BY KAT I E M O U L D

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

FILM POSTER (1)(500 DAYS OF SUMMER)

Colour Scheme

• The colour scheme for this film poster follows very stereotypical idea through the main use of the colour blue, which tends to represent a male. In this case it looks at thought the blue has been used to represent a male dominance and authority.

• All of the other colours that are being used on this film poster tend to be very natural and simple which may reflect the story that is going to be shown.

• The smaller images that we are shown in the poster also have very natural colours to indicate the type of film.

• The natural colours that we are shown may in fact represent the drama genre as they are very relatable and easy to view colours that would appeal to a wide range of audiences, which is what I think that the designer of this poster was aiming for.

Layout

• The layout of the poster is also very simple, much like the colouring that we are shown.

• It is clear that one of the main characters is going to be the focal point of this image, being the character Tom (Joseph Gordon – Levitt). This indicates to the audience the type of film that they are going to be watching, if they know the type of films that he has been in.

• It is important to show the main characters on a film poster because it is one of the main factors that entices an audience into wanting to watch either the trailer for the film or sometimes even the entire film.

• The way that the title of the film is presented right in the middle of the film poster is effective because it stands out amongst the photos.

• The use of all of the photos around the title shows the audience the type of scenes you are likely to see.

• The images that we are shown in this film poster are presenting various scenes throughout the film in a kind of screen grabbed kind of way. I like this way of presenting images because it lets the reader get to know what they are going to be watching, which is important if you want to get them intrigued and interested in the film.

• The main image of this poster being the character in the background essentially wearing the other photos, is presented in a very happy way which is used to represent the style of film and the happy nature and storyline that is going to be presented.

• It is important to include a significant facial expression and body language to the audience so that they can feel like they can relate to the characters, therefore feeling more and more like they would like to go and watch it. For instance, in this film poster, due to his happy expression, an audience is going to feel more comfortable.

• The font and the text on this poster does not play that big of a role and the font and text that is used, is very simple to reflect the nature of the film.

• All of the main writing on the poster is all in the same font to keep the continuity going throughout the entire poster. This is so that you are not attracted to one area over another.

• Even so, the fact that the title is clearly a lot larger than the rest of text on the page, means that a lot of the attention is going to be drawn into this area putting a lot of the emphasis onto the areas surrounding it.

• The text that is put on this film poster is designed to make you want to watch the film. The review text that we see is put there to make us think about going to watch the film or even just viewing the trailer. Also, the way that the names of the actors are placed underneath pictures of their characters highlights their significance and importance.

Image Font and Text

FILM POSTER (2)(THE GREAT GATSBY)

• The colours used in this film poster are used to replicate the style of the movie. Seeing as the movie is set in the 1920s, the designer of this poster has tried to the sense of style and patterns of the time which I think has worked out really well with the overall colour scheme being very bright and bold.

• The colour scheme is used to represent the characters as well, there are quite a few natural colours being used, such as the blacks, browns and greys. These colours represent the characters and their individual personalities. This is why the two characters on the far left have brighter colours of blue and red, as they are more outgoing and lively characters.

• The overall colour scheme that has been used is a simple gold and black to signify the extravagance of the time which I think has worked really well against the other colours.

• I particularly like the layout for this movie as I think the way that they have placed all of the characters in a sort of hierarchal type of scenario indicates immediately to the audience, who the main characters are. It is obvious that the the man in the middle and the women at the bottom have a lot of importance in the movie, which is in fact true, seeing as the movie centers around their relationship.

• Other than the way that the characters are placed on this poster, there are other factors such as the positioning of the text on the image that is also important. I like the way that the actors names have been presented at the top of the poster however, if you don’t know who the people actually are it would be hard to identify them apart from the other characters.

• The way that the title of the film is directly underneath one of the characters would make the audience assume that he is the main character and may even be the reasoning behind the title. This feature allows the audience to ponder on the idea behind the characters and their positions.

Colour Scheme Layout

• All of the images that are used in the creation of this film poster correspond to some elements of the actual film. In this respect, I mean that they characters on the poster are wearing the same clothing that they would be wearing in the film. This idea is used to make the audience feel like they are getting a glimpse into the film.

• The images and the poses that all of the characters are making, gives the audience an indication of what they’re like.

• I think it is especially interesting to notice how Tobey Maguire is looking off into the distance, maybe indicating that his character is always far off and thinking about something.

• The background image consisting of black and gold is also a way of representing the time period and furthers the understanding of the extravagance of the time.

• The font and text is again used to represent the style of the film. It is important that a font is used that best highlights the mood of the movie and I think that the one that has been chosen is perfect for this type of poster. Seeing as it is obviously a film set back in the 1920s, the broadway type writing indicates to the audience the extravagance that we can see in pretty much everything else.

• Due to the small amount of text that is actually on the page, the text that is there, is fairly large so that there is a lot of attention drawn to it. The main focal point regarding text on the poster is the title as it is the most important part of the poster as it is the audience’s priority to find out what movie they are looking at. It is also designed to put emphasis on the characters surrounding the title. I think that this idea is a good one seeing as there needs to be a lot of focus on the characters themselves.

Image Font and Text

FILM POSTER (3)(THE BLIND SIDE)

• The colour scheme in this poster follows a very specific theme. It is obvious that the outfits that both of them are wearing are similar with the green shirt and white trousers. This effect is used to show the similarity between the two characters and to also show that they are connected even though they may not look like the are.

• Green seems to be quite a prominent part of this poster with the grass taking up a major part of the poster and then with their shirts being green also.

• The general idea behind the colour scheme that we get is green and white which may have a significance in the film, but that’s what the designer wants the audience to find out for themselves. This technique is important because it highlights how you can use various colours to entice an audience more into wanting to watch the film.

• I like the general layout of this poster and how everything is set out. I particularly like the way that they have placed the two characters so that it looks like they are walking towards something better, due to the bright light that we can see in the background. I think that the pose that they are making and the fact that it is centered on the poster adds to the overall effect of the image.

• The placement of the text on the page, underneath the characters is also a good technique because there is a lot of focus drawn into the particular area because of it.

• I also think that the placement of the writing ‘based on the extraordinary true story’ adds to the effect that the poster is going to have on the audience. This is because an audience will generally be more inclined to see something that is based on a true story as there is a strong sense of verisimilitude involved.

Colour Scheme Layout

• Seeing as there is only one image being used in this poster, a lot of emphasis needs to be put onto it in order to get the point across to the audience.

• The way that the woman is smaller than the boy would indicate him having a dominance and authority over her, however we get can sense that this is probably not the most likely ideology behind it. Seeing as he hand is placed in a caring and motherly way and also from the way that she is looking at him would give us the idea that she has more dominance and authority over him. This is important for the audience to grasp as it represents the type of relationship that the audience will be shown.

• The scene that is set in the image is also important as it is clearly some sort of school that the boy probably attends. This helps the audience understand the storyline more and would probably make them feel like they can relate to the film a lot more.

• I also think that the way that the sky is blue with a few clouds indicates a comfortable relationship between the two characters that we can see.

• The font and text on this poster is very basic to keep all of the attention on the image that is clearly the foreground of the poster.

• Even so, the title is still quite large so that the audience can see straight away what the film is about. This is important so that the audience does no have to go searching for the title if they wish to see it or watch the trailer.

• I also like the way that they have only put the main character’s name on the front as it indicates to the audience that she holds a lot of influence and importance throughout the film.

• At the top of the poster, there is a very basic font, the same as the title and the actor name, but it is in a different colour to signify to the audience that it is a piece of information that they should either pay more or less attention to. I personally think that it is there to indicate that you need to pay more attention to it, as it is a sentence that could make the audience make a final decision on whether or not they are going to go and see the film.

Image Font and Text

MAGAZINE COVER (1)(KING KONG)

• The colour scheme on this magazine follows a very basic theme of yellow and white to create the title and coverlines. I think that this is a good way to present the front of a magazine, using two very simple colours together as it means that there will be more focus on the main part of the magazine which is always going to be the picture.

• I think that in the case of this particular magazine. The fact that there is a very prominent title on the page, stands out immediately to the audience, which would suggest that it is the name of the film that is being shown in the picture. This is important to put in a bold colour so that the audience can see it amongst all of the other information.

• I also think that it is a good idea that the straplines or strapline is in white so that it still works with the colour scheme but does not steal the limelight.

• The layout of the magazine is also really important if you want to get an audience intrigued in what is being shown on the magazine. If the layout of the information is not put in a way that looks interesting and unique then an audience will most likely, not be interested in looking further into what it is about, as the information would not be easy to find.

• I also think that the way that the image is placed over the headline putting more emphasis on the image, can only really be done if the magazine is well known so as not to confuse the audience. I do however, think that if you can do it in the correct way, like total film has done with this magazine cover, then you can still make it look enticing and sometimes this is even more likely to draw in the audience that you are looking for.

• The strapline positioning at the top of the page is also a lot more interesting as the designer of the magazine has decided to keep it simple and simply put a few words to establish to the audience what is going to be featured in the magazine. This is a good technique to get the audience excited to find out more.

Colour Scheme Layout

• This particular magazine cover, has decided to place the two main subjects slightly to the right of the centre. This works effectively because it leaves room for the coverlines to sit to the left of the image, highlighting to the audience how the two are joined together and are telling the audience how it is most likely going to be the title of the film.

• The headline, as a sort of rule throughout the creation of magazine covers, takes up the top segment of the rule of thirds cover. This is due to the fact that the audience needs to be able to see what the title of the magazine is.

• Most of the smaller coverlines, to the right of the main image, take up the right hand segment when thinking of rule of thirds. This is because it is an easy way of presenting the different aspects of the magazine in an interesting way that is easy to view by the audience.

• The image used on the front of the magazine, is most likely a film that is highly anticipated or has already received good ratings at the box office. This is due to the fact, that audiences are going to be more excited about viewing one of these types of movie.

• This particular movie that is presented on the front of the magazine, is an anticipated movie, which automatically means that there is going to be exclusive information inside the magazine and most likely a large double page spread for the audience.

• The image in particular is used to represent the type of movie that the film being shown is. The facial expressions and body languages of the two characters indicate fear, which would highlight to the audience that the film may have a scary and frightening element.

• The text to the side of it, being in a bright and very bold font, would emphasise this idea of being frightened and afraid of whatever happens in the film.

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MAGAZINE COVER (2)(ALICE IN WONDERLAND)

• The colour schemes featuring on the front of this magazine is very bright and bold, which is most likely due to the fact that the image is presenting the personality of the film and the types of characters that you are going to be likely to see.

• The magazine cover of Entertainment Weekly is somewhat similar in their colour scheme to Total Film in the sense of the white and yellow theme that we get a sense of.

• Some of the titles, in this case one, is in a pink colour, to represent the fact that it is highly important and the audience should take notice of whatever the information explains.

• Usually this pink colour that we are seeing on the front of the magazine is in a red colour but due to the fact that the magazine that is being shown is a lot more fun and unique, the magazine has decided to add it’s own flare to represent the type of film it is. It is also a more interesting way to show the name of a film rather than simply making it really big on the front.

• The layout of the magazine is quite simple and follows a very basic design. The way that the character is taking up the majority of the page works really well and the way that the coverlines are only on the left hand side of the page, frames the face really well and puts a lot more emphasis on the character that we are meant to be looking at.

• The fact that all of the coverlines are on the left hand side of the page is effective, because it means that we don’t have to look in multiple areas to find out the information we want to see in the magazine.

• It is also interesting how they have decided to make the strapline on the front of the magazine cover a lot larger than it usually is, due to the fact that it makes it look a lot more important than it usually does.

Colour Scheme Layout

• The general idea that Entertainment Weekly has decided to follow in regards to rule of thirds with this magazine cover, is to cover 2/3 of the page with the character that we are presented with. This is so that the coverlines can then take up the other 1/3 of the page, on the left hand side of the page.

• This technique of using rule of thirds in this way, is actually more effective than putting the main subject right in the middle of the page, as it gives you a more developed page to look at and further makes you look around the page.

• It is also a better way of making it easier to view information as there isn’t lots of coverlines on both sides of the page.

• I also think it is important, much like in the other magazine covers, that the headline takes up the top third of the page as it helps the audience identify what magazine they are looking at.

• The image on the front, stands out a lot and draws in the attention of the audience due to the bright and bold colours that we are immediately faced with. Through using this bold character to front the magazine is a good way of gaining a wide rang of audiences. It can attract a much younger audience due to the colours, however it can also appeal to an older audience due to the mature themes that the magazine tends to cover.

• The text that is used is designed to stay simple but informative. As there is clearly no other main focus on the front of the magazine and is purely based around the Alice in Wonderland idea, means that they are targeting the audience at quite a niche audience of people who either like Johnny Depp or fantasy films such as Alice in Wonderland.

• There is no other text on the page about anything else that features in the magazine, which is not stereotypical for a magazine cover, which could effectively turn people off of buying the magazine.

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MAGAZINE COVER (3)(THE HOBBIT)

• The colour scheme of the actual magazine is gold and white, which would indicate to the audience that the magazine and it’s contents are important and exclusive. Seeing as the general colour scheme of Empire magazine, is generally red and white, the change would probably be somewhat of a shock to regular readers. However, new readers would most likely be excited by the fact that they are seeing a gold colour instead of a more basic colour.

• I like the way that the magazine has decided to use this gold and white theme to highlight an important, exclusive film being shown on the front of the magazine and that everyone should buy the magazine because of it.

• Through the use of simple white text to explain a little further, it puts a lot more emphasis on the image and the general gold colour that we are being shown.

• I like the way that the layout of this magazine is slightly different to what you expect to see when looking at magazines. The way that the two characters are placed at different depths, adds to the effect that it gives off when an audience is viewing it.

• It also works a lot better in this case, how the description of the cover photo is underneath it rather to the side, positioned like this makes the entire magazine cover look a lot more interesting than if it were to be placed in a conventional way.

• I also like how the strapline is still in keeping with the rest of the cover, as usually the feature in the strapline is different to the cover story and indicates more features in the magazine.

• The way that the small sticker is also placed right down the bottom near the headline puts more focus on that area of the magazine.

Colour Scheme Layout

• This magazine cover, uses rule of thirds really well, positioning the two characters on either side of the page, rather than having the both of them in the middle or right next to each other. It adds more dimension to the image due to the fact that it makes the two characters looks like they are rivals and may be part-taking in a form of conflict that we would expect to see if we saw the actual film being shown.

• The title, like all of the other magazine covers, takes up the top segment of the rule of third grids on the magazine. Once again, I think that it is really important to make sure that the title stands out amongst the rest of the actual magazine image as it is important that the audience knows what they are reading.

• I also think that the way that the main title and description is positioned in the bottom third of the page as I think it is an interesting and much more unique area to place this piece of information.

• The image on the front of the magazine cover is very dark and mysterious to replicate the type of movie that is being shown. We know through the representation of the fantasy/adventure genres. The aura that the front cover gives off to the audience is used to draw in a particular target audience that is going to most likely be the main target audience of the film itself. The two characters being shown on the cover, are two of the most favoured characters in the film which is why they have been shown together.

• The text on the front cover, is kept highly minimal due to the fact that the designer obviously wants to keep a lot of the focus on the image and the characters that are being presented to the audience.

• It is clear that through looking at this front cover, that a lot of the focus, much like the magazine cover I looked at previously, is focusing on the main cover story without really looking at any other films or stories that are similar.

• This is designed to keep the entire focus on one particular film to again, appeal to a niche audience of people who are a fan of ‘The Hobbit’ series.

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