SPANISH BREEZE AT IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS

Designers who got inspired by the movie, “Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” by world famous Spanish Director Pedro Almodóvar, added a new dimension to the visual communication campaign of the film with their workshop. Turkish and Spanish academicians worked together to come up with a trailer, posters, and promotional products for an imaginary film.

The Spanish academicians Assoc. Prof. Dr. César Fernández Fernández and Estela Bernad Monferrer, who were invited by Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Department of Visual Communication Design, initially introduced the students with the cinematographic language of the director in different aspects. Later on, a workshop, which was organized by Asst. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Arda, Lecturer at IUE Department of Visual Communication Design, was conducted with students.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Arda stated that the famous Spanish Director Pedro Almodóvar used melodramatic components frequently in his movies, and she said, “Complex expressions and female characters stand out in the Spanish director’s movies. Popular cultural components of Spanish society and also popular songs come forward. In addition to strong, essential colours, a strong decor concept stand out. Many of the aspect that the students of Department of Visual Communication Design were going to study with Spanish lecturers were integrated.” Arda stated they watched the movie “Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”, which was shot in 1988 by the director, and produced their own interpretations in the workshop following the movie.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Arda stated that they worked on the movie synopsis and character development in the workshop they named, “Las Mujeres de Almodóvar Workshop”, and then designed the promotional products such as the trailer and posters of the imaginary film. Asst. Prof. Dr. Arda, stating that the students successfully conducted the visual communication campaign of the film, said the following:

“Our students interpreted a different cultural product with academicians from a different culture. Such studies add another value to the imagination of the designer.   A good visual communicator should be able to sense the sub-contexts of the product differently and reflect those on his/her creativity. This workshop resulted in a pleasant intercultural collaboration and creative outcomes which will be exhibited in Spain.”