I had some trouble picking a good movie poster to analyze. I wanted to pick something cool and edgy but then I realized I won’t be able to find my creative voice without looking to artwork I’ve always admired. For me, that’s animated movies, so I went to a movie I’ve seen probably over 50 times.
I also thought it would take way less time, but it ended up being really effective and I’m glad I did it before moving onto my own poster. The breakdown analysis of the Moana poster helped me think about how to put my own poster together.
Hierarchy
It was really clear that the focus was the two subjects, then the vibrant background, then the title of the movie. I was a bit confused on whether the background or title should be 2nd, but then I realized the colors of the ocean are meant to be engaging and understood in tandem with the characters.
Typography
At first it was hard to put into words what the Moana title font’s effect is, but as I started to analyze the actual features of the lettering, it became easier to understand. The rough edges and uneven weight help to create a carving effect, meant to invoke tribal themes. It helps the viewer understand what the movie’s cultural setting is, which is Ancient Polynesia. The hand-drawn effect combined with the title itself, which is just the main character’s name, conveys that the The “O” in “Moana” is also a spiral, which is reminiscient of the ocean, and is an easter egg for the movie as well.
Background color palette
The background color palette, in contrast to the subject color palette is very cool toned, using many variations of blue and green to paint the picture of the scene. This was a really effective choice in making clear the focus of the poster (the characters).
Negative space
The negative space in the center around Moana and Maui is very effective in making them the focus of the poster. The negative space at the top (the sky) helps to ground the image, and lets the viewer know where the setting of the movie is.
I originally wanted to show an emotional side to Interstellar, Christopher Nolan’s 2014 sci-fi blockbuster. My idea was to put Matthew Mconaughey in a void in space and have him look at a mirror. In the mirror would be his daughter Murph, who he abandoned, and behind her, the Earth. It came out like this:
So clearly I am not skilled enough (yet!) to make my vision a reality. I tried out some other variations:
After two failed attempts, I realized my issue: using the characters. I needed specific photos of them to carry out what I was trying to do, so random movie stills weren’t going to cut it. I decided to dumb it down a bit and get back to basics. Interstellar is, first and foremost, a movie about space. So, I repurposed the famous black hole still from the movie, as well as the official logo. It still needed something to add dimension, so I played around with some lens flare brushes on Photoshop to create a starry sky, adding the large flare in the top right corner to represent the “light at the end of the tunnel” and allude to the movie’s plot. Lastly, I wanted to implement the grid system we learned about in class and used it to inform my design.This was the final product!
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
This article was really interesting and hit home for me as a queer WOC. I think a lot of times people from underrepresented communities have to make themselves “digestible” in order for their work to be appreciated, and this article touched on that a bit. The world created its definition of “taste” without consulting me or the communities I belong to, which are intertwined with my taste. Many times, even these communities do not have space to accept art from other communities, which creates a small niche of intersectional identity in which I (and others like me) feel safe to share their creative pursuits. Many South Asian people do not accept queerness, and many queer communities do not include enough people of color. So then, where does my “taste” belong?
It’s interesting how we’ve developed “good or bad” taste as a society. For example, when something is appreciated by a large group of people, it becomes “cool” to like that thing. However, as soon as too many people appreciate it, it’s “lame” and “mainstream”. We use “taste” as a way to express our identities, and accumulate social capital by how “cool” our taste is. People who are super out of the box are really cool– just not too out of the box or else they’re just weird. It’s necessary to create space for art that’s emerged from cultures other than our own, and at times, put our own perspective aside to observe what’s in front of us. Just because the work is not immediately visually appealing (which is, of course, subjective) does not mean that it’s not art, or shouldn’t take up as much space and get as much visibility as something that is widely accepted by others as art.