Sunday, November 7, 2010

Kinetic Typography

Typography really is one of my favorite elements in design.  I am pretty sure I have already blogged about it a few times, but it really is something I have always been drawn to; something I've always played around with.

By definition, typography is the way that language looks, or maybe the design of words.  But kinetic typography is the use of animated text to convey art and design.  Kinetic typography is another way that image and word interact with film in a design setting.  It is used to add emotion and emphasis to the messages being expressed.  Some films do this by messing with the proportions of different words—some are smaller, others are bigger.  Or maybe the designer uses elements of pattern or repetition to create those same emotions and ideas.

Here is one example of kinetic typography created by Heebok Lee, a design student at the Carnegie Mellon School of Design.  In this video, he uses an excerpt from Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem “Renaissance,” and uses a combination of animated text and music to create this powerful video.  Rhythm and speed are two of the most important elements as he tries to dramatize the message behind the segment.  Then with the addition of the classical music by Real World Multimedia, he is able to draw the audience even further into the film. 




Someone (other than Heebok Lee) posted this film on Youtube, and one comment that was left describes how powerful the words and design of the video really is.  Pisayoz writes, “Mute it. You can still hear the music.”  His statement is one hundred percent true.  The video does not even need the music, because the kinetic typography and the words on their own really stand out and convey a strong message.  

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