A movie poster is a poster type used for film advertising. Film posters have originated by the early 1900s depicting an illustration or a scene from a particular film.
Historical Perspective of Movie Posters:
Previously the movie posters were only produced for the use of theaters exhibiting the film for which the poster was created. These posters were handed over to the production house after the film left the theatre. In America the posters after their use were returned to a nation wide operation called as the National Screen Service or NSS. The NSS use to recycle these posters by sending them in the same form to be used again by some other theatre. When the NSS ceased its film-poster printing and distribution operations in 1985, many of its posters were used by film poster dealers and private collectors.
Movie Posters Awards:
Movie posters are also awarded annually depending on their quality and category. The Hollywood Reporter sponsors the annual key art award for best film poster in different categories of comedy, drama, action adventure, teaser, and international film. In the year 2006 the original poster of the movie The Silence of the Lambs was awarded as the best movie poster produced in the past 35 years.
Present Scenario of Movie Posters:
The modern market of movie posters is highly thriving. Some posters have become highly valuable among the private collectors like the one being auctioned for US$500,000. The poster auction set a record on November 15, 2005, when the poster of Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis was auctioned for US$690,000. The contemporary film posters are also often sold by websites set up by the film studios for film promotion. Due to the involvement of modern technology the, modern posters production is not rare, and are frequently available for purchase by collectors.
Modern Film Poster Artists:
Some famous film poster artists include the names of John Alvin, for Blade Runner, The Lion King and Jurassic Park, Richard Amsel, Saul Bass who produced Vertigo and The Shining, Frank Frazetta for producing What's New Pussycat?
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