February 28, 2022

Theatrical Poster Design

As far back as the 6th Century B.C. the Ancient Greeks entertained their people by presenting dramatic performances. For centuries since that time, live theatre has been enjoyed as one of the most popular forms of entertainment throughout the world.

Early in the 19th Century, the Poster was created as an avenue for communication visually and was one of the earliest forms of commercial advertisement.  The development of Typography became a huge influence because the Posters were to catch the attention of passersby from a distance. While the majority of signs during that time were made of metal, these Posters were produced from wood because of the need for very large typeface.

Original 1928 Dracula Theater Window card live Play Poster ( 13.75 x 21.75, NOT trimmed ) in Near Mint flat condition, NO folds.Same Artwork as the Broadway show , for this Ford Theater 1928 poster. Best condition one of these I have seen in 40 years. 

$5000.00

Low Cost was one of the primary reasons and effectiveness of Poster advertising. Even today, they are easily produced and are inexpensive to design, print, and install. And, they last for a very long time.

1920s Leonetto Cappiello Cognac Monnet Poster - 

Original Condition Unaltered, Some Imperfections

Cognac Monnet, c. 1927 by Cappiello, Paris. Original oversize, linen backed, advertisement showing the profile of a beautiful woman with a red feather dress in a signature Cappiello pose, that--and, of course, the pure black background makes it stand out prominently. Almost drinking up sunshine. The cognac firm was founded in 1905 by Jean Gabriel Monnet, and is today part of the Hennessy Corporation.

$11,500

This Poster is one of millions that have stood the test of time, appreciated in value as Fine Art, and are worth quite the pretty penny today.

The basic foundation of a Poster is made up of four key elements: a title, graphics, text, and white space. The layout, color, and flow of the design affect the order and style of these four key features. Posters also feature a visual representation of setting, tone, and symbolism and IMHO are one of the most under-appreciated art-forms - combining visually stunning design with historical significance as seen with Cappiello's work. A great Poster is balanced in type and image. It should capture attention, intrigue and excite the senses, lead the audience to the main plot twist, and then leave them waiting with bated breath to experience it for themselves.

 “A poster is a selling tool. It’s artistic, but it isn’t a piece of art. Your abstract poster may be beautiful, but if no one gets it, it goes nowhere.” - Tomasz Opasiński : Iconoclast ± Ideator ± Creator ± Innovator

There is, of course as with most things, a hierarchy. Guiding the eye through your Poster, design hierarchy consists of Primary (the hook - graphic or title), Secondary (text), and the micellaneous bits.

A perfectly designed Poster makes an immediate visual impact. It gives your message tremendous exposure reaching diverse numbers of people when placed in high traffic areas.

Poster designers are just one part of a wider network of creatives, from photographers and copywriters right up to the director and studio executives. But even within the design department, you should expect to be part of a big team: some agencies hire 80 or more designers. While early movie poster designs were created by hand, today poster artists tend to use digital software to create their designs. “Publicity Designer” being the more broadly used term even if only responsible for designing theatrical prints to which "Poster Designer" is the more preferred title unless involved in the marketing as well.

In closing, I leave you with some essential tips to consider when designing a Poster:

• It MUST be readable from a distance
• Creating contrast is also critical
• Consider the location
• Be UNIQUE, stand apart from the masses
• Make it scalable to fit any platform
• Use a large image (you can scale down but you cannot scale up and keep quality)
• Make good use of space (balance)

And last but not least....

How much do movie poster designers make?

While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $128,116 and as low as $17,470, the majority of salaries within the Movie Poster Design jobs category currently range between $32,822 (25th percentile) to $63,528 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $102,174 annually in Los Angeles.

Great work so go out and get it!