What attracts you to a film shop? Is it your expectation to find your favorite film? Is it the loud music or film posters?
We see movie posters before we see the favorite They are the first attempt by filmmakers to market their art. Back in the day, a movie poster was a big deal. These days, technology has made them barely visible on the streets. Movie posters are still important though, big filmmakers that have enough marketing budget buy ad spaces on Google and what we, see are not the movie trailers but the movie poster. Curiosity would not just grow when a movie poster looks like an everyday photo. Graphic designers have an opportunity to make great impact with movie posters.
At least, a movie poster should be able to grab attention, create interest, it should spark a desire and lead to action- action means viewers trooping into the cinema. A movie poster should involve the lead character or some major plot point- that is enough to grab attention. Sometimes abstract symbols grab attention. Other times provocative images. But true art does not communicate immediately, it makes you think!
Xplore gives a countdown of the best and worse movie posters we’ve see through half of 2016.
We start with the worst. Consider this some of our favourite movies that unfortunately, did not have posters to fit the beauty of the films.
- Locked up by Serah Donald Onyeachor
This film is online but I’ve not seen it, mainly because the poster does not do anything for me. A beautiful image does not make a marketable film poster. The only plot point we get from this poster is the padlock. This is a film that deals with promiscuity by an elder sister; she goes as far as locking her sister in the house, with no food- nothing at all. Does this poster do justice to the message? No, the photo-shoot-like images are distracting. This is not a film, I would go and watch judging from the poster and yes, people judge from the poster.
- ATM by Lancelot Imaseun
For a lot of reasons, this poster does not just do it. It is not the simplicity but the effort made that does not reflect on the poster. If it does not look like hard work, chances are that there would be very little interest from the audience. This movie poster is wrong for all the wrong reasons. It lacks the simple magic of combining simplicity with a little depth. This film was meant to make us laugh. It was meant to be an eye opener on what some Nigerian men get into to get a better life, unfortunately, the poster appears bland. There could have been a little more effort than what appears to be a simple studio Facebook photo op.
- Entreat by Michael Asuelime
Entreat was quite a good film but unfortunately the film poster looks like an awards issue for the AMVCA shot by Mania magazine. Lots of celebrities should attract the crowd because different people, different fan base, the problem is we have seen this kind of settings severally. We have seen these faces pose like this for high profile magazines. The poster was like an invite to the AMVCA, the film had bits of this since a bit of the storyline was more a celebration of “stars.”
- Ghana Must Go by Frank Rajah Arase
This is a hard one because Ghana Must Go was a spectacular film but we can’t say the same for the film poster. There are a lot of ideas that could have gone into this poster but for some reason, there was little effort put to the movie poster or maybe the problem is that most people in the industry just love a little photo-shoot session. Forget the comedy, Ghana Must Go had quite an eye opening storyline, then why a fancy photo shoot? The frown on Yvonne’s face and Kofi’s face does not communicate enough. In fact, it does not communicate anything at all.
- Gone Grey by Sobe Charles Umeh
The problem with this film poster is that we have seen it many times before. Remember the film poster for By the Gun or even Angelina Jolie’s Wanted. Too similar people! Graphic designers need more opportunities to think out of the box!
THE BEST MOVIE POSTERS
- The CEO By Kunle Afolayan
Sometimes this is just what we need to see! No people. No provocative images, just a symbolic image and it will get you to look more than you will look at some of the provocative posters out there. Very little is told. We saw the symbol, not the actors, yet, it stimulates interest. It focused on the plot point. The poster says ‘go watch the film’ and yes people are going to be watching even without the expected loaded images.
- Wives on Strike by Omoni Oboli
A political statement was made with this poster and that is what makes it really interesting. Advocacy is all over the poster. They all wear the same kind of dress- it is not distracting. Make up is not over the top. Best of all, it is not a photo shoot. This is a film one would go to the theatre to see, not because of the name, but because the poster is saying ‘there is more.’
- Stalker by Moses Inwang
When characters communicate emotions through pictures what more will they do when they are in motion? Moses Inwang’s film Stalker poster wants us to answer that question. This poster triggers interest in the easiest way movie posters are supposed to- it focuses on characters story. Nse is not happy. Jim Iyke looks aggressive. Why are they this way? What went wrong? These are questions that a simple poster could start and you could just find yourself in the cinema to find these answers.
- Surulere
There is a story here. This people are not happy for a reason we would love to know. We particularly love the Surulere poster for its tone. The unhappy, yet comedic faces.
- Hex by Clarence Peters
Nigerian movie makers have ignored the horror genre for a while for reasons known best to them. This film poster scared me, yet it made me want to see the film. Many movie posters were released for this film but this is the official one and for so many reasons, I love this. Truly art!
Rejoice a movie enthusiast, who feels Art is inspiring, it makes her think and she believes it is the way forward. You can check her out on Facebook: www.facebook.com/joicesamuelabutsa
