50+ Academy Award Nominated Movie Posters 2019
Movie posters first appeared in 1895, when L'Arroseur Arrosé, a short black-and-white silent film, had its first screening. In the beginning, movie posters' role was to advertise incoming films, and once the run was complete, they were sent back to the distributor. In the U.S. the National Screen Service was the only company responsible for film poster distribution; they sent the posters between theaters throughout the country. After 1984, studios assumed control of their own posters and began producing and distributing them more broadly.
Design standards are constantly changing, though the movie business draws on a combination of fresh ideas and proven tricks. There are two standard sizes for movie posters in the U.S.: One Sheet is 27”x40” and Bus Stop is 40”x60”. Over the years, trends for movie posters have evolved from hand-painted designs to highly-graphical productions that rely on tried-and-true styles of fonts, colors, and positioning. But more on that later—first, let’s look at the 50+ movie posters from 2019 that made it to the Academy Awards, and then we’ll discuss how they fit in or stand out from the trends.
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Green Book
Vice
A Star Is Born
Roma
At Eternity's Gate
The Wife
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
If Beale Street Could Talk
Cold War
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Animal Behaviour
Bao
Late Afternoon
One Small Step
Weekends
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
First Reformed
Never Look Away
Free Solo
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
RBG
Black Sheep
End Game
Lifeboat
A Night at the Garden
Peroid. End of Sentence.
Detainment
Fauve
Marguerite
Mother
Skin
Capernaum
Shoplifters
First Man
A Quiet Place
Mary Poppins Returns
Border
Mary Queen of Scots
Avengers: Infinity War
Christopher Robin
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Trends
1. Whimsical Graphics
You could expect to see whimsical graphics on posters for animated movies and shorts like Bao and One Small Step, but this trend is moving into live-action films too. RBG, Mary Poppins Returns, and Marguerite use creative details to attract the eye and allude to the tone of the films.
2. Sans Serif Fonts
There is a popular serif font called Trajan that has been featured on more than 400 posters. It is touted as the one design element that appears the most. This popular serif font was created by Carol Twombly and became THE font for nearly every genre in the 90s and early 2000s. However, a new trend is emerging, one that has relegated Trajan to horror and B-movie categories. Sans serif fonts are the new go-to. In this list, 32 of the posters uses a sans serif font and one, Bohemian Rhapsody, uses both serif and sans serif.
3. Groups of People
In the past, only the big names were shown on a movie poster, so you might see two stars looking at each other, back to back, or their disembodied heads floating among other graphics. Now, though, designers have to contend with fitting more stars on the advertisements as the number of ensemble casts grows. Ensemble posters aren’t just for superhero movies like Avengers and Black Panther anymore—Roma, Ready Player One, and Shoplifters also feature the trend.
4. The Forward-Facing Star
Studios know that fans are committed to movie stars, so featuring them prominently on the poster is usually a good advertisement for the film. Of the movie posters above, 27 of them have one or more of their stars forward-facing with views either peering out at the audience or slightly askance.
5. Faded, Muted Colors and Simplified Color Schemes
The color scheme of a movie poster is as important to the tone of the show as is the font. Two trends stand out in 2018: faded, muted colors and simplified color schemes. Nineteen of the posters use faded and/or muted colors, and it goes across genres. Another 19 use a simplified color scheme comprising of one to three shades like Solo with orange, Mary Queen of Scots with yellow, and Fauve ’s white-and-gray scheme.
What Stands Out
Bohemian Rhapsody’s poster goes against the grain using both serif and sans serif fonts, bold colors, and the black outline of its star. When most others rely on the face of the star to instantly attract the audience, Bohemian Rhapsody relies on the outline to remind people of a once bright star and the greatest performance in history.
Disney’s Christopher Robin is another poster standout. It is a family movie, and posters for family movies are usually quirky and creative, but the minimalism of this poster goes against the grain and allows the audience to enjoy the simplicity of a childhood favorite.
In a sea of faces, movie posters like A Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Period. End of Sentence offer graphical clues to the movie and leave it at that. The uplifted hands of Period. are analogous with empowerment; the trails leading away from the title in Ballad suggest several stories winding their own paths.
Creating a standout design that impacts its target audience and incites a reaction is the purpose of graphic design. The process doesn’t begin at movie posters—it goes across industries through logos, advertisement campaigns, and brand identity.
Superside designers are selected based on their proven design skills through rigorous testing. They must prove they are constantly working on the cutting edge of design and continually evolving so that they can bring you the dynamic look you expect. Our dedicated account managers are standing by 24/7 to connect you with a brand that stands out.
Built to be an extension of in-house teams, we deliver fast, scalable, world-class design and creative solutions to over 450 globally renowned companies such as Amazon, Meta, Notion and Google. Connect with us on LinkedIn.
You may also like these
19 best packaging design examples to fuel your marketing in 2025
While it’s true that you can’t judge a book by its cover, the opposite holds true in the world of product packaging.Here, it’s all about the presentation. In fact, 72% of U.S. consumers report that packaging design influences their purchasing decisions, and 67% place value on the materials used.Also, with the global packaging market projected to expand from $1,080.13 billion in 2024 to $1,452.86 billion by 2032, it’s essential to ensure your brand stands out in online stores and on shop shelves.Superside can help. This article begins with essential due diligence: We address the challenge of how to select suitable product packaging and provide a guide to help you evaluate your options. Then, we showcase 19 effective packaging design examples and examine their success.What makes packaging design so important for my brand?
20 successful report design examples and ideas for 2025
Bland report design fades into the background, but standing out takes more than just good intentions. Enterprise creative teams are often maxed out as they juggle high-volume, high-speed demands, which makes it challenging to deliver stunning reports.Our recent “Overcommitted” report shows that a staggering 76% of creative teams experienced burnout over the past year. Working on complicated reports often adds to this burden.From annual reports packed with financials and forecasts to market research and stakeholder surveys, enterprises rely on a wide range of reports to inform decisions, engage investors and showcase results. These projects are business-critical and often complex in nature. Plus, they require accuracy and creativity.Let’s explore this year’s top 20 report design examples in this showcase designed to spark fresh thinking and inspire your next standout project.6 key design elements of effective enterprise reports
13 principles of design: A visual guide from Superside (2025)
Design is everywhere. It influences everything from our pyjamas to our jeans, from our cities’ layouts to our homes.But what makes a design “good?” Why do some designs attract us while others make us feel queasy? Is there a science behind the art, or is it just intuition?If you’re facing a design quandary, this comprehensive guide for enterprise design teams will give you a deeper understanding of design principles. Ultimately, it can help you enhance and elevate your visual communication, branding and marketing strategies.We cover the elements and principles of design, and include clear graphic design examples to illustrate these concepts.Grab that coffee. It’s time for a design deep dive.