Modus Vivendi - ISTD Merit Winner

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Modus Vivendi

Concept

Since the brief asks us to explore all possibilities of the word “Lost” so we can then create a publication revolving around that theme, I will be tackling loss of empathy as well as death.

Linking these two, I have decided to create a publication about 10 of the most prolific psychopaths and serial killers that have lost their empathy and decided to take it out on innocent human beings.

The publication is made to resemble detective files, where the reader pulls out each case file to read about each serial killer. Adding to that I have scanned and edited vintage images from the 60s and 70s to create the illusion of an FBI investigation board from that time since the focus of this publication is mostly on the killers of the 70s. This makes the reader feel like a detective in the cases. Furthermore, to add to the publication I created a coded alphabet made from symbols that I’ve spread throughout the pages. When the symbols are found they solve a small riddle. This is inspired from multiple serial killers who taunted the police in a similar fashion.

Tile of Publication

(MO) is described as the Method of Operation of how serial killers commit their crimes. This term is used in such investigations. I have decided to take the first word “Modus” and relate it to the term “Modus Vivendi” which is a Latin phrase that means “Way of Living”. As concluded, these serial killers lived double lives and it was their way of living for the years before they got apprehended.

Visual Treatment

All images used in the publication have been manipulated on photoshop and overlaid on old vintage photographs that I’ve scanned from my family’s archives. These photographs are from the 1960s and the 1970s and reflect an old vintage mood that goes hand in hand with my concept of an FBI investigation board related to solving serial killer cases from the 1970s.

Graphic Content

I included very graphic images from serial killer crime scenes. This shows the "Death" aspect of the concept.

For the faint hearted, I covered these images with a grungy black layer taped to the paper using paper tape to preserve the same mood of the publication.