This document analyzes the conventions used in three different posters for a gang film called "Shank." The first poster effectively uses conventions like a prominent title, tagline, credit block, and focus on main characters. However, the second poster focuses too much on release date and website rather than characters. The third poster has a brighter color scheme but the characters look posed rather than action-oriented. Overall, the first poster is deemed most effective at drawing attention and conveying the plot through its use of established poster conventions.

1. Evaluation Question 1:
(Part 1)
How does my poster use, develop or
challenge the conventions of real posters?
By Ta ny a McDo n a ld

2. The conventional
structure of a film poster

3. These are two examples of classic layouts for conventional posters I created -
despite their different arrangements a classic film poster will nearly always have
a structure containing a title, a tagline or Unique Selling Point, a credit block,
actor names, a release date, logos and a website.

4. Conventions of Social
Realism Film Posters

5. ‘Shank’ Posters

6. Tagline: Straight to the point USP: Immediately appealing to Actor Names: Well known actors (for their
of the film - time of the plot the target audience who have previous work in similar films) are credited to
and the focus on gang wars. enjoyed their previous work. grab attention.
Film Title: Photo: The two
Bright red colour gangs are
stands out from introduced, the
the rest of the main characters
poster which has and his gang and
generally dim then the rival gang
colours. The superimposed over
figure cut out the sky. The sheer
from the ‘A’ also number of gang
reinforces the members is
theme of the film emphasised in the
surrounding background. The
gangs. location is given
away by famous
London landmarks.
Parts of the plot
are given away as
the main
characters seem to
be running from
the other gangs.
Credit Block: Matches the colour scheme Websites, Logos and Release Date: All The lighting on the poster draws all
with white and is easily seen but does conventions of a classic poster. Placed attention to the centre of the poster
not dominate/distract from the rest of neatly beneath the Credit Block while and the figures running towards the
the poster. still clearly seen. reader.

7. This is a good example of This version uses greater
how rearranging the text use of Unique Selling Points
can create a different as it uses a quote and a
impact. This example is rating from a magazine.
quite strange as the USP
and tagline have been put in The black boxes seem to
black boxes, making them echo the film itself as
stand out yet seem separate widescreen can often have
from the poster. The credit black borders at the top and
block is gone completely as bottom. The black boxes
this poster seems to focus have the effect of separating
on advertising the from the main image,
soundtrack and the website. however, they also seem to
make the main image stand
out more.
There is much less of a
focus on the main The red (in the title and the
characters in this poster as rating) stands out the most
they are much smaller in from the poster as the rest
comparison with the is quite bleak and grey (a
landscape poster. Because feature which I’ve also used
of this it feels like there is on my poster).
less impact because the
impression that the
characters are running right Overall, this version of the
at you is less clear. poster seems to have less of
an impact in comparison
with the landscape version
If looked at from further of the poster. There is too
away it would actually be little focus on the actual
quite hard to tell that these characters and film and too
are figures in the much focus on the date of
background. It is also less release and website.
clear where the story is set.

8. While this poster is also landscape, it is quite Overall I think that this poster has less of an impact
different to the first poster. The immediate than the first poster because it is quite plain (and even
Actor Names: noticeable difference in the colour scheme of the the characters who have been cut out and put together
The actor poster - by using white instead of black and grey it seem quite boring when put on such a background).
names in this makes the poster much brighter.
poster are The title is
bigger and slightly
brighter than different to the
in the other other versions
poster so but is still
attention is bright red,
drawn to them making it
much more. In stand out but
comparison not as much as
the USP is it did against a
quite small black
and hard to background.
read. Having the
main character
There is much jump over the
more attention title has a
on the main different
characters in impact to the
this poster, in other two
particular, in posters and
this poster attention is
they all look immediately
fierce and drawn to him
ready to fight because of it.
whereas in the
other poster There are more girls in this poster, however, while Credit block: The credit block in this poster is
they looked still looking quite fierce, they also look somewhat much bigger and takes up nearly a quarter of
like they were like accessories to the guys (as they’re sat at their the poster, while this may be good because it
running away. feet) so this poster (more than the others) would draws attention to it, it also draws the question
attract guys and probably put off girls. of who would actually stop and read the credits.