Imaginary Forces

Getting noticed by IdN Magazine

International design magazine IdN profiled Imaginary Forces in their latest issue, and had some wonderful things to say about the company.  The full transcription is below.

Getting Noticed by Being Versatile

Living in a fast-paced world, we have become used to instant gratification.  We can acquire information from every corner of the world today at the tips of our fingers - just one click and we can see the latest news, watch our favorite TV shows, gain access to vast stores of knowledge.  Our computers have become our very own 21st-century magic carpets, transporting us wherever we want to go, including back in time.

As a result, we have become blasé about breakthroughs, unmoved for more than a few seconds by new talent.  For creatives struggling for attention, fighting hard to grab even the smallest piece of industry pie, this situation can be frustrating.

For some of them, therefore, being recognizable has ceased to be a goal in itself.  Whether as individuals or companies, designers are increasingly eschewing making a name for themselves through an identifiable style and settling instead for impressing through their versatility.

Two such are the Hollywood- and New York-based multi-disciplinary entertainment and design agency Imaginary Forces (IF) and Japanese filmmaker and animator Teppei Maki, both of whom have found a way to stand out from the crowd by nor being type-cast.

Founded in 1996, IF has been involved in a huge range of activities - from film titles to commercials, interactive spaces, television, live action, broadcast design, virtual destinations, experience design, graphics, branding and more.  The team consists of more than 60 directors, designers, animators, producers, coordinators, typographers, painters, etc.  The nationalities of its eight directors alone will give you a good idea of the studio's cosmopolitanism: they are Ahmet Ahmet, Michelle Dougherty, Karin Fong, Steve Fuller, Mark Gardner, Charles Khoury, Grant Lau, and Brian Mah.  Each brings a different vision to the party and inspires everyone else to learn from them and draw from their experiences.

It is no easy task to persuade eight directors from different parts of the world to join forces under one design umbrella.  In this instance, some of them began their careers at IF as designers and rose through the ranks.  Ahmet Ahmet and Michelle Dougherty further elaborate: "We recruit from design schools in the area and from references within the design community.  Many of our staff members have at some point taught at design schools and we occasionally hire out of those classes.  Designers also come to us on their own by sending their resumes and reels.  If we need a freelancer with a specific skill, we will call on them."

Having very different directors working out the same studio can obviously attract a wide variety of creative commissions, but at the same time it can dilute the company's identity in stylistic terms.  Ahmet and Dougherty explain: "It's all about telling a story.  Whether it's a title sequence or an interactive media display, the story has to be there.  There isn't really an Imaginary Forces style, but the identity is maintained through the quality of the work.

"IF has been around for some dozen years now.  The fact that we've been around for so long is a testament to the quality of our story-telling and the versatility the company has in terms of style.  We often like to think of the work we do as being intelligently designed.  Starting off with a well thought-out, smart concept will lend itself to the quality of work the defines out style more than anything."

Of all the genres they handle, making titles for both TC and movies is among their favorite disciplines, thought Ahmet and Dougherty admit that it is an under-recognized art: "There are times that the general public doesn't realize all the hands in making a film.  There's a common misconception that the studio does everything.  And for the audience members who go in with that mentality, elements of the film such as the titles may be overlooked.  Also there is the film-goer who is attending a movie simply to see their favorite celebrity or the latest installment of a franchise and they may miss the art of the title as a result.

"However, titles are becoming more and more recognizable as time moves on, and we hear stories of people on the street recognizing this, saying such things as 'That was a great title!' or 'the movie was terrible, but the titles were amazing.' And then there are those who study film as an art.  If they love films, the structure of film and the art of film-making, chances are they will recognize the title for the work of art that it is."

From most viewers' point of view, it is easier to spot those responsible for title for TV than for the movies; part of the reason for this, Ahmet and Dougherty point out, may be that people form a strong impression that everything related to the movie, including the titles, posters and other promotional material, are all done by the same creative team.

From a professional point of view, how does IF align the difference of its various designers?  Ahmet and Dougherty again: "We start each project by familiarizing ourselves with the concept of the TV show or film, and the source material always inspires the design approach.  We also try to stay up to date on the latest trends and technology so that we can be cutting-edge and do things no one has done before.

"The structure of a TV title and a film title are different, though.  Depending on the studio producing the television show, the title may require the actors' names or faces to be included.  A television show also must encapsulate the feeling of an entire series of episodes, each of which may have a different plotline, in a very short time.  Film titles are longer and have just one story to inspire them.  TV titles have to be more universal for the sake of the entire series."