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Movie Poster Trends – The Secret Appeal of Reading Faces
Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at 3:38PM 
As our look at movie poster trends and what they say about the films they’re representing continue, here is another one that I’m considering for my short film, “ABYSS.” Designers behind these posters took the saying “It’s written all over your face” literally, placing it front and center in these marketing materials.
In Text, Faces and Movie Posters, French blogger Christophe Courtois points out an emphasis on punch lines – with placement on the nose, forehead or mouths of the films’ protagonists.
Posters for movies such as the adventure-fantasy flick “Thor” starring Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth as well as mockumentary “I’m Still Here” starring Joaquin Phoenix and (one of the most memorable being) the biographical drama “The Social Network” starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake all utilize text as one of, if not the main, focal points of their design.
Movie Poster Trend #13 - Text in Your Face
This trend is fairly new; basically a lot of bandwagon marketing. But in this case the typeface and the way it’s arranged on the poster at least gives you an idea of the amount of artistic pretention involved. -Para1/Oh No They Didn’t! (ONTD)
Say what you will about this text-over-face trend in movie posters, but in terms of design, I think the poster for the romantic sci-fi thriller “The Adjustment Bureau” starring Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Anthony Mackie is especially useful for producers of independent film, to study.
It provides enough information to viewers without relying on Damon’s (or even to an extent, Blunt’s or Mackie’s) star power to attract interest in the movie. It doesn’t take long to quickly understand what “The Adjustment Bureau” is about, possibly even becoming intrigued by the mysterious figure in the background, which adds to the curiosity and/or anticipation of what this film has to offer you.
While there is a version of “The Adjustment Bureau” poster that does feature Damon and Blunt as one of the main design elements, I think the one with the mystery-man layout shows me there is potential for movies like “ABYSS” to stand out -- by finding a catch phrase or something that could be the main focal point without featuring photos of anyone in the film.
Since independent films tend to feature relatively unknown actors, the somewhat abstract nature of “The Adjustment Bureau” poster lends a hand to those of us who are working with limited production, post-production and marketing budgets. It’s a win-win for audiences and for filmmakers. I don’t have to feel bad about not being able to woo and afford the likes of Tom Cruise or Halle Berry for my movie and viewers don’t have to look at the poster and say “Who the hell is that person? I’ve never heard of him or her!”
Stressing text over imagery rather than the other way around allows the designer and the producer (which would be me, where “ABYSS” is concerned) to present a clear, yet, basic message about the movie and not have to worry about finding a fancy concept that makes it look all “Hollywood.” In fact, I don’t even want to go for the tinsel-town type of look because doing so could potential throw people off from what my movie is about, given that the story involves a reality show, of sorts.
Do YOU think text on faces in a movie poster is distracting, or can it help add to the overall image?
Are YOU more likely, or less likely, to pay attention to text over abstract (or faded or blurry) forms versus clear photos of people on movie posters?
*If you missed the previous installment of this Movie Trends series, READ IT (Movie Poster Trends – Hidden Faces) HERE.
Reader Comments (2)
Not a fan of it. I like movie posters in the same style as I like book covers - with amazing artwork and graphics. Ones like Thor are all right, but some of those are overboard.
I don't get to see a lot of movie posters, but interesting... I definitely think it's an interesting strategy. I don't know if I like or dislike it, to be honest, but I like what you've written here and what you've put together for this post! :)