In my graphic design: brand experience class during Fall 2022, we were tasked with creating a set of icons, like those in the TV show Ozark (seen as the left-most image below, inside the O) The purpose of these icons was to symbolize the larger themes or images within that specific episode. Our assignment was to choose a movie, tv show as a whole, or book, and create four icons that would portray the content of choice.
I chose the 2016 film La La Land, as it is both one of my favorite movies and has a large emphasis on visual language and imagery.
The moments or icons that I chose to depict are:
Car key
When Mia holds her car key to her chin, hoping to use her head as an antenna and amplify the unlock ability, though the time it takes her to find her car serves as the first moment Sebastian and Mia ignite their connection.
button down
The crisp button down that Mia needed for an audition is soiled with a coffee spill. It differentiates Mia from the other struggling actresses in Hollywood and emphasizes how difficult it is to make it big.
neon sign
The "‘Seb’s” neon sign, a symbol of the completion of Sebastian’s dream: owning his own jazz club.
stuck in traffic
Mia ‘flipping the bird’ to Sebastian as they are in LA traffic. This is one of the first scenes that shows Mia’s commitment to acting as well as Sebastian’s quick temper as he lays on the horn.
The four icons were initially created in black in white, then with color iterations, before I selected the main color story and formation of the icons.
The final colors chosen are a deep purple and yellowish-cream, both pulled directly from colors in the iconic La La Land movie poster.
All the icons are vector drawings created on Adobe Illustrator.
Find the finish product at the top of this page!
