Movie posters, also known as one-sheets, are best sized at 27x40 inches (686x1016 mm).
If you aren’t currently cowering in a corner, you’re probably ready to start creating your horror movie posters. Okay, that was a lot of gore and scary content. Using Vectornator to Create Your Horror Movie Poster The strange figure staring through the title with a yellow background just doesn’t work as well as the terrifying image of Jack Nicholson staring maniacally around the door, holding his infamous ax. The original poster doesn’t quite illustrate the terrifying themes of the movie. Saul Bass created the original poster image (left), but we actually prefer the alternative poster (right) created later on, which we think better exemplifies the movie and the genre. This disturbing Stephen King novel adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick is undoubtedly a memorable one. Left Image Source: Amazon, Right Image Source: Film Art Gallery Gore films feature more of a focus on injury and dismemberment than slashers, focusing more on the chase and actual murder events.
This category is remarkably similar to gore movies, and films in both genres often overlap. Anything can be a murder weapon in these movies: garage doors, bed posts, and meat cleavers, to name just a few. The killer usually murders people with a bladed tool, but bonus points are awarded for creativity.
Slasher films often focus on a serial killer going after and killing a group. Often these films feature a lot of, you guessed it, slashing. SlashersĪnother iconic subgenre of horror is the slasher film, affectionately known as slashers. The large, blood-red title is a pretty good indicator of the violence the film features.
There’s a strong emphasis on the tagline in this poster, “Who will survive and what will be left of them?” The movie poster for this film features another damsel in distress ( anyone else noticing a trend here?) being attacked by the distinctive figure of Leatherface, this film’s villain. Slashers and gory films often overlap, as both feature an excessive amount of blood and stabbing (or chainsawing, in this case). This gory horror film could also be an example of a slasher film. The first film poster on this list is from way back in 1959! Let’s dig into it. There are so many 80s horror posters on this list it was a popular era for horror movies, especially slashers and campy horror films. Most consider vintage horror movies to be anything created before 1980.Īs time goes on, the 90s and early 2000s horror films will be considered vintage as well. The vintage horror movie genre is not so much a theme it’s a time period. The themes and imagery in vintage films are constantly recycled and emulated in contemporary horror films. Vintage horror movies are the cornerstone of the horror genre. Keep reading for our ultimate list of horror movie posters! Vintage Horror Movies We picked a few examples from each genre so you can get an idea of what to look out for. Each of these genres have specific aesthetics to consider when you’re designing your poster. The main subgenres of horror films we focused on in this article are vintage horror films, paranormal horror films, monster films, campy horror, gory horror, slashers, and psychological thrillers. Let’s break down the main subgenres of horror films that you might be designing a poster for. Horror movie fans are serious about these films and their favorite varieties. Horror is a film genre that has created many subgenres. So, do you have what it takes to create a scary movie poster? First, let's learn a little more about horror films. Today, many are designed with color and use blood-red font or imagery. The best cover design and movie poster will recall the scariest elements of the film while leaving the main events of the film up to the imagination.ĭesigners keep things mysterious in movie posters by using abstract images and foreshadowing.Įarlier posters were often in black and white, which can create their own atmosphere of foreboding. Just make sure you use relevant content, not just the creepiest content you can think of. There are countless ways to create an eye-catching horror poster. Many use a nightmarish scenario, a spooky central image, and the aesthetics of blood to instill fear in the viewer’s mind. The perfect horror movie poster leaves enough to the imagination while still frightening and intriguing its audience.