Minimal Movie Poster Designs Are Ho-Hum. Keep It Real!

By Aamina Suleman , Aug 2 2016

Nowadays, minimalism is the “thing” but I find minimal movie posters are boring and soulless. I like to keep things real, impactful and relatable. Do you think otherwise?

I am the kind of person who is more impressed with a design reflecting or rather flaunting a designer’s skill, time and creativity than something that is simple and seems like it was made in an hour or less. That may not be true, but for me details are valuable.

As Co.Design suggests, you don’t want “Lunchables version of a cheeseburger” when you order one in a café. I would also be like, “Whaaat, where’s my burger dude?” In the same way, when I enter a cinema to buy a ticket, I want value for my time and money. A blank white canvas with a single black line will not impress me to watch Black Swan for instance.

Minimal Vs. The Real Thing

You may think, I’m defying the contemporary poster design trend, but the visual effects that skeuomorphic designs have on the mind and heart are certainly different than the feelings a minimal work evokes.

Which of the following designs encourage you to watch the movie?

Movie Poster Designs
 

Movie Poster Designs
 

Movie Poster Designs

I feel that posters are part of a film’s marketing strategy, thus it is important to humanize your designs to connect with your audience.

On the other hand, a minimal movie poster no doubt stimulates logical thinking. However, who wants to keep on guessing what the poster is all about when the decision ‘to watch or not to watch’ the movie can be made in a jiffy with a normal poster design.

Without the title, minimal posters are literally a labyrinth.

Movie Poster Designs

You guess a part of it, but there are loopholes. While the imagery in some minimal posters give viewers a hint about the movie, the new minimal design trend is ridiculous! This includes the extreme minimal posters by Atipo, a Spanish graphic design agency.

Ultra Minimal Posters

Just when I was thinking that minimal movie posters aren’t as impactful as the elaborate ones, I found a prey! A movie poster series by Atipo: Papers for Characters highlighted in an article by Wired.

So I thought let’s take a test. Not only do you need to guess the movie titles but also tell me whether you find these posters striking enough to watch the particular film. Be honest.

Find the answers below*

Image 1
 

Image 2
 

Image 3
 

Image 4
 

Image 5

If this was tricky, wait till graphic designers find more ways to juice your brain cells.

Final Fantasy Verdict

To be honest, I like looking at the various elements of design (images, colors, typography, and perspective) come together in a single composition to radiate the gist of a movie. There is an emotional and cognitive depth in such posters, which is not present in Spartan designs.

Also Explore: The Lost Art of Movie Titles

Feast your eyes and extend your knowledge about movie poster design. These slides include an analysis on the posters of six famous film genres: action, comedy, fantasy, romance, science fiction, and horror.

Let’s go behind the scenes and discover the enacting graphic design in movie posters.

Answers*

Image 1: Jaws

Image 2: Edward Scissorhands

Image 3: Frankenstein

Image 4: Dracula

Image 5: Fahrenheit 451

A marketing design enthusiast, super passionate about the evolving scope of visual communication. With 3+ years of experience in content marketing, Aamina is driven by insights, inspirations, trends and creativity. She loves to travel, eat khowsuey, sip coffee, and watch mysteries.

 

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