Some film posters don’t necessarily need to have their characters in but still the title logo and credits. Instead, they would use an object or setting relevant to the story. For example, on the left is the poster for the horror film, The Cabin in the Woods. It shows none of the film’s main characters, but instead shows the film’s main setting; the cabin (in the woods) arranged like a Rubik's Cube. Everything else you’d expect to find in a film poster; title logo, credits, distributor (Lionsgate) logo, rating (R), release date (April 13th) and tagline (you think you know the story); is all there. What interests me most of all on this poster is the release date. The film was released on April 13th 2012; that day was a Friday. Obviously, to tie in with the fact that Friday the 13th is deemed as a day of sheer unluckiness, Lionsgate wanted the film to be released that day and not wait until July 13th. It has been known for horror films to be released on Friday the 13th.
Other film posters have barely anything to show. This will usually act as a teaser for the new film. If it was a film adaptation of something really popular or if it was a sequel, they would use a distinctive feature from the original and/or predecessor of the sequel. It may use something famous from it. For example, on the right are two posters. The poster on the left is for the 2004 animated sequel Shrek 2. Due to Shrek’s overwhelming success, the poster simply showed no characters or credits, but a giant green 2 with Shrek’s ears, along with the producers (PDI) and distributor (DreamWorks) and release date (June 18th 2004). This was to let everyone know that this was a sequel to the most popular animated film released three years earlier. It was also because Shrek’s ears were a distinctive trademark of the series, meaning that when anyone saw them, they knew what it was associated with.
The poster on the right is for the 2012 superhero film The Avengers (or Avengers Assemble in the UK). Like Shrek 2, this poster simply showed no characters or credits, but a giant ‘A’ in a circle with an arrow included; The Avengers’ logo; as well as the producer (Marvel) and distributor (technically, Walt Disney Pictures, but Paramount Pictures’ logo appears on marketing due to transferring rights because of Disney’s purchase of Marvel) and release date (2012). This is because the film is an adaptation of a really popular superhero comic and The Avengers logo is a very well-known symbol of the series.
There are several film posters that are incredibly wide. These are only for billboards and mostly apply for films that are really popular. This particular example is from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the last in the popular fantasy film series. These posters are obviously used to generate hype for the blockbuster film of the year and gears people up with excitement. The poster shows the central characters, Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, engaged in a wand duel in the destroyed courtyard of Hogwarts. As they are the central characters, they are brought into the foreground. The other two major characters, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry’s best friends, are also in the foreground but a little bit further away. Voldemort’s psychotic ‘right-hand lady’, Bellatrix Lestrange is also in the foreground as she also counts as a major character. The most interesting factor is the use of the ‘HP7 Part 2’ logo in the centre (even if the name of the series is said in the website address). Everyone knows who these characters are and clearly means that they don’t need to mention the full name of the film. The other things that remain consistent in a poster are also there; the company logos (Warner Bros. and Heyday Films), website URL, release date (7.15, which means 15th July) and a message to say that it’s also being show in IMAX cinemas.
No comments:
Post a Comment