THESIS STATEMENT
Films from the 1930s are often overlooked by younger generations due to their slow-moving storylines and lack of color; appreciation towards them is decreasing. My goal with this magazine and infographic is to make people aware of how profound films from the 1930s are since they reflect the reality of their time. The newspaper-like quality, tangible infographic, and the monochromatic color scheme of the magazine are characteristics to invite viewers into the nostalgic experience of these classic films.
How can I use information graphics and print design to show how movies made during the 1930s reflected the decade’s history through character analysis?
Reading the magazine portion starting with the cover and ending with the back cover
Left: Magazine portion unfolded as poster, Right: Character/history infographic unfolded at end of magazine
Close up details of infographic
Magazine display with bookmarks and directions on how to re-fold the infographic
BACKGROUND
I enjoy learning and listening to stories about the early/mid 1900s—whether it is harsh or beautiful—the stunning reality of many of them strike me. My Grandpa Lalko, pictured below, served in World War II and learning about his life during this time period has lead me to love the past. For example, I collect old photos, listen to a variety of older music on my record player, read non-fiction novels about WWII, and watch movies from the early 1900s. I have grown up watching black and white movies with my parents and have fallen in love with the originality and authenticity of them. They serve as a window of the past.
GOALS & AUDIENCE
1. I want the audience to gain a new perspective of older movies; be interested in them beyond their plot and add a layer of realism to them.
2. To encourage the younger generations to watch movies made during the 1930s.
3. Have the final result be a tangible, interactive design that allows viewers to feel a sense of nostalgia.
Younger generations, specifically Millennials and Gen Z, who do not see the value of watching older movies. This would also be for people simply interested in movies and fascinated learning about the story behind them.
RESEARCH
My thesis statement originally centered around the Golden Age of Cinema and was broken down into the 1930s, 1940s, and the 1950s. However, I then decided to focus on the 1930s since it was the beginning of modern film and it was a very historical rich decade. I simultaneously researched the most successful films and the characteristics that defined the decade. The more information I read about each, the more patterns and comparisons I was able to find. Then, I created 3 main historic categories that each one of my movies would fit under.
Research examples by Giorgia Lupi, and information graphic designer from the Pentagram
Shangning Wang's Self-Portrait Mind Map, Carlos Monterio's Batman timeline, and a First Aid Wheel Chart
Visual research by Karolis Strautniekas, a freelance illustrator
Mind Map—this served a an archive more me and a collection of my data throughout the entire process
PROCESS
Although the character breakdown and watching movies were a long part of my research, researching how to connect characters and construct my own information graphic was one of the biggest parts of the process. Clarity and legibility are very important to my project. How I handled the connection points between the historic categories and the characters determined the clarity, therefore a challenge, I began by sketching with connection in mind. Originally, I liked the composition of separating history from the movies, but I then realized that the strong visual disconnect fights with my concept of relationship. Therefore, I tried sketching "loosely" and refrained from using containers to say where my information would go. This led to more options, but also more struggles considering that data was no longer in groups.
Character breakdown and descriptions with cut-out character heads on the right
REFLECTION
Throughout the process of this project, I learned the importance of feedback. I am so close to the information that I can name a character and know their characteristics without actually reading my infographic. It was crucial that I had people who have never seen the movies or my project to attempt to interpret my thesis. Although this was one of the longest project I have completed, I learned from the mistakes and success I made how to gauge my process over a long period of time. I believe this was a very successful project; it was a unique challenge that allowed me to combine my interests outside of design with information graphics and publication design.
REFERENCES
Arnold, Jeremy. The Essentials: 52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter. Running Press, 2016.
Capra, Frank (Director). (1934). It Happened One Night [Film]. Columbia Pictures
Capra, Frank (Director). (1939). Mr. Smith Goes to Washington [Film]. Columbia Pictures
Chaplin, Charlie, director. Modern Times. United Artists, 1936.
Franchi, Francesco. “Analisi Grafica.” Francesco Franchi, 2 July 2011, www.francescofranchi.com/projects/infographics/analisigrafica.
Greenwood, Katie, and Matt Carr. Biographic Marilyn. Ammonite Press, 2019.
Hawks, Howard (Director). (1932). Scarface [Film]. The Caddo Company
Jewell, Richard B. The Golden Age of Cinema: Hollywood 1929-1945. Blackwell, 2007.
Klanten, Robert, et al. Visual Journalism: Infographics from the World’s Best Newsrooms and Designers. Gestalten, 2020.
Lucia, Cynthia. The Wiley-Blackwell History of American Film. 1929 to 1945. Vol. 2, Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
Lucia, Cynthia. The Wiley-Blackwell History of American Film. 1946 to 1945. Vol. 3, Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
Lupi, Giorgia. “Bullettn of the Atomic Scientists.” Giorgialupi, 2021, giorgialupi.com/bulletin-of-the-atomic-scientists.
Pitts, Michael R. Hollywood and American History. McFarland, 1984.
Milestone, Lewis, director. All Quiet on The Western Front. Universal Pictures Corp., 1930.
“Ratings, Reviews, and Where to Watch the Best Movies & TV Shows.” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2024.
Scher, Paula. Paula Scher: 25 Years at the Public, a Love Story. Princeton Architectural Press, 2020.
Scott, Ian. “It Happened One Night.” Library of Congress, 2021.
Sennett, Robert S. Hollywood Hoopla: Creating Stars and Selling Movies in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Watson-Guptill Publications, 1999.
Stromberg, Hunt, et al. The Thin Man. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1934.
Strautniekas, Karolis. “Write for Rights Letter.” Instagram, 14 Dec. 2023, www.instagram.com/p/C01SPb5ILVp/?img_index=1
Wang, Shangning. “Self-Portrait: Mind Map and Infographic.” Behance, 2022, www.behance.net/gallery/80899781/Self-portrait-Mind-Map-and-Infographic.
