1. What have I learnt from my
poster research task?
... and what are the common features of a film
poster?

2. Ratings, reviews, awards and
links to other films
Ratings and reviews from that of recognised institutions automatically
give the film credibility.
The 5 star logo can act as an effective marketing tool by showing an
audience that the film is worth watching.
Linking the new film to previously successful films through
directors, producers and so on instantly make an audience more likely
to watch a film if they recognise the names of the other films or enjoyed
them.
Showing logos of awards won by the production on the film's poster
makes an audience more likely to watch.

3. A tag line
Tag lines as well as certain words are common in film posters. These
offer a brief insight into the film. This can be seen in the Harry Potter
tag line which says "something evil has returned to Hogwarts!".
The brief description on the Les Miserables poster is given in a series
of words separated by fullstops. Although grammatically incorrect with
sentences having to contain at least one noun and verb linked by a
conjunction these words sum up the main themes of the storyline such
as "love", "fight" and "hope". They are also effective as it recognises
the fact that many people often only look briefly at a poster and a few
words are quick-reading whilst provide key information about the film's
main themes.

4. A main image
From all of the posters I analysed they often had an image of the main
character. This image would often appear in the foreground of the
piece, and was often close up or a mid shot image.
If a film is not based around a single character the poster could show
the main characters such as the Harry Potter poster, for example.
Some films may not be based on people, therefore an object or animal
may feature as the "main character" with an image of them in the
foreground of the piece.

5. Credits
All of the film posters that I looked at included credits. These are often
a mixture of upper and lower case letters and often credit
actors, directors, the production companies, who the music is by and
so on.
These almost always appear at the bottom of the poster alongside
logos of production companies, websites and so on.
It is unlikely, however, that much attention is paid at them which could
be due to their small print. Yet these credits are essential as it is
necessary to credit those who are behind the film.

6. Actors names
Blockbuster productions which feature Hollywood actors are likely to
credit them on the film's poster. This is not only to credit the actors but
attracts an almost pre sold audience such as fans of the actors.
In independent films it is less likely to credit the actors as they are less
well known, due to small budgets that are often to little to pay them.

7. Genre conventions
All of the posters that I studied included images as well as colours that
linked well to the film's genre.
The horror film I looked at, for example had a haunted house, stormy
skies and dark lighting. It also used a red font which has connotations
with blood which is linked to horror films.
This has showed me that the 'test' poster I will make should include
images and lighting that comply to the conventions typical of its genre.
As well as fonts and colours that apply.