how to guide
For this project, I was asked to create an illustrated guide with directions for an activity. I decided to have my guide show the steps to the ‘Time Warp’ dance from the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show. I chose to go with the 'Time Warp' because the movie holds a lot of sentiment for me. Midnight showings are one of my favorite things to do with my friends and the song is a total bop!
concept
Rocky Horror Picture Show is an incredibly vibrant and quirky movie and the Time Warp is no exception. I wanted my guide to really capture the chaotic and joyful energy of this film because it is what makes it so endearing to people decades later. Because the movie has such a strong fan base, I wanted it to be very engaging for those who are tried and true "Transylvanians.” However, I also wanted it to be an accessible introduction to the film for those who hadn’t seen it before. So I had to balance my design so the average person could understand the instructions, while still being authentic to the film and its fans. To do this, I created "Easter Eggs" throughout, these were movie quotes or song lyrics scribbled and lettered to create texture in the background.
process
I originally planned to illustrate the entire booklet, but I felt that it fell a little bit flat and didn't properly convey the frantic energy of the film. I decided to pivot, taking some of my illustrations and layering them amongst various textures and photographs from the film. This felt a lot more authentic to the movie because it uses so many different elements and has an eclectic vibe which I really tried to capture in my booklet. In terms of the typography, I wanted to keep the traditional "drippy" type that has become synonymous with the movie. However, I felt doing the entire guide in it would be too much and illegible. In order to counteract this I lettered a typeface that had similar characteristics, but without the drips so it could serve as the body text. I solely used the "drippy" type to highlight key parts of the instruction. I think the book really captures the spirit of the film and fills readers with a similar sense of chaotic joy.
