As part of the international film festival, North Bar in the centre of town is show casing an exhibition full of film posters featured in the festival. Specifically, these posters were selected based on the popularity and recognition of the film soundtrack(s).
As well as being genuinely interested and intrigued into poster design, this also related to my Context of Practice investigations. My chosen essay question focuses on the portrayal of history and culture through the branding of Olympic Games. An important feature of these branding campaigns are the official posters. I thought that going to see these posters would better my understanding into poster design as its something I haven't looked into previously but can see myself gaining a sustained interest.
Directed by Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Japan / France 2003
Unique fantasy musical adventure with the animated style of Battle of the Planets. Soundtracks by Daft Punk.
The poster design has clear links to the typical Asian anime style. This is evidenced through the illustration and design of the character that takes up the whole poster. The surreal blue skin, large eyes and defined hair all come together to form a typical anime character.
Designed in 2003, the poster also shows signs of considerations of type setting and typeface with a margin set off centre and text aligned to the right.
Directed by Coppola, USA / Japan, 2003
Film about loneliness and melanchony. Two people cross paths in a Tokyo hotel and form an unlikely but heartfelt friendship.
The starkness of the hotel and loneliness they feel is amplified by the ambient soundtrack reflecting the deep sense of nostalgia throughout the film.
The image clearly links to the film title and plot. Scarlett looks lost but in a comfortable and interested way. The backdrop is typical of Japan with busy lighting and narrow streets.
Jonathan Demme, USA, 1984
Poster design typical of the 80's music culture with the ill fitting suit taking up the majority of the image. The poster tells the viewer that the film is based on a performance of some kind as the figure is posing in a way that a musician would on stage. The black backdrop then highlights the figure putting him at the forefront and focus point of the poster. The viewers eye is then drawn to the bottom right where the name of the film is illustrated.
Stanley Kubrick, UK / USA, 1968
Stanley Kubrick's visionary sci-fi classic is repeatedly voted into lists of top 10 movies of all time.
"an episodic spectacle featuring balletic sequences of cine-choreography, awesome futurist design, suspenseful action, trippy psychedelia, and a magnificent soundtrack."
The text floating outside of the globe gives a sense of unknown and loneliness.
Nicolas Winding Refn, USA, 2011
A hyper-stylish, ultra violent cruise through the neon lit backstreets of LA. A masterclass in artfully crafted Hollywood neo-noir.
"Refn's visio of neo-noir doom is fully realised through Cliff Martinez's remarkable soundtrack which blends synth-pop with dark electronic drones to create an impeccably crafted combination of filmic flair and sonic menace."
Ryan Gosling starring as the main role also gets centre stage with this poster design, giving away some clues as to the plot of the film, less ambiguous than others.
Godfrey Reggio, USA, 1982
Featuring one of the most icnonic soundtracks in film history by Philip Glass, this film is an audiovisual extravaganza by filmmaker Godfrey Reggio. It was originally screened as an experience in the Radio City Music Hall.
The poster really doesn't give much away. Looking at it, the viewer would have no idea what the film is about, plus the fact the title of the film is an Indian word meaning 'an unbalanced life'.
Movie posters are often redesigned by artists or designers as they feel they can produce a poster that would bring new light to an old film or put a different perspective on things. These posters can be extremely ambiguous to the point where they would have been completely unusable as the official poster.
I've made the decision to produce posters for a couple of modules. This is something I am genuinely interested and will be looking into contacting poster designers for my PPP interviews.
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