Because I am going to design an alternative movie poster for the AMP website, I thought it prudent to look into the other posters on the website to see what make a poster 'alternative' other than the obvious.
Although this poster is not limited to two colours like this brief it is still a great example of what can be done with a limited number of colours. The designer here has sought to communicate the essence of the story, which is the magic of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The intricate patterns and complex shapes mean that you are always noticing something new, which fits with the surprises and amazement of the film. The idea of a factory has been taken to the extreme with multiple pipes and towers, almost as if it is a caricature of factories in general, once again fitting with the heavily fictional format of the film. This, combined with the use of block colours creates quite a cartoonish effect which is in essence surreal, helping to convey the surreal qualities of the film. I would like to implement this complex textured look in my film poster so that I can make optimum use of the two colours that we can use in this brief.
Where as the previous design is clearly a vector graphic or has its origins in that aesthetic, the design above is much more illustrative. The subtle use of the paper on the dome of the helmet really brings the design out of the page and is something I must consider during my design process. Because the imagery surrounding the Alien franchise is so recognisable, it is the style in which this is done that makes it alternative. The scratchy hand drawn look creates a connection between the onlooker and the artist, giving the piece a personal feeling, which is slightly unsettling because of the content. The way that the image is only hints and suggestions of the alien adds to this unsettling quality. This is because what the onlooker is imagining is always going to be worse than anything that is actually shown, because they imagine what they find most unsettling. The colour choices here are also perfectly apt for the genre. Setting aside the whole idea of space and the 'big unknown' the blackness is like shad downs and darkness which hides threatening and dangerous things (darkness is solidly associated with unseen dangers) and the florescent green, with its unnatural glow is completely disconnected from any natural experiences creating a strong impression of 'other'.
Once again because the imagery associated with middle earth and the whole Lord of the Rings series is so familiar, doing something new with it is very difficult. Even if you do manage this making something that is alternative but still recognisable is something of a difficult balance to strike. This poster is testament to this. The cacophony of imagery from the series is made 'alternative' by the cartoonish, block colour style of the design. The symmetrical layout turns what could have been more of a comic, into a poster. I am not a big fan of the idea of using scenes from the film on the poster because this makes it more of a poster for people who have already seen the film and are quite big fans of it. The style doesn't quite match the tone of the film for me. it is quite a serious quest and although it has funny moments, for the most part it's quite gritty too. This is something I will have to bear in mind when creating my poster, the imagery and the style need to both combine to communicate the essence of the film.
In conclusion, what seems to be the overriding purpose of a movie poster is to communicate the essence of a film but not so much as to answer all questions. There seems to be a balance between giving away small hints and creating bigger questions to get the viewer hooked. in the end it is a format for advertising the film. What seems to make an alternative movie poster is taking this purpose but adding a personal take on the film and perhaps adding a slight part of the conclusion the designer came to when watching the film. but, with the overriding purpose of intriguing and engaging the onlooker.
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