Arrival

What I learned

The subtleties of timing and type-image interactions

see Process

Inspired by the unique visual language of the 2016 film Arrival, this title sequence pairs mechanical typography with the elegant and organic forms of ink moving through water — a stark juxtaposition which nods to the film’s themes of understanding differences and bridging gaps in communication. Soft blur and subtle typographic movement is underscored by an eerie, dramatic tune from the movie’s original score, making this sequence the perfect introduction to this cerebral sci-fi drama.

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Extensive research and re-watches with a critical eye illuminated key visual and thematic motifs that sparked the idea of pairing geometric type with organic image. All video footage was shot by me with a very minimal, somewhat janky, DIY set-up... which actually proved to be one of the less challenging aspects of this project. All I’ll say is this: my poor MacBook was fighting After Effects for its life.