Hidden Objects in Film - Exploring the work of Annie Atkins

Annie Atkins is a Graphic Designer working in Film. She often works with auteur-directors such as Wes Anderson and you may be most familiar with her work on The Grand Budapest Hotel. 

Every graphic you see in film - from a handwritten love note to a pattern on a handkerchief, has been designed by someone. Often these are made specifically for that film, to help build a world through hundreds of subtle visual hints. This world is not only for the viewer, but for the actors as well, with many objects not even making it onto the screen. That is where Annie’s meticulous research and her ability to pore over details really comes in. 

Good research is a huge part of Annie’s work. Annie explains that it’s just not the same to source your inspiration from Google. It’s impossible to get a sense of scale, texture or reliable dates and labels for items you find online. Also you have to know what you're searching for and decide the search phrase. It is essential to get out into the real world and look around, this takes time.

When I lived in London, I used to love grabbing a coffee at the Waiting Room and wandering around Deptford Flea Market. I could get lost in that place for hours, and always came away with a bargain. London is filled with junk yards and flea markets. The perfect way to spend a weekend as an art student was to explore these hidden spots. It’s difficult to go to those places with a clear idea of what you want to find though, it’s almost like you have to become an eternal hoarder; scrap-booking forgotten tickets between books and old photographs for a future project that may or may not happen.

Now that I live in Bristol, I still find pockets of influence around the city. By walking around and really looking, you can find old signs, hand carved bricks and metalwork hidden in the modern day street scene.

Image from ‘Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking’ by Annie Atkins

As a Sign Writer myself, I was delighted to hear that she still works with traditional Sign Writers and Calligraphers in film. Annie explains in her recent book Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps: Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking  that when designing for a world where things would have been made by hand, they should be produced by hand in film too. If there would have been digital resources available in that world, you can get away with using a computer. 

When designing for a historical scene, there are many ways to reference a time period. Annie will hint at class divide through signage, or posters that claim flawed medical cures, to give a sense of the scientific understanding or technologies available at the time. By looking at old photographs and the signage on streets, she can get a great insight into the culture of a time. I really enjoyed learning about how she came about designing the Eel House Sign. Are you aware that Eel was the fast-food of Victorian London? Whilst it seems obvious to include “Eel and Mash” on the signage, the words “Always Ready” nod to the fact that this was a quick and convenient meal and so this made it onto the final design for Annie’s signage too. 

Image from ‘Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking’ by Annie Atkins

Annie points out that the concept of branding is relatively modern. She says, “In the early 1900s, the style of an establishment’s lettering was dictated by the material. The name on the iron gates was designed by a blacksmith, while the font on the stationary was chosen by the printer. It’s unlikely that these two craftsmen would ever have laid eyes on each other”. The iconic image of the Grand Budapest Hotel’s iron sign, coupled with its printed stationary and other signage, is a clear example of this. She can tell a story of the hotel’s past by using the various eras and design influences it would have gone through over time.

Annie is really great at documenting her work online, check out her website to find more of her stories. I also highly recommend her book, which is full of beautiful photos and sketches.

Images from ‘Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking’ by Annie Atkins