For my movie poster, I chose the phrase “A Tiny Rejection” from Kelly Pendergrast’s Screen Memories. The phrase comes from her description of taking a screenshot as “a tiny rejection of the logic of the contemporary corporate internet.” I chose this phrase because it made me think of a movie about someone trying to regain control over their relationship with technology. The phrase is short and somewhat mysterious, which makes it work well as a movie title while still connecting directly to the reading.
For the typography, I used a large, bold, white font for the title so that it would immediately stand out against the dark background. I wanted the words to take up a significant portion of the poster and almost overwhelm the image underneath them. This reflects the reading’s discussion of how much of modern life is dominated by screens. Pendergrast describes this as the “everything-screen,” where photographs, videos, graphics, chat windows, and other information are constantly layered together.
For the graphical elements, I used a dark image of a person sitting alone in front of a computer. The computer screen contains overlapping windows, loading symbols, and error messages. I wanted the image to create the feeling of frustration and isolation while also making technology seem almost threatening. The dark lighting gives the poster the appearance of a psychological or technological thriller.
I also included the quotation from the reading near the bottom of the poster to make the connection between my title and Pendergrast’s argument more obvious. The reading presents screenshots as a way of taking control of images and reclaiming the act of seeing from larger digital systems. Overall, I wanted the poster to show how technology can feel overwhelming while suggesting that even a small action, such as taking a screenshot, can become an individual act of resistance.