What makes a really good film poster?

[ak]

I'm currently studying a B.A in Graphic Design, and next year I have a massive major project to carry out. I'll be basing it on a film idea that I have, and creating many promotional items around that, which will go on display in a massive end-of-year show amongst many other people's work.
My show will probably include many forms of promotional items, but the main attraction will be a poster. A final one-sheet, or perhaps even a teaser.

My question is, what do you think are the most important aspects of a film poster? What should be included? Would you rather a meaningful piece, or a commercial piece? Or perhaps both?
Integrity is important to me, so I'm hoping to achieve something a lot different than your usual crap.

This is valuable research to me, so any replies would be greatly appreciated.

[notchreturns]

The more simple it is the better. What I enjoy is when a single shot from the film is put on the poster. Sometimes by putting that one shot on the poster you can tell what the story, characters, and feel of the film will be. Or, it's even better when you are left with that one single shot and you have to wonder what the film is about. Yeah, I like that.

It's better than the posters that have overblown images and effects that don't give you any clue to what the film is about, or what your getting into.

Anyway, thats what I like.

[radiofreememory]

I do not like posters that feature the actor/actress in it.

[APzombie]

I agree, the more simple the better, look at the poster for Jaws as a example, it tells it all. A teaser is like the facial expression of a person. An interesting expression can tell their exact mood or in this case the movie. Though a fake expression could tell the mood, they seem phoney and uninterseting. So keep it simple like "that was the way it was intended to look all along" and as natural as you can.

I've seen some of the teasers you made at the annex and i must say ak, your damn good.

[ak]

...Thanks for the replies, much appreciated, and thanks for the kind words APzombie.

I'd like a lot more replies if anyone else is interested cause this is a very important topic to me.

What I've gathered from the three posts here thus far is very interesting, and definately things I will be looking into.

[jeffkantoku]

Yeah, I'd say go with a minimalist feel, but it'd help me to know what's the story about so I could offer more concrete ideas.

-J

[radiofreememory]

Is there any chance we could see any of your work?? Its difficult to add anything constructive without seeing what you currently believe if a well designed poster.

[ak]

I'm not really one for spilling ideas on the net, so I'll keep the details under wraps.

My idea's not important, I've already got a lot of ideas for my concepts, it's just I need a lot of feed-back on posters in general, which will then inform my posters more.

At best I can tell you it's a animated epic idea. In an ideal climate it would be a computer animation. I've been working on the story for three years, and it's obviously family oriented, but has a deeper, often dark edge. A very meaningful film. I want the posters to follow suit.

So far your helpful comments have confirmed my feeling that teasers, and often final one-sheets should me minimalist as posters with multiple imagery can be quite confusing and very often clumsy looking.

[This message has been edited by ak (edited 07-18-2002).]

[radiofreememory]

I'm sorry I think you misunderstood, I was not refering to the story itself. I was wondering if you had any artwork or posters you have created that could be viewed and we could critique. I understand if you choose not to display anything. I just thought it would help you get more feedback.

[kiwihitman]

Does anyone know any free software i could download to make some artwork or posters.thanks

[bankholdup]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by kiwihitman:
Does anyone know any free software i could download to make some artwork or posters.thanks</font>

I use Adobe Photoshop...just download the trial version and then find a hack.

[Tuukka]

Photoshop is the only way to go. You can find cracked versions from the net. Try Kazaa, Gnucleus, etc.

[Tuukka]

What makes a good poster?

1. The poster has to sell the concept of your film. This can achieved by the picture alone, or by the combination of the pic and the tagline.

2. Keep it simple.

3. Then there is all the technical stuff. Compositing, colours, lights, etc. Maybe you could provide a link to some gallery of yours, so we could comment on your earlier work?

[ak]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">By Tuukka:
...Maybe you could provide a link to some gallery of yours, so we could comment on your earlier work?</font>

All of my work is on zip disks as jpeg and psd files, and this is where I keep it as it is always handy for interviews and readily available. The internet is no use to me for showing my work as I'm fearful people may pinch my work and pass it off as their own. I will never place any of my work on the internet, even if it was copyrighted.

I'd say my style arcs toward Tim Burton, but isn't as quirky or dark or twisted. It's a more accessible quirky, if you know what I mean. I fear that many people tend to be too fond of darkness when producing ideas such as this, and it all falls to pieces. I'm careful to stay clear of that trap.

My audience? A wide range of ages. A lot for the adults, a lot for the kids, and all in between. Animation, especially computer animation, is at a stage where adults enjoy it just as much as the kids, if not more, so i'm kind of exploiting this climate, but not pushing it too far, as things can then start to become un-focussed.

Let's just say it's a story about imagination and the way the world is today, but in the distant future (There is no typical future in this story though. Infact, there's nothing technological at all in it. It all takes place within an industrial setting that arcs back to the industrial revolution. Inspired by films such as Papillon, Metropolis and Edward Scissorhands. It's a fairy tale.)

The opening line of narration from the script reads, simply:

"Imagine a world within a world. Imagine..."



[This message has been edited by ak (edited 07-19-2002).]

[kiwihitman]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Tuukka:
Photoshop is the only way to go. You can find cracked versions from the net. Try Kazaa, Gnucleus, etc.</font>

wait can i just go strait to kazaa and download the full version or do i download the trial version then find a hack from kazaa

[Reigh Kaufman]

I did one at university and i can tell you the secret: BLACK.

Everything black (which is not one of my favourite colours) is very striking if you set it as a background. I wish I could explain better, but I just know that when I go to a web-site and everything is black it looks cool (the type should be red because it's such a strong colour against the mighty black). I entered a competiton with my effort and kept it simple, like has been said here, and using the most striking image I could find (a man pointing a hypodermic needle to his head a la The Deer Hunter). to this day the study of film posters and colour still grabs me...Weird...

[ak]

kiwihitman - Photoshop is a 170 meg file I think, so unless you're very patient or have digital connection, you'll be better off finding it else-where.

At the moment I'm using the latest photoshop 7, which I'm an expert at already (Use it all the time in Uni). It's the only thing you should use for image manipulation. It's just too good.

[James Logan]

I like the Drew Struzan-style posters. Y'know, the ones he did for all STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES movies, and that include the title in the bottom, and on top of it a mix of drawings of the characters and representations of some parts of the movie. As it's not photo but artwork, drawn and painted, I think it's got a great style. But the trick with those posters is to find the balance between all the parts you include in it -- character faces, characters in their whole, ships, props...it's hard to explain, but check drewstruzan.com (or something like that) and see his best artwork. They're truly great.

[ak]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by James Logan:
I like the Drew Struzan-style posters. Y'know, the ones he did for all STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES movies, and that include the title in the bottom, and on top of it a mix of drawings of the characters and representations of some parts of the movie. As it's not photo but artwork, drawn and painted, I think it's got a great style. But the trick with those posters is to find the balance between all the parts you include in it -- character faces, characters in their whole, ships, props...it's hard to explain, but check drewstruzan.com (or something like that) and see his best artwork. They're truly great.</font>

I'm quite a fan of Drew Struzan, and find his work utterly compelling.
I've looked in to him a lot for my research project, but not in a great depth cause my style is totally unlike his. All his paintings are finely detailed, where as my characters and general art-works are rather simple, which is what's required for a computer animation.

Does anyone know a good site that displays the art-work from A Nightmare Before Christmas - It's close to my style (as noted above), and would make for excellent research.

Thanks....

[XCoRyX]

i agree with a simple image,like me being a horror fan,i liked the poster of clownhouse and halloween 4,5,6....why?Well for halloween they show you hes back,and they let you know what your getting into,dont throw you off course..and they just are good art as well...the clownhouse is the same basically...