Brief 2 - Logo development

So as I've previously decided on the name 'Reel' for my film magazine, I needed to get the branding finalised so I can begin the mammoth task of collating all the content and creating and printing the magazine itself.

Reel / Reel

I wanted to play around with the two meanings (albeit different spelling) of 'Reel'. The magazine will focus on independent films and aspects of the film industry which is often ignored or does not get as much exposure as Hollywood films, for example. I will aim to include features on specific crew, reviews of films past and present, features into a specific genre and its origins — basically, the content is very diverse and will constantly adapt.

Font selection

I started by looking into a few typefaces. As films span various genres, it was hard to define a typeface that could brand a magazine as such. I looked at a few minimal sans-serif fonts alongside a couple of narrow, bold display typefaces and then a couple of more experimental fonts. I looked at an extensive range but narrowed it down to these 9.

Kepler was a particular favourite so I decided to explore its extensive font family in more depth — the list seems to go on and it was difficult to elect my favourite. I am particularly fond of the thin terminals on #9 (bottom right) as this could work with one of the concepts I had (below). 

My initial idea was to manipulate the two 'e' letterforms into some sort of reel monogram. I rotated the second 'e' and merged the two by extending the terminals at the same angle — it is similar to an infinity symbol. The upside down 'e' also forms an 'a' as a reference to my idea of portraying both meanings of the same pronunciation. 

I also looked at creating a film reel by combining two narrow E's. Although I liked this concept, I didn't believe it was as effective as the other.

I liked the unobtrusive feel of the sans-serif type but it seemed a little flat — no substance or personality which I believe is essential in the branding for the magazine. The magazine needs to engage with an audience and I need to ensure the branding reflects this.

I also tried enhancing the Reel / Real concept by combining it with other copy — Reel / Real British film to portray the concept more clearly. These could potentially be used within headers inside the magazine.

After the crit, it was suggested that the logo needed to 'flow' more in order to better portray the 'reel' aspect. I chose Big Caslon Pro due to the thin terminals of the 'e' as it creates an aesthetically pleasing join when the second 'e' is rotated and merged with the other.