Poster - The Evolution of Film Posters

The Evolution of Film Posters

1920s

The 1920s was known for movie posters that employed fairly traditional type for the time and hand-drawn illustrations.

1930s

In the 1930s, we see a shift towards bolder designs with a growing tendency towards illustrations focusing on main characters of the film, particularly close ups of their faces.

1940s

By the 1940s, character illustrations were the most prominent.

1950s

In the 1950s we start to see poster designers trying conceptual approaches, such as the Love in the Afternoon poster which is free of characters.

1960s

60s posters don’t go as far as getting rid of illustrations altogether but, play a more important role in the layouts. The illustrations move to a more peripheral role.

1970s 

The 70s is an example of the fast movement of trends in technology and the media industry. Photographs play a big role in posters for the first time, often taking up the bulk of the poster.

1980s

This is where we start to see the movie poster in a form similar to what we see today. Large photos as the big central image are more. However, the amount of text has increased compared to previous decades. 

1990s

Posters of the 90s include pretty much what we have today; photgraphic backgrounds, slogans at the top, and the names of the protagonists and antagonists actors above the name of the film.

2000s

Through the 80s and 90s we see the evolution of movie posters slowed down. In the 2000s we see improvements to keep up with trends in photography, but the layout often remains the same. Towards the end of the decade as minimalism comes into account. That can be seen in the posters of movies such as Up, The Dark Knight and Buried.