Friday, 3 January 2014

Film Poster Deconstructions

Before I can create my promotional poster I have decided to look at the conventions of film posters. To get a fuller insight I am going to de-construct one block-buster movie poster and one independent movie poster. I have chosen the films 'Beastly' and 'Submarine' as they both have the same target audience as my film.

Block-Buster Poster - Beastly


The poster succeeds in giving you enough information about the film that you are interested but not enough to give the storyline away. This is well done considering the poster actually contains very little information. The poster was most likely created with the idea in mind that any one who sees it will have seen the film trailer. I make this assumption because this particular film was a major motion picture. My film doesn't have this luxury so I will have to try and convey all the interesting information, that will draw in my audience, through my poster.

The first thing that catches your eye on the poster is the image. This is because it is the largest thing on the poster and because the skin colour of the two people featured contrasts sharply with the other colours used. The three house colours on the poster are black, white and blue which all suggest that the film has a dark nature about it, supported by the name and the image.

Once you have looked at the picture the next thing that catches your eye is the title. Although not that large, in comparison to the size of the poster, it stands out as it is the only thing that is blue and in the font it is in. The positioning of the title surprised me as it is quite low down on the page. Above it are the names of the two main actors. I think these names have been positioned above the title because they are more likely to draw people in as they are well known.

Finally, at the very top of the poster is the sell line. This is a brief sentence/statement that sums the film up. It is the same size as the title but appears larger because it is separate from any other text. This makes it more effective because there is nothing else to distract from it.

From my deconstruction I have decided that the conventions of block-buster film posters are:
  • That the image is the most powerful thing on the poster, followed by the title, actors names and sell line. 
  • Colours are instrumental to conveying the mood of the film so use bright colours for a happy film and dark colours for a sad one. 
  • Put a credit block at the bottom of the page
Independent Film Poster - Submarine


The submarine poster doesn't appear to give as much information about the film away as the 'Beastly' poster, possibly because they want people to come and see the film to find out what it's about. Instead the poster uses features such as bright colours and an eye-catching name to draw audiences in.

I say this because, in contrast to the 'Beastly' poster, the name is positioned at the top of the page in the three, bright primary colours. When looking at the poster this is the first thing you are drawn to.

The second thing you look at is the image. It features the main character who is played by a slightly more well known  actor than some of the other names. One aspect of the image that draws you in is the blue block that stops half-way up the page. This block of bright colour is really eye catching and will be one of the main attractions of the poster.

Speak of the actors that are in the film, all of their names are featured on the poster, as opposed to just the main actors on the 'Beaslty' poster. This is likely because those big names are what will draw people in to the 'Beastly' film where as they aren't going to have as big an affect for 'Submarine.'

Another feature of the poster that will have been done to promote the film, as it's budget is smaller, is the addition of reviews at the top of the page. Putting good reviews on the poster means that people will be more likely to go an see it as they know it will be good.

Another addition not featured on the 'Beastly' poster is the web-address at the bottom of the page. Although only small this will be one of the films only forms of advertising. Placing this on the poster will prompt people to have a look increasing the films generated interest.

Finally, the directors name is featured underneath the title to give them credit for the film.

So, from my deconstruction I have decided that the conventions of independent movie posters are:
  • Making the name big and brightly coloured will help make it stand out to help draw people in
  • Having bright blocks of colour helps to make the poster more noticeable
  • Featuring the most well known actor/main character on the poster will help draw people in again
  • Use good reviews and a website to help attract audiences
  • Feature the directors name 
  • Put a credit block at the bottom of the page
When constructing my poster I will aim to use these conventions as they will help make my poster more effective.

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