INTRODUCTION

The story behind the designs

One of my longtime interests is in classic films, and particularly 'film noir.' These were gritty films of crime, betrayal, and passion that released throughout the early to middle 20th century. There's also a whole slew of 'neo-noir' films, or "new" noir, most of which were released from the 1980s and onwards.

I had a lot of fun designing each of these posters, as well as coming up with all of the random names to fill in the movie billing credits. Doesn't the name "Munsey Westcott" sound like a legitimate, big-time director?

The photos used in each design were sourced from Unsplash.

FILM NOIR POSTER SERIES

'Scarlet'

This poster was inspired by neon lights and nighttime, which are iconic visual motifs of neo-noir films.

It was a great creative exercise to design in reverse; I created the story as I designed, instead of starting with the story. I imagine this film would involve a mysterious, rough-around-the-edges female main character with a dark past.

FILM NOIR POSTER SERIES

'The Astor Lounge'

This poster started with one visual motif I wanted: a deluge of rain. Film noir often has dramatic weather to mirror the character's situation or inner turmoil. So, I set about creating a poster with a mysterious figure in the midddle of a downpour on a deserted street, and named it 'The Astor Lounge' to add a bit of intrigue.

FILM NOIR POSTER SERIES

'Precipice'

How far would you go to maintain your position, especially if you were the best of the best? The further up you are, the further you can fall.

These are the concepts I played with for this final poster. I also played with color with this poster, with black and white tones (homage to classic film noir) and a pop of color for the modern part of neo-noir.