Zack Snyder–a name associated with many, many emotions. What can we learn from the director who pushes the boundaries in his own art? In this final scene, we take a look at Snyder’s films, specifically Batman V. Superman, and examine how designers can reinvent a poster genre in dire need of a makeover: the superhero movie.
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
Zack Snyder’s second DCEU film, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is a (controversially) dark take on classic superhero favorites. After the events that transpired in Man of Steel, Bruce Wayne fears that Superman’s godlike abilities and actions will be the downfall of Gotham, Metropolis, and the world at large. However, Batman’s own abilities and power as a masked vigilante catch the attention of Superman, who feels that this self-proclaimed hero is also acting without boundaries. The film is polarizing because Snyder took these classic DC characters and depicted them in a way that felt untrue to the source material. Many argue that Snyder’s visions for the DCEU strayed too far from the original comic books, while others celebrated his risk-taking in portraying a different side to these characters that we have seen time and time again. Whether or not you like Snyder or his films, it’s undeniable that he has left a mark on the superhero genre. What can designers learn from Snyder?
Theatrical Poster
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice includes themes such as justice, vengeance, power, truth, and duality. The theatrical posters do a decent job of representing these ideas, but the posters for the fi lm are fairly literal and don’t seem to provide anything fresh or new. Though most superhero movie posters follow a similar formula, it seems that a director like Zack Snyder–who likes to push boundaries–should be the one to break the mold.
Themes and concepts
When considering the themes of the film, and the source material, it was challenging to think of new ways to represent characters that we have seen for decades in a new way. However, things became clear when looking to Snyder for visual direction. There is a powerful scene in the film (that also becomes relevant in Snyder’s next film, Justice League) where Superman’s statue in the town square is defaced. Statues are associated with important figures, but in recent years specifically, there has been much conversation about who should have a statue erected in their honor. Though Superman isn’t equivalent to a confederate soldier, for example, his statue becomes a symbol of the “god” that people think that he is, in the film. Using this imagery would become conceptually critical to this poster design.
Another interesting idea from this film is the idea that there really is no “good guy,” and it is often highlighted that both Superman and Batman are acting in the ways in which they feel are appropriate. They must keep each other in check. This inspired the idea of having Batman and Superman’s faces line up, one being the front facing Superman statue and the other a side profile. An extra layer of meaning was created when Batman’s profile was transformed into a shadow. This suggests that he is the dark that will block out Superman’s “good deeds,” whether or not they are good.
Type design
The type design for this re-design is simple and bold. The choice to emphasize “Dawn of Justice” was made because the poster itself indicates that this will involve Batman and Superman. By designing the type around the concept of the “dawn of justice,” the viewer is challenged more to think about what this could mean, in this context.
The colors for the type are drawn from the original poster–and the gradation between light and dark represent both the idea of “dawn” and the concept of these two characters almost merging into one another.
