VCOM Project 2 - Typetalk

Semester 2's second type-based project tasked us with "translating" a script into digital format, using typography and the alphabets we created in the previous project. We were presented with four scripted film/TV scenes of varying genres; of these four, we had to choose one and follow a few rules of creation:
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• assign each character involved a representative typeface, allowing us to both see and hear them.
• other than the DIY alphabets, only two general typefaces ​may be used (Baskerville/Times New Roman, and Helvetica/Arial).
• make very limited use of illustrated elements if any - the majority of the finished script must be typographic.
• aside from black and white, only one colour may be used (sparingly).

Out of the scrips presented, I felt most comfortable working with 'Pulp Fiction'. Unlike most of my schoolfriends, I actively disliked the Harry Potter franchise, I could not (and still can't) stand American sitcoms, and Blackadder never really appealed to me. If I'm perfectly honest, I'm not much of a Quentin Tarantino fan either, but Pulp Fiction seemed the most interesting and on-my-level to work with.​

'Pulp Fiction' is a 1994 American black-comedy crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino is famous for his non-linear plotlines, dark humour and extensive use of violence, and Pulp Fiction is often said to be his "masterpiece". 

In the scripted scene, as linked above, hitmen Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield have just murdered their boss's double-crossing business partner. On the road, Vincent accidentally shoots said business partner's associate in the face, leaving him, Jules and the interior of the car soaked in blood and accompanied by a headless corpse. They decide to hide the car at the residence of Jules' friend, Jimmie, but they only have so long before Jimmie's unsuspecting wife returns home to a crime scene in her garage. This is the iconic moment when 'The Wolf' is called upon to clean up the mess - Winston Wolfe, the professional fixer for career criminals. The job gets done, but not without the humiliation of Vincent and Jules.

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Research and "Typematching"

After re-watching the scene a few times and analysing the script, my first port of call was to analyse the characters. I brainstormed my opinion on their personalities with mini mindmaps and some very scribbly notes; this allowed me to gauge the characters I was working with, in turn helping me to assign them a suitable typeface.

character analysis

After finalising my take on the scene and characters, I moved to the DIY alphabets from the first project to look through everyone's original typefaces. From these, I selected a few I felt might suit the script and downloaded the font files; after some testing, analysing and more mindmaps, I felt confident in the typefaces I wanted to represent each character.

typeface analysis

I have listed the characters below alongside their relative typefaces and my reasons for matching them:

For Vincent Vega, I chose a typeface created by Jasmine. Vincent struck me as quite a likeable character with an almost childlike innocence seemingly lurking somewhere beneath his sin. I took from his heroin addiction that he had an addictive personality, and placed him in my head as a good guy caught in a bad loop. This is reinforced by the sensitive side we see in him regularly throughout the film; he shows an appreciation for finer, more "feminine" things (footrubs, milkshakes, etc), and rushes to save Mia when she overdoses.

Jasmine's typeface was by far the most delicate out of those I had picked, and I felt this really showed off Vincent's sensitivity. However, though fragile, the letters are almost stain-like on closer inspection. The three things that came to mind here seemed to fit the character just as well; stains (the view of criminals as "stains on society"), blood spatters (Vincent's career as a hitman), and fingerprints (relative to criminal practice). 

For Jules Winnfield, I chose Sarah's typeface. In the film and in my opinion, Jules came across as the "cool killer" - a laid-back, cold-blooded, merciless hitman. However, he did have a few interesting quirks which gave his character that extra spark, such as his almost domestic relationship with his partner-in-crime Vincent (showing his ability to care and form meaningful bonds), and his tendency to recite from the Bible before killing (suggesting a spiritual but disturbed outlook on life).

I chose Sarah's typeface to represent Jules for the subtle resemblance it bore to his character. For instance, the letters are sharp edged and jagged with very angular strokes, quite like Jules' cold-hearted actions and rigid religious mindset. They are also subtly irregularly-sized and a little erratic looking; I felt this fitted well with Jules' unpredictable actions and wild trigger finger. The most interesting comparison I saw between character and typeface was their stamp-like qualities - shown in the visual appearance of the letters, and in Jules' unique killing rituals which are much like a signature or a "stamp" on his victims.

For The Wolf, I chose the typeface designed by Iwan. Despite not being a major fan of the film itself, I do think Winston Wolfe's character was masterfully written. His voice, appearance and subtle hints in his dialogue all contribute to a subconscious vibe which I found interesting to break down. 

In terms of appearance, The Wolf is pristine; prim and proper, and clad in expensive-looking business apparel. From the get-go, this suggests he is rather wealthy - criminal careers seem to pay well, after all, which is hinted at in his Brooklyn accent (the stereotypical New York dialect bears connotations of mobs, gangsters and crime). In his movement and speech he maintains a cold composure; though calm, he speaks very quickly which shows off his sharp wit. This makes complete sense given his time-critical job, and he adopts a very straight-to-the-point manner to ensure punctuality.

I felt Iwan's typeface represented The Wolfe well in a number of ways. The letters are clean-cut with crisp outlines, much like Winston's sharp appearance. The font has a very modern, stylish look but is simultaneously bold and slightly intimidating - again, I felt this was very much a typographic mirror of the character. Both streetmaps and circuitboards come to mind when I look at Iwan's typeface, which both suit in their own ways. Streetmaps give off the same busy, citylike feel I would associate with Winston's mind, and circuitboard connections remind me of his quick-firing industrial wits.

For poor Jimmie, I chose Arial. As a stereotypical American domestic and the very definition of "your average Joe", he struck me from the beginning as a standard typeface kind of guy. With such a minor role in the scene and such a plain character, I wanted the other characters to stand out more than he did - it was a toss-up between Times New Roman and Arial, and I went for the sans serif to "imitate" his simple-mindedness.

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Experimenting With Layout

grid studies

analogue mock

script annotation

In terms of analogue development, I started by taking notes and sketching out page grids. I did this to get to know the anatomy of a page and its hidden workings; there's so much going on in there I didn't even think about, so I wanted to have a better grasp of it before leaping into the design. The script didn't contain a massive amount of dialogue; I felt a simplistic three-column grid fitted the minimalist idea I had in my mind's eye.

In the pictures above, you can see me developing this idea through analogue mocks and annotation. As a writer, reader and an illustration student, I was keen to try a "hybrid" of comic and script formats to create a fitting layout; I used the same "line of sight" technique common in graphic novels, manipulating placement, colour and contrast to guide the eye through the scene. The idea of sparse, simplistic graphics was to hint at non-verbal action and stage direction, and I paid careful attention to the spacing of each line of dialogue to create a sense of time and sceneflow.

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​Digital Development

digital mock

The first thing I did digitally was test out the typefaces on different backgrounds and in different colours. The brief stated that only one colour was to be used in the finished piece: I tried my best to stick to this rule but, in the end, I felt that greyscale and red was the most appropriate colour palette. The script, characters and Pulp Fiction in general gave me a dark, dangerous vibe with hints of comedy - connotations of a "black suit, red tie" mobster - and I felt it fitted so well that I dared bend the rules a little to accommodate it.

type tests

With the colour scheme decided, I went on to mock up a rough script plan in Word - you can see this above. This is the template I moved forward with, give or take a few minor changes, in InDesign. After setting the grid and margins and laying out the basic page design, I took screenshots of each page to layer graphics over in Photoshop; these would then be saved as transparent PNG files and integrated with the written script in InDesign.

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The Finished Script

​view the full version in ISSUU book format here

​This was relatively new territory for me in terms of using InDesign and Photoshop, but overall I really enjoyed this project. I got to integrate my love for writing with my interest in graphics and illustration, and learned a lot along the way. Although I have much to improve on and am looking forward to building on newfound skills, I am fairly happy with how the finished piece turned out.

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project notes