Last week, designer and PosterSpy PRO member Nuno Sarnadas (@darkdesign) revealed two stunning posters for A Simple Payday, a short film by James Kondelik. We asked him a few questions about his work and the process behind his designs.
Happy to reveal the two official posters I designed for James Kondelik's new film, "A Simple Payday". pic.twitter.com/lj5GbSYJH8
— Nuno Sarnadas (@nunosarnadas) February 2, 2024
How did the project come about?
The client, in this case the director of the film, found me and my work on Facebook and reached out to collaborate with him for the poster for his film. It started by being a one poster commission, but James was so excited when he saw the sketch for the minimalistic option that we ended up producing both!
Did you get to see the film before making the posters?
I did, yes. Was sent a cut for the film before I started the whole process. It is something I always try to get before putting pen to paper because it helps me get a better sense of what fits the movie in terms of tone and style, and because it can be a vehicle for more ideas.
Did the poster involve a lot of art direction?
I do not feel that was the case, all notes were more regarding talent assets and positioning of said assets in the layout. I would say it was a very smooth process with an excellent communication loop.
How did the director/producers get involved?
The director, James, was the one that reached out to me. He gave me a mood board of sorts and the type of poster he had in mind to be made. Then the standard revisions and notes that go with every project of this nature.
Was the final poster close to your original concepts?
I would say so, yes. Apart from a few bits and pieces on each design, I think the layouts were a solid ground zero for the results.
What challenges, if any, did you face on the project?
Getting the talent assets to work and match the color grading was a bit challenging given that they were screengrabs. On the, let us call it the “yellow poster”, I used some 3D rendering to fix a few things and create some, which was also challenging given that I see myself as a 3D beginner. Other than that, it was smooth sailing as things just fell into place very naturally!
What do you like best about the posters?
I love that they are totally different from one another and that I got to use lots of yellow, which I do not get to do that often. This time around I felt like on top of following the mood boards and references I was given by James to also throw in a “curve ball”, just to open the array of options a bit more. A gamble that paid off, which is always super rewarding.
How long did you have to work on the posters?
The timeframe was very flexible, but the whole process took me about a month from first contact to final delivery. Despite getting caught between Christmas and New Year and while I am dealing with a few personal issues myself, James was super supportive and patient!
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