Movie promotion happens after the film has been made, edited in post-production and is about to be released. This is where Visual Designers and Graphic Artists in film promotion will create marketing material. Both, traditional methods of promotion and modern digital media are used to promote these films and television series. At this stage, almost every crew member can relax as their job is done… except the graphic designers! Most of the promotional material is made by Graphic Designers and Illustrators.
Part 3 – Film Promotion
Promotional Material
Promotional material includes teasers, trailers and posters. Out of these three, poster artwork is where the graphic designer shines. Posters are released in the following categories:
- Teaser Posters – The design and characters in the poster are vague to avoid giving out too many details about the film and get the audience to anticipate the release of the film.
- Main Posters – In this poster the main characters, genre and themes are highlighted. This is in true advertisement style where the aim is to get the audience to go watch the movie.
- Character Posters – These posters will showcase each main character of the movie. The posters are meant to highlight the vibe of the character and may even have a few easter eggs about the character if needed.
- Critics/ Awards Posters – After a month or so from release, the critics have watched the film and probably left some good reviews. After a year, the film has probably won awards. The new posters are designed with critics’ quotes and award names in laurel brackets.
OST Covers and OTT Banners
With Spotify, Amazon Music, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Apple TV and other platforms that stream music, movies and TV, Graphic Designers have more work to do. They now have to design posters for OTT thumbnails, album covers for soundtracks and even banner images you see when you select the film.
Social Media Marketing Design
Not just television spots in commercials and YouTube but, also promotional material on the film’s Instagram page or pages of the actors in the film. Instagram Posts are a whole new medium for Graphic Designers to show off their talent because millions of followers will see this poster in the palm of their hand and might even stare for a long time at a particularly artistic image. Instagram posters have replaced DVD covers.
How to become a Visual Designer and Graphic Artist in Films?
- Most importantly, develop good technical skills with design software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Animate, Auto CAD and 3D design. This software will be the main tool that Graphic Designers who work in film will have to use on a daily basis.
- Have a good understanding of designing based on themes, characters, moods and vibes of the script.
- A good technical and artistic understanding of colour theory, fonts, Gestalt’s Design Principles and building themes and aesthetics.
- Willingness to learn for the unique script or story setting of each film. For example, period films set in the past, fantasy films, futuristic films, etc.
- Show professional dependability through internships, projects and past job experiences.
- Learn Design Theory and Design Philosophy to develop your Design Thinking skills.
- Build a strong portfolio with passion projects that showcase your work. Maybe even reimagine famous film scenes with mockups of your work to show that you could have possibly done it just as well as the pros.
- Oh and watch lots and lots of films in your free time!
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