Movie Poster Guide - Part 1 - Original USA Posters
Collecting movie posters can be both an enjoyable hobby for avocational collectors and a rewarding pursuit for serious collectors. As you get started with poster collecting, you will find references to a wide array of movie poster terms and poster sizes. We’re here to help you decipher that information with a series of posts on movie poster terminology and sizes.
Part 1 of our movie poster guide here discusses original posters in the United States — posters printed for distribution in the USA to advertise films made by USA studios. As the series continues, we’ll discuss the sizes of USA movie posters; types and uses of USA posters; movie poster terminology and sizes in Australia and the UK; and other non-US posters.
Original movie posters - USA
A guide from poster seller Cinemasterpieces describes an “original” movie poster as a “poster that was issued for a movie by the National Screen Service (NSS), or by a movie studio, or by another company authorized by the studio for display in an actual movie theater” at the time of the films original release.”
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NSS number
The National Screen Service (NSS) became involved with movie poster printing and distribution in the late 1930s. From the 1940s up to the mid-1980s, the NSS - and not the movie studios - produced the vast majority of original posters. The NSS developed a coding system for posters, and an NSS number and tag were placed on the materials they produced. A listing or advertisement for an original movie poster will sometimes include the poster’s NSS number.
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Studio Issued posters
Another category of original movie posters is the “studio issued” poster. This term, according to CineMasterpieces, is used to describe posters that weren’t intended for display in movie theaters, but rather “were distributed to ‘insiders’ and those who worked on the film.” The term “studio issued” also seems to be used in some instances to describe posters that were made for display in theater lobbies, but were distributed (since the 1980s, when the role of the NSS in poster distribution declined) by movie studios rather than a third party distributor.
Original posters produced for use at non-theater locations
In addition to original movie posters that are made for use and display in movie theaters and theater lobbies, there are also categories of original posters that are produced to advertise the films at non-theater locations — on billboards, in subways, and other locations. We’ll discuss those types of original movie posters as we continue this poster guide series.
Reproductions
Non-original posters, or “reproductions” or “reprints,” are posters that were not produced for original use in theater advertising and displays, but rather are generally intended for distribution through stores and for sale to the public. Some of these posters may be the same size as the originals, but weren’t used or intended for use as original movie advertising and promotion materials. Other reproductions or commercial, non-original posters may be smaller than the originals. The size of these smaller non-original posters can vary, but 24″X36″ seems to be a commonly-used size.
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Movie Poster Guide Series
- Part 1 - Original USA Posters
- Part 2 - USA Poster Sizes
- Part 3 - Billboard, Subway, Bus Stop Displays
- Part 4 - Lobby Cards
- Part 5 - Window Cards and Inserts
- Part 6 - Advance, Award, Review, and Other Poster Terms
- Part 7 - Combo, Double Sided, Lenticular, Mylar, Vinyl
- Part 8 - Banners, Standees, Door Panels
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