Herne Bay
Self Initiated, 2021
Illustration
The Brief
Promote one of the BFI’s archival films to a local (national) audience through printed graphic form.
The Solution
Taking John Clague’s 1960 film about the idyllic seaside town of Herne Bay, I decided that the best way to represent this film would be through book form. Taking the format of an illustrated book, the illustrations would focus on the people of Herne Bay as they go about their lives through the various town events.
Utilising digital tools to recreate traditional watercolour aesthetics, the illustrations would represent a buoyant and atmospheric collection of vignettes, with the town of Herne Bay acting as the main protagonist.
Pushing the experience, I decided to take some of the scenic illustrations and adapted them as postcards, with handwritten notes being sent from a man visiting Herne Bay and experiencing the various events from a first-person perspective to his lover in Bath.
Hidden Gems
The BFI’s film collection is a treasure trove of culture, historical references, and hidden experiences. Seeing John Calgue’s film on the experiences of the people of Herne Bay between 1969 and 1970, I was inspired to create a book mirroring the Mid-Century Modern era of graphic design and illustration. Specifically looking at the work of Miroslav Sasek’s This is… series, I wanted to convey the sense of place that he effectively communicates to his audience.
More importantly, is the need to bring to light a piece of history that occurred over a year in Herne Bay and how by communicating these events, more people would come to know and understand this idyllic seaside town.
Letters from Herne Bay
To add to the sense of place and atmosphere of the book, I decided to create a set of postcards based on the illustrations from the book. These would be written from the perspective of a man visiting the town, and would focus on his experiences following the events of the book. Each letter would be addressed to his lover in Bath, with the notes being handwritten to add another sense of depth to the story.
