The document discusses conventions and design elements commonly found in film posters of different genres. It notes that thriller posters often feature close-up shots of the main character(s)’ faces to show emotion, use dark colors like red and black, and place the title at the bottom along with other information. Comedy posters tend to use bright colors and show characters through long or middle shots to capture facial expressions. Horror posters commonly employ red and black colors and have rough, scratchy fonts to create mystery and tension. Drama posters typically showcase characters through long or close-up shots to focus on emotions, and may combine overlapping images. The document also covers teaser, character, and main posters as well as poster sizes, placement locations,

1. Film poster research

2. Thriller posters
What we can find in thriller poster?
- Often thriller posters shows main character/s, which take up most space in the poster, usually they show they face and their emotion.
However there are some poster with long shot, showing setting or some kind of action, which link to the movie.
- Mostly used colours in thrillers are dark colours, for example red or black. However there is also white colour to do contrast and balance.
- Font is mostly basic
- The title are often placed at the bottom of the poster, also with addition information about movie. The colour of the title are mostly red,
black or white to stand out.
- There is data release on it

3. Comedy posters
What we can find in drama posters?
- Usually drama posters contain bright colours, for example yellow, light blue, white etc.
- Posters usually shows main characters, mostly they use long or middle shot. Through these shots audience can notice their facial
expression, which mostly is happy or surprised
- There are various style of font which they use to the drama genre, for example one are rounded, one are twisted.
- Some posters use special image in titles, for example instead of ‘o’ they put doughnut or in this poster from ‘The hangover’ we can see that
they places ‘the’ in the ‘o’. This can be interpret that drunk people do not know what they are doing
- There is data release on it

4. Horror posters
What we can find in horror poster?
- The most used colours in horror posters are red and black, as they create mystery and fear which links to the genre
- Sometimes the font can be scratchy and rough looking, which links to the genre
- There is mostly use of low key language, to create tension and mystery
- There are mostly some type of tagline, which encourage audience to watch the movie, for example ‘welcome to crystal lake’ or ‘sooner or
later they will fond you’. This types of sentences create enigmas, such as ‘what is means?’ ‘who will find me?’ ‘what is crystal lake?’
- On horror posters, as on others genres, audience can find information about movie. For example who produce it, actors and actress, who
are starring etc.
- There is release day on it

5. Drama posters
What we can find in drama poster?
- Colours used in drama posters are mostly bright
- There are images with long/middle or close up shot. Mostly they are focus on this type of shots, as they want to show emotion of the
characters. Characters on posters are mostly not looking out of the poster, as it create enigma and mystery.
- Some imagines on drama posters are combine together. For example on the poster ‘The Best of Me’ we can see overlap pictures, one when
characters are young and one when they are older but showing the same situation, when they are closely to kissing each other
- The titles are basic and mostly in colour which will contrast background. For example in background in white, the title will be in dark colour
- The poster contain information about movie and when the movie will be release

6. What are different types of posters?
Teaser poster - is an early promotional film poster,
containing a basic image or design without revealing too
much information such as the plot, theme, and
characters. The purpose is to incite awareness and
generate hype for the film.
Character poster - for a film with an ensemble
cast there may be a set of character posters, each
featuring an individual character from the film. Usually it
contains the name of the actor or the name of the
character played. It may also include a tagline that
reflects the quality of the character.
Main poster This should normally reflect the genre of
the film and have all the necessary information such as:
the release date, the name of the film, characters names
etc.

7. Where do film posters get shown and why?
Where?
- Billboards
- Cinemas
- On public transport for example: bus
- Bus stops
- Tube stations
- Street walls
- Film magazines
- Digital display
Why?
- To gain larger amount of audience, for example, when someone are waiting for train, they see movie poster and they find this
interesting and they want to go to see the movie

8. What is typical size for poster?
The standard poster is called ‘one sheet.’ , the size of a ‘one sheet’
is 27 x 41in (portrait format)
Billboards are 246 x 108 in, which is equivalent to 24 sheet
Subway posters or bus stop sizes are 40 x 60in(portrait format)

9. How are posters appealing/attractive to the audience?
Does the appeal/attraction differ than that on the poster?
Posters attractive audience as they leave enigma, created through the layout or the style how
posters was made (MES, linked to differ genres etc), and they want to find out the answers.
Poster is made for wider audience, not only for the those who are in target age. The posters are
shown everywhere, so they can attract everyone.

10. What are conventions?

11. Main image
The main image on the
poster is usually main
character from the movie,
so audience have
opportunity to become
familiar with them.
In many cases, the main
character is played by well
known actor, so this
engage biggest number of
audience
On some posters, not on all, we can see
one of the setting , for example where
scenes takes place.
However horror posters are slightly different, as
audience can see main character (if is on the
poster), but mostly they do not see the face of
them, so they are unaware who plays main
character. So the mostly audience are engage to
the movie through the use of MES to create
scary effects.

12. Actor name
On poster we can also find the names of actors who plays main roles.
This can engage fans to watch the movie with their favourite actor/actress

13. Title/Credits
On every poster we can
notice credits, which usually
are written in smaller font
than name of the movie or
date of release.
Credits contains names of
people, companies who
helped in the creation of the
movie, for example director
or production company

14. Release date
Posters purpose is to sale movie and attract audience, so the one
of the most important part on poster is release date. This is usually
written in bigger font than credits, as this should be eye-catching.
However on some posters there is no
exact they of release, but for example
‘coming soon’ of ‘’this summer’

15. Tagline
Some posters have taglines, which create enigmas and more attract audience to
watch it, as they would like to know what this mean.
They are mostly easy to notice and are eye-catching

16. Websites/social media
On some poster we can find website of the film.
This would be so the audience know where to
look for the movie, if they want to find out
more about it (including interviews, posters and
other content; including downloads).

17. What is difference of conventions between
different subgenres?
Slasher horror
- Main character kills people in drastic way
- Lots of violence and scary things
Comedy horror
- Main character looks more funny than scary
- There is more funny things

18. What is the similarities of conventions in
similar subgenres?
Action thriller
- Mysterious man
- Guns, weapons
- People die
Crime thriller
- Mysterious man
- Guns, weapons
- People die

19. What are the 3 most prioritised features?
Main actors
Image with main
actors
Name of film
The name of the film, which is usually
written in big latters is important
features because audience need to know
what is the name of the movie.
Image with main actors is important
feature, because it shows who is playing
the main role. Through the MES the
audience can deduce which genre is it
and if they would like the genre, they will
go to see the movie.
Name of the main actors is important
because it shows audience who is
playing and also can attract bigger
number of audience as well known actor
can engage their fans to watch the film.

20. Summarise how your film poster reinforce
conventions
My poster reinforce conventions of
the horror movie, as it have dark
colours especially black, which
creates mysterious atmosphere and
fear.
Also the name of horror is written in
non basic font and have special effect
of blood splash.
The audience can notice straight
away what is genre of this movie