Gabriel Solomons interviews

Charlie Loft of AllCity Media

To some graphic designers, doing artwork for movie posters is a dream job. Is it as enjoyable as one would imagine?

The creative process is always enjoyable, but designing for film has all of the same issues as designing for any other industry. At the end of the day we all want to create pieces of art but as designers we need to understand the needs of the client and advise them as much on a creative level as we can to get the best results for us and them.

As a company Allcity seem to pride yourselves on the collaborative nature of much of your output—using gifted illustrators, photographers, and designers to help create final artwork. Why is collaboration so important and is there anything in particular that you look for when recruiting collaborators?

We have a core team at AllCity that consistently deliver great creative ideas and design but we are aware that we are not a jack of all trades and that when a brief requires a certain look it’s better to get the right person to do that part of the process. Collaboration is important because we then get the best of both worlds—we get to work with some amazing talents and then turn their images into memorable film campaigns. It’s one thing being an artist, it’s quite another delivering a coherent marketing campaign.

Is there a particular creative philosophy behind the way you work or is it simply a case of adjusting your style to fit the demands of the client?

We believe that behind every campaign there needs to be a concept of idea that can run throughout, that is why we work from sketches first and then deliver worked up visuals. If the idea is strong enough it can be delivered in a variety of visual styles so we are instantly able to adjust to the clients requests and needs.

Can you tell us a bit about the graphic approach and concept you settled on for Stieg Larsson’s Millenium trilogy of films?

The Millennium Trilogy was a great brief from Momentum Pictures. To come up with the branding for such a well loved story is something that we could really sink our teeth into. We needed to create a motif that could adapt and become the identifier for the trilogy as well as be able to give ‘The Girl’ herself the main shout as this was the first time she was going to be revealed. The is was a particular challenge as Noomi Rapace (The Girl) was relatively unknown in the UK and yet we needed her to take centre stage. The Dragon motif was designed to act as a distraction or decoy to allow us to put an unknown face behind it, this in turn allowed us to create the overall feeling of intrigue and mystery. The Girl is there but she is slightly hidden by her own Dragon Tattoo (this is the reason for the swirling ink at the base of the dragon’s tail) meaning that we could add a level of depth to the poster and subsequent online and advertising campaigns. The branding of the trilogy continues with what we have affectionately called ‘The Flaming Dragon’ for The Girl Who Played With Fire. Again the motif acts as a distraction and gives extra impact and relevance to the title. The last stage was developing The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest which will be in cinemas this November. Each one of the dragon motifs has been lovingly crafted by one of our collaborators, Sean Freeman, who under our art direction has helped create some beautiful work. This is another good example of using someones purest skill and then making it work for film.

You include ‘designer’s cuts’ for many of the poster campaigns featured on your website. Is it often the case that your least favoured design gets chosen—and how do you deal with the issue of compromise when things go against your own better judgment?

It is frustrating when a client decides to go against our judgement but we aren’t in the habit of presenting things that we wouldn’t be proud to see out in the street. Ultimately some of our favourite posters will never see the light of day but that is why we like to show our designer’s cuts as it gives an insight into the creative process and ‘what could have been’.

There seems to be quite a healthy balance between the work you do for big studios and smaller independent films. What is the difference—if any—in the working relationship you have with ‘big’ and ‘small’ clients?

There isn’t a great deal of difference between our working relationships with the independents and the bigger studios. There is an element of design by committee in both instances as you’re dealing with a lot of opinions. We like to work closely with our clients to ensure that we get as much information out of them up front, that way there is less margin for error and even less question marks over a chosen concept when it is presented.

Are there particular designers or certain periods of art that you draw inspiration from?

Advertising campaigns that add a different angle but at the same time are accessible to everyone. Graphically we are influenced by many individuals throughout the decades that we always come back to, Reid miles of blue note records fame, Niko Cuban—a revolutionary poster artist. Andrei Tarkowsky, Wiktor Sadowski, contemporary rock posters and the art of the Fillmore. All are part of a time where idea was king, less was more, it was les about churning out transient visuals and more about the idea.

What is your opinion about the state of film poster art generally these days? Are there any designers/studios out there that you feel are contributing something special (apart from yourselves of course!)?

There are a lot of generic film posters out there at the moment but there is also a healthy mix of creative talent being used. Neil Kellerhouse has done some incredible design work, but not just for film. Empire, without doubt, have had a massive influence on the look of modern film posters. It would be interesting to see some of their designer’s cuts. There is of course the need in film marketing to get bums on seats but we think that the audience needs to be engaged with more than a lineup of actors and a glossy finish. It goes without saying that a ‘big’ film needs a ‘big’ look but that’s not to say that there can’t be a clever idea or twist to the artwork, and that’s where we like to think we come in—the alternative thinkers in film campaign design.

Are there any film posters (past or present) that you would say are a prime example of what a film poster should do?

There are so many great film posters but Brazil is a brilliant example, it brands the film in one arresting visual and simultaneously creates a window into another fascinating world.

Has the film marketing industry changed much in the 10 years since you’ve been in the business? If yes, how so?

It seems to be more biased towards appealing to everyone rather than to a core audience of opinion leaders and then filter through to the masses. Blander, less challenging ideas are more commonplace now but this may be because there is less gestation time and less budget. Films need to be an instant success whereas previously you could exploit a longer lead time than the market place now allows. However there are many more mediums and formats than ever It’s no longer about just a visual—the campaign needs to span social media to street level advertising to cinema, which is great when you have the budget to exploit these areas.

Why do you think the printed film poster still matters in this ever expanding digital age?

I don’t think the desire to own a film poster will ever die out, there is just something special about owning an original that just can’t be captured with a screensaver or a motion poster. Film posters are pieces of art and if designed well are timeless, look at Clockwork Orange, it still looks amazing today, so simple and effective, why wouldn’t you want one on your wall? The problem with the digital age is design is seen as almost throw away and easy, so when a piece of good design gets through people appreciate it even more. There is an unhealthy amount of ‘garnish’ attached to many film posters, so when you see a poster by Olly Moss for instance it’s refreshing to see a piece of work at its cleverest and simplest. It’s always good to see other people’s take on a film and recently we held an exhibition at AllCity where we asked various well-known illustrators to re-imagine their favourite film poster from our portfolio or work. Each artist did an incredible job and their passion towards the project was amazing, which just goes to show how important film posters are to many people.

And finally…Why does film matter?

It is pure escapism, when you’re watching a film it doesn’t matter what else is going on in your world, you can just go and enter into someone else’s.