Edward Burtynsky.In this documentary; there are two levels of art. The first is the lens of the photographer's camera (Edward), and the second is the director's (Ms. Baichwal). I also see that the photographer was attracted in the landscapes around him while the director was more interested in the people of those foreign lands as well as the negative effect of those recycled materials and industrial transformation on the environment.

 

I like that the photographer is trying to link everything he is using with the things and places he is shooting, which shows a stop action on a photo. Because he believes that industrial landscapes is a manner to identify our relationship with the planet.

 

This documentary opened my vision on a new aspect of art. The way of turns in the garbage and recycled materials into interesting piece of art, and how hard are the people working there. I felt that they are so far from what we are doing now. Also the photographer had chosen interesting places that no one would think to go and visit or to photograph.

 

Another point I like when the director said, that these images don't speak one way; you can view them from both ways. These photos can be hung on the walls of big company as well as on the walls of the environmentalists that are against it.

 

In conclusion, I have learned many things from this documentary. How to turn in objects to an interesting way to photograph, and there is beauty in everything around us, we just have to look at it from a another point of view.

http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/

 

The Cultural Influence of Brands

Brands nowadays very structured, the culture influenced by them.

Designers should be more aware of the environment and culture. They should understand both of them in order to market the product. Which is the relation ship between the market and the consumer.

Like the international brands are well branded they understand both important aspects which are the environment and culture and to know how consumers are smart. And here where we can see the differences that local brands are not well known because of the lack of knowledge, though they are living in this country and knowing the culture and environment.

 

I think that smart marketers those who use the cultural role of brands to reach out their consumers. They relate theirs products to the tradition or social events. For example Pepsi they use Britney Spires to model for the product.

 

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz10vDiMzOo

 

Who Gets to Say What to Whom?

We live in a visual oriented world; our culture is dominated by Image. Visual is a powerful means of communication. Nowadays, higher authorities have monopolized visual design. But are they using it to the advantage? Are they communicating the right message?

The higher force of visual decides what to say and to whom. People no longer have the "freedom of speech" Designers are becoming just a tool. They are only a "bridge" between corporations and their target audience; they no longer have a statement or a voice.

 

I think designers should put them selves in other position and view there designed from different point of view. Nowadays designers have lost their ethics when it comes to culture sensitivity, and they go ahead and broadcast their message to the world without consideration. They should be careful of the message that they want to send out, and the message that could be interpreted because designers have the power to speak out so they need to use it right.

  

An example of this is a racist ad done by the famous electronic company “Intel” The campaign's ad showed a man with white skin standing and has the power while the strong black men are down, with the phrase " Multiply Computing Performance and Maximize the power of your Employees ".

 

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypIbTpnuNgg

 

Responsibility Answers Absurdity

Globalization change a lot, it brings the entire brand all over the world. Like bringing MacDonald’s to small towns. When you look around, you will realize all the restaurants and malls are globalized brands, that you can find them everywhere whenever you traveled. If you go to china you will find the same brand, but the interesting thing that maybe no one of the consumers did think about, is how did they move on having these products and not thinking or remembering how did they accept it at the beginning. This is how they started spreading all over the world by knowing, understanding, and make deep researches about cultures and different personalities. I think it is very difficult to come up with a campaign for a product that would respect all the cultural differences and religious beliefs found around the world. For example, here in Saudi Arabia we have a lack to local brands and factories. Designers have a big role in that, so the international brands can get easily into our world. Companies should respect all cultural and religious differences in the countries in which they will market their products in or else it will backfire on them.

I think that advertising, branding is all what attracts people and make them buy the products. So we as designers should help to build this relationship to get things better and make it easy to get acceptable, by working as one hand everything can work.

 Link    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8P2f-w83AA&feature=related

  

Timing is Everything

Timing is Everything

In all major works

 Managing and being punctual on time is very important. As graphic designers time

 management and punctuality are very necessities in our work. We should promote global citizen. A

lso we have to be well aware of all the important events happening all around the world

 to be well prepared when publishing a design specially if it was an awareness campaign or if its targeting politics as well as

 controversial issues. For example, the Saudi series "tash ma tash' that is aired in the month of Ramadan which

 also tackles some of the problems in Saudi society such as corruption and controversial issues. While on th

e other hand there is some graphic designers don’t manage their time and not

 well prepared they just end up having un-non campaign or few people support them. That’s because they don’t get the idea of this design o

r the campaign.

 Link : 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyzRR1w9FB8

   Therefore, as graphic designers we must be aware of everything

 around them. Like reading a lot, listening to news knowing everything. Then they prepare and manage all their ideas, so they can design and

 publish on time. Also we should know exactly when and where to publish in order to know how that will effect the target audience and how to 

get the wanted result like for example encouraging them to donate for cancer

.