First of all a big thank you to our amazing judges, for giving their expertise and their valuable time to our poster competition and helping us to find the right poster for "Clowning Around" while also sharing some of their insight and feedback about the particular posters they chose, both for the competition entrants and for us all to benefit from their collective knowledge.
MATTHEW LEYLAND from 'Total Film' Magazine
OK.... thought they were all quality but these 3 really made my bow-tie whirl!
1) MYISH ENDONILA - The caption "Will work for booze" made me laugh straight away but what I really love is how so much is packed into the picture without seeming cluttered: the rivalry, the haplessness, the alcoholism, the violence... the flying pies add a great dynamic element. I would definitely, definitely want to see this film!
2) JENNY LAW - Another instantly witty image - love the use of red that guides you to the noses but also the bottles, which hint more subtly than some of the other posters at the alcoholism theme. A simple, strong, chic, cool composition.
3) ANDREW SMITH - Harks back to classic film posters by Saul Bass; nice use of metaphor - you immediately 'get' what this film's about - but it retains an air of mystery that makes you want to know more.
CHRIS JONES, Filmmaker and Author of The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook
1st: Ramon Bonilla
I liked the fact that it worked from a distance, was bold and iconic. The more I looked, so more detail revealed itself. Great work.
2nd: Myish Endonila
Again strong, simple and clear message that worked the irony of the concept in very well. Felt very much like a film poster too. It's also a gut choice.
3rd: Jenny Law
Simple and effective. I like the boldness of a graphic design and composition and colour worked very well. Lovely artwork that any film maker would have been delighted with.
BEN AND CHRIS BLAINE, UK Filmmaking Brothers from Charlie Productions
1st: Stuart Johnston
This suggests loads. Feels like if you had him looking up out of the bottle that would give this poster all it needs - that sense of hope. Him staring straight out of the bottle feels like there's not much hope. But the idea of him being stuck in the bottle is nice. The colours work well. The park bench and the balloon floating off give it something extra, a feeling that the film is going to give you those pertinent little details that will make it a deep and affecting film. However... the bottle doesn't quite sell alcohol to us. feels more like a bottle of premium water than booze - don't know what the tipple of choice in the film is but if it's wine he's quite a refined alcoholic. And if you went for a different, broader bottle such as one for whisky, that might give the chance to use more space - there's lots of blanks here. Love the rival staring in via the balloons, feels nice. Also like the font used for the title
2nd: Andrew Smith
Like this one a lot. Don't quite like the colour choice though - it might just be the compression but the red nose and the red splurge on his chest clash horribly with the blue. And that splurge doesn't need to be there. If it were just the nose it'd feel much stronger - you're telling me he's a clown, all I need to see is the nose. And perhaps you could have made him have clown shoes. Having him stuck inside the bottle but looking up gives me the story that he's an alcoholic clown who's looking to sort himself out. It's hopeful, and the simple but artful design makes me think of French New Wave films and makes me feel like I'll see something a bit different. Maybe that's not the film though...
3rd: Myish Endonila
This in many ways feels like the most polished of the posters. Certainly the one that sells it most as a comedy. However it feels like the main chap could do with being closer - there's a lot of wasted space below the sign round his neck which could have been lost in order to make him larger on the poster - there's a certain distance thanks to the pies being thrown at him which makes it feel a little like we're being asked to laugh at the loser, rather than necessarily empathising with him... The curtains feel a little sharp on the edges. The bad guy hovering in the background letting our main chap take the pratfall is nice, though is the story that he's aloof and better than him, or is it that he's actively trying to do the main chap in? In which case a different image of him might have worked better. However, not sure if that is the tale - if it is that he's aloof to it all, then it works ok.
CHRIS PATMORE Editor of Film & Festivals Magazine
1st: Andrew Smith
Simple graphical approach that captures the eye, while explaining the film's concept.
2nd: Miguel Ibarra
Striking use of illustration (not enough illustration used in film posters any more)
3rd: Ramon Bonilla
Powerful use of the photography and interesting use of typography, just a bit concerned that it is a little hard to read and much to close to the trim.
DEAN HARMER Creative Director at Aitch Creative
Myish Endonila
Just has all the ingredients for a good movie poster ... has focus and clarity, tells a little of the story - certainly enough to be intriguing (though i think a little TOO much blurring on the pie-dishes ... and some twinkly lights which don't seem to add anything, for me!) think that this submissions' designer is a designer - with a good sense of balance and impact and order of information.
Miguel Ibarra
I really like the simplicity and clarity of this ... though I can't help thinking that it's not quite finished - in that I think that the addition of a bottle in the hand, the cast along the top and a good strapline which adds a sense of context - would pull it right up!!
Jenny Law/Andrew Smith
i really cannot decide between the two illustrative designs. The blue bottle is a gorgeous, arty-house styled image - with good, strong type .. again - i still think it needs a little more to give you a better indicator of context - a good strong look. The orange one has a much more 'appropriate' feel - with the pair of clowns, the sense of fun with the balloon and the bottles - with an irregular border - makes it more 'rough and ready' but the whole is dampened by a muddy colour scheme ... resulting in the character images being indistinct if i were walking past...
JOHN CONDON Founder of OTT Films and Professional Creative Director
1st Place
Myish Endonila - In here is a good film poster, trying to get out. The story is all there - The drunk clown. The Antagonist literally 'waiting in the wings' for him to meet his seemingly inevitable doom (represented by the custard pies). Bonzo's expression, clearly that of a broken man and one resigned to his fate. So, all present and correct. However, the poster is very busy as a result. The curtains distract the eye. The blue background is unnecessarily lacking contrast from Bonzo, which it should have to ensure he stands out and remains the focus of my attention. So, a darker background, the curtains more realistic and partially hidden in the shadow, Bonzo caught in the spotlight and the removal of the tomato (an idea too far, albeit a good one) and you would have a solid film poster here. As it stands, it lacks the level of polish that the rest of the project has benefited from. If you can get a second round of tweaks from Myish, without it breaking the competition rules, this could be a very tidy and descriptive poster. At the moment it's my begrudging choice for your WINNER.
2ND PLACE
Miguel Ibarra - Very nicely sketched with a simple colour palette and one 'captivating' image. In graphic terms it's an engaging image too. However, much like many of the other 'style over content' posters it misses the 'story' and focuses on only one of its themes...that of depression...there is an unhappy clown! So? There are loads of films, stories and paintings of 'Unhappy clowns'. What makes this one so special? This poster fails to answer that question adequately enough for me. It tells me nothing of any consequence about the film and whilst it would catch my eye (job number one) it would fail to engage my curiosity enough to part with my money (job number two). But it excites me. So I'd want it to be developed and pushed further. How would I suggest Miguel do that? Perhaps Bonzo holding a balloon in his right hand (left as we see it) with Fernelli's shit eating expression doodled across it, looking down on our hero. A bow tie ribbon tied to the base of the balloon. A great visual representation of Fernelli's over inflated ego and his lofty position of popularity above Bonzo. Perhaps a bottle in Bonzo's hanging right hand? That may end up being too much but I'd have liked to have seen it. And of course I'd add an effective tagline. My pint being that if this poster had a second idea in here; something more relevant to the story (what I described is just an example) then this would probably be my WINNER. As it stands though, it would be my runner up.
3RD PLACE
Ramon Bonilla - This is a seriously bold image. Were I to walk in to the foyer of a cinema to be confronted by a 1 sheet with this on it, I'd certainly investigate it further. Unfortunately, there is nothing else to be found. Once again, I am confronted by an image of an unhappy clown but little else. It's left to the title to do all of the work and a title alone can not do the work required of the poster. The typography should have been painted (or appear to be painted) on to Bonzo's face and nose to at least maximise the effect. Yet again, no tagline.
There could only be one overall winner of course so a points system of 15 points for a first choice, 10 points for a second choice and 5 points for a third choice were employed with Matthew Leyland to make the guiding decision if there should have been a tie but in the end the clear overall winner was, as we've announced Myish Endonilla, followed by Andrew Smith and Miguel Ibarra as runners up. Well done to them and we're delighted with the Judges picks and our winning poster design!
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