• US$340

• 72 designs

• 18 designers

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Poster Design Brief

I'm looking for key art for a promotional one sheet for a martial arts film project called Whirlwind's Daughter that I have in development at the moment. Basically, a preliminary "movie poster" style design to convey the tone and genre of the film, which I would characterize as neo-noir or dark martial arts.
The logline for the film is as follows: A young widow's act of vengeance brings the wrath of the Chinese mafia and the police down upon her and her loved ones.
The tagline that would go on the poster would be something along the lines of: "Vengeance is only the beginning"

This is for a small production company in Toronto, Canada called Dangerous Dust Productions. We are dedicated to creating edgy and innovative genre film projects that tell the stories that don't get told about people usually excluded from mainstream film.

In terms of some posters that I think have some corollary elements to what we're looking for, here's a few links:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3899557120/tt1588170?ref_=tt_ov_i
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1299029248/tt0364569?ref_=tt_ov_i
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3195046400/tt0936501?ref_=tt_ov_i
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3529152768/tt0266697?ref_=tt_ov_i

I SAW THE DEVIL - I like the straight up brutality of this. The point of Whirlwind is how the heroine starts off righteous and ends up just spilling blood for selfish ends. The sort of bloody fury symbolized here appeals in terms of who she becomes.
OLDBOY - Primarily its the Chinatown backdrop that appeals to me, establishing the setting.
TAKEN - I like the profile in the darkness and the faded words with the one highlighted. I'm thinking of a tagline something like: "She thought that vengeance would be the end. It was just the beginning." Or even just "Vengeance was just the beginning"
Kill Bill - What I like about this is that there's no face, just a weapon (I don't like the colours at all - Whirlwind is a dark story with a very bittersweet ending - more bitter than sweet, really. She defeats the Triad but at the cost of everything that is dear to her). If there were a weapon in the image it would likely be a sai - the three pointed dagger used in Asian martial arts.


Also, here is a longer synopsis of the script:

Kim Matthews (nee Chang) has gotten her life together five years after she was brutally raped and her husband murdered by the young brother of a Triad boss. She works as a bookkeeper and has become an accomplished martial artist. Her Sensei hopes that one-day she will take over the school.
But Kim is also driven by thoughts of vengeance. It keeps her sharp as a blade but also prevents her from connecting with anyone emotionally.
When Kim spots the man who raped her back in town, Johnny Li, she gets a job at the strip club frequented by Johnny. Seducing him, Kim lures Johnny to an apartment rooftop, where she stabs him in the heart.
Detective Roger Leung heads up the police investigation in Johnny’s disappearance. He was on Kim’s case five years earlier and was a high school admirer of Kim. When Johnny’s body is discovered he personally delivers the news to Kim, not knowing that she is the culprit. In the emotional intensity of the moment, they end up in bed together.
But Kim’s peace is short-lived. First, the strip club owner threatens to turn Kim over to Johnny’s brother Paul Li and she kills him to protect herself. But she is spotted by another stripper and kills her as well.
Paul Li figures out that Kim was involved in Johnny’s death. Unable to get to Kim, who is staying with Roger, Li has her brother murdered. In a fit of grief, Kim confesses to Roger and he arrests her. But the police chief releases her, since to charge the rape victim of a mob boss for killing him would be politically explosive.
Kim now breaks into her martial arts studio and steals the weapons that are stored there though she must battle her Sensei who tries to stop her. When Roger also tries to stop her, she sends him and his partner to hospital.
Kim goes to Paul Li’s office and battles his henchmen. Her skills are impressive but she is captured. Facing death, Kim convinces Paul that the real killer is still free. Paul agrees to let her live if she brings him the real killer.
Kim has Roger arrest her and take her to an industrial plaza to “retrieve the murder weapon.” En route she tries to convince him to flee with her but when he refuses she decides to lead him into Paul Li’s trap.
They arrive at the industrial plaza and Paul Li’s men surround their car, weapons drawn. However, Roger learned from his last encounter with Kim and hasn’t come alone. Police sharpshooters appear just in time to prevent a bloodbath.
Paul Li is arrested. Kim expects a similar fate but is saved by political expediency since she inadvertently helped the police carry out their biggest Triad sting ever. They intend to make her a public hero. The whole exercise disgusts Roger, who walks away from Kim even as the police chief arrives to shake her hand. Kim has gotten her revenge but at what cost?

Target Market(s)

People in the 20-35 range, martial arts movie fans, urban market (ie. city-dwellers),

Industry/Entity Type

High School

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Look and feel

Each slider illustrates characteristics of the customer's brand and the style your logo design should communicate.

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Requirements

Must have

• Needs to be in colour.

Should not have

• Probably don't want to see the face of the widow, Kim, since this role is not cast yet. We can see her back or in shadow. She is Chinese, if this is the route you wish to go with the design.