Film posters

All films have a target audience, whether they be mainstream (large) or niche (small). The creators will use different conventions and approaches to appeal to their audiences.

Here are a number of codes and conventions used in movie posters;

• Typography: The particular style of font, used as a form of branding. 
• Star names: These draw audiences into a film and are often linked to certain roles.
• Tag line: The film's slogan, which is memorable. 
• Language and mode of address: The way in which it speaks to the reader - often persuasive or inclusive. 
• Key image: The main image that often suggests the narrative of the film. 
• Action codes: A narrative code that suggests what might happen in a film's story.
• Enigma codes: A narrative code that creates intrigue. 
• Iconography: The visual codes often associated with a particular genre.

The 4 most basic ways to create appeal are; A) technical codes, layout and design, B) language and mode of address, C) familiarity and novelty and D) use of stars and celebs.  

Here is a basic analysis of 3 horror movie posters, which I think are effective in the way they appeal to readers. 

Movie title 1: The Tall man

The star name is positioned at the top of the poster, which associated Jessica Biel (a well known star) with the franchise. This suggests a high budget. 

The capitalisation and overbearing font of 'Tall man' is bold, masculine and intimidating. 

The prominent figure behind her shows the hierarchy of dominance and establishes who is the predator and who is the prey. 

The key visuals include the sky behind her suggests lots of outside scenes, abandoned and running away scenes. 

The colour coding is a typical use of iconography, as it sticks to morbid colours like black and grey.
The slogan is an enigma code, since the 'new form of fear' is a mystery.
There isn't much language, meaning the poster isn't inclusive with the audience. This adds to the mysterious and lonely atmosphere of the film.


Movie title 2: The corridor

The layout of this poster is conventional; with the title at the top and the slogan at the bottom.
The typography is in capitals to appear menacing. The main image is a simple man in the snow. The gun and the blood on the snow is an action code, since it implies that the main character is a killer of some sort. It promises gore and is also a use of iconography, since blood is a popular horror convention. The use of star names, like 'Stephen King' and 'Donnie Darko,' associate this text with their, successful work. This implies that they are similar and equal in quality - which attracts fans of those authors.Some other key visuals include a supernatural force or passageway and a snowy setting. This connotes adventure, harsh survival conditions and a force that's out of this world.The use of language in the tagline makes it seem like the poster is talking to the audience. It indicates that the portal is dangerous, but the inclusive language and mystery of it intrigues the viewer and makes them want to see what's inside.  

 

Movie title 3: Into the dark world

The main image for this poster, stands out very effectively. The colours of her face, accompanied by the blood and barbed wire are illuminated against the darkness surrounding her.
This poster has many enigmas. For example, who is 'she', what is 'the dark world', why does she look like that and does the slogan imply that she can haunt dreams?
It is clear from the slogan that 'she' is evil. It links to the image of her with red eyes. The language says she'll shatter YOUR dreams which addresses the audience directly, implying that she is targeting us personally.
The religious symbol in the title is a code for supernatural forces and likely exorcisms.
The typography is unusual. The title is a mix of lower case and capitol letters, which make the words like uneven and not unified. The sharp, spikey letters, with dots in the circular spaces give the film a unique brand.