Poster Analysis The Host

(Adventure, Romance, sci-fi)

This is the tagline or ‘hook’, which is being used to interest the audience and draw them in, making them ask questions about the film. It is composed of three short and snappy sentences making it clear and effective. This prevents an overload of information which may not appeal to the audience and doesn’t give away too much of the story line- but enough to hint at themes (I.e. action and love) to interest the target audience and make them want to find out more. The tagline has been placed below the main image so that it does not ruin the effect of the image, but is in a bright white font so that it stands out against the dark background, making it eye-catching and easy to read.

This tagline is advertising the fact that the film is based on a book written by someone who had also written a widely popular franchise. Therefore it is being used to attract fans of Stephanie Meyer and the Twilight Saga, drawing on an already established fan base and expanding their audience. It is placed above the main image, separate from the rest of the writing. This works to make it stand out and emphasises the fact that it is different information from that related to the actual story of the film.

The date for the release of the film is bolder and larger than the rest of the credit block, making it stand out because it is more important and interesting to the audience than the rest of the credit block. The credit block is in very small text at the bottom of the page, due to the fact that it is necessary to include one, but it does not add to the effect of the poster.

The title of the film is placed below the main image so that it does not interfere with the effect of the image, but is placed between the tagline and the credit block framing it and making it appear central. It is also in a larger text and capital letters, making it more eye-catching than the rest of the text. This emphasises that it is an important part of the poster. The text appears metallic and has a blue glow around it, representing the sci-fi, futuristic themes of the film that will help it appeal to fans of the genre and their target audience .

Main Image • The image is a high angle shot, which gives the impression that the characters are somehow

powerful as they appear taller and bigger. Their stance also makes them appear heroic. This is an effective technique which encourages the audience to be intrigued by these characters that have been portrayed as great before they have even seen the film, therefore making them want to watch the film to find out more.

• The main character of the film is placed in the centre of the image framed by the two male characters, as well as emphasising who the main character is this suggest some kind of love triangle, which would be likely to appeal to the target audience of the film. This would be a concept familiar to Stephanie Meyer fans who would have seen very similar images of the three main characters from the Twilight film. They are therefore using the placement in the image to emphasise the films connection to the Twilight Saga, so as to appeal to the Sagas well established fan base and expand there target audience.

• As part of the mise en scene none of the characters are looking directly at the camera. Two of the characters are looking past the camera at something beyond the audiences point of view. This entices the audience by posing the question ’what are they looking at?’. The third character, the male character on the left when you are looking at the poster, is looking at the female character. This has connotations of love and romance between the two characters, which will help the poster appeal to the films target audience.

• Target Audience; the film has a 12 age rating, so the age demographic for the film would be teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18. The main target audiences would be females, due to the romantic themes. They would want to appeal especially fans of Stephanie Meyer, the Twilight Saga and the book the film is based on; which are already established fan bases made up mostly of teenage girl i.e. their demographic.

• Intertextual references; Under the credit block there is reference to a Facebook page (TheHostMovie) and a hash tag for Twitter (#TheHost). This indicates other media platforms offering more information about the film. The intertextual references may then reveal the trailer and other exclusive clips and images to help promote the film. The use of social media, especially the Twitter hash tag, are also a method of viral marketing that can be used to create an online buzz about the film- free promotion.

• Effect and effectiveness; the image is effective because it is large and eye-catching but also because of the use of colour. The background is made up of quite bright a light shades of blue and orange, which makes the poster stand out so that it will grab the audiences attention. In contrast the characters are dressed in dark colours. The use of contrasting colours is effective as it makes the characters really stand out against the background.