Numbskull - Movie poster

Surely was asked by Compact Cinema to design the poster for their first feature 'Numbskull'. 

"Two old men, the curse of William Shakespeare and a talking beetle." 

The film, shot in black and white, has a strong sense of psychosis running through it and the two key visual hooks of the beetle and the skull seemed the perfect way to convey this is in an interesting and iconic way. When the right views of each were found, the skull and the beetle montage together in an almost seamless fashion. 

Initial colour ways were working with more classic black, white and red approaches, then some alternatives were explored. The chosen offset/overlay feel worked really well with beetle/skull montage and manages somehow to feel both retro and modern at the same time. 

BBC Broadcaster Mark Radcliffe describes the movie...
"Original, thoughtful, elegiac, haunting & touching. With exquisitely judged performances the film’s skilfully sustained mood will stay with me for quite some time..."

Forthcoming festival screenings are imminent.

"Absolutely love Surely's poster for Numbskull, very creative with a great minimalist eye, do the next one too?!"

John Humphreys - Director, Numbskull.