Research for Ancillary product: Poster

The reasons behind creating a poster

Research and analysis of existing products

how you are going to challenge them?
softwares used to produce such posters

My second ancillary task is a film poster; a poster is a piece of printed-paper, which is attached to a wall or vertical surface. A poster usually advertises a product or informs the public about upcoming or important events.

Orientals: Posters can be portrait or landscape; it depends on what billboards or surface that it is going to be attached to, or the original orientations of the picture (either portrait or landscape). Billboards near the motorway tends to be portrait whilst billboards in the bus stop tends to be portrait, the orientations of posters depend primarily on the original picture.

A film poster is another form as advertising, just like film magazines it aims to appeal to the audience by using creative, conventional and product-related images. A film poster has to have an image, and it has to have the title of the film. It is necessary because the audience needs to know what film is being advertised and also to become familiar with the theme of the film. 

During my research I found that if a film produced and distributed a poster and was on the from cover of a magazine, they usually follow a trend. A trend that makes the audience aware of the film, this type of technique implants an image on the consumers’ mind, an image that would trigger their memory once they view product. That is why it is essential for the media text to follow conventions and to create a product that has a visual impact.

Below is an example of a poster thats follows a similar theme to their magazine.

Previously shown in my reserach on the magazine, we can see that the picture is the same whilst the fonts and design around the image has changed. It is amusing how the style and fonts enables the consumer to idenitfy what type of media product it is. The poster (on the left) is very simple in design yet effective, the title of the film stands out and the credit block can barely be seen, the colours used connotes the Victorian era and quite simplistic however this poster drew millions of viewers.

A poster, i learnt from this media product does not have to be too compact depending on the genre, the image and layout should draw a crowd in. a poster is a form of advertisement and should resemble that by the colors, layouts, fonts, images and wordings used- it should work well toegther.

I looked at one website which gave me an insight on the 7 ways an effective poster is created.

click here to view the website. The writer explained that the 7 techique is:

1. 1. Attention – jump out from the wall.

In this poster we automatically are caught up by the essence of blue, it is clear that it conotes the supernatural world, because it does not fit with our vibrant and colourful world we live in, it is surreal and distant from us. the unusal use of color springs out towards the target audience to the point that they have a feel on what genre the film is.

The three close-upshots of the character also displays the main characters but also builds up an atmosphere beacause of their facial expression.

2. Iconography – showing without telling

Iconography is showing an icon without actually needing to explain because it is already injected into consumers mind, it has a label attached to it and automatically reads meaning.

The iconographic image is throns around the actors head, the 'Crown of Thorns' a well known symbol to represent our Lord Jesus Christ who died and suffered for our sins, so that we may have life. The Thorns connotes pain and suffering entwined with the huge love that god had for us. The icon is recognised worlwide, so the public can easily identify the image without hesitation.

Using iconographic image makes the audience distinguish the genre and motive of the film, it draws attention and spells a thousands words through one image. Iconography is not used a great deal by instiutions because props usually take thet postion od iconography however props can also be iconic as well.

3. Interest – create an incentive to see the film.

The lightening creates a dramatic tense feel to the poster, use of a urban background (concrete) acts as an incentive for youths to watch the film.The urban life looks dramatised and dark which is an incentive for some audiences.

The use of characters located in different places, different postions, different levels and facial expression draws a range of target audiences because it is mixed ethinicites, mixed style of dressing and mixed atmosphere being projected by the characters. It is clear that it is targeted at youths/students institutions use interest that appeals to the majority of them.










4. Style- a look that's consistent with film

Setting a theme and being consistent with it ensures that the audiences engage with the product (or advert) example of a style it the black swan poster, the theme of using dark colours and elegant make-up is consistent and does not deviate. the theme is kept up and does not side track to other themes. Consistent style ensures the the audience attention is focused on the message and genre that the product is trying to transmit. 

5. Recognizability-

Having a poster that can be easily distinguished is essential, take this old time classic, Indiana Jones, we only have to see the khaki shirt and rope with a tabby hat to know that its the famous Indiana Jones. the image has become almost iconic because it is recognised globally. Indiana Jones have always stuck to their trademark of using yellowy and orangey effects to dramatise their poster. 

Credit Block

Below most posters we would identify a credit block, a credit block gives the audience and promotes names or the film. It informs the readers about the main producers, directors, characters of the film as a way of enticing more audience or showing a latest work of a person or institutions. Credit blocks is not a convention because some posters opt  not to include it, however I want to include a credit block in my poster because, it gives it a professional effect and not only that but my target audience are able to read about the rewards received by the institutions. 

Below are different styles and formats of credit blocks. 

credit block 1

Credit block 1: uses an orange font, we note how the font style is the same but the size differs some parts have low cases compared to others.

credit block 2

similar to the one above, the style is the same but the size of the font differs, it is a common convention that existing media products follow. This credit block has large spaces between each line, it is much easier to read than the first credit block.

credit block 3

This credit block has much more writing, it has the logos placed at the bottom, the style follows a similar pattern to the the credit blocks above. all three credit blocks are margined at either the right or left or both, they follow a shape or aligned in a straight line. 

Film Tag-line