movie posters 1616 Responses

Last post: 1 month, 3 weeks ago | Thread started: Mar 6, 12, 11:27 a.m.

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• spifflink

  Has anyone done key art for movie posters here? How much did you end up charging? I have done a poster for a friend's documentary that made it into a bunch of festivals and he has gotten a distribution deal. I did the poster as a favor for the friend with a contract stating i'd get royalties on dvd sales and his help directing and editing some music videos for my band, sort of an informal thing. I ended up putting a ton of hours and work in on it, and recently I just redid everything for it in anticipation of its general release. The distro company that has taken over the project is now attempting to bully me into giving up the PSD files and source art for $500 (originally $250, but I tried to bid it to a somewhat proper price which was scoffed at). I offered, instead of giving the psds to them so they could ostensibly create dvd menus and sales sheets, that I could do this material for them, and gave them a bid on that, which was still me giving them like 50% off of what I would have charged any other business and was still scoffed at. I told them to eat a bag of dicks (way more diplomatically), but now I think maybe I should take the money? It would be teaching these dudes to keep being slimy and totally sketchy though. Anyone have experience with indie film or any film distribution? /wall of text

  Mar 6, 12, 11:27 a.m. – Permalink

• moldero

  calling scarabin

  

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  Dog-earMar 6, 12, 11:29 a.m. – Permalink

• colin_s

  oof this needs a paragraph break or two.

  either way that seems low, depending on the distribution deal and the amount of promotions behind it.

  

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  Dog-earMar 6, 12, 11:31 a.m. – Permalink

• spifflink

  It seems pretty low to me as well. But the thought occurred to me to take the money and at least get something out of it? I doubt the royalties will amount to anything substantial.

  

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  Dog-earMar 6, 12, 11:34 a.m. – Permalink

• scarabin

  if it were me i'd give 'em the files and take the money at the $250 price i originally quoted. then acknowledge layered files in the next contract i make with someone.

  • but that's just me– scarabin1/3

    +1– zarkonite2/3

    +1– ksv1233/3

  

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  Dog-earMar 6, 12, 11:34 a.m. – Permalink

• scarabin

  and typically i charge $1000 per comp, then like $500 for minor revisions and finishing. $300 for a full-sized print.

  • but again, that's just me– scarabin

  

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  Dog-earMar 6, 12, 11:36 a.m. – Permalink

• spifflink

  So give them a flattened PSD at $250?

  • Because he's asking for a full psd so they can use art elements for other purposes.– spifflink1/5

    what's the point of a flat psd? he needs the title treatment loose so he can use it on things, make billboards, etc– scarabin2/5

    yeah that's what I mean. sorry i misread what you said before.– spifflink3/5

    i also didnt quote 250, i was closer to 1k (not charging for all previous work), but was laughed at :(– spifflink4/5

    these dudes are pretty sketchy.– spifflink5/5

  

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  Dog-earMar 6, 12, 11:38 a.m. – Permalink

• uuuuuu

  They have to pay for this stuff with someone anyway but they want to get it cheap with you. You made the original art, they would have to go and get someone to redo something entirely, that can't be cheaper, so stick to your prices and get your friend to tell them they have to use the original art work at a proper price. I'd hate to know what they paid for the distribution rights if they are being like this over graphic design. I don't know maybe they think you are the guy who'll take it up the butt.

  • yeah no kidding. my friends have told me that they are regretting signing a deal with these people.– spifflink1/6

    Is your work tied to the project stylistically? Is it in the actual movie?– uuuuuu2/6

    Yeah, its used in a bunch of animations.– spifflink3/6

    I wouldn't budge then. If I was your director friend I would insist they work with you on your terms.– uuuuuu4/6

    they are sort of laying down and taking it at this point. i am only on this still because they insisted on using my art.– spifflink5/6

    good luck :]– uuuuuu6/6

  

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  Dog-earMar 6, 12, 11:48 a.m. – Permalink

• bulletfactory

  You have no contract with them. Never release source files.

  

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  Dog-earMar 6, 12, 1:24 p.m. – Permalink

• CGN

  can we see this art/poster you speak of

  

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  Dog-earMar 6, 12, 1:35 p.m. – Permalink

• CGN

  Let them know your previous deal. Maybe they can still give you that if not than charge them 1k for the rights to the design and call it a day.

  

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  Dog-earMar 6, 12, 1:36 p.m. – Permalink

• ksv123

  Fuck the psd up. remove i portant filters or some elements, then hand it off, F them in the end.

  

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  Dog-earMar 6, 12, 2:21 p.m. – Permalink

• albums

  hey scarabin, do you ever do the text on the bottom of the posters? I was wondering if you knew what people were using (if there is a specific you know of) for the thin text in the billing / credit block.

  The stuff that looks like these:

  http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/urw…
  http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/out…
  http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/red…
  http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/ort…
  http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/lin…
  http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/fon…

  I even found this weird thing
  http://www.abstractfonts.com/fon…

  a list
  http://www.fontscape.com/explore…

  • that's called a billing block or billing. font is almost always univers ultra condensed. i've also seen bee used– scarabin1/12

    thx– albums2/12

    I'd avoid Bee like the plague ubless you have an assload of credits. U39 or U49 are primo– jonny_quest_lives3/12

    Heroic condensed is also a tasty choice if you have the time. Most AD's never set their own billings so here are a few rules.– jonny_quest_lives4/12

    price is essentially the same– albums5/12

    heroic is nice, too bad no web– albums6/12

    Billing cap height is usually 15% of the title unless an indie flick that doesn't need guild approval.– jonny_quest_lives7/12

    So take the average of each letterform of your title and calculate 15% of that height for your billing
    – jonny_quest_lives8/12

    Again only required if you submit your billing through the writer's and or director's guilds– jonny_quest_lives9/12

    cool to know regardless– albums10/12

    aaaaand theese rules only apply in the us– ArchitectofFate11/12

    yeah they're a pain in the ass– scarabin12/12

  

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  Dog-earApr 1, 13, 10:11 p.m. – Permalink

• inteliboy

  Look at it from their angle... could be far less sinister -- they need to create some dvd menu's and stuff. "Hey you should grab the designs the poster guy did" "Yeah cool I'll give him a buzz".

  

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  Dog-earApr 1, 13, 10:36 p.m. – Permalink

• JG_LB

  http://www.nytimes.com/interacti…

  

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  Dog-earApr 2, 13, 8:14 a.m. – Permalink

• pr2

  Honestly bro, doc are so hard to make, cost a ton of money and never see that money again. The distro company knows that ANY money they are kicking your way is money disappearing into a dark abyss. On the other hand great poster puts them on a road to recoup that money just a little bit easier - that much they should understand. But being some cheap (they all are) distro company all they care about is bottom line. In their view ANY money the spend is too much.

  

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  Dog-earApr 2, 13, 8:33 a.m. – Permalink

• Julesvm

  I've done a few. Fees have always varied wildly based on the size of the production and their budget... so it goes.

  

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  Dog-earApr 2, 13, 12:31 p.m. – Permalink