The “Birds of a Feather” artshow invitation was quite fun to put together. Unlike some of the other artshow themes — there was no shortage of relevant content. Birds and bird motifs are everywhere! When I think of birds I think of flying and feathers. They have an air of majesty and glamour — there’s a reason why starlets and drag queens alike adorn themselves in a bird-like fashion. I also imagine the quirky and playful nature of these creatures. So I decided to use those two concepts, beauty and revelry, to help bring this invite to shape. I pulled video footage of birds doing “birdy” things from a few documentaries — paying special attention to scenes featuring flight. The sight of birds floating in air was an easy way to convey grace and movement. After playing around with overlays of birds and skies I decided there needed to be more sparkle. I came across a series of video clips filmed at an amusement park. The swaying bits of neon colors are actually evening footage of ferris wheels and the like. Because this event happened so close to Valentine’s Day I also wanted to edit in the occasional kissing/passion scene. You’ll notice I included a split second of the most iconic kissing moment in Hollywood history. I wanted this invite to be organic, lush, and otherworldly — layers of swirling color and sound. So the music
had to be complimentary to this theme. The main song, “Snowden” by the Doves, I discovered as it was being piped into a canned retail atmosphere. It’s a peculiar song; equal parts alternative rock, ballad, and sci-fi movie chic. The chorale I thought I was hearing was actually string instruments — and I loved it. It was reminiscent of the original Star Trek 1960’s
theme song. Those eerie voices singing out into the darkness of space…suggesting endless possibility. As a fan of animation, I almost always include some type of cartoon imagery. I decided to run vintage bird toons during the event roll call. The music that plays during the roll call is easily recognizable. It’s “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn & John. The whistling melody was cute and cartoonish. It easily complimented the montage of animated birds. The invite closes out as Snowden plays over a video montage depicting birds in popular culture. I really like this invite and it has become one of my favorites. “Birds of a Feather” blends and flows quite well. It leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy. I guess that’s the point.