Movie posters can be one of the most fun jobs a designer can do, and at DesignCrowd, our community has created hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions, (maybe not millions), of submissions for this category.
Whether you're a designer looking to create the artwork for the next big blockbuster, or you've produced a film and need a design, DesignCrowd is the place to be.
DesignCrowd designers have proven time and again they're more than capable to create out-of-this-world designs, and movie posters are no exception.
Here are some of our favorite entries from past movie poster contests, along with some great insights into why they work so well.
Poker Night
One of the easiest ways to fashion a winning movie poster is to find a way to communicate key themes in an interesting way that moves away from the norm.
This poster for the short film Poker Night, about a gorup of friends meeting for their weekly night of dinner, wine and cards, does just that. Instead of going with the obvious choice of a hand of cards, or a shot of the actors, the poster fills the silhouette of a wine glass with card suit symbols, indicating the social and gambling elements of the story and also creating a sense of risk and intrigue.
Karaganda
This poster design is for a movie following a man held in a Soviet prison camp, who is desperate to find his wife. The blood-red title stands out strongly against the subdued color palette of the images, and subtle visual elements communicate key elements of the story to create interest, without giving anything away.
As humans, we are also programmed to look at other people's faces, so giving visual prominance to the object of desire in the film works to grab our attention instantly.
Traumatized
To appeal to the right target audience, a movie poster should communicate the tone and genre of a film strongly.
This is perhaps most important in genres like thrillers and horror films, as they tend to split opinions decisively. Traumatized does a great job at this. The poster is artfully put together and beautiful in its own right, while using a font and imagery that leaves absolutely no doubt this movie is not for the faint of heart.
Dead Metaphors
Sometimes the key to a perfect poster is to keep it simple.
This poster represents a movie about an aging writer who is incapable to repeat the success of his break-out work as a young man, and has subsequently fallen into a spiral of alcoholism and self-destruction. What better way to represent the prison of his mind and the solution that lives in his own head than by a head-shaped key?
It doesn't hurt either that the design ends up being based on metaphor, making it perfectly suited for the title of the film.
Wyrmwood
The poster for Australian zombie movie Wyrmwood demonstrates well how a designer can approach a generic poster concept – the image of main characters against a plain background – and make it interesting.
The image appears as if the viewer has wiped away grime from a frosted glass pane, making it feel like we only get a small glimpse of what's going on. The menacing eye peeking out behind the female lead creates a feeling of threat and excitement.
Stone School
Sometimes a poster's best bet is to throw the viewer right into the action. There's certainly no question there's a lot going on in this war drama about high school students inspired to fight for their country.
Careful balancing and arrangement of the images ensures the poster does not look completely overwhelming or confusing.
God Forgive Us
In direct juxtaposition to our previous example, this poster for drama God Forgive Us goes right back to basics with a simple silhouette in front of an impressive backdrop.
Seeing a character from the back can be very powerful as it creates a sense of intrigue, but also allows for easier identification with the character, which can create an emotional connection.
Pleasure Island
Pleasure Island is about a man returning to his hometown amidst animosity and ill-will, and a woman struggling to survive after losing her husband.
The bare, stark poster is a great way to communicate the grit of the film's story, and the composition of the design makes it stunning to look at.
Intensive Care
The vintage feel of this gorgeous movie poster gives it an immediate point of difference.
Our favorite element of this design is the clever but subtle element of the plane's trail turning into the display of a heart rate monitor, pointing to the medical sub-story of this psychological drama.
A Milli
This poster has pretty much everything you need to sell a fast-paced, action-packed heist film a la The Fast and the Furious. This movie is marketed to young guys ready for some action, and has all the sex, money and weapons to do so.
Designing movie posters can be a really fun and rewarding experience, but also challenging. The poster has to tell enough of the story to attract the right audience and provoke the desire to know more, but mustn't give away so much the viewer thinks they have nothing new to learn.
The right designer knows how to turn this balance into a piece of art worthy to represent multi-million dollar franchises.
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Written by Jane Murray on Friday, September 11, 2015
Jane Murray is a freelance copywriter based in Sydney. Apart from writing up a storm for the DesignCrowd blog on anything from logo design to Michael Jackson's shoes, she enjoys reading literary science fiction and hanging out with most animals except wasps. Get in touch via LinkedIn.
