Are DVD cover designers contractually obligated to make covers look like shit?

[abcdefz]

My word.

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/510s4z8yQ3L._SS500_.jpg


Is that more attractive to Joe DVD renter than


http://www.themovieaddict.com/images/films/poster.jpg?



Not that that's the world's greatest poster or anything, but, man.

[DeeJayZap]

yeah the dvd cover is shit compared...

[Mr Films]

I've wondered this same thing. Seems to have gotten worse lately.

http://thecia.com.au/reviews/c/images/children-of-men-poster-0.jpg

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GNULLvnmL._SS500_.jpg

http://www.popmatters.com/images/film_art/d/departed-poster.jpg

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51k5zkc5nwL._SS500_.jpg

[abcdefz]

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/IMAGES/MMPO/505227.jpg



becomes


http://www.andpop.com/images/lastking.jpg

[roosta]

this is the cover for Children of Men we have over here...

http://www.lovefilm.com/lovefilm/images/products/3/79333-large.jpg

fuckin' awful

[Mr Films]

this is the cover for Children of Men we have over here...

http://www.lovefilm.com/lovefilm/images/products/3/79333-large.jpg

fuckin' awful

gross

it looks like a cover for Clive Owens' debut adult contemporary album.

well, minus the helicopters and explosions.

[abcdefz]

Wow. That is really bad. :D

[HEIRESS]

Spade did a really good bit on the showbiz show on how you know its going to be a shitty movie if there is someone wearing sunglasses on the movie poster, especially if the wearer is either an animal or a baby. And then he showed a bunch of examples and then threw in a poster for The Reaper at the end with photoshopped sunglasses on Hilary Swank.

that's all I got to say about that.

[abcdefz]

http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/43/MPW-21811





....but, of course, Spade should know all about bad movies. :D

[HEIRESS]

Well of course there are always exceptions
this one is 2x the funny

http://www.cyber-cinema.com/original/aviator_regular.jpg

[abcdefz]

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/153/821607~Lucky-Numbers-Video-Release-Posters.jpg

:D

[Odie]

I have a personal gripe with DVD covers that think it would be a good idea to contain massive spoilers.

http://dvddar.co.uk/images/dvd/products4/01054dvd.jpg

erm, what planets that then?!

[Paul Kemp]

http://movies.nnov.ru/Covers/Chungking%20Express.jpg
Yeah, do I really need to comment on this one?

[zorra_chiflada]

most of them look like designers had nothing to do with the process. it was some guy with ms paint cutting and pasting.

the typography is all awful as well. there are no good typographers anymore

[TimDoolan]

From beautiful concept art

http://www.nerf-herders-anonymous.net/images/StarWarsPoster.jpg

to

http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/7149/dvds0ls.jpg

[abcdefz]

Fucking Lucas, man. Don't even get me started.

[abcdefz]

I have a personal gripe with DVD covers that think it would be a good idea to contain massive spoilers.

http://dvddar.co.uk/images/dvd/products4/01054dvd.jpg

erm, what planets that then?!




That's pretty wrong. I mean, I guess you could say it's iconic enough so that "everybody knows already," but, yeah, that's messed up.

Norman Bates is his own mother, BTW.

[mickill]

http://www.leninimports.com/welles_citizen_kane_shop_dvd_2.jpg

[Dorothy Wood]

http://www.jackblack.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/normal_B00005JA9Z.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

how about stuff like this?

that movie in no way is the kind of movie that needs to have a butt shot on the cover. it's not the best movie ever and the end is real stupid, but it's pretty interesting and funny. the pot stuff is only a backdrop anyway. :rolleyes:

[BBboy20]

OH I could go on and on in this thread.(Though, to be honest, The Fountain cover isn't really bad compared to the other crap I'm going to show)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/docdre/fearless.jpg
Not really a comparison but still... (Though it would of been best if they used the cutting rock aspect seen in the theater commercials.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/docdre/Casino_Royale_3.jpg
to
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/docdre/CasinoRoyaledvdcover.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/docdre/oceans12.jpg
to
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/docdre/ocean12.jpg
At least 11's DVD cover was more decent then this.

[ET]

They know they just can't beat this transition...

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/3/31/200px-Teen_Wolf.jpg

http://www.moviegoods.com/Assets/product_images/1010/47686.1010.A.jpg

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000068TPB.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Looks like Criterion Collection material to me.

[TurdBerglar]

why does it matter what the god damn cover looks like?

[Randetica]

i think you can only buy the second teen wolf version here (n)

like anyone would give a shit about teen wolf 2

[BBboy20]

why does it matter what the god damn cover looks like?Because the representation needs to be as important as the movie itself, to show that the creaters really wanted it to feel like the total package...ugh you probably don't even understand.

[TurdBerglar]

all i care about is the story and how it's presented. the cover has no relevance to that matter...

im also the one that keeps all my cd's on old CD-R spools and throws out the original jewelcase and booklet. everything could be packaged with fucking used newspaper and i would make no difference to me.

[zorra_chiflada]

why does it matter what the god damn cover looks like?

because that's the designer's damn job.

[TurdBerglar]

beige covers with plain black text for all dvd/cd cases. problem solved.

[zorra_chiflada]

yeah! put designers out of work!

[TurdBerglar]

well then they can get real jobs

[zorra_chiflada]

like stocking shelves in a supermarket?

[BBboy20]

like stocking shelves in a supermarket?You are officially my heroine. (y)

[abcdefz]

all i care about is the story and how it's presented. the cover has no relevance to that matter...

im also the one that keeps all my cd's on old CD-R spools and throws out the original jewelcase and booklet. everything could be packaged with fucking used newspaper and i would make no difference to me.




Yeah, turd, 'cause you're all class. (y)

[TurdBerglar]

like stocking shelves in a supermarket?

should you be saying anything?

[zorra_chiflada]

that was so an "oh shit" moment

[camo]

this blows (compared to some of the promotional posters I saw at the cinema).

http://accel16.mettre-put-idata.over-blog.com/0/31/86/83/dawn-of-the-dead-dvd.jpg

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

I have a personal gripe with DVD covers that think it would be a good idea to contain massive spoilers.

http://dvddar.co.uk/images/dvd/products4/01054dvd.jpg

erm, what planets that then?!

Just look at the Ape's eyes....they say a picture is worth a thousand words, but this one's just worth a few...

"You gonna get raped"

[TimDoolan]

From cool creative poster.......
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/TimDoolan/Planete_des_singes1.jpg

.....to shitty dvd cover that gives away the ending of the movie! http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/TimDoolan/planet-of-the-apes-1968-20061208003.jpg

[paul jones]

From cool creative poster.......
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/TimDoolan/Planete_des_singes1.jpg

.....to shitty dvd cover that gives away the ending of the movie! http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/TimDoolan/planet-of-the-apes-1968-20061208003.jpg

exactly! what a bunch of design dicks!

[Waus]

I think half the time the director gets his way, and directors are better at directing than designing. I suspect they think people won't "get it" when you do something artsy.

I was working with a friend on a movie poster recently, and the director disliked all our cool ideas (I thought they were cool anyways).

[TimDoolan]

From Korean poster..........

http://pics.livejournal.com/adgy/pic/004bhe9p/s640x480
.......to feces here in the states.

http://pics.livejournal.com/adgy/pic/004bg96t/s320x320

[Matt]

From Korean poster..........

http://pics.livejournal.com/adgy/pic/004bhe9p/s640x480
.......to feces here in the states.

http://pics.livejournal.com/adgy/pic/004bg96t/s320x320

Freaky, and it reminds me of Uzumaki

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/1787/uzumaki19916vp1.png

[Audio.]

dude, if I see that happen, I think I would laugh out loud just because the expression on her face.

[A. Chimendez]

http://firefly.wz.cz/novinky/serenity-dvd-usa.jpg

This one is especially bad for many reasons. One the giant army of people. I guess they are supposed to be Reavers but there were never that many. Whatever, thats passable I guess.
But the upper part is fucking insane. The ship Firefly shooting lasers. Its a cargo ship. It has no weapons. Not to mention this whole thing is all shiny/foil and Summer Glau is never that hot in the movie.
Also, the main guy there has a very specific gun he uses and that gun sure ain't it.

[Matt]

dude, if I see that happen, I think I would laugh out loud just because the expression on her face.

Have you ever read Uzumaki? It was the most horrifying comic I've ever read. Not horrifying in the visual sense, but in the psychological sense. Look it up, I'm pretty sure it'll be right up your alley.

The movie, however, was visually horrifying. picture a kid jumping in front of a moving vehicle, cracking his head on the windshield, getting sucked under the car, and getting his mangled body wrapped around the axle. *shudder*

[funk63]

http://firefly.wz.cz/novinky/serenity-dvd-usa.jpg

This one is especially bad for many reasons. One the giant army of people. I guess they are supposed to be Reavers but there were never that many. Whatever, thats passable I guess.
But the upper part is fucking insane. The ship Firefly shooting lasers. Its a cargo ship. It has no weapons. Not to mention this whole thing is all shiny/foil and Summer Glau is never that hot in the movie.
Also, the main guy there has a very specific gun he uses and that gun sure ain't it.

that movie looks gay

[Dorothy Wood]

I saw Serenity and I know I enjoyed it, but I can't for the life of me remember anything about it.

[mate_spawn_die]

im also the one that keeps all my cd's on old CD-R spools and throws out the original jewelcase and booklet. everything could be packaged with fucking used newspaper and i would make no difference to me.

:eek:!?

that's insane.

[A. Chimendez]

that movie looks gay

It really isn't.

[TurdBerglar]

:eek:!?

that's insane.

why

what's the point of all that extra shit. all that's important is the music. everything else is useless.

[Audio.]

Have you ever read Uzumaki? It was the most horrifying comic I've ever read. Not horrifying in the visual sense, but in the psychological sense. Look it up, I'm pretty sure it'll be right up your alley.

The movie, however, was visually horrifying. picture a kid jumping in front of a moving vehicle, cracking his head on the windshield, getting sucked under the car, and getting his mangled body wrapped around the axle. *shudder*

I think because I watch 90% of animated cartoons shows/ movies more than live action. I think it has made my mind more imaginative in many things from sex to violence and gruesome slap-stick comedy. I dunno, I just find live-action to be a level behind animation. It cant be compared.

[A. Chimendez]

im also the one that keeps all my cd's on old CD-R spools and throws out the original jewelcase and booklet. everything could be packaged with fucking used newspaper and i would make no difference to me.


You're a fucking idiot.

[TurdBerglar]

nah

i just don't feel the need to keep useless shit

[abcdefz]

There's a moment in The Brother from Another Planet where the alien goes into a record store, sees an album by a pretty artist and buys it.
Goes outisde and opens it on the street corner and pulls out the record with a kind of "What the fuck is this!?" look on his face, tosses the
vinyl and walks on with the album jacket under his arm.

You'd like that.

[Drederick Tatum]

http://www.cinemorte.com/images/Bad_Taste.jpg

[Bob]

I saw Serenity and I know I enjoyed it, but I can't for the life of me remember anything about it.

it's about a woman who's the size of a planet that has spaceships that grow out of her hair, and then a bunch of other spaceships shoot at those spaceships with lasers, and also about a man and a woman who fight an army of tiny men by shooting in the opposite direction. it is a triumph! a thrillingly original science fiction creation.

[Nygel]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HzBYDuczL._SS400_.jpg
i'd prefer this:
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll215/insanegamer666/dark-knight-viral.jpg

[abcdefz]

I never liked the Batcycle poster.

But, yeah. They could've pretty much gone with any cover they wanted on that one. It's not like anyone's
really going to not know what the hell The Dark Knight is. Plus they did such a nice job on the special
edition of Memento, I was kinda hoping Nolan would flex his marketing muscles on this.

[abcdefz]

it's about a woman who's the size of a planet that has spaceships that grow out of her hair, and then a bunch of other spaceships shoot at those spaceships with lasers, and also about a man and a woman who fight an army of tiny men by shooting in the opposite direction.




I didn't know Roger Corman was still producing stuff. Huh.

[TimDoolan]

Originally Posted by TurdBerglar
I'm also the one that keeps all my cd's on old CD-R spools and throws out the original jewel case and booklet. everything could be packaged with fucking used newspaper and i would make no difference to me.


Originally Posted by A. Chimendez

You're a fucking idiot. HAHA!

[funk63]

http://www.cinemorte.com/images/Bad_Taste.jpg

I MUST SEE THIS!

[Audio.]

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/6475/83498464ie0.jpg

not on dvd yet but fucking damn whats with all these movies posters making themselves appear like the 40 year-old virgin?

[Freebasser]

From this:

http://i40.tinypic.com/5z44yx.jpg


To this: "Quick! Get the stars' faces on the front!"

http://i40.tinypic.com/30xahrd.jpg

[na§tee]

i agree it's turd but the stars' names still take up 50% of the poster. you'd never get a dvd cover half covered in the cast names, wouldja?

i was at a seminar recently with the jonny from movie design/technical agency franki & jonny (they do fab work btw) and he was talking for a long time about how at the end of the day they have to go with what the distributor is asking for, no matter what their (design) minds think.. it's a hard job creating a movie brand. kudos to you designers out there who have to bow to that sort of pressure. oh well. whoever pays the bills

[abcdefz]

From this:

http://i40.tinypic.com/5z44yx.jpg


To this: "Quick! Get the stars' faces on the front!"

http://i40.tinypic.com/30xahrd.jpg



As far as these things go, that one's not bad, I don't think.

The really sad one for the Coens is Barton Fink:

http://www.impawards.com/1991/posters/barton_fink_ver2.jpg


vs.

http://www.dvdnet.fi/catalog/images/BartonFink.jpg




...though the later version was a minor improvement:

http://www.yooyoon.net/article/showimg.php?iid=146

[TimDoolan]

http://i40.tinypic.com/5z44yx.jpg



The font reminds of this Vertigo poster.
http://www.impawards.com/1958/posters/vertigo_ver2.jpg

Also better than the DVD cover.

http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/img/product/resized/00006157-437335_400.jpg