Nov 23 2008
Well-Designed DVD Artwork, Vol. 1
As a graphic designer, this webmaster often critiques the design of many video and DVD covers. Preferences vary; but unfortunately, the marketing teams of movie studios and DVD distributors have the final word in what they think will “sell” a movie on a store shelf. This includes slapping the “floating” heads of A-list celebrities onto the cover (as prominently as possible) rather than promoting the movie for what it is.
However, there are a few releases out there where the cover art is simply brilliant. One such release is that of the Diamond Entertainment double feature release of The Devil’s Nightmare/Messiah of Evil.
It is strange to be praising the design of a budget DVD cover, yet it was a pleasant surprise when the disc was released. Spine and back label aside (which is based on the standard template used by Diamond), the front cover combines what appear to be illustrated characters from The Devil’s Nightmare (the succubus and the priest holding a cross, located in the lower corners) with a large illustration of the Devil (with a long tongue sticking out of his mouth). The titles appear at the top of the page, separated by color; on the left, The Devil’s Nightmare (red knock-out text over black); on the right, Messiah of Evil (black text on a red background). This is a well-balanced design piece featuring good contrast, a prominent focal point (the head of Satan), and an appropriate color scheme. The only design element that may take away from the elegance of the piece would be the white banner across the top (* FRIGHT FEATURES * TWO FILMS ON 1 DVD! *). It is a cheap technique used by budget DVD companies; however, it is not too distracting. This technique plagues the back cover. In addition to this, there is a design flaw: the pictures that accompany the synopses are switched, and do not match the text below them.
This designer had to sit through many classes while critiquing items such as VHS, DVD and CD covers. For an interesting discussion amongst designers, this would be a great choice.
