FILM POSTERS: RESEARCH

Deconstructing Film Posters

Rob Miller | Friday September 02, 2011

Categories: Hot Entries, Posters, Film Poster Analysis, Intro to Posters

Film Posters can be classified as printed media texts. They are targeted at specific audiences to build interest and market the Film product. This is one of the key roles of the financier or distributor: poster or billboard campaigns may be used alongside Online campaigns, EPKs, TV and Radio promotions, advertising in Newspapers & Magazines, Tie-ins/Merchandising, Film Trailers in Cinemas and Free Publicity (Reviews, Profiles, Word of mouth, Premieres & Certification) to sell the film. Audiences may also be targeted using their familiarity with the star or director of the film, and its genre. The concept of Genre Marketing is often one of the most successful ways of persuading audiences into cinemas.

Technical and Symbolic Codes

Technical and Symbolic codes need to be analysed to understand how posters create their appeal.
1. Photographic Codes (framing, lighting, focus, camera angle, juxtaposition, types of shot, effects) 2. Textual Codes (tagline,captions, titles, writing, typography, language e.g. pun, personification, alliteration
3. Symbolic Codes: Setting, Objects & props, background, colour, Indexical meanings. Main subjects – facial expression, eye contact, clothing, style, activity, pose, body lang., implied movement, status….
4. Design / Layout – use of space, graphic devices e.g. effects, shapes, use of colour and typography

Essential additional points to look for:

Genre – Does the film create appeal through audience understanding of generic conventions?  WHAT ARE THOSE CONVENTIONS, HOW DOES THIS POSTER SUGGEST THEM? Look at the iconography, link with audiences’ expectations.
Narrative Enigmas – Does the poster create appeal through limiting understanding of narrative development or is it more obvious (action codes). What narrative structure is suggested or will its appeal be based largely on its stars (star marketing) and its visual appeal. Some typical narratives allow the film genre to be recognised.
Narrative Structure: Posters normally have an open narrative to tease the audience but does the poster suggest a classic three act structure? Can you map Todorov’s or Propp’s theories onto the text from the familiarity the poster has given you?
Narrative Themes – what narrative themes are developed in the poster if any?
Production Values – look at the credits and cast, what does it reveal about budget e.g. is it a major Hollywood studio production, a ‘British’ film or is it an Independent production?
Iconography / Intertextuality – what elements does the poster reveal?
Textual Signifiers e.g. production/distribution credits – what information do they provide?
Representation and Ideology – Does the poster reveal issues that you think may be worth mentioning in discussing how it creates its appeal?
Semiotic Analysis and Media Language should be used to identify and understanding visual signs and written language (e.g. signifier/signified, encoding/decoding, connotation/denotation, preferred meanings, anchorage…)
Target Audience and Demographics – identify the target audience in depth.
Niche / Mass Audiences: Will the poster be marketing the film to existing and new audiences e.g. Sci Fi films have been said to have the largest amount of existing audiences that will go and see the latest Sci Fi film, regardless of content.
Unique Selling Point (USP) or Emotional Selling Point (ESP) – how do you think this film is being sold to its audience?
Audiences’ Expectations of Narrative Structure – what sort of characters, type of storyline, action, themes etc.. would you expect to see in the film? How are the producers trying to create a sense of danger or disruption?
Stars and Directors – how will they engage the audiences’ interest?