Telephone

Book Covers Inspired by Music Videos

Special edition book cover series inspired by Telephone by Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé

Lady Gaga’s iconic music video for Telephone is chock-full of references and pop culture imagery. Directed by Jonas Akerlund, the video features Gaga getting out of prison to meet her partner in crime “Honey Bee,” played by Beyoncé, to take on more heists and seek revenge on ex-lovers. In classic Tarantino-style, Akerlund uses imagery from Pulp Fiction with his diner scene and references Kill Bill with the noteworthy yellow P*ssy Wagon on set. With memorable objects throughout the set, from caution tape body suits to a Jumbo Honey Bun, this video translates into book cover without hesitation.

1 - Object - References objects from the music video

2 - Place - References Akerlund’s diner scene

3 - Thing - References classic pulp novel book covers

4 - Thing - See above

5 - Collage - References typography throughout the video

6 - History - References Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art from the video

7 - Object - References Akerlund’s use of the P*ssy Wagon from Kill Bill

8 - Costume - References Gaga’s prison outfit of caution tape

The goal for this project was to work with type and image to create book covers from scenes in Lady Gaga’s music video. The idea was to be able to recognize how any visual can translate into design, whether it be a music video or a selection of fruit from the store. By finding references in every aspect of a visual work and being able to translate those references in an effective design, I learned to stay observant and work across various mediums of design.