The Avengers
In this poster we see the seven main characters in the film- the Avengers. They are all in action poses and don't seem to be posing specifically for the poster, although they probably were – they appear to have been caught mid-action. Most of the characters have weapons on them or some type of armour. In the background there is a city backdrop, however all the skyscrapers are being destroyed. There is a both a building and a plane on fire, leaving an affect of debris and smoke. The sky is dark and cloudy with just a hint of light shining through in the background. All the actors’ names are listed at the top of the poster and the name of the poster is in big silver lettering at the bottom. The credits of the film are also listed at the bottom along with the release date and that it will be displayed in 3D and IMAX.
The fact the main characters are included in the poster entice people in who recognise them from previous films and so the poster is relying on the success of those films. The way they are in action shots shows the film will involve a lot of action itself. They are also realised ina slightly graphic style, with just the faintest 'drawn' look to take the edge off their air of reality. The weapons they are holding and costumes or armour also indicate this, like most action and superhero films, will probably involve weapons. The dark background could suggest the film has a lot of destruction or dark forces that challenge the main characters. The debris and flames also emphasize the fact that the film involves action and destruction, exciting viewers who are particularly interested in those types of films. The list of names at the top are not only for credits but to highlight the big, well-known names that have been cast in this film which will interest those who are fond of those actors’ previous work.
The title ‘The Avengers’ has been lettered in bold silver writing to catch viewers’ attention and to maybe represent the use of swords and armour in the film. They have used the Avengers logo on the ‘A’ letter so people who are aware of the films will recognise it and want to look further into it. They fact they have all the credits and release date at the bottom, and even how they film will be viewed shows this poster has been produced at the very late stages of the film’s production.
This poster is helpful to us because it shows us that you can create a feeling of action without revealing the key plot. There are images of destruction in the background and the main characters are clearly causing this. We are slightly worried that our own poster needs to be effective without giving the main mysteries away and this shows that an impressionistic style can work well.
In this poster we have a still from the film. It’s of two men where one is shaving his head in front of a mirror and his friend is behind him pulling an anxious face. It has the film’s tag line ‘It takes a pair to beat the odds’ at the top in plain white capital lettering. Underneath the still shot there is a plain light grey background where it lists the names of the actors cast to play the main characters and underneath that we have the film’s title ‘50/50’, both in black lettering. At the bottom it has the film’s credits and release date also.
There is a slightly old-fashioned feel to this poster, created by the brown tints and the white band across the bottom third. I think this reflects the idea that even though this is a comedy, there is a serious element to it. The colours and block effect are also quite masculine and will reassure a male audience that this film is for them despite the emotional theme. This is important for us as we have a female main character and psychological thrillers need to appeal to a male audience also. This simple, clean, masculine look might be something we can use.
The theatrical poster differs hugely from the teaser poster as it includes a lot more detail about the film and is much more exciting. The background is of city in the night and has an overall dark presence. We get more of a sense of the main character being an outsider as he doesn’t seem to fit in with the city background. The lights in the city background of the poster bring out the lettering in the title of the film as it is in bright white itself. The title is more bold and striking than the teaser poster – this had a more feminine quality with the pink loopy writing. The new poster and font seem more targeted at a male audience. It is unusual to see a different font for the title across products, although the pink loopy font is maintained in the theatrical poster in the name of the actor and therefore there is some brand consistency and another nod to a stereotypical female audience. The tagline and quote are in white as well and so also stands out against the contrasting dark background. The tagline creates a sense of tension and suggests that the hero is running away from something. The fact they hadn’t used a quote in the teaser poster shows they most likely hadn’t finished producing the film yet and the fact they have used it in the theatrical poster is to show it approved by critics. Using words like ‘blood pumping thrill’ glamourize the film to the audience, enticing them into wanting to know more about it. In the full poster the character is holding a bag which could also be enticing to the audience as they will want to know why he’s carrying it or what’s inside it which also isn’t included in the teaser poster. The full poster also includes more institutional detail than the teaser poster such as the credits and the director.
From this I have concluded that teaser and theatrical posters are really quite different. We could make either for our coursework, but I am tempted to suggest we make a theatrical poster. This is because it has much more narrative detail and offers more scope for our imaginations. I also feel teaser posters work better as part of a series or tied to a teaser trailer rather than as standalone products, and we will not be able to make every element of our imagined promotional campaign.
This poster has been useful to show me the importance of the right facial expression as really that is what tells the story here. We are likely to have two characters on our poster and getting their expressions right will be vital to conveying the tone and genre of our film.
In this poster we see the seven main characters in the film- the Avengers. They are all in action poses and don't seem to be posing specifically for the poster, although they probably were – they appear to have been caught mid-action. Most of the characters have weapons on them or some type of armour. In the background there is a city backdrop, however all the skyscrapers are being destroyed. There is a both a building and a plane on fire, leaving an affect of debris and smoke. The sky is dark and cloudy with just a hint of light shining through in the background. All the actors’ names are listed at the top of the poster and the name of the poster is in big silver lettering at the bottom. The credits of the film are also listed at the bottom along with the release date and that it will be displayed in 3D and IMAX.
The fact the main characters are included in the poster entice people in who recognise them from previous films and so the poster is relying on the success of those films. The way they are in action shots shows the film will involve a lot of action itself. They are also realised ina slightly graphic style, with just the faintest 'drawn' look to take the edge off their air of reality. The weapons they are holding and costumes or armour also indicate this, like most action and superhero films, will probably involve weapons. The dark background could suggest the film has a lot of destruction or dark forces that challenge the main characters. The debris and flames also emphasize the fact that the film involves action and destruction, exciting viewers who are particularly interested in those types of films. The list of names at the top are not only for credits but to highlight the big, well-known names that have been cast in this film which will interest those who are fond of those actors’ previous work.
The title ‘The Avengers’ has been lettered in bold silver writing to catch viewers’ attention and to maybe represent the use of swords and armour in the film. They have used the Avengers logo on the ‘A’ letter so people who are aware of the films will recognise it and want to look further into it. They fact they have all the credits and release date at the bottom, and even how they film will be viewed shows this poster has been produced at the very late stages of the film’s production.
This poster is helpful to us because it shows us that you can create a feeling of action without revealing the key plot. There are images of destruction in the background and the main characters are clearly causing this. We are slightly worried that our own poster needs to be effective without giving the main mysteries away and this shows that an impressionistic style can work well.
50/50
In this poster we have a still from the film. It’s of two men where one is shaving his head in front of a mirror and his friend is behind him pulling an anxious face. It has the film’s tag line ‘It takes a pair to beat the odds’ at the top in plain white capital lettering. Underneath the still shot there is a plain light grey background where it lists the names of the actors cast to play the main characters and underneath that we have the film’s title ‘50/50’, both in black lettering. At the bottom it has the film’s credits and release date also.
The poster most likely includes this particular still shot from the film as it sums up the film in one picture. It suggests to the audience that this film is about a main with cancer with the very nervous but strong support of his best friend. I think the picture is very eye catching to the audience as it is not something you expect to see on a film poster and therefore becomes interesting as you want to know more about it. The face of the best friend also adds comical effect to the poster, suggesting that although the film covers a serious topic, it has a light-hearted tone throughout. If they were to use a posed shot of the two men in the poster I don’t think it would have been as effective as it is not as bold as the still shot and would not get across what the film is about as much as the picture used. The words ‘it takes a pair to beat the odds’ reinforces to the audience that the film is about a man fighting cancer with the help of his best friend. It reinforces the fact that this is a ‘buddy’ movie, and gives a positive feel to a film that some people might be put off because of the sensitive subject matter.
Keeping the poster simple allows the audience to focus on the picture used and engage in what the film is about. The list of actors they have cast all include names that may be quite familiar to the audience as they have been in a number of previous films. They have put the title of the film ‘50/50’ in bold black letters, contrasting against a light background so that it stands out to the audience. It also, again, highlights the story behind the film as the main character has 50/50 chance of survival from his cancer. There is a slightly old-fashioned feel to this poster, created by the brown tints and the white band across the bottom third. I think this reflects the idea that even though this is a comedy, there is a serious element to it. The colours and block effect are also quite masculine and will reassure a male audience that this film is for them despite the emotional theme. This is important for us as we have a female main character and psychological thrillers need to appeal to a male audience also. This simple, clean, masculine look might be something we can use.
Drive – Teaser vs Theatrical
I think the film Drive’s posters show the big difference between teaser poster and the later theatrical poster. The teaser poster is very simple and only includes a shot of the actor cast as the main character. The background is fairly plain and there isn’t much detail at all apart from the name of the film, the tagline and the release date. We do get an idea that the film might be quite gritty through the way the actor has been dressed in dirty clothes. The tagline ‘some heroes are real’ also indicates it might be an action movie, but one which might rely on a more downbeat storyline and without the suspension of disbelief some action films require. Although simple, however, it is most likely enough for people to see and want to know more; especially due to the fact the actor cast in the film has been so successful in his previous works so people will expect the same from this movie. The title strikes an interestingly different note as it is very prominent and is in loopy pink font. This adds a more feminine feel. Again, as in the previous poster, I am wondering if some of these choices have been made to widen the appeal across genders - the promise of action in the dominant male figure and the casting of Gosling, and the promise that this will still appeal to women through the title font.
The theatrical poster differs hugely from the teaser poster as it includes a lot more detail about the film and is much more exciting. The background is of city in the night and has an overall dark presence. We get more of a sense of the main character being an outsider as he doesn’t seem to fit in with the city background. The lights in the city background of the poster bring out the lettering in the title of the film as it is in bright white itself. The title is more bold and striking than the teaser poster – this had a more feminine quality with the pink loopy writing. The new poster and font seem more targeted at a male audience. It is unusual to see a different font for the title across products, although the pink loopy font is maintained in the theatrical poster in the name of the actor and therefore there is some brand consistency and another nod to a stereotypical female audience. The tagline and quote are in white as well and so also stands out against the contrasting dark background. The tagline creates a sense of tension and suggests that the hero is running away from something. The fact they hadn’t used a quote in the teaser poster shows they most likely hadn’t finished producing the film yet and the fact they have used it in the theatrical poster is to show it approved by critics. Using words like ‘blood pumping thrill’ glamourize the film to the audience, enticing them into wanting to know more about it. In the full poster the character is holding a bag which could also be enticing to the audience as they will want to know why he’s carrying it or what’s inside it which also isn’t included in the teaser poster. The full poster also includes more institutional detail than the teaser poster such as the credits and the director.
From this I have concluded that teaser and theatrical posters are really quite different. We could make either for our coursework, but I am tempted to suggest we make a theatrical poster. This is because it has much more narrative detail and offers more scope for our imaginations. I also feel teaser posters work better as part of a series or tied to a teaser trailer rather than as standalone products, and we will not be able to make every element of our imagined promotional campaign.
Shame
This poster is quite simple. It includes close ups of a man and woman in a red lighting. The pictures have been taken separately and placed together, with a visible join and a different lighting state, making it look as if the man and woman are separated. They are both looking in different directions and have quite emotional expressions. Unusually, they are not looking at the audience, which gives the impression that they are lost in their own thoughts, which do not seem to be positive ones. The poster also includes quotes at the top from critics about the film, suggesting it has had very positive reviews and pitching it as an intelligent and emotional film. It has the names of the two actors that have been cast as the main characters and the director’s name underneath. The name of the film ‘Shame’ is in clear white lettering spaced out across the poster and has the credits underneath along with the production companies and certification of the film which is 18.
The fact the two main characters have been used in the poster could be for a number of reasons. It could be so people recognise the actors cast as they are quite well known and therefore want to see it as they have enjoyed their previous works. It could also be so we can see the expression in their faces which could be interpreted to be ashamed or torn as the man has his head down and the girl looks a bit distressed. The red lighting on the photos could signify the film is about love or lust, most likely between these two people. This would attract those into that particular genre of film. The quotes also attract an audience as they have chosen quotes that show the film in a good light, describing it as ‘utterly unmissable’ and ‘mesmerising’. This is so people are persuaded to see the film by showing it is popular amongst critics and therefore must be a success. I think they have kept the posters detail to a minimum as to not give too much away about the film to leave mystery and to keep the attention on the faces present in the poster. The fact is has ‘a film by Steve Mcqueen’ could suggest his work has been successful before as its one of the only bits of information included in the poster and this would give the audience confidence it will be a good film. The spaced lettering of the film’s title ‘Shame’ is also kept simple which could tell us a bit about the film, showing it is most probably not very action pact but more about telling a story between these two people. Finally, the title itself acts as anchorage, helping us interpret the facial expressions – we feel the man is ashamed and has betrayed the woman in some way. This poster has been useful to show me the importance of the right facial expression as really that is what tells the story here. We are likely to have two characters on our poster and getting their expressions right will be vital to conveying the tone and genre of our film.
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