2. Grabbing the audience’s attention
• The four-step technique known as “AIDA” is used in this
order -attention, interest, desire, and action. It is used
in a wide range of advertising campaigns to refer back
to when considering the audience of the text.
• “Grabbing the attention” of people passing the poster
is important because as a marketer you want as many
people to notice the film as possible. The more people
that notice the film, the more will go to see it.
• Using the film’s characters or a major plot point is a
common feature as it means that the story is still being
told while attracting attention of potential audience.
3. Grabbing the audience’s attention
• This website used “The
Hangover” posters as
examples. These are good
examples as none of the
pictures reveal too much about
the film but the bright lighting
and simple layout makes them
attractive and “grabs
attention”.
• I will use the AIDA technique in
the production of my poster
when I design my mock up. I
will consider using editing
techniques such as making the
image look mysterious through
colour.
4. Iconography
• Identifying main themes in the film without
actually telling the story makes a good movie
poster.
• Using imagery can establish the film’s plot
while looking iconic. Linking back to my first
point, iconography can be a good way of
catching the audiences attention without
revealing too much about the film.
5. Iconography
• This poster advertising the hit show
“True Blood” uses tactics that have
been used by many advertisers for a
long time - sex appeal, contrast, and
spacing. These all grab the audiences
attention. The use of blood and fangs
gives a glimpse of what the film is
about yet markets to “casual
observers” and horror fans at once.
• Iconography will also be considered
when I design the mock up of my
poster. I have considered making a
wooden sign displaying “Welcome to
Woodwich”. This will be an iconic prop
that would be used in the film. It
could work as it is attractive and tells
the story without revealing a storyline.
6. Interests and Incentives
• If a film is very original and it just cannot be
explained with iconography, using an image
that gives the audience an idea of the story is
a technique that designers resolve to.
• Creating tension and an incentive to know
what will happen next occurs when designers
use an image that comes from a scene from
the film.
7. Interests and Incentives
• The poster from “Inception” uses
the incentive technique and
creates curiosity which in turn
could create an audience.
• “This type of design strategy tends
to work best with films that cover
unrealistic, fantasy-type events,
particularly those that deal with
the supernatural or psychological.”
• I will use this technique in my
poster. I have considered my
central image to be the car of Sam
Baker driving into the Woodwich
village. This reveals the beginning
of the film and opens up curiosity
of what may happen next.
8. Creating “fans”
• Any successful media product has a group of
niche “fans” that it appeals to. However, the aim
of marketing is to create as wide as an audience
as possible.
• “Old fans” can be relied on no matter the review
coverage or promotional materials. Films that are
not a sequel to something that has been
successful can use this technique by using
techniques that are similar of something that has
been successful.
9. Creating “fans”
• Because the poster that I am
creating belongs to an
independent film production
line, and none of the actors are
well known, the poster depends
on other techniques. However, I
am going to conform to
techniques that have been
successful in other posters to
make my poster attractive.
• This seems to have been done
with the posters on the left.
10. Style
• Some of the biggest selling films with the most
memorable posters have used their own house
style throughout all of their advertising
techniques.
• This technique is good for capturing an audience
as it means that each text is in instantly
recognisable to each other. The audience will
have an idea of what the film is about through
the style used in all of its promotion.
11. Style
• A good example of house style
is the technique used by the
designers of “Jaws”. They knew
what would sell is the grotesque
teeth of the shark. This is a
good example as whenever we
think of this film, this is the
image that we associate it with.
• In my ancillary texts, the house
style that I will create will
involve the use of the wooden
sign, “Welcome to Woodwich”. I
hope to use a rustic, wooden
background for my website
homepage and want to use the
sign as part of my poster.
12. A Lasting Appeal
• It must be considered that being too creative
with your advertising texts could in the future be
a downfall. This is because to create a style, they
must be used in future marketing techniques.
After release, the poster may become a fraction
of its original size for the DVD release.
• While most blockbusters use the same design for
their DVD release and their poster, it is becoming
more common to create a different design. Yet,
this may not conform to the specific “house
style”.
13. A Lasting Appeal
• Consider the promotion for the
“Jurassic Park” film. It looks
simple and is easily
recognisable by its audience.
This gives it advantages during
DVD release as the audience
will know which film they are
looking for.
• Although I am not creating a
DVD release or any form of
post production marketing, I
will consider keeping a specific
house style. Simplicity will
make my poster more
professional and so match up
to my website homepage.
14. Picture and Information References
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2011/02/7-
elements-of-a-great-movie-poster-design/
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb
/JAWS_Movie_poster.jpg
