Our class
has spent considerable time and focus on the elements of visual rhetoric so
most of this blog post will not be groundbreaking information. Film posters
have always interested me in how they function as an advertisement and still
retain the artistic essence of the specific film they advertise. This
combination proves to have very interesting results. If done with success, an
effective movie poster will reflect on the thematic elements of a movie while
engaging the viewer in terms of design and the textual information
contained. Essentially, the poster should be a hint to what the film will be.
I have
noticed that several techniques are commonly used depending on what the poster
is trying to achieve in terms of resonance with a particular audience. The inclusion
of a small catch line (which is done very often in commercially popular films)
has the potential to reflect on the film while adding another dynamic to it. In
the case of Jurassic Park, the catch line read, “an adventure 65 million years
in the making”. This hints towards how the film will revolve around dinosaurs
while adding a clever (and therefore engaging) element to the poster. Another
technique in film posters that is often used is the inclusion of the symbol for
a prestigious award within the film industry. This serves to establish ethos
for the film as it shows great artistic achievement, and its mainly geared
towards people who take a greater interest in movie culture. Another element
that establishes ethos is the inclusion of the various talents that went into
creating the movie. This usually includes the director, main actors, and the
producing companies apart of it. Viewers get the instant opportunity to see if
their favorites are included within the movie which also serves to engage them.
These are the main techniques used in film posters that I have noticed but the
medium (if I can call it that) is certainly not limited to them. Anyone know of any others?
These three posters all have an aesthetic that thematically coincides with the films they advertise while maintaining an engaging edge.
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