Oscar Pop! 2019’s Best Picture Nominees Reimagined

Our designers put their own pop art spin on the 2019 Academy Award Best Picture nominated movies. Check out the results.

A riot breaks out in Mexico City. A struggling singer stands in front of a packed arena. A superhero and villain face off. This year’s Best Picture nominated films are rich with unforgettable moments, both epic and intimate. They provided our design team with plenty of inspiration for Shutterstock’s annual Oscar Pop! challenge.
Each year, our designers pick their favorite Best Picture nominees and reinterpret them as pop art movie posters in the style of artists that resonate with them. With millions of high-quality images, vectors, and illustrations to choose from, these designers demonstrate just how beautiful, inspiring, and downright useful the Shutterstock collection is.
The 2019 lineup features period dramas, a political biopic, a love story, and even a superhero action flick for good measure, so there was plenty of scope for each designer to experiment with a variety of forms and genres. Plus, it was an excellent opportunity to show off what’s possible with Shutterstock’s collection of over 225 million image assets.
Take a look at the posters below and get insights from our designers into their personal creative processes.
And the 2019 Oscar Pop! posters are…

Black Panther

Poster by Jac Castillo
“Based on a comic book, Black Panther follows T’Challa as he takes the throne of Wakanda after the death of his father.
My poster was inspired by illustrator Daniel Danger whose work is known for its atmospheric lighting, monochromatic palette, and detailed line work. With that style in mind, I chose to depict the cave where the heart-shaped herbs that give the Black Panther his powers grow.”

BlacKkKlansman

Poster by Brenda Luu
“In BlacKkKlansman, an African American police officer goes undercover in the KKK. In true Spike Lee fashion, the movie has a powerful political message that lingers long after the end credits.
Artist Kehinde Wiley and his portrait of Barack Obama was my inspiration for this poster. The flowers in the background pay homage to director Spike Lee’s own background. To represent his African roots, I used the Nigerian national flower, the yellow Costus Spectabilis. For his birthplace, I used Georgia’s state flower, the Rosa Laevigata. And as a symbol of his hometown, I used New York’s state flower, the rose.”

Bohemian Rhapsody

Poster by Alice Lee
“Bohemian Rhapsody is a biographical film that takes you on a journey through time to celebrate Queen, their music, and the incredible life of their lead singer, Freddie Mercury.
Known for his flamboyant and unapologetic personality, Freddie Mercury is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of music, beloved by many. In this sense, I found a similarity between Freddie and Andy Warhol whose iconic work is the inspiration for my poster.”

The Favourite

Poster by Flo Lau
“The Favourite depicts a political and emotional conflict between three women in the early 18th century. For my poster, I wanted to capture the fierce competition at the heart of the story while also illustrating the film’s intricate set design.
Known for his depiction of emotions and use of comic patterns like Ben-Day dots and diagonal lines, Roy Lichtenstein was the inspiration for my poster. As well as applying the movie’s iconic fisheye effect, I also adopted its black, white, and muted-gold color theme, and added Queen Anne’s beloved rabbits to the background wall pattern.”

Green Book

Poster by Rose-Ann Reynolds
“Green Book is based on a real-life friendship between African American pianist Dr. Donald Shirley and his Italian American driver, Tony Vallelonga. The filmmakers used a number of objects to depict the story’s central friendship. That’s why I based my poster on the work of artist Tony Fitzpatrick who’s known for his collage-like aesthetic.
To illustrate what I took from the movie while also highlighting the film’s key events, I used one object – the Cadillac – as the poster’s main element with others around it making up the larger piece.”

Roma

Poster by JC Moreno
“Set in 1970s Mexico City, Roma follows Cleodegaria “Cleo” Gutiérrez, an indigenous housekeeper working for a middle-class family. I wanted to portray Cleo as a heroine persevering against all odds; and what better artist to depict a hero than Jack (King) Kirby, one of the most influential comic book artists of all time.
I went for a 1970’s Jack Kirby cover and kept the elements in black and white – both like the film and the sketches Kirby would make before illustrating his characters in color. In the poster, Cleo is steadfast despite the impending riot and crashing waves that threaten to overtake her.”

A Star is Born

Poster by Thanh Nguyen
“A Star is Born is a tragic love story between seasoned musician Jackson Maine and Ally, a struggling artist.
My inspiration for this poster came from the iconic collage ‘Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing?’ by British artist Richard Hamilton who laid the groundwork for the pop art movement, along with a touch of modern zine culture.”

Vice

Poster by Jennifer Forrest
“Vice is a dead-serious comedy that chronicles Dick Cheney’s journey to the White House. The movie brings to light the issues that surround power-hungry politicians and the effects these issues have on our history.
When designing my poster, I chose to reference artist Corita Kent. She’s famous for politically-charged typographic serigraphs. The themes she references in her work – poverty, racism, war, and social justice – closely parallel those portrayed in the film.”
Forget what you think you know about stock. As part of our new global campaign, we’re inviting you to take another look and see why it’s not stock, it’s Shutterstock. Check out Fyrestock, a mock video promo based on the wildly expensive Fyre Festival promo video. Created with footage from Shutterstock and royalty-free music from PremiumBeat, it hits every note of the original Fyre video, for a fraction of the price.
Take a look at our Oscar Pop! 2019 collection to see all of the Shutterstock photos, vectors, and illustrations used to make these posters.

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