The Blog of Studio Fuse » client

Putting Baby Behind the Fence

Scott — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 01:06:25 +0000

It all started when we came across one of the last catless videos on the internet. It was a video about a technique called “ombro,” a pre-cinema method of animation that involves masking and revealing parts of an image with a “fence” to create the illusion of movement.

As a studio that’s known for its interactive print (at least in our minds), we immediately knew we’d use this technique for a project someday, even if it might be far off down the road.

As it happened, a few months after watching the video, we were gearing up to begin the Dance at The Music Center season brochure. To our delight, The Music Center wanted to try something different from the use of straight production photography—an approach they had used for the last few seasons. Ombro immediately sprang to mind as the perfect “something different.” What better way to express dance than through movement? Fortunately, The Music Center was as excited as we were about the prospect of an animated brochure.

Of course, the solution also had to work for cases where there would be no fence: ads, 3-sheets, postcards, etc. So we determined that we’d use a mix of moving dancers, and static dancers paired with moving type to be prepared for all scenarios.

Initially, we had simply planned to animate the word “moving” itself in a different way for each image. However, as we experimented, we realized the series of unfenced frames were like afterimages, or impressions. That led us to change “moving” to multiple adjectives describing the varied lasting impressions the viewer could be left with by experiencing the companies this season.

With the idea solidified, we worked out each page and built a digital demo to share them with The Music Center (You can still play with it here.) After a bit of back-and-forth involving changes to the color and a couple of new adjectives, the brochure was approved.

The only problem with a piece like this is, after working on it for so long, you begin to lose perspective; by the time it went to print, we weren’t sure if anyone would find it compelling. Thankfully, when it got into people’s hands, our fears were allayed. Indeed, the response was positive, and The Music Center saw an increase in subscriptions over last season. While we surely can’t take all of the credit, we’d like to think this novel delivery of dance captured some minds, and perhaps moved some people to hop over the fence and get closer to the stage. And for those who weren’t moved, well, here’s a cat video. @scottfuse

UPDATE: 9/18/13
We’re pleased to announce the brochure just garnered us a Gold Award in the Creativity 43rd Print & Packaging Awards!

A quick demo of the brochure.

A quick demonstration of the brochure, starring Aless’ hands.

Finding The Ford

Jenn — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 20:44:30 +0000

Ford Theatres, aka the John Anson Ford Theatre or Ford Amphitheater, is an intimate, open-air performance space nestled into the Hollywood Hills. This hidden gem of a venue with its eclectic programming and expansive community outreach brings the arts to those who want to be close enough to touch it.

When I met the LA County Arts Commission, who operates the venue, I was struck by how much was working in their favor: great location, beautiful surroundings, strong mission, brilliant lineup of artists from every corner of LA’s cultural landscape, and the most impressive string of Yelp reviews I’ve ever read. And yet… if I mentioned the Ford to other Angelenos I’d be greeted with a blank stare. Perhaps it was the plethora of outdoor entertainment happening in LA, particularly at the neighboring Hollywood Bowl that was keeping them a secret? More likely it was their lack of identity. We were determined to bring Ford Theatres out of the shadows.

The audience familiar with the Ford love it, and aren’t shy about it. In fact, the audience had already successfully created a brand for the venue through surprisingly consistent language. We needed to create a visual world to go with it. We started with the logo – a self-contained, totally organic, hand drawn logotype designed to encapsulate the descriptives we heard over and over again: Laid Back, Friendly, Fun, Playful, Romantic, Cozy, and Welcoming. Couple the logo with a color palette sampled from the surrounding landscape and things started to take shape.

The Campaign

The Communications team had already been batting around a few campaign ideas for their summer series when we met. “Find Yourself at the Ford” was buried at the end of the list. It jumped out to me as an empowering call to action – not only to get butts in seats, but to find people like you on stage and in the seats around you. It was the perfect way to sum up the Ford’s mission to reflect the diverse cultures of LA County. And, it was memorable!

With a new look, clear message, and a small stockpile of carefully selected audience and performance images; we were poised for implementation. We designed a system of icons to reflect the look of the logo and a variety of foundation materials including a pocket calendar, postcards, web ads, digital billboards, invites, programs and more that would act as a launching point for their new visual dialogue. All materials were tied together with consistent placement of the new logo, all new typography guidelines, and a bold color palette that used the new Ford green as its base. So far the identity is hit! Staff, artists and audiences are enthusiastically embracing it and we’re excited to see how it continues to evolve.

(can include a grouping of images (see folder for options) one of which should be the cover of the pocket calendar that I don’t have)

Learn more about Ford Theatres here. @jennfuse

No Surrender, Dorothy!

Scott — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:19:24 +0000

It seems that nowadays Halloween is little more than tired social media memes and carnal desperation in costume form, stumbling into each other at a party (sometimes in the same costume). Sure—maybe it’s that I’m no longer a youth and feel bitter that God has forsaken me. But doesn’t it seem more likely that we’ve irreversibly wandered into the web 2.0 dystopia—an era of celebrity anarchy and narcissistic youth? Either way, it’s clear that the world should have quit while it was ahead. Yes, the candy is still good; yes, it still takes the edge off the beer. But one must wonder “What have we done to the kids?” Fortunately, there is somebody out there still thinking about the kids: The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Every year the museum puts on a themed Haunted Museum for their members, bringing together science and scares—and for the past several years, we’ve designed the invitations for them. Last year, it was “Fairy Tales and Scary Tales,” for which we created a two-sided book featuring a mix of characters from ogres to dire wolves.

This year, the museum decided to turn the Haunted Museum into a travel destination of sorts: the “Land of Awes” (as in The Wizard of Oz). This destination concept delivered the design direction to us on a platter: we would turn the invitation into a travel brochure. Fleshing the idea out, we designed one side to be a poster inspired by travel posters from the thirties, while the other side became a metaphoric map of the evening’s itinerary. Naturally, both sides included a hybrid of Oz characters and museum specimens, such as a tin Thomas the T. Rex, a cowardly saber-toothed tiger, flying monkeys, and Fruitaden Munchkins. It was a lot of work, but fortunately Grace the intern was here to help us illustrate Thomas and the tiger.

While it is just one invitation to one event in one city, we feel proud that we were able to do our part to keep Halloween from falling completely into the evil clutches of post-adolescent party culture and keep it just a little bit fun for the kids (however doomed they may be). Plus, it was just awes-fully fun to create. @scottfuse

Take a look at the gallery, and let us know what you think. >>

Tags: client illustration invitation Natural History Museum

Extreme Makeover: Website Edition

Scott — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 21:31:03 +0000

Most of you know Studio Fuse as a print design studio, or perhaps, as a link you accidentally clicked. However, we’ve also been known to design websites on occasion.

This past spring, in fact, we were hired to rebrand the newly renamed Association for Women in Architecture + Design (formed in 1948, they recently added the “+ Design” to “AWA” to better reflect the scope of their mission).

Part of the rebrand included giving their website a makeover. Not only did the look need to be updated to reflect the new identity, they also wanted a backend that was easier to maintain, as well as a blog that they could manage themselves. You can see the before and after screengrabs in this post, or check out the site here (note: the pages may load slowly—this is due to their host, not our code! The site ran quite speedily on a test host).

Executing the website was a walk in the park, if that park is Yosemite National Park and you are a double amputee with a bad sense of direction. I won’t bore you with the details like I bored myself with them in previous versions of this post, but I will share a short list of lessons learned along the way:

Software marketing language is, unfortunately, not a programming language. “Easy and powerful integration with WordPress” does sound nice, though, doesn’t it?

Internet Explorer 9 is by far the worst browser at rendering pages correctly, after Internet Explorers 8, 7 and 6.

There are varying levels of ignorance and stupidity in web development. Find your level, and ask questions with the appropriate humility.

Being the third person to work with a site’s undocumented code is difficult, but still better than being the fourth person (Sorry fourth person. I tried).

Challenges aside, AWA+D now has an online presence that’s easy to use and that they’re proud of. Insert rousing cheer here… or use the one we’ve inserted for you below. @scottfuse

Your browser does not support the audio tag.

 The old AWA homepage 

The new AWA+D homepage

LACMA Muse ArtWalk

Scott — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:53:13 +0000

Hey lazy legs, aren’t you tired of always sitting around, not looking at art? You are? Good! Fortunately, you can resolve both of your life’s failings this Saturday with LACMA’s annual ArtWalk.

If you can throw on a pair of shoes (perhaps like the ones in the invite we designed), you can take advantage of FREE admission to LACMA, the Craft and Folk Art Museum, and the Architecture + Design Museum, as well as more than twenty galleries along the Miracle Mile. From 12 to 8 pm, there will be dance performances, live music, and interactive art projects—and just regular old art too.

That’s not all. You can also join in on the ForYourArt aMUSEment Hunt. Get a sticker for each of the museums and galleries you visit and redeem them for prizes—from original prints to memberships.

Still want more? Sheesh, I might have to start calling you crazy legs… You can also head back to LACMA for the ArtWalk After Party from 8:30 to 11 pm, featuring the Joshua Light Show and music by Dublab and Silent Disco. @scottfuse

Saturday, June 16

LACMA + Miracle Mile | Info

Saturday, June 16
LACMA + Miracle Mile | Info

ArtWalk
12 – 8 pm
FREE

After Party
8:30 – 11 pm
$15 – $25

Bolshoi’s Swan Lake at the Music Center

Jenn — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 18:38:25 +0000

The Bolshoi Ballet returns to the Music Center this week with their production of Swan Lake. This will be their first time on the Chandler stage since 2000.

Even if you’re not a bunhead or a balletphile, this is one to see. A familiar story yes, remounted time and time again and even Hollywood-ized in Black Swan, Yuri Grigorovich’s Swan Lake (revised from Marius Petipa’s choreography) is THE Swan Lake to see. The Bolshoi is unmatched in technical precision and performance quality and the sets and costumes are a testament to Russian elegance. Of course, I’d expect nothing less from a company with more than 200 years under their belt. @jennfuse

June 7–June 10
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Tickets: $34–$125 | More Info

Thursday: June 7; 7:30 pm
Saturday: June 8; 7:30 pm
Friday: June 9; 2:00 pm
Saturday: June 9; 7:30 pm
Saturday: June 10; 2:00 pm

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Tickets: $34–$125 | More Info

Anna Nikulina

“[Swan Lake is about] internal conflicts between ideal love, reality and the imperfections of human nature.”

–Sergei Filin, Bolshoi Ballet Artistic Director

  Photo by Damir Yusupov

  Maria Alexandrova as Odette. Photo by Damir Yusupov

Sparking our Creativity

Jessica — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:48:31 +0000

Do you ever feel that, some days, you just want to set everything on fire? I know! Me too! Fortunately for me, LA Opera was able to help me out and provide an outlet for my pyromaniacal tendencies.

While brainstorming the look for the fire-themed Opening Night gala, we knew we had to reference fire without getting too literal. We hit upon the idea of using the by-product of fire to create the event title and although we couldn’t get an invitation made out of smoke to work, what came out of that idea was, we think, even better.

With a direction in mind, I took the implements of destruction (a borrowed pink Bic lighter, a pad of white plain paper and a hose in case of emergency) and headed outside so as to not burn down our lovely new office.

Things that were learned during this experiment:

While you think alcohol would be flammable, it turns out that painting with 8 year old rubbing alcohol and trying to light it on fire only leads to a wet, blotchy piece of paper.

Despite our name, nobody at Studio Fuse carries a lighter. Our friendly neighborhood spa, Cote d’Azur, on the other hand, needs something to light all those aromatherapy candles and were happy to help us set things on fire.

Blowing gently helps the embers singe the paper better. Blowing a little harder makes for a full on conflagration.

Having access to an outdoor water source is good. Wearing close-toed shoes is better.

The results turned into an excellent starting point for an idea that we’re really proud of. The final version is still smoldering on our server, but we’ll be sure to update once the final invitation is hot off the presses. @jes_fuse

Note: Forgive us for the puns… but sometimes you’re just on fire.

Blowing gently helps the embers singe the paper better. Blowing a little harder makes for a full on conflagration.

It’s Christmas in Paris on Memorial Day in LA

Scott — Wed, 23 May 2012 22:30:32 +0000

As much as I may want to pretend otherwise, I can’t say I’ve ever actually lived like a bohemian—unless of course, you consider residing in the NoHo Arts District and avoiding the other inhabitants while working an office temp job to be bohemian. My apartment’s trash chute was often blocked and I did go without cable for awhile, if that helps. But I digress…

If you, like me, are at a place in life where you would prefer to experience the bohemian lifestyle from a comfortable seat in a temperature-controlled room, you may want to check out the return of LA Opera’s La Bohème to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. It’s a revival of the celebrated 1993 Herbert Ross production.

The intriguing difference this time, is that the two leads, Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello, are actually married, and therefore possibly really in love. Though I haven’t seen them perform, I have to wonder if their real-world chemistry might provide a sense of authenticity I’ve often found lacking in other operatic expressions of romance.

For those unfamiliar, La Bohème is the original Rent. Just swap New York for Paris, and AIDS for tuberculosis (yes, there’s more to it than that, but this isn’t one of those articles). More specifically, the story follows six young Parisians in the 1830s, who are financially destitute, but spiritually rich. It’s Christmas time as the young poet, Rodolfo, falls in love with a shy seamstress, Mimi. Providing contrast and context to their central love story is the on-again, off-again love affair of the painter Marcello and the cabaret singer Musetta. Against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Paris, including an unfinished Eiffel tower, the young artists experience passion, poverty, joy, suffering and ultimately (spoiler alert), death.

While I have not seen La Bohème, I’ve been to a few LA Opera productions in the past. They have always delivered gorgeous sets and costumes, and a grandiose sound that you cannot get from film or your corner NoHo theater (sorry, real bohemians).

Tickets are going fast, so don’t wait to get seats. If you’ve never been to an opera, this is meant to be one of the more accessible, so check it out. It’s the last production of LA Opera’s season. @scottfuse

May 23, 26, 31 and June 2
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Tickets $20–$270 | More info

Photo by Robert Millard for LA Opera.

The young artists celebrate not living in North Hollywood. From left: Robert Pomakov, Stephen Costello, Museop Kim, Artur Rucinski. Photo by Robert Millard for LA Opera.

Spouses Stephen Costello and Ailyn Pérez as Rodolfo and Mimi. Photo by Robert Millard for LA Opera.

Real-life couple Stephen Costello and Ailyn Pérez fictionally embrace as lovers Rodolfo and Mimi. Photo by Robert Millard for LA Opera.

Ballet Preljocaj Performs Snow White

Jessica — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:58:39 +0000

Full disclosure: I am not the dance lady at Studio Fuse. My brief flirtation with the dancy arts ended in the mid-90s, while Jenn continues to work tirelessly on her grand battements, both taking and teaching classes. Although I’ve long since traded in my tap shoes for roller skates, I appreciate athleticism, striking visuals and a good story. Fortunately for me (and you!), starting Friday, March 23, Ballet Preljocaj’s Snow White will be providing all three.

Drawing inspiration from the darker Brothers Grimm tale rather than the more modern, animated feature we’ve all come to know, Ballet Preljocaj’s Snow White can’t really fall into the typical “fairytale ballet” category of Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake or The Nutcracker. This more adult version of the story features costume design by Jean Paul Gautilier. If you are unfamiliar with the designer, I have three words for you: Madonna cone bra. The set design is minimalist but functional and surfaces are incorporated into the choreography, including a mine wall that spans the height of the proscenium. Rappelling equipment is involved and it is amazing. And at all times, even while suspended parallel to the stage, the dancers seem to always be in fluid, energetic motion. The endurance and control it must require to preform even one act of this ballet is pretty mind-bending.

Ballet Preljocaj, led by choreographer and artistic director Angelin Preljocaj performs the 2008 ballet at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center March 23–25. @jes_fuse

March 23–March 25
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Tickets $28–$110 | More info

  Behind the scenes of Snow White

  Behind the scenes of the development of Snow White

“I wanted to do something completely different, write something very concrete and offer something magical…”

–Angelin Preljocaj, (excerpted from an interview with Agnès Freschel)

“I wanted to do something completely different, write something very concrete and offer something magical and enchanted…because, like everyone else, I love stories.”

–Angelin Preljocaj, (excerpted from an interview with Agnès Freschel, March 2008)

“I wanted to do something completely different, write something very concrete and offer something magical and enchanted…because, like everyone else, I love stories.”

–Angelin Preljocaj, (excerpted from an interview with Agnès Freschel, March 2008)

Gymnastics of the Soul

Jenn — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 03:14:04 +0000

Project research always turns up some interesting finds, but this one was a bit grotesque. I was hunting for facial expressions to inspire a new take on comedy tragedy masks. No I’m not designing a trite theatre icon… little trust here people. It’s for an upcoming First Fridays at the Natural History Museum. A little bizarre, but if you’ve seen the preceding creative in the campaign the idea won’t seem quite so odd.

Anyway, I got completely sucked into Guillaume Duchenne’s electrophysiolgy research from the 1840′s. He believed that expressions were the gateway to the human soul, and that the way muscles work to create them could be codified. How you ask? Localized faradization — he electrocuted people. Using electricity he was able to map the muscle groups used to form different expressions and capture the results with photography (new at the time). Documentation of his torture…I mean work are in Duchenne de Boulogne’s Le Mécanisme de la Physionomie Humaine (ca 1876). See images from the index here. @jennfuse

 It’s been said that at least one of Duchenne’s patients (the man pictured above) had no feeling in his face so the procedure was painless. What about the rest of them? Ouch.