IMPORTANT CODES AND CONVENTIONS TO CONSIDER WHILE ANALYSING MOVIE

POSTERS

BY SARA AVRAMOVSKA (SA)

Brief History ■Between 1940 and 1984, The NSS which stands for National Screen Service printed and distributed most of the film posters which were produced especially for the benefit of theatres promoting a film. The posters were required to be returned to the theatre once the film had finished, therefore they were able to be regularly recycled and sent to another theatre. During this era a film could stay for a several years.

There Are 2 Types Of Movie Posters ■ The Teaser Poster also known as advance poster is an early promotion

for the movie in which basic design and images are revealed without too much information in regards to the movie theme, characters or plot. The main purpose of The Teaser Poster is to whet you appetite and generate hype for the movie before it comes out. Sometimes Teaser Posters can be produced and shared to the public even before the movie enters into production! The main objective of teaser posters is to get its audience interested in the movie while providing the least amount of information possible. This allows the audience to come up with their own conclusion by using their imagination; its job is to tease the viewers.

■ In contrast, The Main Poster features information in regards to the production, the stars themselves and the distributors. It provides clues about the genre of the film through characters facial expression, stance, body language and appearance in general. Sometimes The Main Poster can contain a key image which is a still from the film itself and it is a way to trigger excitement with the audience as they furthermore are allowed to use their imagination, however with more clues provided then within The Teaser Poster.

Teaser Poster Examples

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Buried Alive Frida

y the

13th

Iron Man

Main Poster Examples

The Title: consider position , colour, font and size. As well as demanding recognition of the film, the font may also suggest other possible connotations.

The film star: Be aware of the technical side of the photography of the film star when analysing film posters such as camera angles including close up, extreme close-up long shot etc. Moreover we must also focus on angles, cropping, lighting, digital manipulation as well as the mise-en-scene. By featuring the protagonist/film star of the movie on the main poster, it attracts a larger group og audiences especially those who are fans of e.g. Cameron Diaz (The Box).

Positive Quote: Movie posters often use positive quotes from national newspapers and respected critics. Anyone who says something positive about the movie can be quoted on the poster in order to promote the movie itself. By avoiding quotes containing references and aspects of the movie, it creates a sense of mystery which triggers the audiences attention. Using words such as ‘’Brilliant’’ , ‘’ The most exciting’’ and ‘’thrill ride’’ all written in capital and bold font makes them stand out in order to trigger the audience attention furthermore.

Colour Saturation■ I believe that colour saturation is fundamental to movie posters as different

colours have different connotations. Here are some examples: - Yellow: often associated with the sum and its warmth therefore connotes the

feeling of happiness, joy and energy.- Green: the colour of nature connotes growth, harmony, fertility and freshness.- White: an opposition to black, white has a very positive connotation. It

represents successful beginnings , purity, coolness and cleanliness as it is the colour of snow.

- The colour red as I have mentioned previously, s associated with energy, love and passion, determination, power (found in many national flags), desire, strength and danger.

- Blue: the colour of the sky and water symbolises intelligence, wisdom and trust as well as health and healing as the colour blue provides a calming effect.

And as you can see above the colour black contrast and works well with any other colour. It connotes mystery, power, death, evil and also elegance. The mysterious colour is usually associated with a negative connotation as many villains within movies are usually dressed in a black attire.

■Intertextual references: does the movie poser contain any references similar to films in the same genre?

■Credits: What does the Poster tell us about the film?

■Certificate 15 : what might an 18 or 12A suggest about the content of the film?

■If you want to identify the genre of the film look out for Costume, iconography and props. For example if you are looking for a horror movie look out for coffins, forests, blood, the moon , dark nights etc. l