Stigma

This is an idea that won 'Student of the Year' for the 1999 D&AD awards, the category being mental illness.

Pills simulating mental illnesses packaged as very authentic tablets, that you could imagine seeing on the shelves. This is an idea i could strongly look at when considering my 'happiness' concept, i have already mentioned producing tablets etc to help produce emotion and these could be a good influence on how to achieve that.

Promotion and Encouragement of Happiness

After stumbling over some small photo frames i thought i could use another method to encourage and force happiness in the life of a Neighbourhood citizen. Photos of smiles could be used to make the viewer feel happier, also images of The Neighbourhood could be used to make the viewer feel welcome and familiar in the community.

A contemporary style could also be considered when producing the imagery.

Otl Aicher

Aicher designed all sorts of thing for the 1972 Munich Olympics. I can take a lot from his work, as he is applying a design style and identity to many formats. Aesthetics as well as form are considered to create a really stunning Olympic identity.

If i could achieve this sort of idea i think it would pull my project together and give a strong identity of The Neighbourhod as a community and way of life.

The Neighbourhood Officials

In most of the films and series i have watched contain a higher power in the community. Therefore they all contain loyal soldiers who guard, protect and work for the community.

I could feature my own guardians of The Neighbourhood in my project, the titles could be related to the neighbourhood topic.

Some terms i could use:

Neighbours, Locals, Guardians, Guards, Caretakers, Rangers, Keepers, Watchmen, Controllers, Officials, Wardens, Supervisors, Marshalls, Protectors...

Some examples from films etc:

Equilibrium

Fahrenheit 451

The Prisoner (2009)

The Prisoner

HAPPINESS concept

Whilst working with the idea of using stereotypically nice sounds and videos to encourage happiness i have been wondering whether the concept of happiness should be considered further.

Perhaps The Neighbourhood could almost be a rehabilitation centre for people who have had difficulty obtaining happiness in their lives so far... It could be a place away from the stress and pressures of 'real' life outside of The Neighbourhood.

The Neighbourhood would aim to encourage happiness within the citizens with various tasks and processes such as pleasant footage, audio and tablets designed to maintain constant ecstasy.

The Neighbourhood Watch System could monitor the citizens to ensure such tasks were undertaken routinely, the system would also prevent citizens from leaving the community and protect them from the 'dangers' of the outside world.

Manufacturing artificial joy in a controlled environment.

Direction

After discussing my project so far with my tutors, it was agreed that my project is more likely to benefit from taking one idea and exploring it in depth rather than briefly looking at a few different ideas. This will allow me to focus on a strong idea and explore different aspects of that one idea, hopefully leading to a clear, successful project.

I am going to continue the exploration of 'The Neighbourhood' concept. I feel it would benefit from thorough exploration, taking the project in various directions.

Compulsary Watching

This is a short strobe effect video concentrating more on the hypnotic values of video.

Like the "Love of Big Brother" in George Orwell's '1984' this would feature as part of a routine attempting to hypnotize the viewers. In this clip i am again trying it out with the 'Neighbourhood' concept, using the logo as the focal point.

This video uses a strobe effect, anyone who is epileptic or dislikes strobe lighting should not watch this.

This was also created on Adobe Flash. If i were to experiment further with this idea i could try starting with a slow change of black and white and then progress it quicker into a strobe like effect.

Subliminal Messaging

Watching footage of pleasant environments could be used for all sorts of reasons. It could be used to encourage positive thoughts and happiness of an individual, it could be protecting the viewer from interacting with the real world keeping them occupied with an artificial environment or it could be hiding something totally different.

This video focusses on encouraging happiness in the individual. Sunshine, green grass and singing birds are stereotypically 'nice' things and these should therefore potentially make the viewer a bit happier than before watching the clip. Subliminal messages feature in this short sample video, in this case i am again focussing on the idea of 'The Neighbourhood' and the way in which they would hypnotize and control the citizens featuring the 'N' logo in the message.

These videos could be played in the houses/flats/rooms of the citizens on televisions and big screens making it compulsory watching.

I feel using video footage is more authentic than just a photo, it allows a deeper connection between the viewer and the outside world even though it is artificial.

This was produced on both Adobe Flash and iMovie.

Initially i wanted to make the subliminal parts of the messages shorter in length however Flash had difficulty exporting such a short clip so i had to double it to four clips rather than two. Ideally the clips would be shorter and possibly more effective.

Recording outside noises onto tape

In The Prisoner household objects were used to intimidate and repress the citizens further. I wanted to explore this by playing the sounds i had recorded from a clock-radio.

Perhaps the citizen has no control over what plays on the machine, an external source is controlling what they listen to.

Recording onto tape:

Recreating an environment

I am also considering trying to create a 'fake environment' using sounds and visuals. It might be interesting to use sounds and visuals from a pleasant environment (a utopia) and display them in a not so pleasant environment (a dystopia). Using pre-recordings to create an artificial environment, almost pretending something is a certain way when it is not.

Here is a small 1 minute sample of some outside footage. The full clip is about 12 minutes long.

Neighbourhood Watch Visual

Another video focussing on repressing emotions and intimidating the viewer. This would also be displayed on a screen near citizens and it would be looped for maximum effect.

Peer Learning

After receiving feedback on my work so far it was established that i could try drawing from observation and include more initial sketches in my sketchbook.

Also playing around the idea of identity, fingerprints and handprints could be considered.

The Neighbourhood

Looks a bit like it could be a TV series

The Neighbourhood

I have been experimenting with imagery i collected of an estate in Redmires. I feel this estate has similar qualities of the village form The Prisoner. As it is a new estate all of the houses look fairly similar potentially eliminating any room for personalization and ultimately individuality and identity.

In these pieces i have based 'The Neighbourhood' on a dystopian community that is portrayed as a utopian community.

Experimentation with lowercase typography. This suggests warmth and friendliness in the neighbourhood however i have used a uppercase 'N' almost as a logo, i feel the angular nature of the letter and the sheer scale could imply that there is a higher power within the community.

Large text in uppercase could be interpreted as aggressive along with the large 'N'. Looking up at 'The Watch Tower' makes the viewer feel smaller and more inadequate. Again suggesting a higher power or some sort.

'You'll Never Want To Leave' - this phrase is initially interpreted as a positive thing, suggesting that you wont want to leave because it is the 'perfect' place to live. However you could be staying for other reasons...

Experimentation with vertical typography. I think this works on both a practical level allowing the viewer to see the imagery and a aesthetic level as the layout could be seen as refreshing as we are used to seeing text horizontally presented.

Panel outfits

Outfits worn by the people on the panel on the last episode. Similar to those worn by the KKK with the white hoods.

I like the concept of everyone looking identical to eliminate any individuality and identity.

The Prisoner Finished!

I still remain very confused to what has actually happened over the whole series. Turns out number 1 is number 6 or a clone of number 6 or Patrick McGoohan??? He gets chased around by Number 6 and ends up in a rocket which takes off. Is number 1 a clone used against him as he himself is the only even match?? OR something to do with the evil in everyone or summit i really don't know.

Also at the end number 6 returns to his home with the butler and the door opens and closes electronically just like those in the village, perhaps it is just another stage in the game for number 6.

A very confusing series a good watch though, i would thoroughly recommend it.

Comminity Posters

I have designed these posters with the posters form The Prisoner in mind. I have chosen messages that advise citizens as well as instruct. They appear to be fairly light-hearted using a lowercase type and optimistic colours however the messages are ordering control and cooperation for a dull, repressed society.

I also experimented with capitals, which led to a more aggressive register. Capitals suggest a government portraying themselves openly as powerful and demanding whereas the lowercase are more suggestive, hinting at a power, an underlying message.

The Prisoner - Village typeface

A basic font, quite classical looking, not dissimilar to Times New Roman.

Posters featured in The Prisoner

Fairly simple posters mainly focusing on typography. The Village has its own type used for all text in the community.

(I am currently on episode 15/17)

Staring

3 minutes worth of staring. I feel that people often feel more threatened and uncomfortable when someone is staring at them, this video is another attempt at producing an intimidating video.

I feel that glasses could resemble experience, knowledge and therefore power, making the viewer feel even smaller and inadequate.

(the video has uploaded a bit more stretched than the original file)

Serve/comply video

With the advancement in technology i feel the use of videos and moving image will become much more popular among cities and communities. Cities like New York and Tokyo already demonstrate an awareness of digital communication.

This piece is aiming to intimidate and control citizens reminding them that they are not in power and that they must obey. The video would be looped for a more relentless effect on the viewer.