14/11/11 - Ancillary tasks - Film poster research

As we have been encountering a few problems with filming, we decided that we should start our research for the ancillary tasks: a movie poster and a front cover to a magazine.

I decided to contribute to the groups research, and indepently chose four film posters to analyse, so that I could then show them the research as well. As all three of us have previously looked at the film trailer for Taken, I thought it would be a good idea to include a film we all vaguely knew. I also chose to look at the film posters for, Source Code, I Am Number Four, and Eagle Eye. All of these films seem to feature many of the same components, which can also be seen in similar posters.

Taken: The trailer features an image of the main character in the background, with the light highlighting certain features, like his expressionless face and the gun in his hand. The main information is bold, jumping out at the reader. The title of the film is in bright orange and a block font, as is his name at the top. The two main colours used on this poster are black and orange, and this allows us to understand who is involved in the film and what it's called, without us having to stop and search for the information. If the information is presented in a clear and concise way, then the reader is much more likely to remember it. The use of the quote that is placed over the image gives us a sense of what the movie will involve - a man who has lost his daughter to kidnappers.The poster is fairly simple in that the image is simple and effective, while the text is presented in a clear and bright way, allowing us to gain the main information quickly.

Source Code: This poster uses many of the same elements as the previous one, as the title and a quote related to the movie are presented in a bold and clear way. The colour scheme is also fairly similar, as there are really only two main colours used - grey and red. Although there are a few tiny splashes of other colours like blue and orange, they are pale and seem to almost blend into the background. The main character is presented as important to the movie, as they are in the centre of the poster while images possibly relating to his life fly around him. This feature is used on the ground as well, as photographs that may relate to his life are scattered around. The use of the photographs scattered around him in a random fashion help to convey the confusion and chaos his life contains, and grabs your attention as you wonder why they are important. The names of the actors involved within the film are presented in a clear font above the title of the movie, giving the information to the audience quickly.

I Am Number Four: The poster uses an effect that is similar to the one used on the 'Taken' poster. The main character is framed by black, while the other main colours used are yellow and blue, with white highlighting the date of its release on the black background. Using only a few colours means that certain bits of information become more prominent, allowing us to see the valuable information immediately. The title of the movie is in a bright and bold font, in block letters. Putting this over a black background makes it eye-catching. The main characters hands are glowing with a bright blue light, drawing attention to the fact that this thriller movie may involve fantasy powers. The use of the yellow and orange behind him reminds me of a fire, which could possibly be an important element of the story. Out of all of the posters, I feel like this one is the most effective. It is not covered in different colours, while the colours that are used enhance the features that are already there. The information is presented in a clear fashion, and the use of the image shows us who is an important person within the movie.

Eagle Eye: This poster also sticks to using few colours, choosing to use black, white and red. Text on the poster does not seem to be an important feature on this, like it is for 'Taken'. The name of the poster is also presented in a clear and bold font like the others, while a quote relating to the move has been placed above the names of the actors. Using the pale red colour allows the white text to be broken up, as if all of it was white you may be less likely to read it because it would seem like a big clump of information. Pictures are used on this poster to get across the nature of the film. The images depict two people who appear to have shocked and worried expressions on their faces, while another image shows one of them running and looking cautious. Using these specific images could make the audience wonder why they are running, creating interest. All of the images overlap each other, as an effect has allowed them to almost fade into the background so that you can still see all off them.

Main features used:

A bold, sometimes colourful title, which is usually shown on a black background. If a colour is used on the title, then it usually has a link with an image or another part of the poster.

A quote that relates to the movie in some way. For example, the 'Taken' poster featured a quote that the father says downt the phone to the kidnapper at the beginning of the movie. Quotes are also usually in white or a colour that does not distract from the rest of the poster, and tend to link to something the main character has to deal with within the film.

The images used on the posters seem to show the main characters from the side, rather than straight on. Although this does not apply entirely to the poster for 'Source Code', the poster shows the main character running, rather than standing head on. Additionally, the images tend to show a mid-long shot of the character, except for 'Eagle Eye', which features a close up of their faces.

The names of the actors are also included on the poster. They are usually in a clear font, so that finding out what celebrities are featured in it. If they are coloured, the colour used is usually incorporated on the poster somewhere else, creating a link.

Information regarding the release date and who was involved in making the film is placed at the bottom of the poster. It also usually tells us what company sponsored the making of the film, and information regarding copyright.

When creating our own film poster, these are some of the features that we will consider using ourselves.