The Guttenburg Design Prin

The Primary

Optical Area

Strong

Follow Area

The

Terminal

Area

Weak Follow

Area

Axis of Orientation

The primary optical area:

The stars name ‘Liam Neeson’ has been put at the top before the title of the movie so

viewers will take notice and to show that Liam Neeson is the main star of the film, this is

done in large black fine letters to make sure its visible for the target audience. They did this

because he is a very popular actor when it comes to these types of films and the publishing

would know what people would want to see and know how to catch the watchers attention.

The title of the movie is in a bigger font than the other type of writing because that’s the

main priority that the viewer needs to know is the name of the film. The tagline has a

mysterious meaning towards it and could have relation to the film and this makes viewers of

the poster want to know more.

Strong Fallow area:

The title and tagline is represented in this area, very similar and symmetrical to the primary

optical area. As Liam Nesson is the main character his name is also presented in this area,

these bits of information are the most vital because the audience use this information to

memorise the film. A quote is used ‘People are all afraid of the wrong things’ this gives off a

mysterious vibe from the film and makes you wonder what’s behind it and what it actually

means. It’s presented right underneath the film title so the producers want you to see it and

think about what it says and to find this out go and see the film.

Weak fallow area:

In the weak fallow area on the left hand side the movie star of the film (Liam Neeson) is

holding a gun; this indicates that the actor in the film could potentially kill people and also

that death could be related and this is used to be directed at the older audiences. They put

things in this area which have less importance than other main things in poster so it doesn’t

distract you from what they really want you to see.

The terminal area:

The release date used in bold red letters to stand out to catch the viewer’s eyes, also there

are gravestones in the background of the star which relates to the title of the movie and

immediately tells you that the film is about death and killing. The release date is also

situated in this area this is a very important piece of information for the audience because it

informs them when they can go and see the film. Also there is a good mise en scene added

in this area such as a cross, graveyard which connote death and darkness.

Genre codes and conventions

There are certain codes and conventions which we notice quite quickly. The colours used on

the poster are red, black and grey, all these colours connote death, darkness, isolation and

blood. All the elements that make up and action/thriller. Liam Nesson himself is carrying a

good and a brief case, this suggests that he’s on the move and also ready for danger. The

setting of the poster is in a graveyard and we also see the mausoleum and cross, which

suggests death is also associated with the genre. The reflection at the bottom of the poster

is red this make the audience think of danger and blood which then has relation to the film.

The title and tagline are in bold capital fonts with a dark colour scheme relating to the mood

of the genre which can come across as spooky, dark and thrilling. All the elements above

hook the audience and intrigue them to watch the film.

Anchorage:

Liam Nesson himself attracts the audience because he is such a famous actor, and has been

in many films similar to this before. He always seems to be in these kind of films, which is

more around the whole action/thriller for example Taken and Taken 2. There is now Taken 3

which is coming to cinemas soon. Because people see his name and associate him with his

previous films they kind of know what to expect when going to watch this film. Choosing

such a huge star to be the main attraction of the film anchors the audience in almost as if

they are already hooked to the film.

Modes of address:

Liam Neeson is stood face and body forward close to the camera with a full body shot, this

position makes the audience feel as if he is looking directly at them, addressing them

through the poster almost including the audience in his journey. He seems to be stood out

with his arms out as if he is walking mid shot, so he is almost caught in mid action which

then makes the audience think something is already happening. His expression on his face

looks angry and motivated as if he needs to complete his mission fast. The way he is

gripping his gun shows us how he is concentrated and fierce, all this factors add up and

make the audience feel included in the film.