Scary Good Movie Poster Design

And now for something completely different…

For Halloween, we’re taking a brief detour. No, not down a dark alleyway or through haunted woods in search of the Headless Horseman. Today, we’re taking a trip through time to visit a different kind of design: movie poster design.

But Kelli, what does this have to do with designing apps or technology? Well, nothing really, but I promise it’ll be fun nonetheless.

Wayyyyy back in the 1950s, movie posters followed a pretty standard visual aesthetic. Can you spot the trends?

• heavy use of illustrations
• movie star names were featured prominently
• the composition was typically packed with details
• posters were often the afterthought of the movie

Then in the 1960s, there was a radical shift in movie poster aesthetic, led by none other than Saul Bass, one of the most prolific designers of his generation. Born in the Bronx, NY in 1920, he began his time in Hollywood in the 1940s.

Bass’ design style was heavily influenced by Bauhaus, German Expressionism and Russian Constructivism. In addition to his contributions to Hollywood, he made a lasting impression in logo design, creating iconic designs for corporations like AT&T, United Airlines, Quaker Oats, the Girl Scouts, and Warner Brothers.

Bass believed in reducing a film down to its essence, as evidenced in the poster he created for The Shining. The stark contrast between the vibrant yellow background and the black ink of the words is startling. The stippling technique (stippling is the creation of a pattern simulating varying degrees of solidity or shading by using small dots) used on the face creates a disturbing distortion that adds an unsettling tone to the poster. The face is cropped to accentuate the shocked look in the eyes.

Anatomy of a Murder is one of Bass’ most well-known posters. The crudely cut and assembled body parts, arranged like a chalk outline commonly seen at crime scenes, is disquieting. The disjointed body is the single focal point of the poster. Secondary to the body and movie title is the director’s name, Otto Preminger. His work (along with his wife Elaine) with Preminger led to the creation of the title sequence, which would ultimately enhance the experience of the audience and contribute to the mood and the theme of the movie within the opening moments. For one of the best examples of his groundbreaking title sequence work, check out Alfred Hitchcock’s *Vertigo.*

Bass’ approach to design can best be summed up in this quote:

I’ve always looked for the simple idea. We have a very reductive point of view when it comes to visual matters. We see the challenge in getting things down to something totally simple, and yet doing something with it, which provokes … If it’s simple simple, it’s boring. We try for the idea that is so simple that it will make you think – and rethink. Saul Bass

There is an art to reduction and simplification. If you reduce the complex down too much, you risk removing the context needed for the viewer to understand it. If you don’t reduce it enough, you risk cognitive overload on the viewer who has to weed through an overwhelming amount of information. Bass strikes the balance between these two extremes perfectly.