Nerd Nite Singapore Inaugural Session

On Wednesday night this week, I had the pleasure of speaking at the inaugural Nerd Nite Singapore, sharing on film posters once again.

My talk was intended as an introduction to the strange and wonderful variety of film poster formats that have existed across different countries and decades. I brought along examples from the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, East Germany, Japan and Thailand, looking at why posters could differ so dramatically in their size, shape and appearance.

Some of these differences came down to prevailing artistic styles and printing technologies. Others were surprisingly practical. The architecture of cinemas, streets and cities could determine how and where posters were displayed, and therefore what shape they eventually took.

Of course, nothing quite prepares an audience for seeing some of these objects in person. The bigger posters were definitely the favourites, particularly the Alien (1979) three-sheet. Hearing the little “oohs” and “ahhs” each time I brought out another poster genuinely warmed my heart. More than anything, it reminded me that there is an appetite in Singapore for material culture, for encountering history not simply through text in a book, but through actual objects that have survived from another time and place.

One question from the audience stayed with me afterwards: why did I decide to get so deeply involved in collecting and talking about film posters?

My answer was that I feel a certain responsibility to be a custodian of this history. Collecting the posters is only one part of that. My training as a historian has taught me the importance of preserving material, understanding its context, and, just as importantly, sharing that knowledge with others. There seems little point in preserving these objects if they remain hidden away.

I also thoroughly enjoyed sharing the evening with Keith, whose talk explored synesthesia and creativity across music and the visual arts, and Alicia, who took us through the intricacies of wine appreciation — complete with an actual wine tasting.

That variety was really what made the evening special. Three quite different subjects, brought together simply because people were curious enough to care deeply about something and wanted to share it.

For an inaugural Nerd Nite, that felt like a very good place to begin.