THE MOVIE POSTER

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Although considered a relatively new

medium to most, the movie industry
has been in existence for over 100
years. It has not only survived but
prospered through a century of almost
insurmountable obstacles and
adversities.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Today, movies are a billion dollar

industry. The movie poster, in all of its
sizes and forms, has been the
backbone on which this industry was
built. Movies and their posters have
grown side-by-side since the late
1800's.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

During the late 1800's,

many inventors
experimented with
devices that would
make pictures appear to
move. The Belgian
scientist, Joseph
Plateur, invented the
phenakistoscope in
1832.

Joseph Plateur

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

This device consisted of two disks a few

inches apart on a rod. Plateau placed
painted pictures of a person or thing on
the edge of one of the disks, each
picture being slightly advanced. The
other disk had slots, so when both disks
were rotated at the same speed, the
pictures appeared to move as they came
into the view of the slots.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Entertainment advertisement

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

History of the Movie Poster

http://www.mhsgent.ugent.be/engl-plat5.html

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

From the very beginning movie posters
were a part of commerce, designed to get
patrons to the box office.
In 1890 a Frenchman named Jules Cheret
is credited with producing the very first
movie poster, a lithograph designed to
promote a short film entitled Projections
Artistiques.

THE MOVIE POSTER

History of the Movie Poster

Five years later, a movie poster for the Lumiere

Brothers Arrival of a Train in 1895 was the first
to depict an actual scene from the film.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

However, up until the early 1910s, the

majority of early film posters were nothing
more than simple broadside style signs
with little more than block text.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

A typical poster for an early
Edison film contained little
more than the movies title
and the words Another
Edison Photoplay.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Up to this point in film history, there were no

"movie stars." Most of the actors in the early
films choose to remain anonymous. It was
to the benefit of all involved with early films
to keep their movie's participants unknown.

Legitimate stage actors preferred to remain

unknown, embarrassed that anyone would find out
that they participated in this new medium.
Movie producers were secure in knowing that they could
control the medium as long as the movie participants
remained unnamed.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

By the year 1910, however, things began to change.

As early as 1908, studios began receiving mail
addressed to nameless actors.
Movie producers, fearing that giving the identity of
the stars would cause them to demand more
money, continued to insist on anonymity.
But the studios were soon faced with the reality that
movie goers wanted to know the names of the
actors and actresses.
This would become quite evident thanks to the stunt
perpetrated on the industry by Carl Laemmle, owner of
IMP studio.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

The first Publicity Stunt
Mr. Laemmle managed to steal one Florence Lawrence from a rival
movie studio. To this point, Ms. Lawrence was known to her fans
as the "Biograph Girl. In what could be considered one of the
first publicity stunts pulled off by a movie studio, a rumor was
started, purportedly by Mr Laemmle himself, that the adored
"Biograph Girl" was dead.
In order to set the record straight, Mr. Laemmle published a full page
ad in a St. Louis newspaper stating that he had "nailed a lie" and
would be presenting Ms. Lawrence in St. Louis. When more
people showed up to see Ms. Lawrence than had come to see
then President Taft (who had the highest approval rating in US
History!) who was visiting St. Louis one week earlier, the studio
owners had to acquiesce, and no longer would movie actors
and actresses be kept anonymous.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

It was at this point that producers

recognized that the real selling tools
were not the movies but the "stars" that
graced their screens. Suddenly, posters had
to be designed with consideration given to
the stars and their "pecking order."

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Posters now had to reflect the size and status of

the leading lady" and "leading man. Soon the
public could recognize one's "star status" simply by
looking at a movie poster.
The size of the print and the placement were easy
indicators as to just how "big" a particular star was.
Movie contracts would now include clauses
relating to the size and placement of names on
the movie poster and other advertising
materials.
Actors and actresses had now become powers
to be reckoned with.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Name
Name

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

The early 1920's were considered the golden age of

the silent movie. Grand movie palaces soon
replaced the movie theatre, and the crude posters
of old gave way to more splendid, artistically
aesthetic movie posters.
Well known commercial artists were commissioned
by many studios to design movie poster "portraits"
of leading stars.
Unfortunately, the American studios did not allow
the artists to sign their posters, as commercial
artists were allowed to do on European movie
posters.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

These new posters no longer depicted
scenes -- the posters were designed with
portraits of the stars, the movie title and
the stars' names.
There was an occasional slogan or two, but
the emphasis was now placed on the
movie's "stars."
Most of the studios had their advertising
offices in New York, and this is where most
of the posters originated from.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

It was during this time, (actually started in
1919) that the National Screen Service
("NSS") first made its appearance. NSS
began competing with the studios' lucrative
business of creating and distributing
"trailers."
Trailers were the film clips of coming
attractions that would be shown after a
feature presentation - thus the term
"trailer."

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

NATIONAL SCREEN SERVICE
Next to movie studios, the National Screen
Service ("NSS") had the most direct and
profound impact on the movie paper
advertising industry.
From 1939 until the mid-1980s, the NSS
was the "control center" for almost 90% of
the movie paper distributed.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

By the 1920's, a new printing process was

developed. Known as photogelatin or heliotype,
this new process was used primary on smaller sized
card stock items, such as lobby cards, inserts and
window cards.
Evolving from one color to three (YELLOW, PINK
and BLUE), this process was used for materials
meant to be viewed closely.
These items were not as effective when viewed
from a distance.
One-sheets and larger paper continued to be
printed via stone (and later aluminum plate)
lithography.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

By the 1950's, the "fan magazines" also
made its appearance during this time
period.
Photoplay and Movie Mirror were two of the
pioneers in this area, and their magazines
were replete with color photographs of all
major movie stars.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Movie companies adopted this style of
advertising, and soon movie posters
began to look more like color
photographs, using tinted photographs
and large stock lettering.
With the number of cars on the roads,
posters were designed to be seen from long
distances.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

In the 60s, movies posters progressed, the
posters began to reflect the changing
attitudes toward violence and sex.
The use of photographs were replacing the
painted artwork common in the early years.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

The movies posters of the 1970's continued the

use of photography. Drawing and painting styles
were still being used occasionally, and artists like
Richard Amsel, Frank Frazetta and Bob Peak lent
their names to some of the more popular film
posters of this era.

Movie posters were now being printed on a claycoated paper which gave them a glossy finish
smooth to the touch.

Examples of how
KEY ART
Is used in movie marketing

http://www.impawards.com/2005/cd.html

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Richard Amsel

1980
Budgeted $35 mil
Made: Approx $40 mil

1974
Budgeted $6 mil
Made: Approx $12 mil

1982
Budgeted $15 mil
Made $23 mil

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Bob Peak

1979
Budgeted $31.5
Made: Approx $40 mil

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Drew Struzan

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

By the 1980's, the National Screen

Service lost its control over the movie
paper industry, leaving only three regional
offices remaining in operation.

This fact, along with the advent of the multiscreen complexes, the lineup of advertising
materials available to theatres changed
drastically.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Prior to this time, most theatres had just one

screen and one feature movie. More advertising
space was dedicated to each movie, with theatre
lobbies covered with various sizes of posters for
one movie.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

With more screens and more movies, the advertising

space in the theatre lobby now had to be divided
equally among all films being shown. As a
consequence, movie studios opted to phase out of
some of these "old standards" and introduced a more
versatile "mini sheet" which could be produced in any
smaller size.

This "mini" sheet could take the place of any of the

smaller sizes, since there is no standard size. Its just
smaller than 27 x 40!

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

The "mini" sheet

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

The video rental market, which began

gaining popularity during the 1985, has
given movie producers another avenue for
increasing profits.

No longer do movie studios have to rely on

theatre box office receipts to make money.
Video rental income now figures heavily in
weighing the success or failure of a film.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Since video rentals also rely on advertising,

a new line of video materials were
introduced. Video posters, which appear to
be similar to the theatre one sheets, are
distributed to video rental outlets for display.

Many studios issue a number of materials

strictly for their video market, making it a
viable profit alternative for movie studios.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

The rise of the video resulted in the

demise of reissues/re-releases.

Instead of re-releasing a film to the

theatres, movie studios simply released
them on video cassette.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Reissues/Re-releases.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Many of today's studios have opted

to use the "mini" sheet. Since the
mini sheet is not a standard size, it
can be used to replace many of the
old favorites, like inserts, half
sheets (horizontal poster),
window cards.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Inserts

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Stand-ees, mobiles and counter displays

are also very popular. Video advertising
materials are also still widely used. In
addition, posters made for cable TV and
network television movies have also been
introduced.

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

A standee is any type of display that

basically "stands on its own or is able to be
displayed with little or no outside support.

A standee can range from a small counter

top standing display to a larger than life
lobby size display, and anything in between

MOVIE POSTER HISTORY

Standees

THE MOVIE POSTER

The Movie Poster (modern)

Traditional Size:
27x40 (41) double print size
Full Sail size 24x36

Poster Types:
PRE-RELEASE: Usually has general release date
(not exact unless a holiday specific)
RELEASE: Theatrical Distribution
RE-RELEASE: After Awards or Re-released
VIDEO: DVD/Video. (Usually different key art and
date)

THE MOVIE POSTER

Release:

Key Art

THE MOVIE POSTER

Release:

Talent
Key Crew

Industry: ExP, Producer, Writer, Composer, Editor,

Director, and sometimes DP
Full Sail: Director(s), Writer, UPM/PC, DP/Gaffer,
PD/AD, 1st AD/2nd AD, and Casting Director

Tagline
Webpage
Rating (MPAA) www.mpaa.org
Release Date
Specialty Items (THX, 3-D, etc)
Synergy (Book, Soundtrack, etc)

THE MOVIE POSTER

Re-Release

THE MOVIE POSTER

DVD & Video

The Full Sail Movie Poster

FULL SAIL MOVIE POSTER

Creation of the Poster:

Step 1:
Go over the script with the students
at a Production Meeting 8.

FULL SAIL MOVIE POSTER

Creation of the Poster:

Step 2:
Discuss the key idea and a few
scenes that depict the essence of
the film.

Develop a few conceptual designs on

the look of the poster.

FULL SAIL MOVIE POSTER

Creation of the Poster:

Step 3:
If the "essence" of the story can be
captured in one of the stills on the
set, then go over which title text style
would enhance the mood of the
image.

FULL SAIL MOVIE POSTER

Creation of the Poster:

Step 4:
If this "essence" of the story can be
captured in one of the stills on the
set;

Plan which day of production to shoot

the key art.

FULL SAIL MOVIE POSTER

Creation of the Poster:

Step 5:
If the key art, that will become the
poster needs to be shot in a studio
setting, go over what kind of lighting,
make-up, talent, and art department
will be needed for a studio photo
shoot.

FULL SAIL MOVIE POSTER

Creation of the Poster:

Step 6:
Pick a range of dates for the photo
shoot.

Coordinate the best date with the

talent, needed gear and/or location.

FULL SAIL MOVIE POSTER

FOR MORE ON FULL SAIL MOVIE
POSTERS CHECK OUT:
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