Posters occupy a space between art and advertising.
They have a clear commercial purpose - to promote an event or product - but they also have artistic value. People buy them and hang them on their walls. Museums have whole galleries devoted to poster art.
When analysing a poster in media studies it is important that you evaluate both how well it fulfills its purpose (i.e. promotion) as well as its aesthetic value.
What symbols are used in the poster? Do you need audience foreknowledge to decode the symbols?
What are the main figures/objects/background of the poster?
Are they represented photographically, graphically, or illustratively?
Are the messages in the poster primarily visual, verbal, or both?Who do you think is the intended audience for the poster?
The audience have to pass judgement on the poster.
There is usually an indication of when the film is being released – either a date or ‘Coming Soon’, although they are sometimes less specific, for example they might say ‘In Cinemas This Summer’•
They have a clear commercial purpose - to promote an event or product - but they also have artistic value. People buy them and hang them on their walls. Museums have whole galleries devoted to poster art.
When analysing a poster in media studies it is important that you evaluate both how well it fulfills its purpose (i.e. promotion) as well as its aesthetic value.
First steps
What are the main colors used in the poster? What do they connote?What symbols are used in the poster? Do you need audience foreknowledge to decode the symbols?
What are the main figures/objects/background of the poster?
Are they represented photographically, graphically, or illustratively?
Are the messages in the poster primarily visual, verbal, or both?Who do you think is the intended audience for the poster?
When analysing a poster, you should consider the following broad questions before you start to focus on the details:
Given that all movie posters have the same purpose - to get audiences to go see a movie - what persuasive techniques are used by the poster?Critical Evaluation
- Is it a good poster?
- Does it communicate effectively with the audience?
- Are there any alternative readings which might harm the message of the marketing campaign?
- Is the poster offensive in any way? e.g. representation
It must be eye catching and captivating to the audience•
There must be a focal picture that will draw in the audiences eye•
The title is displayed in a large, eye-catching font•
It clearly defines the film’s genre•
The poster should be designed to attract the largest audience possible•
There is usually an indication of when the film is being released – either a date or ‘Coming Soon’, although they are sometimes less specific, for example they might say ‘In Cinemas This Summer’•
Information on the Directors and Production Company is often displayed in a billing block at the bottom of the poster•
There could be reviews or titles of other films that the company has made (Cars/Toy Story)
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