On the subject of game covers, it seemed regions made a difference sometimes. My favourite example is the RE4 cover. They came up with a gorgeous, subtle and somewhat creepy cover for PAL regions but NTSC it's covered in Man! Enemies! Guns! IN YO FACE! like they think their audiences are retarded.

Compare this disgusting NTSC cover:
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/8111/1246418-1109666475_00.jpg

with this awesome PAL cover:
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/8111/1246420-resident_evil4_ngc_cover.jpg


Great video, btw...

I don't think it has much to do with money, the studios could certainly afford to make great art for each of their movies. It comes down to what sells, cryptic artwork doesn't really tell you what's in a movie. You need to think of a poster as a 3 second commercial for your movie.

True, but if done right a little mystery could also spark curiosity, with me at least.
Some of those posters smack you upside the head so hard the studios could almost be charged with assault with a blunt instrument. The resulting concussions could easily explain our nation's terrible viewing habits. ( as I try and fail to look innocent while standing in line to buy a ticket to 47 Ronin)

Exactly. It's why trailers nowadays reveal just about everything. It's why we're not getting off superhero movies anytime soon.

The movie industry in the last 10 years has seen a bifurcation into either cheap indie flicks or super expensive international blockbusters with the middle largely disappearing. Since major studios are increasingly relying on fewer and more expensive super blockbusters, any semblance of risk taking has gone out the window.

It's all remakes, adaptations, re-remakes. The plots are made as basic as possible with no particularly cultural inclination lest foreign cultures are confused. Movie posters are no different. If teal and orange signifies action thriller and fosters a positive association with previous flicks then like hell they're going to change it.

I doubt movie posters are as important these days too, what with the steady demise of print media. Now it's all Youtube clips of your stars doing the rounds on trendy tv shows and slathering the edges of websites with colourful noise for people to accidentally click on when trying to select text.

When fans complained about the Bioshock Infinite box art Irrational decided to post some alternates to be voted on. This one won http://irrationalgames.com/insider/poll-winner-announced/

I feel like there is easily the capacity to make great artwork, but in this case they opted not to make it the default cover art because they were afraid Joe public wouldn't "get it" or something. It's typical risk aversion. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the budgets for these movie posters were actually greater than it has been in the past. I'd wager that some great movie posters are produced that we never get to see.

Great *quality sift.

Some posters do the job though...
http://subliminal.e-monsite.com/medias/images/sex-cinema.jpg

Boosting this quality contribution up in the Hot Listing - declared quality by antonye.

Because creativity dies along with privacy.
Have fun, this is only the beginning.

I don't think it's about budget at all. I think it's about catering to the lowest common denominator. The kind of people who watch America's Got Talent every week or buy Call of Duty ever year. Movie posters use templates because that's the quickest and easiest way to convey a movie's genre, cast and tone to people who don't enjoy thinking.

I think another issue is simply the realization that faces draw attention. As humans, we are compelled to examine faces. Having prominent faces in your poster just makes sense, even though it dramatically limits your design space.

At least if they're all bland, we don't have to worry about stinker movies with beautiful posters sucking us in...