Case Study | Brand Development
Durban FilmMart Institute
With the first-ever hybrid event on the horizon, and a focus on evolution and revolution, it was time to reimagine the face of the DFMI.
Who is the Durban FilmMart?
The Durban FilmMart (DFM) is an exciting annual African film industry financing and networking event hosted by the Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI). As the largest film financing conference in Africa, the DFM attracts noteworthy filmmaking talent from across the continent as well as international film financiers and producers.
The original Durban FilmMart Institute logo
The Original Logo
The classic DFMI logo portrait featured simplified vector stylings, two colours, and relatively minimal texture or detail.
Logo Design
Inspired by cinema and traditional African art, we completely recreated the main logo. We brought more depth and drama to the portrait, as well as a sense of pattern, heritage, grandiosity and personality.
For many clients, we challenge ourselves to use different experimental design techniques. This project involved the combined results of vector artwork, digital painting, photography, and a custom-built intaglio print emulation. We believe relying on homebrewed workflows and tools always leads to the most interesting, authentic work.
The new Durban FilmMart Institute logo
The updated colour palette with new secondary and accent colours
Colour Theory
The original DFMI brand colour palette featured three colours: white, black and hot pink. We decided to expand the selection by incorporating colours from the 2021 DFM event branding.
This was done to improve visual interest and improve colour diversity across the branding. Extra colour options meant being able to incorporate things like accent colours and clearer call to actions on the website.
Other Elements
The website redesign also allowed new foundational rules for typography and colour to be applied, making the web experience a richer, more legible destination for viewers.
A closeup of the new logo texture using the intaglio print technique
