HarperCollins Publishers Award for Best Cover 2019
Finalist
Designer: Keely O’Shannessy
Title: Whatever it Takes
Publisher: Victoria University Press
Format: 248 x 210mm, 464 pages, hardback.
Judges’ comments: “An instantly intriguing and transporting cover. The font selection introduces personality and era; immediately connecting audience to content. Stunning, simple colour palette.”
“The central image here does so much to successfully convey the idea and story behind the title. But although the sepia-like pale peach colour choice does suggest the past, a scene from history of film making, it feels as if the image could have had more impact. Perhaps this is simply the scale of image to typographic treatment of the title. It is also that, as the gaze is lead left towards the back cover, we are not given the chance to see what it might be that the pair of intrepid film makers are capturing. The delightful ‘rock star’ and film director black and white image on back cover does talk of the glamour of movie making of a bygone era. The reveal under the dust jacket of the foil title on the sine somehow seems to evoke movie poster typography more than the front cover of the dust jacket. And possibly the ‘Story of a Store’ typeface from inside could have been visited as a supporting cast member for the outer cover.”
“Evokes the nostalgia of an old film lobby poster. Subtle wash of peach is nice. That Maroon and peach is a favourite of that designer!”
“This evokes the “gung-ho” nature of the film industry, with no nonsense typography to the forefront There’s a slight surrealism to the cameramen floating in a sea of blue, fading out to the “aged” look of the peach background.”
