Sundance

Upon entering the Sundance Institute’s website, there is immediate movement. The Sundance Institute “logo” appears in the top left hand corner, and a small ribbon, like a filmstrip, flows across the page. An image of several people standing outside a truck appears in the center, while sun-like circles start moving across the page. One of the suns appears to move closer and starts to play a video.

The homepage has very little text. The fonts vary slightly, some words using straight, all caps font, others using a font that looks more like handwriting, making it feel slightly more artistic.

The main colors in the design are oranges, golds and browns, with different values ranging from bright orange to lighter, brownish tones. The sidebar items are in blue, green and brown, most likely colors that have been pulled from the central image.

On my screen, the majority of the homepage appears above the fold. My monitor is fairly old, so I imagine that other computers may reveal the entire page without having to scroll. As it is, there is a small portion of the site I cannot see: some of the text at the bottom, directing the viewer towards the Sundance Film Festival, a few other links, and the tagline “Discovering and developing independent artists and audiences.” Scrolling down to see this cuts off the top half of the video and the text above.

The layout of the site is more freeform and less structured than a grid system. However, the majority of the text aligns to the left and there are navigational boxes on both the left and right side, giving the sight a bit of structure. But even the shapes of the sidebar boxes are not uniform.

The Sundance site is incredibly fluid. The movements of the ribbons and of the sun-like circles are constant, they even seem to “dance” on the screen. The floating circles provide a sense of dimension and depth. They get larger and smaller, as though they are moving forward and away. Even the navigational items (Get Involved, Explore Programs) provide drop-down menus that contribute to the movement of the site. The menus drop down smoothly and then bounce back up. The two ribbons and the “filmstrip” move across the page, interacting with one another and flowing, keeping the viewer’s eyes moving back and forth. However the emphasis is most certainly on the central image and the videos. It seems easiest to ignore the links at the very top and bottom of the page, because the eye is so drawn to the image and the video.

I believe the Sundance homepage evokes a range of feelings. When first entering the site, the viewer sees a circle move forward and the words “Energy, passion, film” on a flame-like background. This statement seems to be supported by the design of the site. The gold hues, the sun-like circles, and the constant movement all create a feeling of energy and passion.

I also think the color palette suggests a feeling of warmth, another feeling which is indicative of the sun. The colors make the site feel warm and welcoming, which is in the spirit of Sundance. Sundance welcomes independent filmmakers to a place where they can share their creativity, their spirit, and their view of the world.

The videos feature participants of the film festival talking about creativity and community. This sense of community is reinforced in the central image on the homepage. The photograph indicates that filmmaking requires a community of people working together towards a common goal. I think the image also gives the viewer the sense that filmmaking isn’t only about creativity, but about hard work, sometimes even physical work.

I think the sight would appeal more to “artistic” types because of its creative and fluid design. Since the target audience is independent filmmakers and independent film audiences, this seems appropriate.

On a whim, I decided to look at the Motion Picture Association of America’s website. The design is much more structured, organized by a concrete grid system. It immediately feels formal and utilitarian, standing in stark opposition to the Sundance site. The main image on the page rotates pictures from various “blockbuster” films, like Spiderman and Pirates of the Caribbean.

The MPAA is a trade association, concerned with the legal and economic issues pertaining to filmmaking. It is more about industry than about art and that is evident in the site’s design. Although, the slideshow of images does attempt to make an emotional connection with the viewer. “The magic of the movies” appears at the bottom and it tells us that movies “teach us about love” and take us on “bold adventures”, etc. However, it’s still interesting to compare it to the Sundance site. They each have different goals and that is apparent in their respective website design.

Overall, I believe the Sundance site is a success. The site radiates feelings of warmth, energy, and passion, which are characteristics we so often associate with the sun. At the same time, these characteristics are related to the institute’s goals. The design is effective in creating a cohesive, yet freeform structure. It feels artistic and original and communicates the spirit of the institute and the filmmaking process.