Posterized! The Illustrated Edition

What happened to illustrated film posters? Were they deemed too risky and replaced by more easily revised photography? While such logic is understandable, especially in marketing, it begs the question of whether something can be art if it is stripped of all risk. At the slippery intersection of art and commerce where marketing lies, quality is often sacrificed for the sake of convenience and safety.

Wikipedia's definition of art applies perfectly to film and marketing: "Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect."

In that sense, "photo shoot-style" marketing is worthy of this definition. So what makes illustrated ads ... worthier?

Going back to what LA Times reporter Tom Russo wrote: “At its best, the art of movie poster illustration creates a tangible sense of adventure.” Illustrated posters embody escapism while photography reminds us of reality, thus violating aesthetic distance. However, the rules of that distance are blurred when it comes to film promotion, as most movie marketing focuses more on the people behind a film than the world it presents.

Apparently, the general consensus among marketing executives is that theater-lobby browsers are drawn largely to marquee names and faces rather than a film's story. So how do they explain the attraction to these posters, which immerse viewers completely in the films' worlds?

Ryan Gosling is barely recognizable in this image yet it grabs people anyway, enticing them with its bold use of color and otherworldly nature.

This poster is even "riskier," as it gives no clue to the influences behind the film, solely suggesting its subject matter and the tone with which it is handled.

Here are some more favorites from Reelizer's collection. These posters are imbued with what most lack — exuberance.

Perhaps the whimsical, almost childlike innocence of illustrated work is what makes marketing executives stray away from it. But for my money, and apparently that of many Internet surfers, these are the best posters around. All films are imbued with an adventurous spirit, even the ones exploring harsh realities. Why shouldn't posters follow suit? Are they going by ideals of art or commerce?