Abstract

This thesis explores how motion graphics can expand the role of traditional movie posters and create more engaging visual communication experiences. The project began with an observation that static posters displayed in busy campus environments can easily be overlooked. This led to the central question of how motion graphics can make traditional movie posters more visually engaging and effective in campus environments. To investigate this question, I developed a series of dynamic thriller movie posters that combine traditional graphic design elements—including typography, composition, imagery, abstraction, and visual hierarchy—with motion. The design process developed through several stages of experimentation. Early studies explored art exhibition posters, three-dimensional forms, science-fiction imagery, and motion before the project was narrowed to thriller films. The final direction focused on four films—Seven, Memento, Black Swan, and Gone Girl. Fragmented compositions, geometric forms, abstraction, and film-specific visual references were used to communicate suspense, psychological tension, and narrative themes. Motion was incorporated into the poster designs to introduce pacing, transitions, and gradual visual changes while increasing their visibility and visual impact. The project was presented at Imagine RIT 2024, where audience responses and feedback from other designers informed further consideration of how movement could become a more meaningful part of the design rather than a decorative effect. The final project demonstrates how motion graphics can extend traditional poster design into a time-based form of visual communication. It also proposes future interactive possibilities, including motion sensors, sound, and QR-based content, which could further increase viewer engagement and expand the poster experience within digital campus environments.

Publication Date

8-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Visual Communication Design (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

Visual Communications Studies

College

College of Art and Design

Advisor

Adam Smith

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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