JOE BARSIN: Creative Professional

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Annapolis Film Festival 2020 Theme Reveal

Thanks to Two Producer Studios for creating this video showcasing Annapolis Film Festival's Art Director, Joe Barsin. Watch to hear the story behind our new AFF2020 poster art!

Annapolis Film Festival’s Co-founders, Patti White and Lee Anderson, welcomed AFF members and film fans to the Annapolis Market House to kick-off the 2020 Annapolis Film Festival by revealing the new theme created by Joe Barsin.

Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley getting a sneak peak of the 2020 AFF poster at the reveal party!

The AFF 2020 Poster Reveal was a big success and we are off to the races to get everything ready for showtime over March 26-29, 2020. In the video, Joe Barsin outlines the process that goes into the development of the theme. Below are sketches and images that expand on the interview.

Approved sketch presented to Creative Directors’ Lee and Patti along with the AFF Board.

Overall, the theme was based on 20/20 = The Year and Vision. The “2020” is stacked to achieve the following goals: 1. Forms an “8” which represents AFF’s 8th Year; 2. The “8” reminds us of the old film cameras. As mentioned in the interview, Steven Spielberg and many other famous directors of his era and older, talk of how they learned their trade through the use of small film cameras, especially the “Super 8”. Barsin then merged these elements into a visual theme that conveys “Insight 2020 through Film” in the AFF’s Eighth Year which happens to fall in 2020!

Examples of old film cameras that influenced the “Super 8” concept.

The creative process is built on the knowledge of past graphic illustrators. Work that influenced Joe’s sketches are shown below.

“Say it with Teleflowers”, Circa. 1938 by A.M. Cassandra, Ukranian-French commercial poster designer.

“South for Winter Sunshine”, UK’s Southern Railroad poster, Circa. 1929 by Edmond Vaughan.


Screen capture of the AFF 2020 poster being rendered into 3D using Adobe Illustrator.

The final design for the Annapolis Film Festival 2020 Poster Reveal.

The poster is only the first step in developing the overall graphic theme for AFF2020. The vertical poster design is perfect for displaying around Annapolis to promote the Festival to the public but horizontal and square versions of the theme are developed to successfully promote on social media and online promotions. Today’s professional graphic illustrator must make sure their work can be adapted to all types of compositions, something A.M. Cassandra and Vaughan did not have to develop.

AFF2020 - Extreme horizontal composition for online banners and cover images.

AFF2020 - Square format for Instagram and Profiles that crop to a circle compositions.

Please plan to come to the 2020 Annapolis Film Festival. Joe Barsin will be there enjoying every minute of this Culture Bomb. Save the date: March 26-29, 2020! Learn more about the Fest here. Learn more about Joe Barsin and what he can create for your project here. Follow this link to purchase this poster and any of the other past AFF posters.