This document discusses film poster conventions and research the student completed on different genres of film posters including horror, thriller, romance, and sci-fi. It provides examples of conventions like including the main characters or locations. It also notes that while conventions like the release date are usually at the bottom, research shows dates were not consistently included until the 1990s. The document summarizes that the three most prominent elements on posters are the characters, title size, and release date. It also gives examples of posters that challenge conventions by not including images or only showing a character from behind.
4. Similarities per Genre
Horror Thriller Romance Sci-fi
• In 3 of the
trailers, the
location is present
in the posters.
• In two, we have
the victims of the
film.
• In the last one,
we have the killer
as the main
character on the
poster.
• On the thriller
posters, the main
characters are on
them.
• The two people
whom the storyline
is about are the
two main faces on
the posters.
• Its the genre
which has the most
colour on its
posters.
• Black and blue
are colours which
are used on Sci-fi
posters.
• On some we see
the creatures while
on others we see
the main
characters.
• The location is
also shown in the
back.
5. What are the different types of film posters? Where do film
posters get shown and why?
If films have a high budget, there is more of
a chance we seen them on:
• Buses.
• Billboards.
• Bus stops.
• Cinemas.
• Theatres.
• Film magazines.
• Train stations.
By dispersing them in public places
it creates a wider audience as the
posters are being indirectly
advertised to more people.
6. What is the typical size for posters?
• The typical size of a poster is A0.
• Sometimes they are bigger such as the
ones on the buses.
• There are smaller ones which are placed in
train stations.
7. How are posters appealing/attractive to the audience? Does the
appeal/attraction differ than that of the poster?
• Posters have the same target audience as trailers as they can be seen by
anyone anywhere.
• Mainly, the actor/actress on the poster is what attracts a person to
observe the poster.
• On horror or sci-fi posters, it can be the creature which attracts the
audience.
• On romance or drama posters, the use of crisp colours which attracts
someone's attention.
8. What are the conventions?
• The main image is usually the main character
of the film so a person can immediately identify
them when they watch the film for example on
‘The Dark Knight’ poster.
• Sometimes it isn't just one character on the
poster. Sometimes we see all of the characters
from the film such as on the poster for ‘The
Avengers’.
• However, sometimes the main images are
symbolisms which are linked to the film such as
on the poster of ‘Black Swan’.
9. What are the conventions?
• Stereotypically, the release date is at the bottom of the poster stating the
day and month such as in the poster ‘300.’
• Sometimes, posters say ‘In cinemas ...’ such as in the poster ‘About time’.
• However, after doing some research, I have noticed that release dates
were only starting to be placed on posters in the 90’s.
• The poster of Jaws 2 illustrates this.
10. What is the difference of conventions between different
subgenres?
• Romance posters usually show the couple which the plot is based around.
• Horror posters either show the villain, victim or location.
• Thrillers usually show the hero of the plot.
• Parodies show the whole cast on their posters.
11. What are the similarities of conventions in similar subgenres?
• All subgenres use or incorporate their main character(s) on the posters.
• The titles are usually at the near bottom of the poster.
• They all have slogans of some sort which is a comment about the plot of
the film.
• The date is also placed in the same place.
12. What do some poster prioritise? What are the 3 most prioritised
features (3 most bold things)?
The three most bold things on a poster are:
• The characters involved in the film.
• The size of the title.
• The date of when the film is coming out.
13. Summarise how your film posters reinforce conventions.
• In the poster ‘Sinister’, the use of blood reinforces one of the
conventions of horror as it represents a force of evil and connotes
death.
• In the poster ‘House at the End of the Street’, the use of the main
characters facial expression being worried reinforced the idea of the
venerable, weak female in thriller movies.
14. Give examples and explain how some film posters challenge the
conventions of film posters.
• The poster ‘The Ring’ challenges
poster conventions as there is no
image of anything which gives away
what the plot of the story line can be.
• It is just a symbol of what the title is
on a black background.
• The poster ‘Michael’ challenges the
conventions as we only see the back
of the character.
