Ident Research

RKO Radio
I have picked this ident as one to research due to it being a company considered to have initialized the film noir era. Though on first perception the composition of the ident looks outdated and irrelevant, we’ve got to understand that RKO was a company of its time, and so in the 30’s RKO was a prime film company, a fashionable and revolutionary company. Without prior knowledge, this can be interpreted from the composition of the ident. Firstly, the subject of the ident is a radio tower, standing tall at the top of the world. This immediately gives us an insight into the nature of RKO radio pictures; that it is at the top of the league for film production, the leading pioneer of the pictures industry. The tower is emitting radio waves which travel all over the world, depicting RKO to be a company which is really alive, and transmitting new and exciting film for the whole world. The text itself is jagged, possibly reflecting the quirky style of film noir, or perhaps telling the audience that this name is really loud, that it is being shouted to the whole world. Though I appreciate that the style of this ident is relevant to its time period, I would prefer to have a quieter ident, one which reflects a lot more mystery, similar to the film noir style.


Paramount
I have picked this ident as one to research, due to it’s striking and prestigious appearance. Despite Paramount not being an institute that produces film noir films, the actual ident is one which could quite easily represent such a company. This is backed by several things; firstly, the general appearance of this ident is one that represents class and style- this is caused by the picture of a mountain, towering above others. This makes out Paramount to be a company which literally towers over others. The stars surrounding the mountain add to the prestige, and also give the impression that Paramount is a company of class, one recognised to be a prime competitor in the industry of film production. The text itself fits tidily inside the stars and above the mountain, and uses a font which gives the impression of Paramount being an old and classic company, one which has many years in the industry, and has worked its way to the top. Though I appreciate this ident for its purpose, it does not fulfil the criteria of a film noir ident I am looking for; more of a subtle ident, which is darker, and reflects the nature of the style.


Ident Research Conclusion
Both the idents I have researched feature particular styles which I appreciate, though generally I would prefer an ident which strays from the stereotypical ident of a film company, one which depicts the company to be the leader of the industry. I would prefer a more subtle ident, quite an abstract one, which focuses more in depth on the visual nature of film noir.
I am currently in the process of negotiating the ident with Tom Boel, the ident artist. Hopefully we will produce an ident which reflects the mystery and abstract of the film noir style, possibly encompassing the picture style of film camera (Gritty image, 35mm style) to fully depict the film noir style.