This essay examines the movie poster designed by Aleks Phoenix, analyzing it in the context of Visual Education.
To begin, this essay will analyze one of the works of movie poster designer Aleks Phoenix. This time, the poster selected for this project will be the Oscar-winning film "The Boy and the Heron" by director Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli; inspired by the book "How Do You Live?" by Japanese writer Yoshino Genzaburō. A brief summary to give an idea of what this intriguing story is about tells the story of "A boy named Mahito, who yearns for his mother, ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end and life finds a new beginning." (A. Phoenix, 2023).
The goal of this final assignment is to seek to apply everything covered in the Visual Education subject, making the most of what has been learned in each class. The deconstruction of Aleks Phoenix's poster will be carried out in the best possible way based on the perspectives of different authors.
CRITICAL ESSAY
Introduction
To begin, this essay will analyze one of the works of movie poster designer Aleks Phoenix. This time, the poster selected for this project will be the Oscar-winning film The Boy and the Heron by director Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli; inspired by the book How Do You Live? by Japanese writer Yoshino Genzaburo. A brief summary to give an idea of what this intriguing story is about tells the story of "A boy named Mahito, who yearns for his mother, ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end and life finds a new beginning." (A. Phoenix, 2023).
The goal of this final assignment is to seek to apply everything covered in the Visual Education subject, making the most of what has been learned in each class. The deconstruction of Aleks Phoenix's poster will be carried out in the best possible way based on the perspectives of different authors. Japanese Art
Looking closely at the poster (Annex 1), the first thing we notice is an illustration of a heron with a papyrus-textured background. Phoenix himself mentions in his Instagram post, 'I'm inspired by the aesthetics of classic Japanese posters with a modern approach. I hope you like it!' (A. Phoenix, 2024). The art reflected in (Annex 1) is a reference to the Edo Period (1615-1868), which saw the emergence of an urban culture in which religion plays a significant role, as well as in economic and social aspects, to this day. After a strong shogunate, the hierarchy was too strong, with the aristocrats being the strongest figures, thanks to them the art house of Tosa and Kano was born (giving rise to the very characteristic style of the Tosa house as shown in the poster).
Perhaps it is thought of as a simple heron for the non-Oriental public, but beyond being a 'simple bird', it plays a very important role in Japanese folklore, especially from a spiritualist perspective. The meaning of the heron's appearance is more mysterious, linked to spirits, gods, death, and a connection to another world. (Selena Takigawa, 2023) In the film, the bird does this very thing to attract Mahito to the incorporeal world.
Social Psychology
Considering that Hayao Miyazaki's work is symbolic, added to what was discussed above, the psychological factor comes in as an essential element and should never be missing from an analysis. Considering that the The protagonist of this film suffers the loss of his mother and then moves in with his father and new wife. Mahito himself injures the side of his head due to his crisis over the absence of his maternal figure, representing a wound that will not heal. According to Constructionist Social Psychology (Tomás Ibáñez, 1994), in Chapter II of "Alternative Currents," he discusses the crisis, emphasizing that the duration of this state can be unlimited. However, it is understood that one of the many ways to "close" this trance is to seek to address the causes so that they can then be counteracted. In the play, this happens when La Garza attracts Mahito's attention because she has convinced him about his mother's supposed whereabouts, giving him a reason to seek to heal his pain and try to have her back. However, before doing so, he faces immeasurable dangers in the process.
Composition
The moment the poster attempts to capture the viewer's attention and draw them toward its content, it becomes an advertising medium. Its existence depends on its ability to communicate effectively, spark the curiosity of the message recipient, and create a need for its informative content. (Saul Bass, 2014)
To that extent, this quote from Saul Bass about posters feels debatable. According to his article, a poster must adhere to three basic principles, which Aleks Phoenix's poster fulfills. But I don't think that's its purpose. Perhaps it's more inclined to be a kind of homage, since it doesn't seek to commercialize its work, but rather to win the affection of a film-loving audience.
Considering the compositional level of the work, one can see how the S-shaped shape extends from the head to the film title, giving the peculiar curved S shape to the neck of the bird featured in the poster. The typography used was somewhat difficult to find because the Japanese characters are high-end, so I can understand it. Composition is the most appropriate resource for communicating concepts: dynamism, imbalance, tension, tranquility, etc. They are reflected in the poster based on the hierarchy assigned to each line and space of its structural diagram. (2014).
Conclusion:
My position in closing this extremely important project on the subject is the importance of knowing how to go from the general to the more specific, which in this case was to encompass the symbolic nature of this movie poster. As designers, we must possess very fine skills to hit the target when creating a graphic work that embodies the essence of a film. Phoenix did a great job; both the composition and aesthetics look wonderful, and it's a good representation of an alternative poster for El Niño y La Garza. The color palette is very similar to the old Japanese art of the Tosa house, and it's not just a simple poster; understanding the entire process and context makes it even more visually enjoyable.
I agree with all the authors mentioned in this research; it was hard to disagree with any of them. I'm very interested in further improving my vision as a designer. Perhaps not so much in this field, but trying would seem quite interesting.
Bibliography
Universal Art History: African, Oriental, and Pre-Columbian Art (no date). Espasa.
The Centuries of Japanese Folklore Inspiration Behind ‘The Boy and the Heron’ (2024). National Geographic. Available at: http://nationalgeographic.es/historia/2023/12/el-chico-y- la-garza-inspiracion-folclore-japon (Accessed: April 9, 2025).
Ink, R.L. (2024). The Boy and the Heron: The Legacy of Hayao Miyazaki. La tinta. Available at: https://latinta.com.ar/2024/02/15/el-nino-y-la-garza-hayao-miyazaki/ (Accessed: April 9, 2025).
Petunita, P. and Petunita (no date). Composition in the Film Poster: A Graphic Vitamin. Available at: https://vitaminagrafica.wordpress.com/tag/la-composition-en-el-cartel- cinematografico/ (Accessed: 11 April 2025).
Attached 1:
Illustrations are not included in the reading sample
[The illustration is not included for copyright reasons.]
@aleks_phoenix (2024) 'The Boy and the Heron' [Poster on Instagram]. Instagram, January 23. Available at
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2b_q40u10i/?igsh=dmFrcTN6ZW96OHZu (Accessed: April 1, 2025).
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- Arbeit zitieren
- Karla Lissette De La Barrera Garcia (Autor:in), 2025, Symbolism in Motion. Analyzing Aleks Phoenix’s Poster for "The Boy and the Heron", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1576055