Race poster idea

[mercphoto]

The kart track is having a big race in early October. The track owner wants an event poster to sell, just like the big races do. This is my first draft, which I have modeled after a race poster I have myself from the first Motorola 300 in St. Louis.

http://mercphoto.smugmug.com/photos/29306876-M.jpg

The photo was chosen for its vertical orientation, and for the background of the airport terminal. The track likes to advertise its unique location, so a photo like this will be preferred over other kart photos I have. It has to be environmental. I then did a colored pencil effect in Photoshop to the photo itself. Track logo, some text, etc. About the only thing I'm not certain of is how the vertical text is layed out, and I'm not sure how to improve that.

Comments? Thanks.

[luckydog]

Hi Merc,

First thing I noticed is that the text on the left isn't centred. I would centre the "2005" and then the below text "Austin Grand Prix" centred down the white portion under the 2005. Could we see the image without the PS editing? I just feel that if I was going to buy a commemorative poster of the event I would prefer a glossy looking image to stick on the wall.

Just my 2 cents...

Lucky

[mercphoto]

Hi Merc,

First thing I noticed is that the text on the left isn't centred. I would centre the "2005" and then the below text "Austin Grand Prix" centred down the white portion under the 2005. Could we see the image without the PS editing? I just feel that if I was going to buy a commemorative poster of the event I would prefer a glossy looking image to stick on the wall.

Just my 2 cents...

Lucky

See http://mercphoto.smugmug.com/gallery/665660/4/28705095 for the photo unaltered.

[TristanP]

I would go with the original pic and centering the text as mentioned previously. Maybe the text needs a different color. Something's missing, but I can't pinpoint it.

[mercphoto]

Slight change to text, now centered in the white space. I didn't like the text centered under the 2005, however. I like the "corner" this creates. Plus I put in a full color image. Lastly, its a 12x18 rather than 13x19.

http://mercphoto.smugmug.com/photos/29316866-M.jpg

[ian408]

Is there anyway you could make the white more translucent? I'm thinking make the
white translucent, add some spirally thingies with drop shadows (much like a sports
font background--by font background, I mean the background a player name would be
displayed on in a major sporting event on a nationally known sports channel).

Ian

[gus]

Merc...what about a panning shot to show action ? Like blurred background.

[marlof]

What I'd do: 2005 straight ahead, as in the first one.
The words Austin Grand Prix typed in a line like this, and then rotate the line 90 degrees counterclockwise, so it remains readable, and the left border of the picture will be in line with the base line of your text. In my opinion, rotate text like this is way better readable (and looks better) than text that exists of letters above each other. Am at work right now, so can't show you in a picture what I mean, but perhaps you get the picture from my description. I would stay with the original picture, and not the penciled one btw.

[TristanP]

How about something like this? Don't mean to poach your work, but it's easier to see it than read a description.

http://home.comcast.net/~sarahpanek/stf/grandprix.jpg

[mercphoto]

How about something like this? Don't mean to poach your work, but it's easier to see it than read a description.

http://home.comcast.net/~sarahpanek/stf/grandprix.jpg

Yeah, like that better. As per the other person's suggestion about a panning shot, the answer is "no" for the reason that I want an environmental shot for the poster. The track likes to advertise their unique location. Thus, the background needs to be reasonably well focused. In fact, what I really want to do is get a posed shot nearly identical to this one, but with a passenger jet parked at the terminal in the background.

[Angelo]

How about something like this? Don't mean to poach your work, but it's easier to see it than read a description.

http://home.comcast.net/~sarahpanek/stf/grandprix.jpg
:agree

I would've made this suggestion but I was too late. I would lose the "2005" it's redundant.

[Higgmeister]

Lots of good critique here. I'm really liking the final version except for the large white area on the bottom right of the photo. It keeps grabbing my attention and there is nothing there. Maybe moving the transparent flag over some to help fill the space or add some other elements might help.

Just my .02,
Chris

[DavidTO]

I would crop the bottom of the photo. The blown areas add nothing but confusion about where the image ends and the white border begins.

I like the flag idea, and would think about incorporating it more with the poster. Perhaps the photo can be a part of a finish flag? This could give you a sense of motion and excitement (you could shape and blur the edges of the photo to blend it with the flag) and still keep your sense of place. In other words, the entire poster could be a flag with the photo a part of it.

I don't care for your typography. I know how hard that is. I work for a company that makes movie posters, and they constantly amaze me with that stuff. I try it and it looks like poo. I would experiment with more fonts and find one that feels right. The date is too small and plain looking, the outline and shadow on the event name feels awkward. It's hard to give specific advice about typography for me. It's a "I know it when I see it" thing.

The white background seems pretty plain and you can either use the flag idea to change that, or possibly find a different color or texture or image to use for the background.

[mercphoto]

I would crop the bottom of the photo. The blown areas add nothing but confusion about where the image ends and the white border begins.
Good idea.

I like the flag idea, and would think about incorporating it more with the poster. Perhaps the photo can be a part of a finish flag? This could give you a sense of motion and excitement (you could shape and blur the edges of the photo to blend it with the flag) and still keep your sense of place.
No. At that point it becomes just a kart at a race track. Every race track has a flag man. Nothing new there. The environmental thing is that this is a kart track at an international airport. That is the selling point, and is why I want to re-take the shot with an actual plane at the terminal in teh background. However, the flag as a semi-transparent background is a good idea.

Agreed about font choices.

[gsgary]

Thats spot on i think the blue text was a bit too bright i like the way the text jumps out at youHow about something like this? Don't mean to poach your work, but it's easier to see it than read a description.

http://home.comcast.net/~sarahpanek/stf/grandprix.jpg

[DavidTO]

Good idea.


No. At that point it becomes just a kart at a race track. Every race track has a flag man. Nothing new there. The environmental thing is that this is a kart track at an international airport. That is the selling point, and is why I want to re-take the shot with an actual plane at the terminal in teh background. However, the flag as a semi-transparent background is a good idea.

Agreed about font choices.


The sense of motion I was talking about was from the movement of the flag. You could still include the environment of the cart race, but with the flag movement, and the image with it you could infer a sense of movement while maintaining the environment.

[mercphoto]

The sense of motion I was talking about was from the movement of the flag. You could still include the environment of the cart race, but with the flag movement, and the image with it you could infer a sense of movement while maintaining the environment.

My confusion.

[marlof]

How about something like this?

Exactly! That's what I meant. I like what you did to the Grand Prix text.

[mercphoto]

How about something like this? Don't mean to poach your work, but it's easier to see it than read a description.

http://home.comcast.net/~sarahpanek/stf/grandprix.jpg

What type of font is vertically on the left?

[TristanP]

What type of font is vertically on the left?IIRC, it's Tahoma - comes with Windows XP.

[mercphoto]

IIRC, it's Tahoma - comes with Windows XP.
Dang. Anyone know of a similar font for Mac OS-X and where I can buy it? Thanks!

[DavidTO]

I've got Tahoma when I open MS Word in OSX 10.4.2.

[mercphoto]

I've got Tahoma when I open MS Word in OSX 10.4.2.
Strangely, so do I. But it doesn't look like that font. More importantly, I dont' have that font available in Photoshop, only in Word. Hmmm... time to buy some fonts. Thanks anyway.