Being a designer is a never-ending quest. Designers must constantly improve and expand their skills, as trends in design are always changing. Like any art susceptible to the whims of fashion, design reflects the tastes, values and concerns of a certain point in time, and as such it never sits still for too long.

Of course, professional work will allow the designer to hone and build their skills, but in this economy, paid work can be hard to find. That is why designers often create design samples both to give clients an idea of their style and to continue to practice their art. This practice has obvious benefits, but creating logos and websites in a vacuum has a less obvious drawback. It does not require collaboration or interpretation of ideas on the part of the designer.

One way many designers are addressing this issue is by redesigning movie posters. Designing movie posters can often more accurately show a designer’s thought process, since they have to interpret a film using only its iconic imagery or memorable lines. It forces the designer to create something that reflects their aesthetic but requires that aesthetic to be adapted to someone else’s already established creation. This is a much more realistic process than drawing a visual pun and deciding the kind of company that might like it, and it also results in a product that can be enjoyed by fans of design and fans of the film equally.

Below is a showcase of creative redesigned movie posters that illustrates just how entertaining and challenging this practice can be.

Fight Club

The Shining

The Evil Dead

Ghostbusters

Amelie

Jurassic Park

Return of the Jedi

Reservoir Dogs

Nosferatu, Frankenstein & The Wolfman

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas

Have you found any creatively redesigned movie posters that deserve a mention? Please do let us know in the comments.

Alex writes for Print Express, who specialise in custom printed business cards. In his spare time he enjoys studying graphic and web design and is currently learning to code.