THE RESEARCH ON FILM POSTERS
From the Agenda Setting Theory, I have learned that typography is a critical component. Talking about the importance of typography, we need to start looking at the trailer and the film poster. The design, color, and shape of the text/letter on those two media products, with other elements, create the mood and the vibe of the poster/trailer, influencing viewers' expectations of the movie.
To explore more on that, I have these film posters:
Look at the first poster, "JAWS", designed in all capital, red color, and considerable size, creating a sense of danger, death, and scariness. The sharp edge of the text also refers to the sharpness of the shark teeth. The big size refers to the fact that the shark is a massive creature, and red refers to blood; in this movie, there will be a lot of blood and death.
Regarding the second poster, "PULP FICTION", the yellow and red color with the image on the poster express some sickness craziness, which viewers expected to see when watching the movie. The fact that they chose a retro, vintage font makes the audience expect the movie's setting in the 90s. From this, we can see that typography can also be used as a tool for storytelling.
Lastly, in terms of the third poster from "The Godfather." The poster's typography gives the viewers some vital information about the movie. First, the font is very deletant and clean, which may refer to the fact that you need to have those characteristics to be a godfather. The letter "G" connects with the letter "d" and covers the letter "o," which may refer to the fact that the power of the godfather is covered all over the "world" (or at least, the world that is happening in the movie). The images of hand-controlling puppets also support those two ideas. All together, create a masterpiece!
From this research, I can conclude that the typography not only influences viewers' expectations of the movie but also affects the overall mood vibe, which can evoke curiosity. Furthermore, the typography can also be used as a method of storytelling.
"In a badly designed book, the letters mill and stand like starving horses in a field. In a book designed by rote, they sit like stale bread and mutton on the page. In a well-made book, where the designer, compositor, and printer have all done their jobs, no matter how many thousands of lines and pages, the letters are alive. They dance in their seats. Sometimes, they rise and dance in the margins and aisles."
~ Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style
REFER BACK TO MY PROJECT
With that understanding in mind, I started to find a font and style that suited the theme of my short movie. It needs to have the following requirements:
It needs to give some sense of horror
The font should have a thin, narrow line for each text
The font should not look too modern or techno
The font should be simple and deletant
The color should also be simple; I am aiming for colors such as black, white, and red
Here are some of the fonts and designs that I have found on the internet that can be used as a reference:
These fonts are captured from FFONTS
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