Minimalist Poster April 2013

There was a fair amount of discussion recently about minimalist movie posters.

So, I thought it might be an idea to see what the great TG Community would do with this.

There's a movie, which has a poster that goes with the movie.
What we have to do is to come up a poster for that movie.
But... this poster has to be minimalist.

Below is an example for everyone.
There's the movie and shown are two posters released by Pixar/Disney - one with a lot less on it.
Then, what could be considered as minimalist.

The Movie: -> Attachment 95603 Still the Movie: -> Attachment 95604 Minimalist Poster: -> Attachment 95606


Now for this month's challenge!

The movie is the Matrix and here's the movie poster.
Attachment 95607

Requires a bit of thought, but, minimal drawing effort!
So, come on, let's see your Minimalist Movie Poster ideas.

This is my poster:

Attachment 95608

Guy: That's good and it's definitely minimalist.

I thought I would have a go as well.
Though, I don't think mine is as imaginative as yours, Guy!

:-O

Well, Gary.
That's got me thinking!

I'm assuming a lot of people get shot and there is lots of blood.

My first job out of art school was working as a junior art director at Grey Advertising on the Ford Motor Corporate account in Detroit.

We were a small office that did a lot of the work that New York did not want to dirty their hands with.

We were asked by the client to do a tune in ad for the TV premier of the movie Mutiny on the Bounty that Ford Corporate was sponsoring. And it had to be done overnight and presented first thing the next morning. And this was just as I was preparing to go home at the end of the day.

I designed a black silhouette of the Bounty and did a very clean layout and type design. I was very proud of my effort.

The next morning the client came into the conference room and I presented my dramatic, minimalistic ad design.

The client gave a nervous laugh and then said, This a joke isn't it? Where's the flogging scene, where are the wah-heens (his pronunciation of wahines), and he named a few more key scenes.

I argued that Saul Bass would have done something very simple like this that captured the spirit of the film in a single symbol.

He scoffed and said I was no Saul Bass. It was not a pretty site and I left the meeting with my exhausted tail between my legs.

This was my introduction to movie advertising. They like to get every key scene into the ad. What did I know?

If you presented your creative and well conceived balloon design, by the time they got done with you, you would have the original poster you presented.

.

That's very good tale, Gary, about your minimalistic ad design.

Yes there is shooting in the film, and at times, a lot of it!
The three holes did get me thinking, though. In the second film, Morpheus says, "I see three objectives, three captains, three ships…"
So, maybe I was trying a bit too hard to fit in 'three holes' into your poster.
I like the design, Gary.

EDIT: I looked up Saul Bass. A bit of a coincidence that he designed the Minolta logo, and I happen to be working for Konica Minolta at the moment!

Egg: Very good as well. I assume it's Morpheus's specs?! I was actually thinking of doing something similar.

It was meant to be Mr Smiths glasses Rik, but as everyone in the film wears dark glasses it's difficult to tell in a minimalist post.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill

It was meant to be Mr Smiths glasses Rik, but as everyone in the film wears dark glasses it's difficult to tell in a minimalist post.

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Because you're not showing a frame on the glasses, I assumed that it was meant to be Morpheus'.
But, I am pleased you had a go, and I like it.

Frames? Ah yes, but I was trying to be minimalist :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill

Frames? Ah yes, but I was trying to be minimalist :D

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How on earth can I argue against that.
When that's what the idea is supposed to be?! ;))

Here's my go.

I'm not very good at minimalist stuff, as I usually tend to overdraw things. So it was interesting to try to encapsulate the movie with as few objects and as plainly as possible.

Regards

Su

Su - This looks like a symbol for a pregnancy test. :) (The rabbit died). Of course they don't use that test any more.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Su Lawrence

Here's my go.

I'm not very good at minimalist stuff, as I usually tend to overdraw things. So it was interesting to try to encapsulate the movie with as few objects and as plainly as possible.

Regards

Su

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That's absolutely great, Su.

I see the reference and well thought out.

Morpheus says the Neo -
"You take the Blue Pill. The story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe.
You take the Red Pill. You stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."

I'm glad you've done one with a pill, because I can now do mine now.
I didn't want to be the first one with the pill, if you know what I mean?!

Su: Yours is far more imaginative than mine is going to be!

.

Very clever Su. I didn't get it until Rik explained.

bend your mind

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ankhor

bend your mind

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I like it. Nice one.

"Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead, only try to realise the truth."
"What truth?"
"There is no spoon."

Thanks for your comments Gary, Rik and Egg.

Gary: I hadn't considered anything to do with pregnancy tests, only things I thought it might be 'mistaken' for were maybe the Playboy logo or something to do with Fatal Attraction. :eek:

Rik: I almost did exactly what you did with both pills, then remembered the rabbit thing so thought I'd have a go at that. I think your pills are better shapewise. I didn't think much about the shape the pill should be; mine looks a little too angular and would probably be a bit hard to swallow.

This was fun, thanks for the challenge Rik ... great idea.

Regards

Su

Ankhor: ah the spoon thing ... good one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Su Lawrence

...This was fun, thanks for the challenge Rik ... great idea.

Regards

Su

Ankhor: ah the spoon thing ... good one.

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I plan to make this a monthly play and challenge.

I think everyone can join in - no matter what their skill level.
You don't have to spend a long time to get a particular effect and look in the drawing that requires a lot of work.

You just need to think of the idea and do a simple drawing to convey your idea for the poster. Minimalist!

Love the idea. As a sweetener I've always loved the late 1960's film titled "If.." starring Malcolm McDowell, which is pretty minimalist as a film title in it's own right :cool:

I had an idea that didn't require any drawing on my part, just added the text.

Attachment 95729

Egg: Yup. That's minimalist to the max!

Chris: I like your thinking. Why do the work, when the work has already been done!

Well, that and I can't draw.... ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ckh

Well, that and I can't draw.... ;)

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Firstly, I don't believe that.

Secondly, the whole idea of this, is to be able to think of an idea and then do a simple minimalist drawing.

Look through the thread and you will see that the drawings are all reasonably simple.
It's the idea you need to come up with and then present that as simply as you want.

If you haven't already done so, look at Su's first post. Post #13.
It's brilliant in its concept and simply drawn.

I hope you will join in, next month as well.

We are looking for a Minimalist Movie Poster, for the topic chosen each month.

Attachment 95920
Can you spot the necessary pun? :eek:

Acorn

Well, Acorn.

I can see my name in there, but, Apart from that, I'm having trouble seeing the pun.
You may have to explain a bit more!

Certainly not in the same category as you guys, but, here is something.

Attachment 95927

Rik, it was just your name.
Acorn

Yesterday we had the BEA TRIX she turned from queen to princess. She is ofcourse the MA Trix to the new King. ;)

Acorn: I thought so, but, I didn't want to say too much, in case I got it completely wrong!

Larry: Good of you to join in!
I've had a good look at it and I still can't decide whether there's some sort a hidden message, written in Morse Code?!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ankhor

Yesterday we had the BEA TRIX she turned from queen to princess. She is ofcourse the MA Trix to the new King. ;)

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I definitely like the very clever reference and joke, but, is it better than your 'spoon' drawing? ;))
I'm not sure!

I found this one the hardest to complete.

I couldn't follow the route of all the other examples but I had to try and say in one image what the film was about. I'm not convinced this poster does. I think if you saw the film or knew what the film was about this would work better, but hey-ho I gave it my best shot.

Any comments?

Cheers
DavidAttachment 98253

Quote:

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Originally Posted by David Strover

I found this one the hardest to complete.

.., but hey-ho I gave it my best shot.

Any comments?

Cheers
DavidAttachment 98253

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Hi David.
It looks very good to me.

With talent like that, why have you not joined in on the other ones? You should do. It's lots of fun.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rik

Hi David.
It looks very good to me.

With talent like that, why have you not joined in on the other ones? You should do. It's lots of fun.

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Hi Rik,

You are very kind. I have completed an image for all the other challenges, take a look.

My personal favourite is 'Harvey' but let me know your views.

Cheers
David

Quote:

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Originally Posted by David Strover

Hi Rik,

You are very kind. I have completed an image for all the other challenges, take a look.

My personal favourite is 'Harvey' but let me know your views.

Cheers
David

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It's called a 'senior moment', David.
Well, that's the excuse I'm using and I's sticking to it. ;))