The History and Evolution of Movie Posters

Movie posters may have debuted as a promotional tool for early films but have transformed into an art form in their own right over time. Collectors and film enthusiasts today treasure movie posters as highly as some of the most prized pieces of pop culture art, with rare and iconic prints commanding significant admiration and value.

However, movie posters are more than just coveted artifacts—they are history lessons! Right from the early hand-drawn designs to the sophisticated digital prints today, each poster provides a glimpse into the cultural and social landscapes of its time. 

In this blog, we will explore the fascinating history of movie posters and trace their evolution over the years. 

The Early Beginnings 

Parisian artist and lithographer Jules Cheret pioneered the use of lithography in poster art in the early 1870s. He used this printing medium to create images with vivid colors and expressive typography during the Belle Epoque era. Before this development, posters were simply announcements with block-printed text showing the show’s title, along with the director and producer, and not much else.

Lithographic images promoting performances and products became a common sight in the streets of Paris. In 1890, a poster featuring a young girl holding an announcement of the screening time for a short film called Projections Artistiques was published. It inspired more creative, image-centric posters to attract audiences in that era.

However, the first use of a movie poster as we know it today, happened in 1895 for a short film,   L’Arroseur Arrosé. Unlike earlier posters that merely announced showtimes or locations, this movie poster—the first of its kind—was designed to visually showcase the film and provide a glimpse of the cinematic experience. Illustrated by Marcellin Auzolle, the poster featured a captivated audience in the foreground watching a scene from the film projected on a screen. 

This innovative approach set a new standard for film posters and demonstrated that they could be both informative and engaging. 

Silent Movies and Expressive Movie Posters

The 1920s was the golden age of silent movies. It was also the era when grand architectural masterpieces replaced ordinary theaters. This era saw the emergence of printing technologies that paved the way for posters that had much richer details and captured the thrill of a cinematic experience more effectively. 

People came to see movies as an immersive experience, starting with the movie posters that first piqued their interest. The films may have been silent but their posters became their eloquent voice, drawing audiences in to see them.

Art Deco, Great Depression Era

Bold colors and geometric patterns characterized design in the Art Deco era—and movie posters were significantly influenced by these trends. Posters of this time focused more on the actors’ images, their names and movie titles, while the background design was minimized for a more balanced visual presentation. 

This was also the bleak time of the Great Depression. Contrary to expectations, the public flocked to the cinemas, seeking an escape from the situations around them, at least for a short while. 

Movie posters of this era rose to the occasion. They captured the allure and glamor of the silver screen and provided hope and entertainment in challenging times.

The Golden Age of Hollywood

The 1950s are considered the golden age of Hollywood. The film scene flourished and produced iconic stars such as Clark Gable, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Gary Cooper, and many more. In this post-war period, film themes often leaned towards patriotism, fantasy, faith, and comedy as audiences sought out happier and more hopeful narratives.

Movie posters of this era featured strikingly dramatic visuals. They prominently depicted highly glamorous, aspirational images of the actors. Sunset Boulevard, The Ten Commandments, and To Catch a Thief are some of the film posters that characterized this golden, glamorous age in Hollywood. The Sunset Boulevard poster features William Holden and Gloria Swanson dramatically embracing, with the film’s title placed over an illustration of camera film, perfectly capturing the film noir tone. To Catch a Thief shows Cary Grant and Grace Kelly about to kiss, framed by lively illustrations from the film's action scenes, adding an air of romance and intrigue. The Ten Commandments presents a powerful portrait of Charlton Heston as Moses, mirroring a portrait of the pharaoh, played by Yul Brynner, symbolizing the biblical epic's grand conflict.

The Disruptive 60s and 70s 

The 1960s and 1970s were all about rebelling against the status quo. Widespread political upheavals, such as those related to the war in Vietnam, and a cultural and creative renaissance marked this era of liberal and psychedelic thinking. 

Movie poster visuals defied conventional aesthetics by experimenting with abstract depictions and flamboyant, intense colors such as those seen in the posters of Cool Hand Luke, Blow-up, Rosemary’s Baby, Clockwork Orange, Star Wars, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

Photographs increasingly started replacing hand-painted images, and typography took a more prominent role visually. Posters from this era often featured fantastic and outlandish images that aligned with the innovative storytelling techniques used in the films themselves. 

Conceptualization and design pushed boundaries, resulting in some of the most iconic and memorable movie posters of all time.

The Eclectic 80s and 90s

Movie posters during the 80s were a mix of stylized images and typography to highlight special effects and the movie’s theme. Action, sci-fi, horror, and teen flicks dominated the era, and the posters of this period generally featured bold designs (Fright Night), collages (From Dusk ‘Till Dawn), bright colors (Mannequin, Pretty Woman), futuristic elements (Robocop, E.T.), and references to pop culture (Teen Wolf). 

However, many movie posters also favored more simplistic and understated designs (Dirty Dancing, Annie, Prêt-à-Porter). Overall, the movie posters of these decades showcased photographs, slogans, actors' names, and a vibe that just provided a tantalizing hint to the plot while leaving room for the audience’s imagination to take flight. 

The Digital and Augmented Reality Era  

As technologies like digital art and Photoshop emerged and became more advanced, movie posters from the 2000s onwards generally featured a more sleek design. 

They often emphasize the main character or characters with plain or simple backgrounds and streamlined typography, like with iconic films such as Forrest Gump, Titanic, Bridget Jones’s Diary, John Wick, etc.  This modern design direction made a statement without compromising on story-telling elements or visual appeal.  

Today, thanks to advanced editing tools and artificial intelligence, we also see more seamless integrations of typography and images, smooth color gradient transitions, hyper-detailed and realistic scenes from the movie, and digital posters. Many modern movie posters in digital form incorporate interactive elements such as augmented reality (AR) features and gifs. Films like Dumbo, The Black Widow, and Jungle Cruise made their promotional posters more immersive and engaging for their audience.  

The Future of Movie Posters

Undoubtedly, we are poised at the edge of an exciting era in terms of technological advancements. Movie posters will continue to shift towards more immersive and interactive experiences through next-generation tools like augmented reality and interactive simulations. These digital posters will not only promote films but also engage audiences in unprecedented ways, blurring the lines between promotional material and entertainment.