The Impossible Project

Project: Publication, Layout, Product, Packaging & Marketing Design

Students are tasked with choosing a subject, either one they are passionate for or wish to learn more about. The subject I chose was World Building in Science-Fiction Cinema & Television. Spanning the entire year, the Impossible Project breaks down into portions of research, process, implementation and promotion. Design consistency was important for each step of the project, to relate to the parts that came before.

With the chosen subject in mind, the first step was to create a catalogue of research. Selected sci-fi movies and television shows were analyzed for the various ways they dealt with creating their fictional worlds: how was food obtained, what was daily life like, how did they travel, what technology did they use, and so on.

Once the catalogue was created, the second step was to outline the process in creating a fictional world. A step-by-step illustrated manual was created to guide users in fabricating their own world setting. A supplementary piece, designed as an official bureaucratic multiple-choice checklist, can be used to initiate the thought process.

In the implementation phase, the logical step was to create a fictional world intended for use in a sci-fi video: The Surveyor web-series. Design of the series was influenced by the design of the circumstances in the world’s setting. A pilot episode of roughly 6 minutes was filmed.

Finally, to promote the web-series, a production diary website was created that would feature updates in the filming process and news surrounding The Surveyor. A teaser trailer was also created for the upcoming episodes, revealing a new character and hinting at new developments.