POSTCARD AD ANALYSIS -BY WAJEEHA YASIN

. One of the main forms of media that help in promoting, marketing and distributing a media product, (in this case, the film) is the Film Poster. A film poster gives the audience the first look of the film, providing them with details such as, the release date and the names of the actors starring in the film. The main purpose of a poster is to attract the audience to the final product, increasing the number of people who would end up coming to see the film when it is released. This helps the film financially, as a well-marketed product is more likely to earn profits. The poster also gives the audience hints about what to expect in the film, and mainly, which genre the film is standardized into. The film poster has a huge impact in garnering the target audience.. For example, when marketing a psychological thriller movie, the poster of the film will have to instantly tell the audience that it will be a film that has been made specifically to make them feel the thrill. If a psychological thriller has a poster with a loopy font, or uses bright and bubbly colors like pink, the target audience will be confused as to what to expect in the film, and will find it difficult to categorize the film in a specific genre.

POSTER CONVENTIONS INCLUDE:1) A bold title. The first thing the audience will seek in the poster will be the title of the film, which is why the title is usually in bold, clear letters, in order to avoid confusion. The font used must also depict the film’s genre, for example, a loopy font for a romance film. The title will also need to be catchy and interesting, to let the audience know what the main theme behind the film may be.2) Attractive images. Film is a visual form of media, which is why the film poster must also be very visual, including pictures that depict the theme of the film, also, giving the first glance of the characters and/or scenes of the film. The images in the poster will have the most vital impact.3) An interesting tagline. The tagline will give more details about the plot and story of the film. The tagline is meant to cause intrigue and curiosity in the audience, making them more and more interested to watch it.

4) Names of the actors starring in the film. Usually, a well-known actor’s fan-following also leads to acquiring a larger audience who will anticipate and come to watch the film. Adding the names of the actors in the poster lets the audience know who will be playing the lead characters. This also helps people standardize the film, that is, if a film is starring Sylvester Stallone in the lead role, the audience will instantly know that it will be an action film.5) A critic review is usually added in the film poster to increase the film’s reliability and quality. A positive critic’s review lets the audience know that the film has much to offer. This, again, adds curiosity and intrigue in the audiences’ mind. This makes the audience think that the film is definitely worth watching.6) Production Blurb. This includes all details about the production of the film. The details include names of the director, producers, writer, editor, cinematographer, etc. The name of the institute distributing the film is also given. Institutes with a specific brand name garner audiences this way, for example, when the audience sees the name ‘Disney’ in the blurb, they can expect the film to be targeted mainly at children. It also includes the release date of the film, although it is usually written in a different color or size to seem more prominent.

POSTERS OF MY FILMS

. The “BLACK SWAN” poster consists of everything except for a tagline. . Poster of “A BEAUTIFUL MIND” consists of everything except for the release date.

. The film poster’s codes and conventions will have to be very similar to the film genre’s codes and conventions. For example, a psychological thriller poster will need to have dark images, with a very dull and deep color pallet, including colors like blue, black, grey and red. The iconography and semiotics of the poster will also need to include the elements present in the film’s genre. For example, if it is a ‘Chick Flick’ or romantic comedy targeted at teenaged girls, the poster will have to include things like shoes, make-up, bright and bubbly colors like pink, loopy font, etc. Another example would be how a psychological thriller poster will have to include things like shadows, blades, blood stains, etc.

All of these elements need to be included in the proper marketing and distribution of the film. The first and main way to acquire and attract the target audience is through the official film poster, to let them know the primary theme behind the film and give them a hint as to what to expect, increasing their curiosity and anticipation at the same time.