Berlin & Beyond Film Festival
MetaDesign was enlisted to create a dynamic new brand and visual identity to showcase the powerful point of illumination that brings cinematic stories into focus.
Presented by the Goethe-Institut, Berlin & Beyond is America’s premier festival of new cinema for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
As a non–profit organization with limited resources, Berlin & Beyond aspired to attract filmgoers and sponsors with a core brand identity rooted in classic European design, yet flexible enough to support diverse festival themes.
As a result of a brand assessment and interviews with key staff members, MetaDesign positioned the Berlin & Beyond brand as a window into German–language cinematic experiences. The concept of the new brand design highlights the curating and gathering of films; the yellow and black colors reflect spirit and creativity, two established brand values.
Using the new identity as a base, MetaDesign developed the 2011 festival theme, “Light, Love & Revolution,” to represent the optimism and drive of creative spirit. The new identity provided the foundation for a catalog template, poster template, trailer frames, brand toolkit and guidelines.
With heavy emphasis on craft and art, MetaDesign created and fine–tuned a brand program that conveyed the festival’s mission by generating interest and presenting a modern, international tone.
SPACER
Process
A two-stage strategic process was employed. First, the brand concept was created, followed by the festival theme. The primary design characteristics for the brand are: Social, Spirited, Creative and Provocative. The 2011 festival theme, “Light, Love & Revolution” was focused around the cinematic nature of the films.
Corporate identity
The identity concept illustrates Berlin & Beyond as a gateway to experience unique German–language cinema. The design and visual system is bold yet simple, reflecting a classic European design sensibility.
Film festival theme and posters
MetaDesign created a series of visually stunning posters to represent the 2011 festival theme. Each poster provides a “window” into the cinematic world of German-language film.
“From our engaging strategy discussions and brainstorming sessions with MetaDesign, we were able to grasp the core essence of who we are and how we want to be seen in the film industry, both locally and internationally.”
Sophoan Sorn, Berlin & Beyond Film Festival DirectorSPACER
Film festival program guide
The program guide design template allowed the client to easily flow in and adjust content prior to printing.
Identity & Beyond
Brand and logo identity guidelines were developed for the Berlin & Beyond team to provide partners and vendors with a clear direction on how to correctly and consistently use the new visual system.
Motion graphics by Solid LA. Music, “Grazing”, by Keith Kenniff.
Film festival trailer and online presence
The festival trailer provides a dramatic motion piece to highlight the films, introduce the new brand and showcase the theme of “Light, Love & Revolution.” A website design was also created to show how the visual system would exist in an interactive medium.