The inception of the floating head approach to film poster design dates back to the 1930s, with "The Wizard of Oz" recognized as one of the early adopters of this method. According to some critics, the "floating head" design approach in film posters has become a notable and overused trend in cinematic poster design. This style is characterized by a background featuring lead actors' faces prominently displayed, seemingly floating. Typically, one or two heads stare directly at the audience, often with the movie's setting superimposed in the background and set-piece-specific art in the foreground. The same principle can extend to full-body group pictures, creating a similar style that, while more crowded, still evokes a sense of utilizing a generic template.
This design trend rose to prominence with the advent of photo editing software, providing studios with a cost-effective alternative to commissioning artists for handcrafted posters. By employing stock photos of lead actors, studios could easily manipulate and superimpose them onto various backgrounds, streamlining the poster creation process. Despite variations, the floating head style maintains a uniform look, facilitating quick identification of the film's main actors.
Critics argue that the floating head design lacks creativity and originality, often resulting in bland layouts and subpar artistic choices. Detractors point out that while serving the essential purpose of showcasing the cast, these posters may fail to convey the essence of the movie or provide any significant details about the plot. Some even describe them as resembling a haphazard arrangement of characters, akin to a novice graphic design project.
Despite criticisms, the floating head approach has persisted over the years, becoming a familiar sight for major blockbusters and franchise films. However, recent releases like Scream 6 have hinted at a potential departure from this trend. As the film industry continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether Hollywood will continue to rely on the familiar floating head design or explore new and more captivating approaches to engage audiences through movie poster design.
