The art of visual storytelling has long been an integral part of cinema and television. From stunning cinematography to innovative special effects, the visuals in a film or TV show can captivate audiences and bring the story to life in ways that words alone cannot take these binge-worthy teasers and trailers, for example.
Apart from the official work of the artists behind the finished product, these industries are also a known playground for professional video designers who frequently reimagine some concept or introduce an entirely new one.
Some of the best film and TV visuals never see the light of day. However, this article aims to remove these limits and present both the official and personal work as equal, shedding some light on the creative qualities of the notions.
Here are some of the best film and TV visuals that show the full range of creative possibilities in the industry:
Table of Contents
1. TV Net by Stato
Standout Features:
- Four versions
- Light cube symbolizing the center of information
- Points of reference map
The Turkish media channel, TV Net, is the first on our list of best film and TV visuals.
They needed a traditional introductory segment adapted to modern, fast-paced, global television. Stato created an effective solution that combines the familiar premise of presenting network communication with contemporary visual effects.
The visuals entail four versions of a similar pattern, representing the main news, weather channel, global economy, and sports section. Each is short, serious, and direct, lasting no longer than 15 seconds.
The segments begin with a close-up of a bright light square. The object is zoomed out as blue and gold threads stem out of it and extend through similar squares, connecting them into a vast map of global reference points. As the map expands, the video zooms out again, showing the viewer a globe of interconnected points.
The final frame elaborates on the particular segment, finishing with a fascinating geometrical depiction of the planet, a 2D map of the world behind a stats graph, or a stadium built with interchangeable lights. The last frame also entails a caption that lets the viewer know what the video is about: the news, weather, economy, or sports.
2. 20 Edition du Cine-Festival by Marine Dassac
Standout Features:
- A feminine, gentle style
- A soothing shade of lilac
- A harmonious blend of typefaces
Marine Dassac had the opportunity to work on the identity, program, leaflets and invitations for the 20th edition of the Cine-Festival en Pays de Fayence. The result was a holistic approach that exquisitely conveyed the festival’s long-running history, fitting to this list of best film and TV visuals!
Everything designed relies heavily on a beautiful black-and-white typography mix resting on a soothing shade of lilac. While subtly switching shades, the lilac is dominant across materials, unobstructed by other colors. This coloring lets the design breathe and adds an artistic, explorative note with a touch of feminine energy.
The typography combines condensed sans serifs, mostly reserved for the headlines, with a wide range of script-style fonts contributing to the overall creative atmosphere.
3. Rebranding TV Manchete by Lucas Dias Design
Standout Features:
- Reviving a brand name
- Repositioning the television program
- A new target audience
TV Manchete is a beloved Brazilian television program that ended in 1999, being remodeled into the still active RedeTV. Lucas Dias Design developed a hypothetical scenario in which TV Manchete is looking for a present-day restructure and designed the contemporary visuals required for a successful comeback.
The renewal is centered around a new target audience that lacks representation in modern-day television – young adults. With the local MTV shutting down in 2013, the musical outlook was severely limited for Brazilian teens. There are also no channels that offer high-quality cartoons and anime. So, the new TV Manchete would look to combine the two missing links and fill this market gap.
Another aspect of their television restructuring is addressing the passions of the “geeks,” as their interests are frequently not represented on mainstream television.
That’s why the proposed color palette combines vibrance, modernity, and energy with the visuals relying on the retro aesthetics of good old prime television. The new logo would spell out the “M” from several lively, bright gradients that fuse the energetic vision behind Manchete.
4. Sky TV Branding by Daniel Robinson
Standout Features:
- Constellations as the central element
- Modern, simple, and effective
- Cohesive and well-connected
One of the best film and TV visuals goes to Daniel Robinson's cohesive branding solution for television giant Sky TV.
The designer devised the central element that would provide cohesion to the Sky TV universe – he relied on constellations. Not only does this concept paint the picture of the brand’s global presence and coverage, but it also helps portray the interconnectedness between Sky as a brand and all its outlets (like Sky Sports, Sky Arts, etc.).
The simple black-and-white combination depicts the bolded logotype “standing” on curved concentric lines (sometimes, the planet Earth). The top right corner of the logotype is reserved for a circular point of reference representing each of the “planets” in the Sky media constellation.
This creative approach maintains the Sky’s existing appeal while making it closer to new viewers through sleek, minimal, modern visuals.
If you’ve enjoyed this rebranding, check out other examples that elevated the brands!
5. Inventing Anna by Michal Tadeusz Golanski
Standout Features:
- A clever visual
- A house of (credit) cards
- Mysterious, gruesome typography
Anna Delvey is the “protagonist” of the incredible real-life story turned into a Netflix hit show, Inventing Anna. And while the plot itself is riveting, Michal Tadeusz Golanski thought the advertising collaterals should be just as intriguing.
The new poster for the show envisions a house of cards built of plastic credit cards. The figure is placed diagonally, and there’s a bleak reflection of the colors below it. While the centerpiece is full of colors, the rest of the screen is dark, reinforcing the enigmatic segment of the story.
The visual encompasses three levels, and the second level features the show’s title in a mysterious, gruesome, bolded typography. The font choice and color allude to the shady business, while its heaviness perfectly represents Anna’s grandiose personality.
The top left corner features the names of the show’s stars, and on the bottom right, the producer’s name.
6. Movie Posters by Bruna Faccin
Standout Features:
- Reimagining the modern cult classics
- Modern, bleak-colored posters
- Compelling one-line plot descriptions
Don’t we all love when a movie is so good that it moves us? Placing number six on our list are movie posters designed by Bruna Faccin.
The designer wanted to pay tribute to some of her favorite films by recreating their posters in a way the movies felt to her, developing new and distinctive movie posters.
The four posters follow the same representation style. Two-thirds of the black-and-white poster features a significant scene from the movie, with some colors toned down or muted. This image is decorated with straightforward black typography that conveys the usual film features, like the headlined title, the year it’s from, the producer, and the cast.
Another element that helps build the atmosphere that the title and the picture aim to present is a tempting one-liner that prompts you to play the movie and see what it refers to.
The posters resemble the retro aesthetics of some old-school movie posters that visually resemble some 70s advertisements. Still, its toned-down colors and vintage feel can quickly remind the viewer of even earlier times. If you’ve enjoyed the artwork, here are other clever ideas for movie posters!
7. The Nights Before Christmas - Horror Movie Flyer by Rosa Elemil Martinez
Standout Features:
- An update on classic horror tropes
- Crimson red-white color scheme
- Tagline - an R-rated version of your classic Christmas carol
The poster for The Night Before Christmas by Rosa Elemil Martinez, is simply a work of art and is probably a lot more than this slasher holiday flick deserves, or at least needs. Utilizing the visual conventions of the old-school, classical Hollywood cinema, she emphasized the characters beautifully, transcending the superficial genre tropes, while staying within their confines at first glance.
With the relatively witty tagline, title, and chosen typography, one would think we're about to see a Christmas version of Goodfellas, rather than the adventures of one deranged Santa.
Overall, you cannot escape the feel of artistic integrity as even the gory details seem to have been painted on the print. There's no focus on gratuitous violence, but an implication of horror to come.
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