Poster Analysis Lauren Allard

Move Poster Analysis: Blair Witch Unlike most horror movie posters, there is no primary optical area, there is no words, characters or names of cast members.

The entire poster looks like it’s a picture taken in the middle of a forest and the camera is facing towards the sky getting a shot of the tops of the trees, which have formed together like veins to make a symbol which is featured in the film. With this looking like a worm’s eye view from the ground looking up, the sky isn’t grey or blue, it’s a deep blood red, giving a hint of danger. The two main colours being black and red both deep and dangerous colours which can give a hint of fear, danger and blood. Two colours often used in horror films. The colours and the image used already giving the audience the knowledge that this is a horror film. The worms eye views of the tops of the trees already telling the audience that the film’s main location is in a forest. The red colour featured in the background, looks like the sky is made of blood, so there is nothing but danger surrounding the forest.

At the bottom of the page you have the title “Blair Witch” which would grab the attention of some of the fans of the first movie. With the title just being “Blair Witch” it can throw the audience off a little, the audience doesn’t know whether this film is a sequel or a remake. The title is in a large bold black font which stands out to the audience.

“There’s something evil hiding in the woods” – Already confirming that the main location in the film is in woods/forest. Also telling the audience that this is a horror film.

The veins that are joining together to make the symbol, could be related to the story in the film. It looks like something stretched out attached to a tree, the arms attached to a large branch and the same for the legs, as if the person being attached to the tree is stretched out and is trapped.

Movie Poster Analysis: Bridget Jones Baby

Poster Analysis Lauren Allard

The poster has the release date just above the three main characters, also with an option to book the tickets for the film in time for the release date. Also below that is the films social media, which is two ways of advertising the film. Using posters and also social media to advertise the film. With the names of the main cast and crew above.

Anchorage How the juxtaposition of images and text or sound help to define meaning for the audience?

When analysing a poster, you should consider the following:

What are the main colours used in the poster? What do they connote?

What symbols are used in the poster?

What are the main figures/objects/background of the poster?

Are the messages in the poster primarily visual, verbal, or both?

Who do you think is the intended audience for the poster? Why?

Given that the aim of a film poster is to get audiences to go and see the film - what persuasive techniques are used?

Which genre conventions are referred to?

Main cast member’s names labelled at the top of the poster. All three being very popular stars which can already be a reason for the target audience to go and watch the film.

The name of the film labelled underneath in a large font, being eye catching to the audience, especially since it is a popular film series. Renee Zellweger is looking directly at the camera/audience, whilst Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey are both looking at her, showing a love triangle in the story.

Clearly the film is about Bridget Jones having a baby, so the two men on the poster are shown as the obvious possible fathers’/love interest in the film. All three characters are in a triangle shape which is already hinting to the audience that there is a love triangle between the three of those characters.

The main colours shown in the poster are bright colours, such as pink and purple. Which stereotypically show that this is going to be a very feminine film and possibly a rom-com.

“Relationship Status: Beyond Complicated” – Romance movie with a bit of a twist. Which is a way to drag the audience into seeing the film for a bit of romance, comedy and drama all mixed together.

Poster Analysis Lauren Allard

Is a star used as a USP?

Are there quotes? Whose quotes?

What pleasures (gratifications) are promised by the poster?

How is attention gained (humour, shock, surprise familiar face of a star)?

How does the tagline work? (humour, pun, alliteration etc?)

Movie Poster Analysis: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them

Poster Analysis Lauren Allard

The Primary Optical area in this poster is the text that is placed in the upper part of the poster, “J.K. Rowling invited you to a new era of the wizarding world”. This already shows the target audience, Harry Potter fans. The poster includes a large image of a city in the background and a train shown in the foreground. There is only one character in the poster, placing him as the main character of the film, he’s stood on a broken down building which can be a hint of some destruction happening in the film. Most of the colours on the poster are a dark blue which can be shown as sci-fi but also a hint of danger, but we already know based on the primary optical area that this is a fantasy film if it Harry Potter related. The only bright colours included in the poster is the bright light from the sun in the background, which shines on the main character making it obvious to the audience that he is the main focus throughout the film. There are no names of the cast of characters just the director and who wrote the film. The other source of bright colours in the poster is the bright blue light coming from the wand that the main character is holding giving us more information of this being a fantasy film based on magic. The main bright colour Is yellow giving a hint that the film includes some happiness during, there is some light to the story despite some darkness and sadness that might happen (darker colours). The title of the film is “Fantastic Beasts and where to find them” The S in the word “Beasts” has a tail making more of an effect of the plot which makes it obvious that the story includes magical beasts and that’s the main plot of the movie.

Poster Analysis Lauren Allard

The USP of this poster is the text included, “J.K. Rowling invites you to a new era of the wizarding world” the unique selling point is that J.K. Rowling the writer of the Harry Potter series has written this movie and it’s inviting the Harry Potter fans back to an all new world of magic. The other hint that this is connected to Harry Potter is the scarf that the main character has around his neck, a black and yellow scarf which belongs to someone who was in Hufflepuff at Hogwarts. The quotes in the poster are “J.K. Rowling invites you to a new era of the wizarding world”.

There is a lot of Anchorage in this poster around the colours going from bright to dark, showing a mixture of happiness and darkness in the plot, and also the text announcing that this film is written by J.K. Rowling and everyone knows her for creating the Harry Potter series, which makes the audience immediately know that this film is connected to Harry Potter which would attract the Harry Potter fans to the film. This film would mainly gain attention by the recognisable title “Fantastic Beasts and where to find them” and also by the name of the author being recognisable, which would immediately bring in a large audience at just the mention of there being another Harry Potter related film. The poster includes the release date of the film and the writer and director labelled at the bottom of the poster, the film is directed by David Yates who is most known for directing the final two Harry Potter films which would grab attention by the fans/audience, which would cause a positive reaction because of how good the final two films were so the audience would think that this film would be similar and would give them an even more reason to go and watch the film.