POSTER CONVENTIONS

Posters and trailers have been used to promote films for many years, but the nature of film marketing and promotion has changed a great deal since the 1990’s. However, posters are still a vital part of the marketing process, so it is always worthwhile studying their key conventions. 

• An eye catching image or images- often related to characters (and the stars in the film) or the setting of the film.
• The title of the film: carefully constructed in terms of font style, colour, size and placement: a lot of thought goes into the title – it is meant to be memorable, and also suggest the genre of the film.
• A tagline for the film- which is like the catchy slogan of advertisements – offering another clue to the genre and main themes or content of the film.
• The names of well –known or key people connected to the film. These are usually the lead actors but may also be the director of producer.
• Critic review (for example. Empire magazine) giving their comments such as ‘an unmissable film’
• Details of any awards nominations or awards that the film has already won. These will be placed clearly on the poster.
• The production blurb – information, in tiny print, that lists the production and distribution companies as well as other information.