Key Art

Movie posters have played a crucial role in the history of movie-making. Initially, short films were projected using film posters, which is why they used to be overcrowded with information about the cast, directors, list of titles, and producers. The goal of creating key art is to capture the essence of a film's theme, tone, plot, and character arcs in one clear image.

design challenge

To create an Animated Key Art for a film that will be shown on the digital displays in Times Square.

Key Art is the singular, iconic image that is the foundation upon which a marketing campaign is built. Key Art includes the movie with the logo of the film and other production information. The movie poster must come to life with looping animation.

movie

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Lionsgate - release 2024

Thriller / Horror

final key art animation

final key art previz animation

research

The upcoming American action spy film from Lionsgate is directed and co-written by Guy Ritchie. It is based on the book "Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII" by Damien Lewis, published in 2014. The book covers several stories of the British special forces, also known as the SOE (Special Operations Executive). The movie may cover an operation called POSTMASTER which involved sending a team to Northern Africa to steal three Axis powers' ships and deliver them to the British Royal Navy.

pitch

summary

Pitched three different styleframes for the key art to my art director.

notes

Concept 3 was chosen.

Art director notes:

Create a better hierarchy with logo type.
Use imagery of the people's clothing and environment that relates to Northern Africa soldiers.
Think about a variety of animation options for the poster.
Maybe switch the poster design to World War 2 spy tools.

Creative Director Notes:

Simplify design.
Human figures need to move unless they are dead.
Bullet holes in the logo are hard to see.
Add release date.
The director's title may be unnecessary.
Focus on items of the operatives instead of people.

concept 2

spies

A lighthouse reveals the operatives together on a secret mission through the ocean using photo collage.

concept 1

warfare

Moving through battle undetected by the enemy is most important for the ministry of ungentlemanly warfare to accomplish or they die. This is shown in this poster by representing one of the team members played by Henry Cavill in the middle of battle avoiding bombs. This style uses photo collage and vfx explosions.

concept 3

ungentlemanly

Dirty, rule breakers, and risk takers. This key art represents the group as ungentlemanly by having their backs turned toward us, guns in hand, and headed on a daring mission using photo collage.

first pass

summary

In the next meeting, I delivered the first pass animation with a new layout of a ship and items that represented the operatives.

notes

Switch back to the original layout
The images need to change.
Have a ship in the middle of the composition.
Have the ship explode with billowing smoke.
Have British gentlemen's items with bullet holes and rips float on the water in front of the boat.
These items could be a top hat, bow tie, pocket watch, and cigars.

second pass

summary

I changed the layout based on the previous feedback.
I created a first pass of the previz of the key art in Times Square.

notes

Art director notes:

Change the design style to vector.
Use colors and composition from World War 2 propaganda poster reference.
Keep the logo and font the same.
If I need more ideas use chatgbt to create ideas based on the summary of the movie's plot.