Trends of the Year: Creativity and Tech
It’s been a jittery year in tech. As we discovered more about the insidious ways that technologies track us, questions of ethics abounded. But there was the odd fun moment too in amongst the gloom
Trends of 2019: Film and TV
We look back at another year that had us all glued to our screens, from the sheer brilliance of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag to Netflix’s latest foray into cinema with Scorsese gangster epic The Irishman
Trends of 2019: How We Work
The way that we work today was put under scrutiny in 2019, as new styles of working – from flexible and remote working to the four-day week – were discussed widely. We examine the key points here
Akiko Stehrenberger is releasing a book on her film poster art
After 15 years of creating film posters, Akiko Stehrenberger is shifting her focus. The award-winning artist talks to us about her new book of work, her favourite recent projects and the key to making an illustrated poster sing
The initiative transforming young Londoners into budding filmmakers
LDN Filmmakers, a week-long course, is part of a wider initiative by the Mayor of London to help young people affected by the capital’s ongoing knife violence problem
Remembering Paul Silburn
Paul Silburn, renowned copywriter and veteran of agencies including BBH, Leo Burnett, TBWA, and Saatchi & Saatchi, passed away last week. Here, colleague and friend Ben Kay reflects on his life and his work
Creating The Crown
Netflix’s flagship period drama tracing the reign of Queen Elizabeth II has become a must-watch series, thanks to its clever casting, scandalous storylines and decadent surroundings. Here, production designer Martin Childs discusses building the world of The Crown
How design evolved during the French New Wave
A compelling new book is delving into the rich design history of la Nouvelle Vague, and illustrates how graphic art broke new ground during the seminal movement
Making Excitable Edgar
The John Lewis (and Waitrose) Christmas ad has returned to fine form this year – largely thanks to a clumsy but lovable dragon called Edgar. We speak to Untold Studios about bringing the star of the show to life, and the secret to a successful festive ad
How I Work: Virgin Galactic Creative Director Tom Westray
The man in charge of the look and feel of the world’s first commercial space flight company discusses walking the line between science fiction and real life, and why designing Virgin Galactic’s spacesuits was like making a wedding dress for 600 people
Why creatives are jumping on TikTok
We speak to an illustrator, a filmmaker and a lettering artist who are making waves on TikTok about what it offers creatively that its competitors don’t already, and their advice for other creatives thinking about getting on the app
Pentagram revamps Warner Bros’ historic shield emblem
As part of an ongoing collaboration with Warner Bros and its other divisions, Emily Oberman has worked on a more modern visual identity and brand strategy for the entertainment giant
A conversation about storytelling
Punchdrunk’s Stephen Dobbie and Game of Thrones Production Designer Deborah Riley discuss how great stories get told, and why the boundaries between on-screen and real-life narratives are blurring The ability to spin a good yarn is an essential skill in the creative industries. Whether you’re making a blockbuster ad campaign or a long-running TV series, […]
Fan theories inspire The End of the F***ing World’s new campaign
The cult TV show is back for a second series. To celebrate, Channel 4 has created a printed comic and a set of animations inspired by fan theories on what happened after the end of season one
How I Got Here: Designer Kenny Gravillis
From movie posters for Bohemian Rhapsody and BlacKkKlansman, to record sleeves for Def Jam and The Roots, Kenny Gravillis’ designs have reached millions. He talks us through his career
Creating His Dark Materials
The world of Philip Pullman’s epic adventure series has been brought to life in an eight-part drama co-produced by the BBC and HBO. We talk to Executive Producer Joel Collins about building alternate realities and creating a host of CGI creatures
The Conversation issue: October/November 2019
With two specially designed covers, our latest issue is all about seeing things in a new light. We’ve brought together artists, designers and even figures in politics for a range of conversations on the pressing issues of today
What do creatives do with their time off?
From gardening to learning Japanese, CR speaks to four creatives about their hobbies and pastimes to find out why they do them and how it feeds into their work
What makes a modern happy ending?
Bringing a narrative to a satisfying conclusion is one of the most difficult challenges in TV and cinema. While convention still reigns in certain shows, CR looks at how ‘happily ever after’ is beginning to change in a compelling new era for storytelling
Jonathan Glazer unexpectedly releases new short film on BBC2
The Fall, a gruelling and compelling short that explores themes of mob-rule and survival, was released without fanfare on BBC2 at 10pm last night and is now available to view on the BBC iPlayer
ITV co-opts the TV listings to get us talking again
A new ITV print campaign, created by Uncommon, continues a campaign that asks us all to tune back in – but to our own living rooms instead of the TV
Stormzy wins Video of the Year at UK MVAs 2019
The grime MC picked up the top spot at this year’s ceremony, while FKA twigs’ Cellophane video snapped up four awards and Michel Gondry was honoured for his contributions to the artform throughout his career
Fox’s updated brand features a chunky new abstract logo
New York studio Trollbäck+Company has overhauled Fox Entertainment’s visual identity – but is its new geometric look enough to set it apart from streaming competitors?
What to do if your job makes you unhappy
We all have bad days at work – but what should you do if your job is making you miserable? We asked careers coach Kat Koh for advice on dealing with short- and long-term unhappiness