1. Introduction and the Principle of the Idea Generation Approach // Introduction and the principle behind the approach to generating ideas
As part of the competition, I became interested in exploring film posters and working with visual forms. I found it difficult to focus on the fine details while watching the films. I set myself the challenge of finding metaphors in each poster and infusing every image with meaning. Conveying the film’s meaning and mood through the posters proved more challenging than I had imagined.
«The biggest challenge was having the idea in my head, but then translating it into a film poster and finding the right typography»
«The main challenge lay in having an idea in my head, but struggling to translate it into a film poster and add suitable typography»
2. Larry // Larry (Szilárd Bernáth, 2022)
sketching the form, refining the drawing, cutting the stencil, applying paint through the stencil
Intermediate drawing result via stencil
For the film Larry, I aimed to convey the film’s concept and mood through the image of a sheep from the main character’s farm. The shape of the sheep’s head partially overlaps the oval of the main character’s face, acting as a metaphor for the character’s internal conflict. I utilized a stencil technique combined with a graffiti spray paint can. This technique subtly references the grunge aesthetic, the tumultuous teenage years, and the social circles Larry frequented.
3. Wild Roots // Wild Roots (Hajni Kis, 2021)
While watching the film, I immediately recalled the Russian saying about raising children: «with both the stick and the carrot.» However, in this instance, the main character’s father was the one receiving discipline. I was particularly struck by the scene at the gas station featuring the little girl in a crown who wanted cereal but could only afford a lollipop. The poster’s core concept explores the meaning of codependent relationships between an adult and a child—a bond that cannot form a family due to the life circumstances of one of them. A sweet treat that transforms into disappointment and tears for the child, and punishment for the parent.
A sweet treat that turns into disappointment and tears for the child, and punishment for the parent.
4. White Palms (Szabolcs Hajdu, 2006)
This is a film worth showing to parents who wish to push their children into professional sports without the child’s consent. Watching the film evoked mixed emotions in me, particularly during the scenes featuring the young man smoking. I immediately recalled friends of mine—professional athletes—who have been smoking since they were 10 or 11 years old. For my poster, I explored the concept of first and second place in the final competition, rendering the medal out of a wrist strap (instead of a ribbon) and using an ashtray as the base, which symbolizes childhood, adolescence, and youth in sports.
Scenes simultaneously depicted the child’s naivety and helplessness while also reflecting the harshness and «premature maturation» inherent in professional sports.
5. Explanation for Everything (Gábor Reisz, 2023)
It was interesting to see a film about the younger generation with a political theme at the heart of the narrative. As a member of that generation, I was particularly struck by the film’s lack of a single definitive perspective. For the movie poster concept, I incorporated the image of the main character on a bicycle alongside a white envelope. The envelope symbolizes purity and conviction in one’s viewpoint—the mystery of what lies inside remains unseen. This image serves as a metaphor for the veiled nature of people’s political views, while simultaneously presenting identical ideas delivered through different narratives.
6. On Body and Soul (Ildikó Enyedi, 2017)
The most challenging film for me to design a poster for was On the Body and the Soul. I even had to read several reviews of the film to understand the narrative. In my initial sketches, I focused on the film’s more vibrant and dark aspects, but I ended up with posters that resembled a horror film, and On the Body and the Soul is not a horror film. Therefore, I took a different approach and tried to find a symbolic form—an object that served as a bridge between the first and second parts of the narrative: a clothespin, which acts as a conduit between emptiness and emerging emotions. This form serves as a metaphor for the simultaneous beginning of emotion and the cessation of emptiness within the protagonist.
Conclusion // Afterword
The process of creating film posters turned out to be a fascinating creative endeavor for me—one that forced me to challenge my thinking and find visual solutions through a multi-stage exploration. One of the films resonated deeply with my personal experiences, allowing me to visualize events I had lived through. The competition offered me the chance to explore Hungarian cinema, immersing myself in the country’s culture and contemporary society.
*All photographs of the objects (images) were taken personally by me using readily available items from my home