Ancillary Text Research - Film Posters

To create our film poster i researched film posters, mainly from the period drama genre so that i could see the common codes and conventions of film posters and this is what i found from my research:

Names:

• Most film posters want to attract a certain audience, a way of doing this is to include a famous actor/actress, a well known director, or a link to a popular film.
• These well known actors. actress's names will be printed above the title at the top of the poster if the director isn't well known, if they are then their name will be above the title at the top.

Title:

• This is what will attract the audience for your film.
• It needs to reflect the genre and stand out from the crowd.

Tag line:

• Normally in a different font to titles, names etc.
• It can be placed anywhere in the frame of the poster.
• The tag line provides further anchorage and exposition and could be an intertexual reference.
• It is effectively the slogan for the marketing campaign for the film.

Institutional Listings:

• Traditionally appears along the bottom of the poster
• Is often to small to read
• Includes details such as: Costume Designer, Co-Producers, Music Composer, Casting, Producer/s, Editor, Production Designer, Screenplay, Based on the novel by (if appropriate), Executive Producer/s, Director of photography and the Director.
• The Directors name often ends the list.
• The website address's are below and the company logos are on either side.
• All the names are emphasised by twice the size of role description and are in upper case.

Reviews:

• These provide further anchorage for the visual campaign but are only suitable for the main poster, not a teaser poster.
• The colour of the quote and its source are usually different
• Often two - three star ratings appear at the top of the poster with one word from the reviewer below and the source logo/masthead below that in turn.
• These are important because these reviewers have to appeal to the target audience of the film.

Logos:

• Important to include the appropriate logos.
• Posters usually include company logos, official BBFC certificate logo and technical logos.

Release Date:

• With is film being low budget it will be classed as an 'indie' film so probably wont be shown in every cinema so the poster could include the selected cinemas it will be shown in.