Analysis of a promotional package

Batman – The Dark Knight

I have chosen to analyse the promotional package of this particular film due to the fact

that the marketing of Batman – The Dark Knight was award-winning, and therefore

extremely effective.

POSTER

•A considerable number of different promotional posters were marketed for the film, such as the ones in the next slide.

•Among these posters, one was nominated for the "Batman Teaser" Poster and another won “Best Summer 2008 Blockbuster Poster (teaser)”, both at the Golden Trailer Awards.

The poster I am going to be focusing on is the one below:

“Why so serious” has become a tagline and phrase associated with the film – including it in this poster creates recognition for the viewer. The fact that it is written in blood has connotations of evil and violence, as well as with the villain of films – this is reinforced by the fact that the Joker, the villain of this film, is featured on this poster.

Silhouette of Gotham City in the background reinforces that the film is set in the same location as the previous Batman film, Batman Begins.

Institutional information along the bottom – discreet.

Recognisable Batman symbol – iconic. Interesting that the name “Batman” isn’t present on the poster, but his symbol is.

Release date of the film.

Drawing of the Joker’s ‘smile’ in blood, over the top of his actual face – dramatic and suggests that this is the Joker’s iconic symbol. Blood also suggests he is the villain. The fact that he is featured on the poster suggests that he is a main character.

His dark clothing and blurry face connote a sense of mystery and intrigue.

Name of the film over the Batman symbol.

MAGAZINE COVERMasthead – the fact that part of it is covered demonstrates its iconic name and font – people therefore don’t need to see the whole of the masthead to recognise the magazine.

Iconic Batman symbol – recognisable.

Colour-coordinated with the Joker’s clothing: aesthetically pleasing.

Puff – eye-catching and gives information about an important feature in this issue

Dateline: Date and price (here both in British sterling and US dollars, demonstrating that the magazine is known and sold internationally). Conventional to all magazines.

Barcode: conventional to all magazines. Stands out from the rest of the magazine so it can be easily spotted to scan.

Coverlines: give information about the content of the magazine as well as being colour-coordinated with the Joker’s clothing

The main image is of the Joker; as he is also featured on several of the film’s promotional posters, this creates synergy between them and helps the viewer to recognise associate the two.

Main coverlines – relate to the image of the Joker and establish that The Dark Knight is the main feature of this issue.

How synergy is created between the magazine and the poster: The Joker is featured on both of them, helping to create recognition and association between the two, and also re-enforcing that he is a main character. The same can be said for the Batman symbol, which also helps to establish that the film is part of the

Batman saga.

TRAILERhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y2szViJlaY

Camera angles: Long shots, establishing shots, high-angle shot, bird’s-eye view, mid-shot, close-up, low-angle shot. Mostly long-shots and mid-shots.

Editing: Rhythmic (in time with music), fades, fades to black, quick cuts as action progresses (helps to create a sense of action and disarray), shot/reverse shot, match on action (continuity).

Sound: Diagetic: Noise of the Batmobile’s engine as it gets faster and faster (helps to build up the suspense and action), Batman falling onto a car roof and smashing the windscreen, sound of explosions, sound of Joker laughing (sounds austere), onscreen characters talking, sound of knife being placed on table, Joker saying “Why so serious?” (catch-phrase that has become iconic of the film and the Joker), Batman shouting (gives him a sense of authority and power), people in suits talking (suggests that they have some important role in the film), sound of weapons/knives (emphasises the action genre of the film, as well as the violence involved and fights between the protagonist and antagonist), gunshot (evokes fear and creates tension), sound of lorry being thrown into the air and then hitting the ground (dramatic).Non-diagetic: Echo-ey sound effects (help to create suspense and tension), Joker’s voice being used as a voiceover, soundtrack begins with fast, heavy drumbeat, sting (string instruments – creates a sense of fear and tension), echo-ey sound effect simultaneous to the knife being placed on the table (helps to build up tension), and again when there is a high-angle shot of the Joker’s face (emphasises that he is a character of importance), soundtrack builds up (orchestral and in time with the editing- helps to emphasise what is going on onscreen) and then gets louder every time a significant action is happening onscreen, soundtrack stops and the Joker’s voiceover returns – ends with another of his iconic catchphrases “Let’s put a smile on that face” and his deranged laughter, trailer ends with a sting of orchestral instruments as the title of the film appears onscreen (dramatic, emphatic).

Mise-en-scène: Dark, moody colours (create austerity and a sense that all is not well), Batman’s clothing is intimidating, shot of him standing on top of a building gives him a sense of power, burning Joker card links in with the antagonist of the film, official-looking men and police officers standing in front of a prison cell containing the Joker help to suggest that he is the antagonist (not abiding by the law), Joker’s face paint is intimidating and frightening, yet also gives the sense that he is slightly deranged (he resembles a clown), explosions give a sense of action, the Joker leaning out of the window of a police car suggest that he is quite wild and rebellious, the sophisticated restaurant/party setting is juxtaposed but his appearance (wearing scruffy clothing, obscure face paint and holding a knife – appears threatening), the many explosions and guns reinforce the action genre of the film.

How synergy is created between the trailer and the poster: “Why so serious” tagline of the poster links it with the Joker’s use of it in the trailer, the blood in the poster ties in with the shots of knives and violence in the trailer, the smile drawn in blood on the poster mimics the actual face paint smile of the Joker, the silhouette of Gotham City in the background of the poster links in with the many shots of it seen in the trailer, the Batman symbol on the poster links in with the Bat-like outfit of Batman in the trailer and is also shown at the end of the trailer, the institutional information along the bottom of the poster is also shown at the end of the trailer.

How synergy is created between the trailer and the magazine cover: The Batman symbol helps to create association between the two, as well as the fact that the Joker is featured in both. Furthermore, on the magazine cover he appears to be sitting in front of a prison cell, like the one also featured in the trailer. He is also wearing the same clothing and clown face paint in both the magazine image and the trailer, which means that he is easy to recognise on the magazine cover for someone who has seen the trailer, and vice versa.