Mousetrap!

thegreenegg

Hello,
I've been working on the headshots for the play I'm in "The Mousetrap" by Agatha Christie. Not all are the best because of the lighting I was using or didn't have. However, I think everyone is happy. Here is part of the process. Making a poster to get people to go. The shots here will be used as the headshots.
Thanks,
Ashley

snapapple

thegreenegg wrote:

Hello,
I've been working on the headshots for the play I'm in "The Mousetrap" by Agatha Christie. Not all are the best because of the lighting I was using or didn't have. However, I think everyone is happy. Here is part of the process. Making a poster to get people to go. The shots here will be used as the headshots.
Thanks,
Ashley

Hi Ashley,

The headshots look good. The words "Agatha Christie's" is not centered. Just a nit.

W.W. Webster

thegreenegg wrote:

Making a poster to get people to go.

Ashley

As I see it, the problem isn't so much with the headshots, it's with the layout of the poster itself. I suggest you may get some ideas that are very easy to follow and understand in this book.

wholenewlight

I've just been working on some similar photoshop layouts and creating them is harder than I had guessed. Good work.

Other than the centering of Agatha Christie as already mentioned, the only other thing that I noticed is the headshots themselves. I know you've already completed them but I'd rather they were all matching, ie: everyone with eye contact & smile, or everyone not.

Anyway

bham

Maybe a couple things. Center Agatha Christie. Maybe include a quick blurb about the play. General story. Myself not having seen the play or read this book (I am assuming it is in book form), just a poster about a play I am unfamiliar with doesn't interest me. Also location and times? Are these pics of the actors playing the parts? Are any stars or well known where you are advertising? I ask this because you have dedicated alot of space to their images, so I assumed they must be important.

A couple of ideas. Maybe make the images smaller give yourself more space for info and include a graphic of a unrecognizable person holding a gun or knife.

Maybe do the question in a different color. Also spliting up the title from Agatha Christie lost me for a moment. I wasn't sure what the title was until after I had reviewed the poster a couple of times.

You could try the question at the top and then the eight images 2 rows of 4. Then the info below.

Just some ideas. Hope this helps.

bham

wholenewlight wrote:

I've just been working on some similar photoshop layouts and creating them is harder than I had guessed. Good work.

Other than the centering of Agatha Christie as already mentioned, the only other thing that I noticed is the headshots themselves. I know you've already completed them but I'd rather they were all matching, ie: everyone with eye contact & smile, or everyone not.

Anyway

I rather like that the images aren't all uniform. Just my $.02

W.W. Webster

bham wrote:

I rather like that the images aren't all uniform. Just my $.02

I agree, and I'd also check the spelling as a minimum so people aren't confused as to when this play is being performed.

binghott

i really ilke the pictures, but i'm not completely fond of the poster. among other things, i'd probably put the word "january" on a seperate line from the rest of the date and time.

also, i'm pretty sure that the best way to attract attention is through color. at school, the only posters i usually notice are the brightly colored ones.

i hope that helps.

Sam

Here's what popped into my mind. I think the head shots are fine, but the poster is too centered, it looks like 3 different fonts, and the date is squished.

Maybe try a more random approach. Have the title large Prominent, in the middle, with the head shots spread around at random. It's a mystery remember? Perhaps with the characters job / position under their photo. Like The Butler? The maid? Date / place should be easy to see as well, but maybe make the eyes wander all over to look at all the characters.

The idea and effort are good, I just think the elements you have need to be repositioned.

But then again what do I know?

Sam

thegreenegg

Sorry, the reply took so long. Thanks for all your suggestions! Agatha Christie was intentionally put off center but I see how it can be a touchy point.
I took your advice, especially Sam's when trying something different. What do you think about this?
I took into account what you told me and what other people said.
Where?- Even thought there is only one place where it can be at the university.
Date?- Not so squashed.
Time?- Even thought all plays start at the same time here and so forth.
Who?- Someone, thought they were people off TV while others knew the face but wanted the name.
Pictures- My friend like the pictures and wanted them to be more prominate.
Ashley

Sam

I like this one better. Still seems to be a little busy, but then again you are putting in a lot of info. It does make you look around and actually see the individual elements of the poster.

Good work.

Sam

W.W. Webster

thegreenegg wrote:

Date?- Not so squashed.

... but what's that month again?

Andy

W.W. Webster wrote:

... but what's that month again?

Ashley, what he is saying, is "check the spelling of 'Janurary' it should really be 'January' "

Ashley

All the best,

DavidTO

W.W. Webster wrote:

Ashley

As I see it, the problem isn't so much with the headshots, it's with the layout of the poster itself. I suggest you may get some ideas that are very easy to follow and understand in this book.

I love that book, highly recommend it. In fact I have recommended it many times. In fact, WWW, you've stolen my line!

give it back.

Art Scott

thegreenegg wrote:

Sorry, the reply took so long. Thanks for all your suggestions! Agatha Christie was intentionally put off center but I see how it can be a touchy point.
I took your advice, especially Sam's when trying something different. What do you think about this?
I took into account what you told me and what other people said.
Where?- Even thought there is only one place where it can be at the university.
Date?- Not so squashed.
Time?- Even thought all plays start at the same time here and so forth.
Who?- Someone, thought they were people off TV while others knew the face but wanted the name.
Pictures- My friend like the pictures and wanted them to be more prominate.
Ashley

This quite nice... ..I really like it.. ..Great work...You should contact the University I used to work for and set them straight on getting times, dates and spelling correct before printing.....

DavidTO

I find it confusing and difficult to follow.

Here's my thoughts:

• The names are too large and jumbled up. The "AS" should be even smaller, smaller than the names, that is. Everything looks bold. Make the names lighter than whatever they are, bold or whatever. Make them tall and skinny like on movie posters and broadsheets.
• The names/headshots also don't line up. Everything needs to align with something, and even though you've got every other pic lining up, it's just a mess. Make a clean line of the pics and text, and maybe even enclose them in a graphic element, like a box, or somthing. Or a gradient. Something.
• The title is loosey-goosey. Bring that lonely "M" in closer to the rest of the title. It looks so lonely out there. And the "THE" is worse, bring it down and snuggle it up against that "M", making one, unified title. While you're at it, don't forget about Agatha. Bring her down and make her a part of the title, since she is, really...isn't she?
• Fix your spelling: "JANUARY".
• The first date line looks different than the second. That's weird.
• Lose the "TH"s. All they do is clutter up the text making it harder to read.
• Make the dates and times smaller, while you're at it. Make the location larger.
• Find a graphic or typographic signature for the piece. Some repeating element that unifies it.

Get that book linked above if you have any interest in doing this again. It's a great book.

The basic rule from that book is: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity: CRAP.

Contrast is different than what we mean in photography. Contrasting size, shape, colors, etc. If you're going to contrast, make the contrast big...that's part of the problem with your poster, you haven't been brave enough with contrasting elements.

Repetition, that's what I'm talking about with finding a design element to repeat. It helps the viewer by giving a sense of personality to the poster, and also says:"Here's that graphic element again. This means I should expect....(whatever)."

Alignment: in your poster the alignments are too jumbled. You need stronger lines in the poster made by stronger alignments.

Proximity: put related information together. Youv'e pretty much done that, but because it's all on top of each other, it's hard to tell. Look at how close the theatre/date info is to the actors, which are so close to the title.

Hope that helps...

W.W. Webster

DavidTO wrote:

The basic rule from that book is: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity: CRAP.

... with 'contrast' including the use of plenty of white space!

Frankly (and respectfully), the revised layout is no improvement, it's just a jumble, and is likely to detract from the play rather than engender interest in it. To me, the poster conveys an extremely juvenile look. What's it trying to say?