Sweet Dreams - Film Poster

Film Poster (Research)

Film posters are an integral part of marketing a movie, as it is able to advertise in numerous places and has a wide range of applications. It has been one of the longest and most used forms of advertisement of movies, with examples being seen all around city's, buildings and newspapers. They are used to intrigue and inform audiences on different aspects of the film, such as who is staring in it, a small amount of information on the plot and when it is being released. All this is done without giving to much information away to the audience, creating a want for more, influencing them to go watch the film.     

An example of a minimalist type of film poster is seen with Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979), which shows very little about the overall plot of the film, but manages to interest the audience with a simple but effective look. 

None of the main characters are seen within the poster, as well as any indication of to what the plot of it is, but by having a key prop, the alien egg, clearly visible it creates interest in the film itself, as its bright green hue and unknown appearance make the audience want to learn more about this alien egg. The poster also manages to elude to the genre of the film, with the dark background and futuristic look, conventions seen in the horror sci-fi genres. 

An example of a more informative poster is Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Rian Johnson, 2017) which presents almost all of the key characters, some of the props used, as well as a small sequence of the film its self. 

All of the main character's are seen clearly in the middle of the poster, showing potential audiences who is in this movie, with many of the well known and big names being a pulling factor for people wanting to watch the film. It also uses contrasting red and white colours, which catches the eye of the audiences, as well as the lone blue from 'Rey's lightsaber. At the bottom of the poster, a small sequence from the actual film is shown, which not only eludes to what is in the film, but also to the genre of the film, with the action oriented depiction showing a action sci-fi film, which is what the 'Star Wars' franchise is well known for.  

Film posters are still an integral part of the film making process, with the different types being used to match the tone of the film. The contrast between the two examples shown above highlights the different effects a film maker wants from their poster, with one showing very little to the audience, and one showing much more. However, both have the intended impact of creating intrigue and a want for more from the audience, effectively using the poster format.   

Individual Research - Film Posters Analysis

Film Posters are designed to intrigue audiences and make them want to watch the film but also to advertise the film and get it out there because without them then there wouldn't be much advertisement for the film which would cause the film to preform poorly at the box-office.

Not all film poster designs are the same, they're most used to give you a sense of what the film is about and that's it, some show very little and leave you asking questions and others kind of give away the main plot of the film.

 The Exorcist (1973)

This film poster for William Friedkin's The Exorcist is designed to not give away any key information about the film such as; the characters, plot, locations etc. and leaves the audience with questions about the film. We're given a sense of what happens from the film title but apart from that the artwork doesn't really give anything away.

The genre of the film is a horror and the poster fits perfectly with that genre because of the use of dark, empty spaces and high contrast photography which creates a sense of fear and mystery for the audience and leaves them wondering but to also present a frightening and vulnerable atmosphere for the film.

The Avengers (2012)

This film poster greatly contracts to the one above for several different reasons, mainly because the genre is completely different to William Friedkin's The Exorcist as Joss Whedon's The Avengers is an American Superhero film. It also gives away a lot more information, for instance we know which Avengers will be staring in the film as well as where it'll be taking place and what will be happening (New York will be under attack and the Avengers have to stop it). It also tells the audience who the main actors of the film are.

The style of the poster also fits with the genre of the film as Superhero films often feature a lot of sci-fi qualities, action and destruction which is clearly visible in the background of the poster as New York appears to in ruins, it also features spaceships/futuristic crafts which is a feature of sci-fi films.

Both film posters feature things relating to the films and fit with the themes of the films to avoid misleading the audience into thinking the film is something different to what the poster shows.

Sweet Dreams Film Poster Example

Horror Genre - Setting/Location

Horror Genre - Setting/Location

Abandoned Building:

This setting is most commonly used in ghost films, due to there being no light, and very quiet that the only noise you can hear are the distant ones outside the building. A place that has been abandoned for years creates a long un-recalled history as nobody knows what has happened here, and creates a feel of mystery. It is also a typical place to for a horror film to have a chase scene. This is due to the fact that the place is secluded, and the victim tries to hide itself when the killer is chasing it.

 

Grave Yard:

This location is used in connotation of the elements death, ghosts and loneliness. This setting uses ambiance to its advantage, due to the amount of crosses and gravestones, and sometimes uses fog to create a mystery feel. It can be more effective it the graves were uneven and have different designs, making each one stand out. Because of this, it makes itself look harder for the main protagonist to escape, again showing the isolation this place has.

Hospital:

Since a vast amount of casualties happen in this place, it makes for another location horror films like to use. The colours of these places are usually monochromic, making the place look dull and uninteresting. It is said that this colour helps to enhance sense to become more sensitive, you are able to notice things more clearly. Because it is a hospital, their is an atmosphere of despair and sadness, due to the patients giving of their negative air.