思前相後 菲林有毒 — film photography identity

Some people see film as a nostalgic object, or a way to express a particular taste. For Henry, being addicted to film was a more personal description.

Our collaboration began when he messaged me to say that he liked the lettering and wondered whether his photographs might work behind it. He sent several hundred gigabytes of images, organised into weddings, everyday scenes, Hong Kong views and travel. After looking through them, I felt both the style and the range suited the work, and began using them as backgrounds for my lettering.

One day he wrote: ‘Roy, film has its own character. I understand that the lettering needs to stand out, but please avoid changing the colours if possible. Film’s colour is something digital cannot replace.’ As someone outside his field, I apologised and promised to respect the photographs. That conversation showed me how carefully he regarded the medium.

Later, he decided to develop the photography brand more seriously and asked me to draw its eight-character name, usable either together or in two parts. A half-hour conversation helped me understand his approach. The first proposal was close to what he wanted, and after refining the details we completed it over two months.

Bringing film imagery into the lettering sounded simple, but required care at stroke level. I combined contemporary gothic construction with traditional Ming details to create an encounter between old and new. Where film-related elements carried more visual weight, I opened up parts of the strokes to balance the composition.

Henry was surely not the only person attached to film. Anyone who can keep sharing its stories and pleasures has something of that same commitment. The identity was drawn for people who continue to find their own reasons to work with it.