Generic Conventions

of Film Posters

Conventions of a posterIdentified Conventions

When looking at the posters, you are immediately aware that they are trying to attract either a large or target

audience, from the amount of work that has gone into the design and making of the final product. This more commonly

put into the perspective of blockbusters (used by major media conglomerates such as: Warner Bros & Universal

Studios).

With all posters they are structured in the same format:

• The Character - Posters are usually focused on the sense of evil of the characters and it mainly shows the

antagonist, with some it shows the protagonist but only showing when they’re scared, in a difficult situation or

venerable.

• Shot Types – usually the shot of the model for the poster is in a medium long shot, this would be to show the

characters appearance and to also show what they look like and with the clothes, usually on the antagonist gives

the sense of evil towards the audience (e.g. rips, red colour, stains and dark colours)

• Fonts – With horror, posters tend to use very strong fonts for the title and the tagline, this would be to show the

theme of the motion picture that is being advertised.

• Mise-en-scene – With the mise-en-scene, horror posters usually show you the setting to show you where the film

takes place, and so you are immediately introduced to the location.

• Lighting and Colour – Most typically with horror posters you have dark colours and low key lighting to show

mystery and presence of evil that is being shrouded among the characters.

• Billing Block – This is the credits at the bottom of the poster, to tell the audience, production team that made the

motion picture (from delegate producer to director of photography). This is usually situated at the bottom of the

poster.

• Actor’s/Actresses name – The names of the actors of the motion picture are shown sometimes at the top of the

poster, but is usually positioned between the title and the billing block.

• Tagline – Used to make a shocking statement, and the use of pronouns is used to attract the audience.

• Conglomerate Idents – Put at the bottom of the poster and are always the smallest elements of the poster and

they are less important, they show the audience (visually) the big media companies that have helped fund and

produce the advertised film

• Release date – On posters you have the release date of when the film is due to debut in cinemas

and is sometimes medium big and in colour.

• Website – At the bottom of the poster you have the website of the film. This would be so the

audience know where to look for the movie, if they want to find out more about it (including

interviews, posters and other content; including downloads).

Conventions of a poster – Billing

BlockWithin a trailer and poster, it is

always common that at the end,

the credits/detail of the production

are shown to credit the different

people that have been involved in

the making the trailer and the

original movie itself.

Plus also crediting and telling the audience, the big major media companies that

have produced, funded and distributed the film. This is an example of a production

credit for the trailer of “The Impossible”. As you can see the credits for the production

is split into separate parts.

The first part of the credits you have is the

names of the production and film

companies that are or have been

responsible for making the trailer the

audience is viewing and the film that the

trailer is advertising for.

The second part of the credits you have the name of the main

actors and actresses that are in the movie and also the name

of the film itself. For example in this you have Naomi Watts

who is the main actress (Hollywood star) and also Evan

McGregor who is also a main actor (Hollywood star), then you

have the name of the film underneath their names, which for

this is “The Impossible”.

The third part of the credits you have the

editors, designers and casting crew of the

trailer and film. It goes in order of: Director

of casting, music composer, key hair stylist,

the editors of the trailer and film, the

production designer and director of

photography.

The fourth part of the credits are the producers that are responsible for the film and the

crew. As the first person to be mentioned is the Delegate producer, this is the main

person who is responsible for the hiring and building of the crew and production team of

the film/ trailer. In other terms he is the production manager and is in charge of the

logistics of the film (including the film's salary and equipment). You also as well have the

other producers that have helped to manage the film and including the director.

The fifth part of the credits you have the logos of the film and production

companies, this is so that the audience will read the manes of the companies at

the top that they wont know what is real is and so they have the logos of the

companies put on so that the audience can see visually the logo and they will

remember who the companies are.

Examples of existing Film Posters

The actress is

shown in a

medium long

shot, to show

what she looks

like.

The use of

extreme font

to give the

sense of the

horror genre

as horror fonts

tend to stand

out

Dark colours

and low key

lighting to

show that

evil has

surrounded

the

protagonist

Actors and

actresses

name

Billing block – to

give credit to the

production team

and media

companies that

helped produce

and distribute

the film.

Release

date of the

film

Media

companies

idents.

Extended Analysis of a film poster #1 This is the poster for the film “House at the End of

the Street”. When looking at the poster, you can

immediately identify that this is a horror poster and

that is clearly displays the typical conventions of that

genre’s poster. First of all you have the font of the

title, which is very extreme and sinister and gives the

impression that it has been interfered with scratches

and with horror posters, the font tends to be very

obscure and not appear normal, this is to match the

element of horror as it is not pretty and perfect. You

then have the picture of the protagonist who appears

to be in a scared situation of her with low key lighting

and the other half in black which has a doorknob on

the end, this would be to show that there is unknown

and fear on the other side and also black for evil

being on the other side and also facing her. You also

have the protagonist showing more skin and less

clothes to show and represent vulnerability and to

appeal to the male audience. You also have the

tagline which matches with the use of the black in

the posters “Fear (which is represented by the black)

reaches out….for the girl next door”. This

immediately implies the audience that the

Extended Analysis of a film poster #1 protagonist is in danger and that something is after

her and creates fear of what's on the other side of

the door and with the implied narrative of the house,

suggests that someone is going to be a victim in

their home. Plus with the light on the protagonist,

could represent her fighting spirit and how she is

refusing to let the darkness in. You also have the

poster with two different sides with the text on the left

and the actress on the right, this is so that we can

focus on one or the other without confusing the two

and the colour of the text and the light on the

protagonist are the same.

Extended Analysis of a film poster #2 This is the poster for the film “The Conjuring”. When

looking at the poster, the horror genre is clearly

shown through the different elements and mise-en-

scene within the frame. Within the frame the whole

of the background is rotted and dark, this gives the

sense of the spooky aura within the shot. Plus a lot

of the frame is mostly black and it centres mostly on

the woman that is in the middle. This immediately

implies that she is the evil presence as most of the

darkness comes from her shadow and black

represents fear and the unknown, plus with the doll

looking at the camera gives the involving of the

audience, in a way that the doll is looking at them

with magic eyes and is following them as well. The

text is very sinister (mainly the title) and it gives the

sense of supernatural and at the top you have the

pre – introduction of the producers (form saw and

Insidious) they are in bold which gives the sense of it

being a big thing and how they were both really

successful , and it will tell the audience (visually) that

this film will be a successful one too. You also have

the billing block which is again very typical of a film

poster as it is situated at the bottom of the canvas,

Extended Analysis of a film poster #2 this credits and cast and crew who work on the film

and helped to promote it (including the big media

conglomerates which have their idents at the bottom

of the page underneath the billing block. With the

woman, you also have her back turned to the

audience and you only see her rugged white dress,

this is to puzzle the audience, so that they don’t

know what she looks like and so they have to picture

in their minds of what she looks like at the front. This

is typical because sometimes you don’t see the

antagonists face or real appearance in the posters of

horror, as it gives the sense of that the audience is

not familiar with them and with the long distance of a

long shot and that it is hidden away behind a shadow

or costume (e.g. mask).

How the Media Language communicates an implied narrative

What, how and why the Media Language communicates about the

Protagonist and/ or the Antagonist

How the subgenre is communicated to the audience (e.g. supernatural,

zombies etc.)

How the themes are communicated (e.g. good vs evil, religion etc.)

• Layout/ structure

• Font Choices

• Typical Media

Language (Mise-en-

Scene & shot types

• Typical information in

the credits, billing

block and film posters

“generally”

What to Consider, Analyse and

Discuss when analysing Media

Language

Media Language of “House at the

End of the Street”

The font is

rippled, cut and

serif, which could

indicate slasher

because it looks

like its been cut

by a knife.

Black could

indicate

psychological

because the

audience are

indicating what's

on the other side.

We are immediately

aware that this is the

protagonist because

light shines on her,

and we sense that she

is going to be the one

that is traumatised the

most.

Female showing skin

appeals to the male

audience and the less

amount of clothing

shows her

vulnerability and

relates to her being

traumatised.

The actresses

name is bigger,

indicating that

she is the main

star of the film.

The tagline makes us

wonder why fear is after

this character (what has

she done and what will

she do?).

The different elements

indicate that the setting

happens in a house, but it

doesn't give a full

description of what it looks

like and when we think of

home, it’s security and

safety and it also implies

that this could happen to

anyone.

This film is likely to be about someone that is being attacked or traumatised by someone because of the use of the less clothing and vulnerability which senses that she is the victim and the one that is being traumatised and with the black could suggests that we won’t know who the antagonist is until the middle of end. I also sense that this will be a slasher because of the changes and style of the font in the form of it being rippled and cut. Plus from the poster I think that the setting will be based in house, because of the use of the word “house” in the title and the doorknob next to the girl. Plus we can tell that something is not right about the house as on the other side it is completely covered in black, this gives me the sense that we will be surprised and scared by what is inside.

Media Language of “House at the

End of the Street”

Media Language of “The Conjuring”

The rusty

background could

indicate

supernatural

because of the

use of dark

colours and grey

tones and the

fading of the wall.

We immediately indicate that

this is the antagonist,

because her back is towards

us and her whole back is

covered in darkness, this

could signify that she is

sinister

The doll also implies the

spookiness and we sense the

supernatural elements as well

because it is looking at us

which could signify the it is

haunted and also plays an

important part in the film.

The bold and serif font

implies that in is not modern

and the accent “The

Conjuring” suggests that

this is set in a time period.

This immediately

suggest that this

is a true story, that

the film is based

on.

The word “Conjuring”

is an immediate

indicator that this is a

supernatural sub-

genre, because when

we hear the word

“conjuring” we think of

ghosts, spells and

witchcraft.

The titles of Saw and Insidious are in bold which makes

the audience want to watch the film because the two

films were huge successes at the box office and those

who liked the two films will like the advertised one.

This film is likely to be about a supernatural presence because of the strong use’s of the genre in the poster. How I can tell this is because of the fading of the wall, which could suggest that this is an old spirit and it gives off a sinister presence. I can also sense that this is set in a time period because of the use of the font and how it is styled in serif and also the accent of the title. Plus with the doll, I can tell that it will play an important part in the trailer, because the antagonist is holding it, which could suggest a connection to the two. Plus the doll could give the sense of the corruption of innocent children because dolls also give the sense of possession.