Movie poster
Encyclopedia
A movie poster is a poster
used to advertise a film
. Studios often print several posters that vary in size and content for various domestic and international markets. They normally contain an image with text. Today's posters often feature photographs of the main actors. Prior to the 1990s, illustrations instead of photos were far more common. The text on movie posters usually contains the film title in large lettering and often the names of the main actors. It may also include a tag line, the name of the director, names of characters, the release date, etc.
Movie posters are displayed inside and on the outside of movie theater
s, and elsewhere on the street or in shops. The same images appear in the film exhibitor's pressbook
and may also be used on websites, DVD (and historically VHS) packaging, flyers, advertisements in newspapers and magazines, etc.
Movie posters have been used since the earliest public exhibitions of film. They began as outside placards listing the programme of (short) films to be shown inside the hall or movie theater. By the early 1900s, they began to feature illustration
s of a scene from each individual film or an array of overlaid images from several scenes. Other movie posters have used artistic interpretations of a scene or even the theme of the film, represented in a wide variety of artistic styles.
, movie posters were usually returned to a nation-wide operation called the National Screen Service
(NSS) which printed and distributed most of the film posters for the studios between 1940 and 1984. As an economy measure, the NSS regularly recycled posters that were returned, sending them back out to be used again at another theatre. During this time, a film could stay in circulation for several years, and so many old movie posters were badly worn before being retired into storage at an NSS warehouse (most often, they were thrown away when they were no longer needed or had become too worn to be used again). Those posters which were not returned were often thrown away by the theatre owner, but some movie posters found their way into the hands of collectors.
Beginning in the 1980s, the American film studios began taking over direct production and distribution of their posters from the National Screen Service and the process of making and distributing movie posters became decentralised in that country.
began with such things as scrap-books, autographs, photographs, and industry magazines, but quickly expanded in the post-World War II
era. Collectors began seeking out original advertising material, and the classic "one sheet
" movie poster became the pinnacle object to own for any given film. Other material, such as lobby cards, other-sized posters, international posters, personality posters, and glass slides also began to become highly sought after. Today, the field of movie memorabilia collecting has grown into an internationally recognised community of increasingly serious and financially secure collectors, making it one of the fastest areas of speculation for investment.
After the National Screen Service ceased most of its movie poster printing and distribution operations in 1985, some of the posters which they had stored in warehouses around the United States ended up in the hands of private collectors and movie poster dealers. Today there is a thriving collectibles market in movie posters. Some have become very valuable among collectors, with a few rare examples being auctioned for US$500,000 or more. The record price for a poster was set on November 15, 2005 when US$690,000 was paid for a poster of Fritz Lang
's 1927 film Metropolis
from the Reel Poster Gallery in London. Other early horror and science fiction posters are known to bring tremendous prices as well, with an example from The Mummy
realizing $452,000 in a 1997 Sotheby's
auction, and posters from both The Black Cat
and Bride of Frankenstein
selling for $334,600 in various Heritage
Auctions. The 1931 Frankenstein
6-sheet poster, of which only 1 copy is known to exist, is considered to be the most valuable movie poster in the world..
As a result of market demand, some of the more popular older movie posters have been reproduced either under license or illegally. Although the artwork on reproductions is the same as originals, reproductions can often be distinguished by size, printing quality, and paper type. Several websites on the Internet offer "authentication" tests to distinguish originals from reproductions.
Original movie posters distributed to theaters and other poster venues (such as bus stops) by the movie studios are never sold directly to the public. However, most modern movie posters are produced in large quantities and normally become available for purchase by collectors indirectly through various secondary markets such as Ebay. Accordingly, most modern posters are not rare. However, some recent posters, such as the recalled Pulp Fiction "Lucky Strikes" United States one sheet poster, are quite rare and valuable.
Lobby cards are like posters but smaller, usually 11 ×, also 8 × before 1930. Lobby cards are collected and their value depends on their age, quality and popularity. Typically issued in sets of eight, each featuring a different scene from the film. In unusual circumstances, some releases were promoted with larger (12 cards) or smaller sets (6 cards). "The Running Man" set, for example had only six (6) cards, whereas the earlier classic "The Italian Job" set spanned twelve photographs. Films released by major production companies experiencing financial difficulties sometimes had no accompanying "lobby set" at all. Perhaps one of the most notable examples of this scenario would be Michael Mann's cult classic Manhunter
(1986), for which no USA lobby card set was ever printed. Notably, there was also no 10" x 8" colour set of cards for John Carpenter's cult horror classic Halloween
(1978)
In the United Kingdom, sets of lobby cards are more typically referred to as "Front Of House" cards. However, this can sometimes also refer to black and white press photographs—in addition to the more typical 8 × 10 inch lobby card style promotional devices.
The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University holds a collection of lobby cards from silent western films that date between 1910 and 1930.
for the film. A tagline
may be included. There are some instances when teaser posters are issued long in advance before the film goes into production, although they are issued during the film development.
there may be a set of character posters, each featuring an individual character from the film. Usually it contains the name of the actor/actress, with or without the name of the character played. It may also include a tagline that reflects the quality of the character.
Movie posters come in different sizes and styles depending on the country. The most common are listed below.
The following sizes were in common use in the United States prior to the mid-1980s, but have since been phased out of production:
Normally, the artist is not identified on the film poster and, in many cases, the artist is anonymous. However, several artists have become well-known because of their outstanding illustrations on movie posters, including the following. Indeed, some artists, such as Drew Struzan, often sign their poster artwork and the signature is included on distributed posters.
John Alvin
Richard Amsel
Saul Bass
Reynold Brown
http://arglebarglin.blogspot.com/2006/07/reynold-brown-at-work.html
Tom Chantrell
Jack Davis
Frank Frazetta
Bill Gold
Mitchell Hooks
The Brothers Hildebrandt
Tom Jung
Mort Künstler
Frank McCarthy
Robert McGinnis
Bob Peak
John Solie
Vladimir and Georgii Stenberg
Drew Struzan
Howard Terpning
, sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter
, include awards for best movie poster in the categories of comedy, drama, action adventure, teaser, and international film. The Hollywood Reporter defines the term "key art" as "the singular, iconographic image that is the foundation upon which a movie's marketing campaign is built." In 2006, the original poster for The Silence of the Lambs was named best film poster "of the past 35 years".
Poster
A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be...
used to advertise a film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. Studios often print several posters that vary in size and content for various domestic and international markets. They normally contain an image with text. Today's posters often feature photographs of the main actors. Prior to the 1990s, illustrations instead of photos were far more common. The text on movie posters usually contains the film title in large lettering and often the names of the main actors. It may also include a tag line, the name of the director, names of characters, the release date, etc.
Movie posters are displayed inside and on the outside of movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s, and elsewhere on the street or in shops. The same images appear in the film exhibitor's pressbook
Pressbook
In cinema a pressbook may be a piece of promotional material created and distributed by film producers in order to market their films. Prior to 1980, most film companies did their own promotion, and the pressbooks would be given to exhibitors....
and may also be used on websites, DVD (and historically VHS) packaging, flyers, advertisements in newspapers and magazines, etc.
Movie posters have been used since the earliest public exhibitions of film. They began as outside placards listing the programme of (short) films to be shown inside the hall or movie theater. By the early 1900s, they began to feature illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
s of a scene from each individual film or an array of overlaid images from several scenes. Other movie posters have used artistic interpretations of a scene or even the theme of the film, represented in a wide variety of artistic styles.
History
Originally, movie posters were produced for the exclusive use by the theatres exhibiting the film the poster was created for, and the copies of the posters were required to be returned to the distributor after the film left the theatre. In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, movie posters were usually returned to a nation-wide operation called the National Screen Service
National Screen Service
National Screen Service was a company which controlled the distribution of theatrical advertising materials in the United States from approximately 1940 through the 1980s....
(NSS) which printed and distributed most of the film posters for the studios between 1940 and 1984. As an economy measure, the NSS regularly recycled posters that were returned, sending them back out to be used again at another theatre. During this time, a film could stay in circulation for several years, and so many old movie posters were badly worn before being retired into storage at an NSS warehouse (most often, they were thrown away when they were no longer needed or had become too worn to be used again). Those posters which were not returned were often thrown away by the theatre owner, but some movie posters found their way into the hands of collectors.
Beginning in the 1980s, the American film studios began taking over direct production and distribution of their posters from the National Screen Service and the process of making and distributing movie posters became decentralised in that country.
Collecting
The collecting of movie memorabiliaMovie memorabilia
Film memorabilia consist of objects considered of value because of their connection to the cinema. These include costumes, props, advertising posters, and scripts, among other things...
began with such things as scrap-books, autographs, photographs, and industry magazines, but quickly expanded in the post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era. Collectors began seeking out original advertising material, and the classic "one sheet
One sheet
In the entertainment industry, a one-sheet or one sheet is a single document that summarizes a product for publicity and sales.- Cinema :...
" movie poster became the pinnacle object to own for any given film. Other material, such as lobby cards, other-sized posters, international posters, personality posters, and glass slides also began to become highly sought after. Today, the field of movie memorabilia collecting has grown into an internationally recognised community of increasingly serious and financially secure collectors, making it one of the fastest areas of speculation for investment.
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang was an Austrian-American filmmaker, screenwriter, and occasional film producer and actor. One of the best known émigrés from Germany's school of Expressionism, he was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute...
's 1927 film Metropolis
Metropolis (film)
Metropolis is a 1927 German expressionist film in the science-fiction genre directed by Fritz Lang. Produced in Germany during a stable period of the Weimar Republic, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and makes use of this context to explore the social crisis between workers and...
from the Reel Poster Gallery in London. Other early horror and science fiction posters are known to bring tremendous prices as well, with an example from The Mummy
The Mummy (1932 film)
The Mummy is a 1932 horror film from Universal Studios directed by Karl Freund and starring Boris Karloff as a revived ancient Egyptian priest. The movie also features Zita Johann, David Manners and Edward Van Sloan...
realizing $452,000 in a 1997 Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
auction, and posters from both The Black Cat
The Black Cat (1934 film)
The Black Cat is a 1934 horror film that became Universal Pictures' biggest box office hit of the year. It was the first of eight movies to pair actors Béla Lugosi and Boris Karloff. Edgar G. Ulmer directed the film; Peter Ruric wrote the screenplay...
and Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American horror film, the first sequel to Frankenstein...
selling for $334,600 in various Heritage
Heritage Auctions
Heritage Auction Galleries is the world's largest collectibles auctioneer and the third largest auction house, with over $700 million in annual sales and 600,000 online bidder-members...
Auctions. The 1931 Frankenstein
Frankenstein (1931 film)
Frankenstein is a 1931 Pre-Code Horror Monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and adapted from the play by Peggy Webling which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff, and features...
6-sheet poster, of which only 1 copy is known to exist, is considered to be the most valuable movie poster in the world..
As a result of market demand, some of the more popular older movie posters have been reproduced either under license or illegally. Although the artwork on reproductions is the same as originals, reproductions can often be distinguished by size, printing quality, and paper type. Several websites on the Internet offer "authentication" tests to distinguish originals from reproductions.
Original movie posters distributed to theaters and other poster venues (such as bus stops) by the movie studios are never sold directly to the public. However, most modern movie posters are produced in large quantities and normally become available for purchase by collectors indirectly through various secondary markets such as Ebay. Accordingly, most modern posters are not rare. However, some recent posters, such as the recalled Pulp Fiction "Lucky Strikes" United States one sheet poster, are quite rare and valuable.
Lobby cards
Manhunter (film)
Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film based on Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon. Written and directed by Michael Mann, it stars William Petersen as Will Graham and features Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor...
(1986), for which no USA lobby card set was ever printed. Notably, there was also no 10" x 8" colour set of cards for John Carpenter's cult horror classic Halloween
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
(1978)
In the United Kingdom, sets of lobby cards are more typically referred to as "Front Of House" cards. However, this can sometimes also refer to black and white press photographs—in addition to the more typical 8 × 10 inch lobby card style promotional devices.
The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University holds a collection of lobby cards from silent western films that date between 1910 and 1930.
Teaser poster
A teaser poster or advance poster is an early promotional movie poster, containing a basic image or design without revealing too much information such as the plot, theme, and characters. The purpose is to incite awareness and generate hypePromotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
for the film. A tagline
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
may be included. There are some instances when teaser posters are issued long in advance before the film goes into production, although they are issued during the film development.
Character posters
For a film with an ensemble castEnsemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
there may be a set of character posters, each featuring an individual character from the film. Usually it contains the name of the actor/actress, with or without the name of the character played. It may also include a tagline that reflects the quality of the character.
Remix posters
A poster that has been altered or "remixed" to change the intent of the original movie poster. A remixed poster often contains a political or comedic message, using the credibility of the movie poster format to deliver the message of whoever is creating the remixed poster.Film poster sizes
United States
Note: In the United States motion pictures are normally referenced as "movies." The word "film" is far less common and generally used only to refer to an "art house" or foreign production. Accordingly, in the United States, and most English-speaking countries, promotional posters are almost always referenced as "movie posters" rather than "film posters."- One sheet, 27 inches by 40 inches (686x1020mm), portrait format
- Bus stop, 40 inches by 60 inches (1016mm x 1524mm), portrait format
The following sizes were in common use in the United States prior to the mid-1980s, but have since been phased out of production:
- One sheet, 27 inches by 41 inches (686x1040mm), portrait format (this size is one inch longer than the modern One sheet)
- Display (aka Half-sheet), 22 inches by 28 inches (559x711mm), landscape format
- Insert, size 14 inches by 36 inches (356x914mm), portrait format
- Window Card, 14 inches by 22 inches (356x559mm), portrait format; typically has blank space at top to accommodate promotional text for local theatre
- Two sheet, 41 inches by 54 inches (1040x1370mm), either landscape format or portrait format
- Three sheet, 41 inches by 81 inches (1040x2060mm), portrait format; usually assembled from two separate pieces
- 30x40, 30 inches by 40 inches (762x1016mm), portrait format
- 40x60, 40 inches by 60 inches (1016x1524mm), portrait format
- Six sheet, 81 inches by 81 inches (2060x2060mm), a square format; usually assembled from four separate pieces
- Twenty four sheet, 246 inches by 108 inches (6250x2740mm), landscape format often called a billboard
United Kingdom
- Quad, size 30 inches by 40 inches (762x1020mm), landscape format
- Double crown, size 20 inches by 30 inches (508x762mm), portrait format
- One-sheet, size 27 inches by 40 inches (686x1020mm), portrait format
- Three sheet, size 40 inches by 81 inches (1020x2060mm), portrait format
Australia
- DaybillDaybillA daybill is one variety of Australian film poster issued to cinemas at the time of a film's release. A daybill measures approximately 13 x 30 inches.Until the 1970s, most daybills were printed as lithographs...
, size 13 inches by 30 inches (330x762mm), portrait format (before the 1960s, Daybills were 36 inches long) - One sheetOne sheetIn the entertainment industry, a one-sheet or one sheet is a single document that summarizes a product for publicity and sales.- Cinema :...
, size 27 inches by 40 inches (686x1040mm), portrait format
Billing block
The credits for the film that appear in condensed type on contemporary film posters and other advertising copy are referred to as the billing block.Notable movie poster artists
John Alvin
John Alvin
John Henry Alvin was an American cinematic artist and painter who illustrated some of the world's most recognizable movie posters. Alvin created movie posters, which are also known as key art, for over 135 films over the course of his career, beginning with the poster for Mel Brooks' Blazing...
- Examples: Blade RunnerBlade RunnerBlade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
, The Lion KingThe Lion KingThe Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
, E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
Richard Amsel
Richard Amsel
Richard Amsel was an American illustrator and graphic designer. His career was brief but prolific, including movie posters, album covers, and magazine covers. His portrait of comedienne Lily Tomlin for the cover of Time is now part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian Institution...
- Examples: Raiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
, The StingThe StingThe Sting is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936 that involves a complicated plot by two professional grifters to con a mob boss . The film was directed by George Roy Hill, who previously directed Newman and Redford in the western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.Created by...
Saul Bass
Saul Bass
Saul Bass was a Jewish-American graphic designer and filmmaker, best known for his design of motion picture title sequences....
- Examples: VertigoVertigo (film)Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A...
, The ShiningThe Shining (film)The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
Reynold Brown
Reynold Brown
Reynold Brown was a prolific American realist artist who drew many Hollywood film posters....
http://arglebarglin.blogspot.com/2006/07/reynold-brown-at-work.html
- Examples: Attack of the 50 Foot WomanAttack of the 50 Foot WomanAttack of the 50 Foot Woman is a 1958 American science fiction feature film produced by Bernard Woolner for Allied Artists Pictures. It was directed by Nathan H. Juran from a screenplay by Mark Hanna, and starred Allison Hayes, William Hudson and Yvette Vickers. The original music score was...
, Creature from the Black LagoonCreature from the Black LagoonCreature from the Black Lagoon is a 1954 monster horror film directed by Jack Arnold, and starring Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, and Whit Bissell. The eponymous creature was played by Ben Chapman on land and Ricou Browning in underwater scenes...
, The Incredible Shrinking ManThe Incredible Shrinking ManThe Incredible Shrinking Man is a 1957 science fiction film directed by Jack Arnold and adapted for the screen by Richard Matheson from his novel The Shrinking Man ....
, The Time MachineThe Time Machine (1960 film)The Time Machine is a 1960 American science fiction film based on the 1895 novel of the same name by H. G. Wells in which a man in Victorian England constructs a time-travelling machine which he uses to travel to the future...
http://www.americanartarchives.com/brown,reynold.htm
Tom Chantrell
Tom Chantrell
Tom Chantrell was a British illustrator and film poster artist.-Biography:The son of a trapeze artist, Chantrell was the youngest of nine children...
- Examples: Von Ryan's ExpressVon Ryan's ExpressVon Ryan's Express is a 1965 World War II adventure film starring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard, based on a novel by David Westheimer, and directed by Mark Robson.-Plot:...
, Zulu DawnZulu DawnZulu Dawn is a 1979 war film about the historical Battle of Isandlwana between British and Zulu forces in 1879 in South Africa. The screenplay was by Cy Endfield, from his book, and Anthony Story. The film was directed by Douglas Hickox...
, The Land That Time Forgot
Jack Davis
Jack Davis (cartoonist)
Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories...
- Examples: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 in stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers...
, Viva Max!Viva Max!Viva Max! is a 1969 comedy film starring Peter Ustinov, Jonathan Winters and John Astin, directed by Jerry Paris. The film was written by Elliott Baker and based on a 1966 novel by Jim Lehrer.-Plot:...
, Kelly's HeroesKelly's HeroesKelly's Heroes is an offbeat 1970 comedy/war film about a group of World War II soldiers who go AWOL to rob a bank behind enemy lines. Directed by Brian G...
Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media...
- Examples: What's New Pussycat?What's New Pussycat?What's New Pussycat? is a 1965 comedy film directed by Clive Donner and starring Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, Romy Schneider, Capucine, Paula Prentiss and Ursula Andress. It was Woody Allen's film debut, as well as his first produced script. The Academy Award-nominated title song by Burt Bacharach...
Bill Gold
Bill Gold
Bill Gold is an American graphic designer best known for thousands of movie poster designs.His first film poster was for Yankee Doodle Dandy , and his most recent work was for J...
- Examples: CasablancaCasablanca (film)Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, and featuring Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson. Set during World War II, it focuses on a man torn between, in...
, A Clockwork OrangeA Clockwork Orange (film)A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
, For Your Eyes OnlyFor Your Eyes Only (film)For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films. The screenplay by Richard Maibaum...
Mitchell Hooks
Mitchell Hooks
Mitchell Hooks is an American artist and illustrator renowned for his artwork for paperback books and magazines ....
- Examples: Dr. NoDr. No (film)Dr. No is a 1962 spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film. Based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather and was directed by Terence Young. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R...
, The Sand PebblesThe Sand Pebbles (film)The Sand Pebbles is a 1966 American period war film directed by Robert Wise. It tells the story of an independent, rebellious U.S. Navy Machinist's Mate aboard the fictional gunboat USS San Pablo in 1920s China....
, El Dorado.
The Brothers Hildebrandt
The Brothers Hildebrandt
The Brothers Hildebrandt are American twin brothers who collaboratively worked as fantasy and science fiction artists. They produced illustrations for comic books, movie posters, children's books, posters, novels, calendars, advertisements, and trading cards...
- Examples: Star Wars Episode IV: A New HopeStar Wars Episode IV: A New HopeStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
("Style B" re-release), BarbarellaBarbarella (film)Barbarella is a 1968 Franco-Italian science fiction film based on Jean-Claude Forrest's French Barbarella comics. The film was directed by Roger Vadim and stars Jane Fonda, who was Vadim's wife at the time.-Plot:...
(1979 re-release)
Tom Jung
Tom Jung
Tom Jung is an American advertising art director, graphic designer and illustrator best known for his movie poster art, and a motion picture storyboard artist. -Early life and career:...
- Examples: Star Wars (Style A)Star Wars Episode IV: A New HopeStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
, The Empire Strikes Back (Style B)Tom JungTom Jung is an American advertising art director, graphic designer and illustrator best known for his movie poster art, and a motion picture storyboard artist. -Early life and career:...
,PapillonPapillon (film)Papillon is a 1973 film based on the best-selling novel by the French convict Henri Charrière.This motion picture was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Steve McQueen as Henri Charrière , and Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega...
,The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings (1978 film)J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is a 1978 American fantasy film directed by Ralph Bakshi. It contains both animation and live action footage which is rotoscoped to give it a more consistent look throughout the length of the movie. It is an adaptation of the first half of the high fantasy...
,Gone With The Wind (re-release)Tom JungTom Jung is an American advertising art director, graphic designer and illustrator best known for his movie poster art, and a motion picture storyboard artist. -Early life and career:...
Mort Künstler
Mort Künstler
Mort Künstler is a historical artist in the United States of America whose work now focuses mainly on the American Civil War. Before he turned to the Civil War in the early 1980s, he had built a body of work that dealt with America's national story: from portraits of prehistoric American life to...
- Examples: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The HindenburgThe Hindenburg (film)The Hindenburg is a 1975 American film based on the disaster of the German airship Hindenburg. The film stars George C. Scott. It was produced and directed by Robert Wise, and was written by Nelson Gidding, Richard Levinson and William Link based on the book of the same name by Michael M. Mooney .A.A...
Frank McCarthy
Frank McCarthy (artist)
Frank McCarthy born New York City 1924 died of lung cancer on 17 November 2002 in Sedona, Arizona was a prolific American artist and realist painter renowned for advertisements, magazine artwork, paperback covers, film posters, and paintings of the American West.He studied under George Bridgman and...
- Examples: The Ten CommandmentsThe Ten Commandments (1956 film)The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic film that dramatized the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the Hebrew-born Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince, becomes the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. The film, released by Paramount Pictures in VistaVision on October 5, 1956, was directed by...
, The Train, The Dirty DozenThe Dirty DozenThe Dirty Dozen is a 1967 film directed by Robert Aldrich and released by MGM. It was filmed in England and features an ensemble cast, including Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, and Robert Webber. The film is based on E. M...
, On Her Majesty's Secret ServiceOn Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby...
Robert McGinnis
Robert McGinnis
Robert McGinnis is an American artist and illustrator. McGinnis is known for his illustrations of over 1200 paperback book covers, and over 40 movie posters, including Breakfast at Tiffanys , Barbarella, and several James Bond and Matt Helm films.-Biography:Born Robert Edward McGinnis in...
- Examples: Casino RoyaleCasino Royale (1967 film)Casino Royale is a 1967 comedy spy film originally produced by Columbia Pictures starring an ensemble cast of directors and actors. It is set as a satire of the James Bond film series and the spy genre, and is loosely based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel.The film stars David Niven as the...
, Breakfast at Tiffany's
Bob Peak
Bob Peak
Robert "Bob" M. Peak was an American commercial illustrator best known for innovative design in the development of the modern movie poster....
- Examples: Our Man FlintOur Man FlintOur Man Flint is a 1966 action film that parodies of James Bond genre. The film was directed by Daniel Mann, written by Hal Fimberg and Ben Starr, and starring James Coburn as master spy Derek Flint...
, CamelotCamelot (film)Camelot is a 1967 film adaptation of the musical of the same name. Richard Harris stars as Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave as Guinevere, and Franco Nero as Lancelot. The film was directed by Joshua Logan.-Plot:...
, Apocalypse NowApocalypse NowApocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
, The Spy Who Loved MeThe Spy Who Loved Me (film)The Spy Who Loved Me is a spy film, the tenth film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Roger Moore as the fictional secret agent James Bond. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and the screenplay was written by Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum...
John Solie
- Examples: Shaft's Big ScoreShaft's Big ScoreShaft's Big Score, released in 1972, is the second film in the trilogy in which actor Richard Roundtree starred as the private-eye, John Shaft. Gordon Parks again directed, and Ernest Tidyman once more supplied the screenplay. Isaac Hayes was unavailable, so Parks, the director, did the score himself...
, CaponeCapone (film)Capone is an American crime film directed by Steve Carver and stars Ben Gazzara, Harry Guardino, Susan Blakely and Sylvester Stallone in an early film appearance. The movie is a biography of the infamous Al Capone, although much of it is supposedly fiction.The film was released on DVD in the U.S...
Vladimir and Georgii Stenberg
- Examples: Man with a Movie CameraMan with a Movie CameraMan with a Movie Camera , sometimes called The Man with the Movie Camera, The Man with a Camera, The Man With the Kinocamera, or Living Russia is an experimental 1929 silent documentary film, with no story and no actors, by Russian director Dziga Vertov, edited by his wife Elizaveta...
Drew Struzan
Drew Struzan
Drew Struzan is an American artist known for his more than 150 movie posters, which include all the films in the Indiana Jones, Back to the Future and Star Wars film series. He has also painted album covers, collectibles, and book covers.- Early life and education :Drew Struzan was born in Oregon...
- Examples: Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial, Indiana Jones, Back to the FutureBack to the FutureBack to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
, The Thing, Jurassic ParkJurassic Park (film)Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Howard Terpning
Howard Terpning
Howard Terpning is an American painter and illustrator best known for his paintings of Native Americans.-Life and career:...
- Examples: The Guns of NavaroneThe Guns of Navarone (film)The Guns of Navarone is a 1961 British-American Action/Adventure war film based on the 1957 novel of the same name about the Dodecanese Campaign of World War II by Scottish thriller writer Alistair MacLean. It stars Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, along with Anthony Quayle and Stanley...
, CleopatraCleopatra (1963 film)Cleopatra is a 1963 British-American-Swiss epic drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero. The film starred Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy...
, The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music (film)Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
European movie poster artists
- France
- Boris GrinssonBoris GrinssonBoris Grinsson born Pskov, Russia 1907 died 1999 was an artist famous for drawing the designs for over French film posters.-Biography:Fleeing Russia after the Bolshevik take over, Grinsson's family settled in Estonia with Boris studying art in Tartu. Moving to Berlin to use his skills, he found...
- Jean Mascii
- Yves Thos
- Boris Grinsson
- Italy
- Anselmo Ballester
- Alfredo Capitani
- Renato Casaro
- Averado Ciriello
- Renato Fratini
- Luigi Martinati
- Spain
- Macario Gomez
Awards
The annual Key Art AwardsKey Art Awards
The Key Art Awards are an annual collection of honors given for outstanding achievement in artwork and other promotional materials advertising movies...
, sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
, include awards for best movie poster in the categories of comedy, drama, action adventure, teaser, and international film. The Hollywood Reporter defines the term "key art" as "the singular, iconographic image that is the foundation upon which a movie's marketing campaign is built." In 2006, the original poster for The Silence of the Lambs was named best film poster "of the past 35 years".
External links
- AllPosterForum.com: Forum for movie poster collectors (founded 2009)
- Filmfan.com: The Internet's first movie poster forum (founded 1995)
- IMPAwards.com: Movie poster images, and annual awards
- MoviePosterCollectors.com: Reference, authentication, and showcase website
- MoviePosterForum.com: Discussion and Authentication (founded 2005)
- MPDB.com: Movie poster database and images
- MPoster.com: Movie poster images
- Not Strictly For General Exhibition: Discussion forum (founded 2005)
- Yale Beinecke Library Western Silent Films Lobby Cards Collection, 1912-1930