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

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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.

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Name Name

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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

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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

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Bob Peak

1979 Budgeted $31.5 Made: Approx $40 mil

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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!

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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 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)

Poster Types:

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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)

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Re-Release

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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

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