Movie Collectibles: useful definitions

Original Movie Posters

Movie posters called "original" by collectors, are those distributed by movie studios to movie theatres to advertise a film, when it is released (or re-released) in theatres. The number of original movie posters printed for a given film is limited. In addition, these posters are not intended for sale to the public.

In theory, they are returned or destroyed after film exploitation. Fortunately for collectors, a small number of theatre-used movie posters escape destruction and thus become collector's items. Original movie posters are also the most sought after cinema documents by collectors.

The posters offered for sale on this website are ORIGINAL movie posters, apart from a few clearly identified exceptions (example: promotional posters signed by an artist, art reproductions in limited editions).

Note that there are very different movie poster formats from one country to another, and within the same country. The most used formats in France today are the 120x160cm and 40x60cm posters, but there are many others. For each country there is one or more basic format, that is to say the one most often used for cinema promotion. To find out more, see our page dedicated to movie posters' sizes.

Original Movie Stills

There are two great categories of Movie Stills:

• Lobby Cards (UK: Front of House cards) are displayed in Movie Theatre to promote the movie by featuring key scenes from the film.

French lobby cards are usually printed on flexible paper, known as Heliography, but french Deluxe and Prestige sets are printed on argentic paper or on cardboard. US lobby cards and UK lobby cards are usually printed on hardback paper ; they are usually issued in sets of 8.

• Press Stills are taken by studio photographers during production. They may include stars or crew members, often with an information about the film or artist. They were used for public display in movie theatres, or sent along with press kits to be displayed in newspapers and magazines.

Signed Movie Memorabilia / Autographs

These Autographs are movie collectibles having an authentic signature of a movie artist. Each of them is by definition, unique ! 

Movie Props and Replicas

• Film props are items really used on stage by actors!
• Film replicas are accurate reproduction of a movie prop, Some are exact scale replicas, other are miniatures.

Movie Scripts

A movie script, also called screenplay, is an essential part of movie production. It describes scenes and dialogues and may give some technical direction. There are two great kinds of movie scripts:

• Original movie scripts, that were often owned by their author, a producer or the film director. These items are very rarely on sale.
• Studio copies, that are distributed to crew and actors during production. These copies are numerous and therefore, easier to find and less valuable, but are fascinating educational documents.

Storyboards and Artworks

• a Storyboard is a comic of the film that provides a visual layout of events as they are to be seen through the camera lensis . It is used in preproduction and production, and may contain scenes absent from the final cut.
• an Artwork or “Concept Art” is a preproduction research illustration that gives a visual representation of film idea, character or general atmosphere.

Movie Pressbooks

Pressbooks are sent by studios to medias and theatres and contains a series of info useful for film advertising (e.g. film synopsis, cast, crew, visuals…). It is very difficult to find them UNCUT!