This paper proposes a sports star's digital illustration for fandom consumption and presents the commercial possibility of using him as a photo card and NFT. Digital illustration is a visual object with high utility in many ways, and it is a medium t...
This paper proposes a sports star's digital illustration for fandom consumption and presents the commercial possibility of using him as a photo card and NFT. Digital illustration is a visual object with high utility in many ways, and it is a medium that can provide fans with more creative and original contents by reinterpreting the image of a sports star. Recently, as scarcity and ownership are created through NFT, the work and utilization of digital illustrations are becoming more active.
The cultural and social influence of fandom, which is fanatically pursuing an object, is increasing. With the development of IT technology and the media industry, platforms have been formed and fans have formed relationships and bonds with each other, sharing common interests and making it possible to easily form relationships with people from other cultures. Currently, fandom is not limited to consumption demand as a common feature of popular culture, but has expanded its scope to become a productive asset by using them as materials, and brands have begun to use them to produce economic value and build revenue models. In Korea, this culture was formed with the start of Seo Taiji and Boys, so it is often associated with celebrities and idols. However, fandom is the formation of a group of people interested in a target, from sports, artists, to comics, and among them, sports plays an important role in the integration and communication of society.
This study selected Son Heung-min, Kim Yeon-kyung, and Ryu Hyun-jin, who have been consistently selected as the best sports players of the year from 2020 to 2022 by the Gallup Korea, and planned to produce digital content. In addition to digital illustrations, we also presented photocards and NFTs as an example of a versatile way to use them.
The concept of the work is the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 2022 Major League, where sports stars are active, and famous poses and images of sports stars extracted by analyzing fandom sites and SNS from 2020 to 2022. based on it.
The specific methods of the work are as follows. First, the program for the work was selected to be Adobe Illustrator and expressed in vector graphics. Adobe Illustrator is independent in terms of resolution, so the work can be used in a variety of sizes. In addition, vector graphics with clean lines drawn mathematically are also effective for using video work through 3D MAX, Spine, and Adobe Premiere programs, so they are suitable tools for the reproduction of digital content. Second, in order to use the work in a variety of ways, specific objects were separated and produced, and photocards were produced through pattern work and editing of the separated objects. In addition, NFT work was done through media work to use the objects more effectively, and the amplified effect in content reproduction was confirmed. Third, in the visual expression of the work, the dispersion effect was used to emphasize the dynamism, giving a rough feeling that certain parts are diffused or dispersed. This resulted in a deeper sense of depth and energy in the work. The materials and techniques obtained through the dispersion effect were also made into individual objects to be used for the continuous reproduction of content. Fourth, the color is mainly used the team colors of the players. In the case of sports, the fandom has a high loyalty to the team because they consume content through watching games, and naturally the team color plays an important role in strengthening the sense of belonging and solidarity of the fandom. The basic illustrations, photocards, NFTs, and all goods using them were applied with the team color.
This study has presented the value of revitalizing fandom consumption and the reproduction of content by producing and utilizing digital illustrations. If content production is not actively carried out, the sustainability of the target will inevitably decrease, and it will affect the maintenance or growth of fandom. Sustainability and scale are important parts of the economicization of cultural consumption. The continuity of fandom consumption will increase and the market will further grow through various reproductions using contents that are consumed only in sports games.