Exploring my passion for storytelling and design, and incorporating my hobbies of book binding and film, I created The Special Song for my capstone project at Northeastern University. Under the watchful eye of my professor, John Kane, the book became both subtle and beautiful, emphasizing the importance of magical realism as an artistic device.
Flip through of selected spreads, to get a general feel of the style and system used to design the book.
Designing this book, I was looking to create something that was intentional throughout every step. From the page size to the grid system, each aspect was backed up by the content and goal of the book.
The book spreads, once opened are 16x9 inches, a nod to the 16:9 proportion of most films. Each page was broken into two columns for legibility and reflection of its information-based nature.
Each film "chapter" follows the format of Synopsis, Summary, Quote, and finally thematic analysis. Each film follows this format to emphasize the differences between each film, all tied by their use of a magical realism device.
The Special Song is a lesson for myself, to find the fantastic in the ordinary. It is a practice in simplicity as the best form of clarity and support for the content.
Want to view the complete book? Click on the image to the right and explore the world of magical realism on film.
