• 04Feb
    Lights! Camera! Design! A Look at Graphic Design in Film

    It’s Saturday night and one of the greatest things to do to relax and unwind from a tough week is to get in the car and head out to the movies. As one of America’s favorite pastimes, your local theater always has plenty of choices, but have you ever realized how much graphic design is involved in great films? Today’s films have progressed in quality at such an advanced state that we all are having trouble catching up, but most of us don’t realize how much design has to do with the creation of these masterpieces. From promotional art, to editing and special effects, to packaging and DVD covers, graphic design is everywhere in the film studio.When you arrive at the theater, the first thing you do is get in line and buy your ticket. Well, of course on a Saturday, it’s usually crowded and you do have to wait in line, but don’t fret, there is plenty to look at to keep your mind active and entertained. Promotional posters are everywhere and of course, those posters are created by graphic designers. Each poster is usually phenomenally created and they would have to be to compete for your attention. There are so many in a theater lobby that how else would you notice one over the other. If you stare at it long enough and are curious about the story it tells, then the designer has done their job well.


    The Dark Knight (2008)

    This one is a great example. “The Dark Knight,” already had a ton of hype so its poster needed no explanation. We all know the greatness of Superhero Logos, Batman in particular, but it was Heath Legder’s Joker alone was a huge attraction for most audiences and knowing this, Warner Brothers used the character as a promotional tool. The tagline is great and has so much meaning to it and the faded image in the background is quite unsettling. You know who it is, but it’s almost censored so that we have to wait to see the movie to see the Joker’s face. It really sets the mood for the film.

    The Darker Knight
    This poster is the same concept but much less effective. It appears more like something from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” then from “The Dark Knight.” I think it’s the shower door effect that throws it off so much. It says very little about the film and has nothing to do with a shower so in a way, it is quite misleading.

    The Day after Tomorrow (2004)
    The poster for “The Day After Tomorrow” is an excellent example of great graphic design work. I have yet to see the Photoshop tutorial that will teach me how to cover the statue of liberty in snow, but I am sure there is one out there somewhere. The image has a great wind effect and awesome cloud cover in which you just feel cold by simply gazing upon it. The use of blue also has a dark and ominous feel. The designer really set the mood in this image.

    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
    “Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban” is nicely done graphic example. With great set up and great foreshadowing, what more could you ask for? Your three main characters engulf the center, with Harry in front of course, and the added background details include major plot points in the movie, such as Sirius’s character, a hand from a Dementor or the shrunken head from the knight bus. These references are all very strategically placed to work in the entire graphical image to cover the movie as a whole.

    Filmmakers and graphic designers work hand in hand when working on projects. They are both very collaborative efforts in which a team can create a much better result than one creative mind working alone. Designing is a huge part of post-production. Great graphic designers already know computer programs and the background basics of design which helps when it comes to editing and color correcting. Their eye for details can offer some fantastic insight, so not only can a designer work on still art but since the medias are so closely related, designers can have great opportunities in moving art as well. Animation brings out even more opportunities for graphic designers. Animation is not just for kid films. It is used in live action films for special effect purposes, such as dinosaurs in “Jurassic Park,” Spiderman swinging through city streets or a destructive monster in “Cloverfield.” Graphic design is all a part of this detailed process that often just flashes before our eyes on screen. Aside from the films themselves, film studios and production companies all have logos to promote themselves. Of course, graphic designers can credit themselves for these great and well known works of art. Not only do these companies have a still logo but when introduced in the opening credits of a film, they also have an logo to represent their company. As we have seen before, Hollywood studio logos play an important role in corporate identity. Although a lot of us disregard these when in a dark theater, munching on sweet treats, we still do know those logos well and can associate them with these film companies without giving it a second thought.

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6 users responded in " Lights! Camera! Design! A Look at Graphic Design in Film "
    • avoidz Says:
      February 4th, 2009 at 7:41 pm

      The Prisoner of Azkaban poster is a great design. Everything about it seems to work. Even the washed out colors. It looks dark and foreboding, and a step up in maturity for the cast. The movie itself is good, too :)

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