Textual Analysis

4
De-coding TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Transcript of Textual Analysis

De-coding

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

KICK ASSFilm posters all follow certain codes and conventions in order to showcase what type of film it is, and appeal to a specific demographic. Various aspects are represented in different ways in order to depict the type of movie.

This is a superhero action movie, with a large amount of violence and strong language. The producers have shown this by including the main characters holding weapons on the poster.

The characters are all wearing primary colours and stand out against the black background. The superhero theme is the prominent selling point in this film, so making this feature central is vital to attract the right audience. Along with this, that animated, comic book style ensures that anyone interested in comic books, would have interest in this film.

The female on the front is not represented in a sexual way; mostly because she is only 11 years old, but also because her character is just as tough as her male counterparts. This lack of sexualisation generally means that the plot is enough to carry the film, rather than relying on attractive adults to create interest.

Whilst the name of this film is partially covered, the bold yellow lettering stands out on the black background, and despite not being able to see the entire name, it’s still obvious to the audience what the title of the film is.

SKYFALLSkyfall is the latest film in the James Bond series. The poster is relatively understated, as the series is already an established one that does not need to rely on gimmicks or marketing techniques that will create interest in the film, because there would already be a lot of hype and news coverage.

James Bond’s number; 007, has become an iconic aspect of the films, so including it on the poster is vital. Even without seeing the words ‘James Bond’, the numbers mean that everyone knows what film it is.

The title of the film is bold and clear across the top; so the audience are aware of the title of the film. The title is simple, however , is not necessarily a major selling point of the film.

Main actor Daniel Craig; who plays James Bond, is shown across the bottom holding a gun. The people who have never seen or heard of a James Bond film, instantly now know that this is an action film, that will contain violence and some intense scenes, that wouldn’t be appropriate for younger children.

The colour scheme is a very simple black and white scheme, with the main actor wearing a blue suit, thus making him stand out more. The simple design is eye catching, and is more an advertisement that there is a new James Bond film, rather than trying to encourage people to go, or appeal to s certain demographic.

CABIN IN THE WOODSCabin in the Woods, is a horror film rated an age 15. The film has various plot twists and contains a large amount of violence, gore and strong language, as well as some frequent drug use.

The colour scheme is very pale and gives the poster a creepy feel. The silhouette of the trees present the idea of isolation and the font is in keeping with the rest of the poster.

The poster creates interest, by showing the cabin in a distorted form. This gives the audience the idea that the film contains a supernatural aspect, instead of being a typical, gory horror film.

This poster, unlike the others shown, does not contain any people. This is usually done in horror films, due to the quantity of deaths, and the quick turnover of characters. It gives the audience the idea that very few or even none of characters involved in this film, would be involved in a potential sequel.

The date of the film release also give the audience an indication of what will happen. Horror films are usually released of a Friday 13th, or the 13th in general, due to the superstition of it being a day of bad luck.