Alongside fake Criterion Collection DVD cover art, the minimalist movie poster meme is a craze that’s been especially popular on the Internet as of late. And, like the fake Criterion Collection cover art that sprinkles DVD collector message boards, some of the designs are far more impressive than others.
Travis Pitts, while not strictly a minimalist, has created a line of movie posters that are pretty damn effective in combining a clean, cartoony look with a well-chosen palate of colors and a fine understanding of the power of font placement.
Pitts’ work isn’t quite in the same design category as Saul Bass’ innovative movie posters from the ’60s but they’re a very close cousin. Pitts clearly has found influence in the designer’s work right alongside propaganda posters and Saturday morning cartoons.
The best thing about Pitts’ posters is the fact that each maintains a distinct visual look from the others — showcasing that the artist has a wide range of inspirations to pull from. The poster from Pitts that is getting the spotlight this week is his amazing work for John Carpenter’s The Thing. Pitts knocks this piece out of the park — choosing to highlight a pivotal scene from the film while still only teasing about the movie’s secrets.
Travis Pitts’ work is available in a variety of sizes and options. You can order copies of his prints framed or printed on archival canvas. To visit Pitts’ online shop, click here. If you’d like to follow him on the web, visit him at his blog.
If you have any tips for movie posters or artists that should be spotlighted in future editions of this column, drop me a line on Twitter @robsaucedo2500.
