Dawn Baillie: Art Director Extraordinaire
When we look at a movie poster, we may admire the artist’s hand or the photographer’s eye, we may even take a step back and admire the overall design, but few of us are likely to consider the genesis of the idea. Where did the initial vision of the poster come from?
In many cases, it is likely to have come from an Art Director.
It is their job to understand the film’s concept, context and audience and to translate that in to compelling ideas that will ensure the film’s success. They may even sketch out their idea, provide visual references and storyboards and then select the artists, photographers and design teams to bring their vision to life.
One of the most prominent movie poster Art Directors of the past forty years is Dawn Baillie. Her very first poster design was for 1987’s Dirty Dancing.
Look closely at Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey and spot the purple shadow. You may never have noticed it before, but once you do, the chromatec shadow seems to pull the entire poster together. Apparently the bottom of the ‘g’ of 'Dancing' was cut off by the production manager to meet contractual size restrictions of the title!
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You will also recognise her posters for Silence of the Lambs, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (art by Drew Struzan), Sleepless in Seattle, Chicago, Little Miss Sunshine and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood (art by Steve Chorney).
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Just a few highlights from a forty year career. Her agency, BLT, even designed the posters for last year's smash hit, Barbie!
If you are in New York over the Summer, The wonderful Poster House has a fantastic exhibition celebrating Dawn’s work.
Photography by Samuel Morgan
Curated by Poster House's Chief Curator & Director of Content Angelina Lippert, this ground-breaking exhibition highlights thirty-four iconic movie posters designed by Baillie throughout her career.
Photography by Samuel Morgan
THE ANATOMY OF A MOVIE POSTER: THE WORK OF DAWN BAILLIE, runs at Poster House until the 8th September 2024. If you are in the area, get down there before it closes!
Banner image, photography by Samuel Morgan.
