Color Transforms: Design in Film Posters 7-'The Birds'

It's the last edition of 'Design in Film Posters'. It's been a fun quarter getting through all of these beautifully designed posters. This last entry is all about color and how simple, skillful use of color can make a poster that much more effective.

The Birds
Courtesy of www.smashingmagazine.com

The movie is The Birds, Alfred Hitchcock's classic scary movie about what happens when crazy birds swarm Bodega Bay and then kill people. This is an interesting poster because it's the first one that I've looked at all quarter that is actually not an original for the movie. This particular one is a redesign that was recently done, but I like the design of it so much that I'm going to use it. It is an incredibly simple poster, divided into three sections, the two red areas on either side and the white feather down the center. The focus is on that feather, which is really the focus of the film, the birds. But what I really love about the design is the great use of color. Three colors here: red, white, and black. The stark contrast between the red and the white add so much to the way that feather pops off the poster and catches the eye. That contrast is really what makes this such an interesting poster. Though why red? The great contrast could have been achieved through a variety of bold, bright colors; anything from a bright green to a hot pink would have worked. But the red here is especially effective because of the connotations and ideas that are so often associated with red (especially when complimented with black, as is the case here). Red is the color of blood, and when birds attack people, there will be blood. Even some of the way the red shows through on the middle of the feather feels as though it is alluding to images of blood drops. The whole image comes together in a very simple, yet very effective way. It evokes feelings of suspense, terror, and violence with three colors and a single feather. Very well designed.