Why do I love this short film following the recreation of the Pablo Fanque circus poster that inspired John Lennon to write “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” Hmm, let me count the ways...
1. Beatle-mania
Even though I wasn’t a “pull-out-your-hair, scream-at-the-top-of-your-lungs” Beatle-maniac, the disorder was part of my DNA growing up in the 60s. At one time or another, each of the four lads were my heartthrobs.
2. Family bonding
My favorite cousins shared my passion for the Beatles. I remembering spending many hours glued to the stereo speakers listening to Sgt. Pepper, the music swirling magically into our heads. My kids grew up on the Beatles, too. “Drive My Car” “Here Comes The Sun” and yes, “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” blared from the car speakers on numerous trips to the mall or soccer games.
3. I love printmaking
What could be cooler than an historic poster painstakingly recreated with wood engraving and letterpress? My giddiness can be explained: I was a printmaking major in undergraduate school at the University of Massachusetts and took graduate courses at the University of Florida. I still go into an instant “Scooby Doo biscuit high” when I smell fresh ink being mixed on the ink slab or see a museum exhibit of fine prints.
4. Poster art via the Web
It’s a pleasure to easily see and share Internet stories paying homage to past communications methods that keep the “old crafts” alive. I loved the inking process and pulling prints off the press – the final reward after all the hard work.
5. Inspiration
The psychedelic design of Yellow Submarine inspired one of my early poster contest winners. Many years later, I stumbled on a school assignment in my daughter Sarah’s Rhode Island School of Design portfolio that emulated the whimsical animation for the Yellow Submarine movie and album art. The inspiration didn’t fall far from the tree!
Our best ideas are built on the personal experiences, passions and influences the world presents to us. We can also learn a lot by observing the geniuses that came before us – like John, Paul, George and Ringo. Applying our storehouse of creative “fodder” to client problems is something we strive to do every day, through smart design, color, illustration, word crafting and web development.
Of course, each of us has our own creative triggers. Today, this video was one of mine. I hope you enjoy it, too!
Footnote: Peter Dean, the artist who headed the team that recreated the poster in the video, graciously fulfilled my request to have my very own copy! That would be yours truly in the photo, of course, doing my best John impersonation.
