Just like the cover of a book, a movie poster is the first thing the audience will look at before making a decision on whether a movie is worth their time or not. Posters can inspire someone to want to watch a film, but it can also kill that desire. Many factors come to play when such a decision is being made. While a movie posters’ intention is to create a buzz about a particular film and informing the audience of what’s coming up, some have done an excellent job delivering the message through great art, in contrast, others have failed terribly because of various reasons.
Below is a simple guide on what every poster design should have.
Must Capture the Story
As much as designing a poster may seem simple, there is a whole list of things to be considered to tell the story behind the film. The poster basically lets the audience into the movie by explaining what it’s all about in one instance. A poster should capture the essence of a film without giving away the whole story. A great way to do this is through recreating the storyline on the poster. A poster must always create suspense among viewers for them to look forward to watching the film.
Effective Images
Images used on the poster will determine how receptive or not fans will be towards a film. While in some cases using an image of a renowned star actor will do the job, in some in films this might not be a good decision. A great option would be a scene from the movie. Getting the main actors to recreate a scene for the poster is also a great option. Poorly desired posters rarely stoke desire and do a bad job of inviting viewers to watch a film. Even a single image as long as it is effective would deliver the intended message, and it also becomes easy to play with words accompanying it.
Color Use
To create interest and attract attention, posters should always have contrasting colors. If this doesn’t seem to work, designers should always decide on which color to make more dominant as well as complimentary ones to create a visual appeal. The colors should reflect on the genre and the general theme of the film. This also applies to the text and typography. The colors used in the text should complement the general theme of the poster. But above all, they should invite a potential viewer to want to know more about the film.