Poster overview

1. Poster​ ​Overview
With​ ​any​ ​film​ ​posters​ ​are​ ​always​ ​used​ ​in​ ​a​ ​promotional​ ​manner​ ​to​ ​help​ ​get​ ​the​ ​film​ ​out​ ​there
seek​ ​their​ ​target​ ​audience.​ ​With​ ​this​ ​institutions​ ​will​ ​produce​ ​several​ ​posters​ ​throughout​ ​the
promotional​ ​campaign​ ​including​ ​teaser​ ​posters​ ​before​ ​the​ ​theatrical​ ​poster​ ​is​ ​released.
Teaser​ ​posters​ ​are​ ​key​ ​in​ ​capturing​ ​an​ ​audience​ ​and​ ​getting​ ​them​ ​to​ ​want​ ​more.​ ​So​ ​when
the​ ​theatrical​ ​poster​ ​is​ ​released​ ​they​ ​are​ ​excited​ ​for​ ​the​ ​film​ ​and​ ​want​ ​to​ ​watch​ ​it.
Traditionally​ ​film​ ​posters​ ​follow​ ​a​ ​design​ ​which​ ​follows​ ​a​ ​Z-line​ ​formation​ ​that​ ​sees​ ​the​ ​eyes
moving​ ​left​ ​to​ ​right​ ​working​ ​down​ ​the​ ​page.​ ​Therefore,​ ​looking​ ​at​ ​this​ ​it​ ​would​ ​mean​ ​the​ ​most
important​ ​information​ ​would​ ​be​ ​placed​ ​at​ ​the​ ​top​ ​and​ ​the​ ​least​ ​important​ ​information​ ​placed
at​ ​the​ ​bottom.​ ​The​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​posters​ ​seem​ ​to​ ​not​ ​follow​ ​this​ ​as​ ​they​ ​see​ ​the​ ​title​ ​of​ ​the​ ​film
being​ ​placed​ ​in​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​of​ ​the​ ​poster​ ​with​ ​the​ ​tagline​ ​being​ ​place​ ​at​ ​the​ ​top.​ ​This​ ​has
probably​ ​been​ ​done​ ​as​ ​the​ ​tagline​ ​is​ ​used​ ​to​ ​draw​ ​in​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​and​ ​make​ ​them
remember​ ​the​ ​film.​ ​In​ ​‘The​ ​Strangers’​ ​poster​ ​the​ ​tagline​ ​which​ ​they​ ​have​ ​used​ ​is​ ​“Because
you​ ​were​ ​home”​ ​this​ ​draws​ ​in​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​enigma​ ​that​ ​is​ ​created​ ​from​ ​the
tagline.​ ​Following​ ​the​ ​Z-line​ ​formation​ ​the​ ​least​ ​important​ ​information​ ​is​ ​found​ ​at​ ​the​ ​bottom
conventionally​ ​it​ ​is​ ​the​ ​institutional​ ​information​ ​which​ ​is​ ​placed​ ​there.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​due​ ​to​ ​it​ ​being
the​ ​last​ ​thing​ ​your​ ​eyes​ ​get​ ​drawn​ ​to​ ​since​ ​it​ ​is​ ​a​ ​condensed​ ​block​ ​of​ ​text​ ​and​ ​not​ ​being
interesting.​ ​Of​ ​course​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​of​ ​the​ ​poster​ ​is​ ​taken​ ​up​ ​by​ ​the​ ​main​ ​image​ ​due​ ​to​ ​it​ ​being
the​ ​main​ ​feature​ ​of​ ​the​ ​poster.

2. The​ ​rule​ ​of​ ​thirds​ ​is​ ​when​ ​an​ ​image​ ​is​ ​divided​ ​up​ ​into​ ​nine​ ​equal​ ​sections​ ​that​ ​are​ ​made​ ​up
of​ ​two​ ​horizontal​ ​lines​ ​and​ ​two​ ​vertical​ ​lines​ ​that​ ​are​ ​equally​ ​spaced.​ ​These​ ​sections​ ​that​ ​are
formed​ ​are​ ​used​ ​to​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​the​ ​main​ ​elements​ ​of​ ​poster.​ ​In​ ​these​ ​posters​ ​they​ ​all​ ​show​ ​that
they​ ​follow​ ​the​ ​rule​ ​of​ ​thirds.​ ​An​ ​example​ ​of​ ​this​ ​is​ ​the​ ​‘It’​ ​poster​ ​as​ ​if​ ​you​ ​look​ ​at​ ​this​ ​poster
you​ ​can​ ​see​ ​that​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​split​ ​into​ ​thirds.​ ​As​ ​if​ ​you​ ​look​ ​vertically​ ​you​ ​can​ ​see​ ​its​ ​split​ ​into
the​ ​thirds​ ​with​ ​the​ ​fog/mist​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​third,​ ​the​ ​main​ ​image​ ​taking​ ​up​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​third​ ​and​ ​the
text​ ​taking​ ​up​ ​the​ ​final​ ​third.​ ​Then​ ​looking​ ​at​ ​this​ ​horizontally​ ​you​ ​can​ ​see​ ​at​ ​the​ ​top​ ​you​ ​have
one​ ​character,​ ​in​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​the​ ​text​ ​and​ ​the​ ​final​ ​third​ ​another​ ​character​ ​from​ ​the​ ​film.
Therefore,​ ​it​ ​shows​ ​that​ ​film​ ​posters​ ​follow​ ​the​ ​rule​ ​of​ ​thirds​ ​when​ ​laying​ ​out​ ​their​ ​poster.
Film​ ​posters​ ​are​ ​used​ ​to​ ​advertise​ ​the​ ​film​ ​by​ ​giving​ ​them​ ​an​ ​image​ ​from​ ​the​ ​film.​ ​This​ ​image
is​ ​an​ ​insight​ ​into​ ​the​ ​film​ ​as​ ​it​ ​allows​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​to​ ​see​ ​something​ ​from​ ​the​ ​film​ ​that​ ​is
relevant.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​these​ ​posters​ ​they​ ​feature​ ​the​ ​villain​ ​of​ ​the​ ​film​ ​as​ ​the​ ​main
image.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​conventional​ ​for​ ​horror​ ​posters​ ​as​ ​it​ ​is​ ​a​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​scare​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​looking
at​ ​the​ ​poster.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​‘Annabelle​ ​Creation’​ ​poster​ ​it​ ​features​ ​the​ ​doll,​ ​‘Annabelle’,​ ​on​ ​the
poster.​ ​Therefore,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​following​ ​conventions​ ​as​ ​the​ ​doll​ ​is​ ​the​ ​villain​ ​of​ ​the​ ​film​ ​and​ ​features
as​ ​the​ ​main​ ​image.​ ​Suggesting​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is​ ​showing​ ​the​ ​conventions​ ​of​ ​having​ ​the​ ​villain​ ​on​ ​the
film​ ​poster.
Mise-en-scene​ ​is​ ​anything​ ​that​ ​appears​ ​in​ ​the​ ​shot​ ​this​ ​can​ ​range​ ​from;​ ​setting;​ ​location;
props;​ ​lighting​ ​and​ ​costume.​ ​In​ ​film​ ​posters​ ​the​ ​mise-en-scene​ ​is​ ​used​ ​to​ ​give​ ​clues​ ​to​ ​the
audience​ ​about​ ​the​ ​film.​ ​For​ ​example​ ​the​ ​costume​ ​of​ ​a​ ​villain​ ​on​ ​a​ ​poster​ ​could​ ​hint​ ​who​ ​they
are​ ​and​ ​if​ ​you​ ​looked​ ​at​ ​the​ ​props​ ​and​ ​you​ ​can​ ​see​ ​a​ ​weapon​ ​it​ ​gives​ ​a​ ​clue​ ​to​ ​how​ ​they
might​ ​murder​ ​their​ ​victims.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​look​ ​at​ ​the​ ​‘Friday​ ​the​ ​13th’​ ​poster​ ​the​ ​use​ ​of
mise-en-scene​ ​is​ ​done​ ​very​ ​effectively.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​shot​ ​you​ ​can​ ​see​ ​many​ ​of​ ​the​ ​content​ ​which
makes​ ​up​ ​mise-en-scene.​ ​The​ ​location​ ​which​ ​is​ ​shown​ ​in​ ​the​ ​shop​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​wood​ ​this
hints​ ​to​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​that​ ​an​ ​isolated​ ​setting,​ ​a​ ​convention​ ​of​ ​the​ ​slasher​ ​genre,​ ​is​ ​used​ ​in
the​ ​film.​ ​As​ ​well​ ​you​ ​can​ ​see​ ​a​ ​prop​ ​that​ ​is​ ​used​ ​is​ ​a​ ​machete,​ ​the​ ​prefered​ ​choice​ ​of
weapon​ ​by​ ​‘Jason’​ ​the​ ​villain,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​seen​ ​being​ ​held​ ​by​ ​the​ ​villain.​ ​This​ ​shot​ ​which​ ​has
been​ ​used​ ​also​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​see​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​costume​ ​of​ ​the​ ​villain.​ ​‘Jason’​ ​is​ ​seen​ ​to​ ​be
wearing​ ​a​ ​mask​ ​which​ ​covers​ ​up​ ​his​ ​identity​ ​and​ ​causes​ ​the​ ​mystery​ ​around​ ​who​ ​he​ ​is​ ​and
what​ ​he​ ​looks​ ​like.​ ​The​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​his​ ​costume​ ​is​ ​very​ ​bulky​ ​this​ ​is​ ​again​ ​so​ ​they​ ​mystery​ ​around
who​ ​the​ ​character​ ​is​ ​can​ ​be​ ​kept​ ​as​ ​well​ ​it​ ​makes​ ​the​ ​character​ ​seem​ ​very​ ​intimidating​ ​due
to​ ​the​ ​size​ ​of​ ​him.
In​ ​any​ ​film​ ​poster​ ​the​ ​camera​ ​angle​ ​which​ ​is​ ​used​ ​is​ ​pivotal​ ​to​ ​showing​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​what
they​ ​need​ ​to​ ​know.​ ​For​ ​these​ ​film​ ​posters​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​shots​ ​have​ ​been​ ​used;​ ​low​ ​angled​ ​long
shot;​ ​long​ ​shot;​ ​medium​ ​shot;​ ​medium-close​ ​up​ ​and​ ​close​ ​ups.​ ​These​ ​shots​ ​are​ ​conventional
as​ ​they​ ​all​ ​show​ ​detail​ ​of​ ​what​ ​the​ ​image​ ​is.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​‘Insidious’​ ​poster​ ​a​ ​medium-close​ ​up​ ​is
used​ ​to​ ​show​ ​the​ ​image​ ​of​ ​a​ ​young​ ​boy.​ ​This​ ​shot​ ​has​ ​been​ ​used​ ​to​ ​show​ ​the​ ​detail​ ​and
expression​ ​which​ ​he​ ​has​ ​on​ ​his​ ​face.​ ​As​ ​well​ ​it​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​see​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​setting​ ​of​ ​the
film​ ​as​ ​in​ ​the​ ​background​ ​a​ ​house​ ​can​ ​be​ ​seen.​ ​This​ ​therefore,​ ​allows​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​to​ ​get​ ​a
glimpse​ ​at​ ​the​ ​boys​ ​emotion​ ​and​ ​see​ ​that​ ​he​ ​is​ ​possessed.
A​ ​tagline​ ​is​ ​a​ ​catchphrase​ ​or​ ​slogan​ ​that​ ​is​ ​used​ ​to​ ​advertise​ ​a​ ​film​ ​on​ ​the​ ​poster.​ ​When
used​ ​they​ ​are​ ​normally​ ​used​ ​they​ ​are​ ​very​ ​memorable​ ​and​ ​allows​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​to​ ​get​ ​a

3. small​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​information​ ​from​ ​the​ ​film.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​‘Halloween’​ ​poster​ ​the​ ​tagline​ ​which​ ​is​ ​used
is​ ​“The​ ​Night​ ​​HE​​ ​Came​ ​Home!”.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​an​ ​effective​ ​tagline​ ​as​ ​it​ ​makes​ ​you​ ​wonder​ ​who​ ​‘​HE’
is​ ​and​ ​makes​ ​you​ ​wonder​ ​what​ ​relevance​ ​he​ ​has​ ​to​ ​the​ ​story.​ ​Therefore,​ ​showing​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is
conventional​ ​to​ ​include​ ​in​ ​a​ ​film​ ​poster.
A​ ​main​ ​draw​ ​of​ ​to​ ​a​ ​film​ ​is​ ​if​ ​a​ ​certain​ ​actor​ ​or​ ​director​ ​is​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​the​ ​films​ ​brings​ ​fans​ ​to
watch​ ​the​ ​film.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​why​ ​they​ ​are​ ​included​ ​on​ ​the​ ​poster​ ​to​ ​attract​ ​a​ ​wider​ ​audience.​ ​If​ ​a
famous​ ​actor​ ​is​ ​in​ ​a​ ​film​ ​they​ ​may​ ​be​ ​predominantly​ ​used​ ​in​ ​the​ ​advertising​ ​of​ ​the​ ​film.​ ​For
example​ ​on​ ​‘The​ ​Strangers’​ ​poster​ ​the​ ​actress​ ​‘Liv​ ​Tyler’​ ​features​ ​on​ ​the​ ​poster​ ​of​ ​the​ ​film.
‘Liv​ ​Tyler’​ ​is​ ​an​ ​American​ ​actress​ ​that​ ​is​ ​also​ ​the​ ​daughter​ ​of​ ​famous​ ​rock​ ​star​ ​Steven​ ​Tyler,
the​ ​lead​ ​singer​ ​for​ ​Aerosmith.​ ​This​ ​would​ ​draw​ ​in​ ​an​ ​audience​ ​due​ ​to​ ​her​ ​being​ ​well​ ​known
and​ ​having​ ​a​ ​famous​ ​connection.​ ​If​ ​it​ ​is​ ​a​ ​famous​ ​director​ ​used​ ​on​ ​the​ ​poster​ ​the​ ​fanbase​ ​of
the​ ​director​ ​will​ ​watch​ ​the​ ​film.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​‘Insidious’​ ​poster​ ​famous​ ​horror​ ​director​ ​‘James​ ​Wan’​ ​is
mentioned​ ​on​ ​the​ ​poster.​ ​‘Wan’​ ​has​ ​been​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​many​ ​successful​ ​horrors​ ​so​ ​it​ ​would
mean​ ​this​ ​film​ ​would​ ​be​ ​another​ ​success.​ ​Making​ ​more​ ​people​ ​watch​ ​the​ ​film​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​big
names​ ​who​ ​are​ ​in​ ​the​ ​film​ ​and​ ​those​ ​that​ ​are​ ​behind​ ​the​ ​camera.
Institutional​ ​information​ ​is​ ​a​ ​condensed​ ​block​ ​of​ ​text​ ​which​ ​is​ ​found​ ​at​ ​the​ ​bottom​ ​of​ ​a​ ​film
poster.​ ​Generally​ ​this​ ​information​ ​includes​ ​the​ ​institution​ ​that​ ​is​ ​producing​ ​the​ ​film,​ ​actors
and​ ​actresses​ ​who​ ​are​ ​in​ ​the​ ​film,​ ​director,​ ​producers,​ ​editors,​ ​composer,​ ​costume​ ​designer
and​ ​writer.​ ​The​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​film​ ​posters​ ​will​ ​include​ ​the​ ​institutional​ ​information​ ​on​ ​the​ ​front​ ​of
the​ ​film​ ​poster.​ ​Conventionally​ ​this​ ​information​ ​is​ ​found​ ​at​ ​the​ ​bottom​ ​of​ ​the​ ​page​ ​due​ ​to​ ​it
being​ ​the​ ​least​ ​important​ ​information​ ​on​ ​the​ ​poster.​ ​Showing​ ​that​ ​it​ ​follows​ ​the​ ​conventional
Z-line​ ​pattern​ ​which​ ​the​ ​readers​ ​eyes​ ​follow.​ ​However,​ ​on​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​posters​ ​(Scre4m,​ ​It
and​ ​Annabelle​ ​Creation)​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​institutional​ ​information​ ​at​ ​all​ ​on​ ​the​ ​poster.​ ​This​ ​is
because​ ​these​ ​poster​ ​are​ ​teaser​ ​posters​ ​which​ ​conventionally​ ​they​ ​do​ ​not​ ​have​ ​much​ ​on​ ​the
poster​ ​and​ ​only​ ​include​ ​important​ ​information​ ​about​ ​the​ ​film.
The​ ​release​ ​date​ ​for​ ​the​ ​film​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​important​ ​pieces​ ​of​ ​information​ ​on​ ​the​ ​poster.​ ​This
is​ ​due​ ​to​ ​it​ ​telling​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​looking​ ​at​ ​the​ ​poster​ ​when​ ​the​ ​film​ ​will​ ​come​ ​out.​ ​Usually​ ​the
release​ ​date​ ​will​ ​be​ ​published​ ​in​ ​bold​ ​and​ ​clear​ ​font​ ​in​ ​order​ ​for​ ​it​ ​to​ ​be​ ​seen.​ ​Dependent​ ​on
whether​ ​the​ ​poster​ ​is​ ​a​ ​teaser​ ​or​ ​not​ ​they​ ​may​ ​include​ ​‘coming​ ​soon’​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​the​ ​exact
date.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​done​ ​to​ ​tease​ ​that​ ​the​ ​film​ ​is​ ​near​ ​its​ ​release​ ​but​ ​it​ ​is​ ​too​ ​early​ ​for​ ​the
promotional​ ​to​ ​include​ ​the​ ​actual​ ​release​ ​date.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​look​ ​at​ ​the​ ​‘Scre4m’​ ​poster​ ​it​ ​is​ ​very
clear​ ​and​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​see​ ​the​ ​release​ ​date​ ​of​ ​the​ ​film.​ ​With​ ​it​ ​being​ ​placed​ ​at​ ​the​ ​bottom​ ​of​ ​the
page​ ​it​ ​is​ ​very​ ​memorable​ ​as​ ​it’s​ ​the​ ​last​ ​thing​ ​you​ ​see.
One​ ​way​ ​a​ ​symbiotic​ ​link​ ​is​ ​created​ ​is​ ​using​ ​the​ ​same​ ​fonts​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​promotional
campaign.​ ​On​ ​film​ ​posters​ ​fonts​ ​are​ ​normally​ ​the​ ​same​ ​throughout​ ​and​ ​the​ ​type​ ​of​ ​font​ ​which
is​ ​used​ ​relates​ ​to​ ​the​ ​genre​ ​of​ ​the​ ​film.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​look​ ​at​ ​the​ ​‘Dead​ ​Silence’​ ​poster​ ​you​ ​can​ ​see
the​ ​font​ ​for​ ​the​ ​title​ ​of​ ​the​ ​film​ ​has​ ​a​ ​glow​ ​around​ ​it.​ ​This​ ​relates​ ​to​ ​the​ ​genre​ ​of​ ​the​ ​film​ ​as​ ​it
is​ ​a​ ​supernatural​ ​horror.​ ​The​ ​eerie​ ​font​ ​relates​ ​to​ ​the​ ​genre​ ​due​ ​to​ ​it​ ​looking​ ​as​ ​if​ ​it​ ​was
supernatural.​ ​This​ ​use​ ​of​ ​font​ ​style​ ​to​ ​make​ ​it​ ​relate​ ​to​ ​the​ ​genre​ ​is​ ​a​ ​convention​ ​of​ ​horror
posters.