It’s complicated: In praise of the ‘More is More’ poster

I’m a big fan of minimalist poster design. Its simplicity, focus and use of negative space often make these posters a powerful choice to draw attention and provoke a sense of suspense and excitement for a project. However, as with everything in design, sometimes going against all the ‘rules’ will have you on to a winner.  In this article, I will explore six more elaborate film and TV posters to analyse just why they work so well.Read More

Not just cheap thrills: Exploring unexpected approaches to thriller posters

Thriller films have been producing suspense, mystery, and adrenaline-inducing narratives since the Hollywood Golden Age. However, in recent years, it feels as if many poster designs for this genre have become more and more formulaic. Which feels like they’re missing a trick! Thrillers often depend heavily on the element of surprise, so surely designs that embrace an unexpected approach can be even more intriguing for an audience? Luckily, I’ve been spotting work that is doing just that. In this article, I will explore posters for five thrillers that have taken the road less travelled. Read More

Cultural Kaleidoscope: How film posters vary across the world

As a result of globalisation, we are constantly exposed to goods, products, art and ideas from across the world. And one of the most influential of these is stories – in the form of films, books, theatre and folklore. However, even as stories transcend borders, cultural norms and differences still pervade. Read More

Play on words: Analysing the art of typographic film posters

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ and in the world of poster design, this certainly rings true. However, how resonant is this idea when considering typographic posters – where the text is the main or perhaps even the only element? 

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A journey from page to screen: How film posters are adapted from popular books

I don’t need to tell you that book adaptations to film and TV are incredibly popular. This time-honoured tradition of bringing beloved stories to life on the screen is a sure-fire hit with film execs who want to embrace the box office power of a work’s existing audience, and with those audiences who are longing to see their favourite characters realised on screen. 

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The colour of fear: Exploring horror colour palettes in film posters

I’ve had a lot of feedback about my previous article on Sci-Fi Colour Palettes so it seemed like the time was right to explore some other genres. 

Colour is important wherever you use it (or don’t), but in the horror genre in particular, colour has a long tradition of playing a powerful role in evoking emotions and setting the right tone of fear and suspense. If you take a look through horror film posters since the 1980s, then you’ll see a number of trends that haven’t ever really gone away.

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‘Montauk’: What made the ‘Stranger Things’ pitch deck so powerful?

As a pitch deck designer, I am always on the lookout for great examples of decks, especially those that have then gone on to be made into successful projects. And since it was released a few years back, the deck for ‘Montauk’ – better known to most of us under its eventual title ‘Stranger Things’ – has emerged for a lot of us as the gold standard.Read More

Meet the cast: How character posters build hype

In 2023, character posters are hot property. With adaptations from books, comics and videogames, remakes, sequels (or ‘requels’ as per last year’s Scream film) and star-studded blockbusters dominating film and TV – producers are keen to whet audiences’ appetites and get them talking way before a production’s release date – and these sets of posters profiling the main characters can be a great way to do this.

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The 6 most important film poster design trends for 2023

Keeping your finger on the pulse of film poster design can be tough – industry trends are constantly evolving and reinventing themselves. So – as we get in gear for 2023, I’ve taken a closer look at the posters for recent and upcoming releases to see what’s hot right now in film marketing.

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The inside story: How great film posters create meaningful narratives

How do you turn a good film poster into a great one? A good poster design is fantastic at communicating information – it will tell you everything the filmmakers want you to know about the film such as the title, the stars, the genre and the tone. All of this will be conveyed using powerful design elements such as colour, typography and photography to make you want to watch. But a great film poster? I’d argue they do something more. Great film posters – like all great art – tell a story.Read More

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