Film posters: Research and planning task
Create a blogpost called 'Film poster research and pre-production' and work through the following tasks to complete your research and planning for the print side of the brief:
Film poster conventions
Do some generic research on film posters.
1) List the key conventions of a film poster.
2) What makes a film poster instantly recognisable?
3) What are regarded as some of the best film posters of all time? Why?
Little Miss Sunshine-- A great example of colour scheme that extends from a film to its marketing. Showing a key element of the film – the van doesn’t start easily, so the family have to run and jump into it – it presents an image in motion, but without losing the sense of family and humour.
Scream--Instead, the designer opts for an extreme close-up of Drew Barrymore’s face, her eyes accentuated in glistening blue. Wes Craven lumped for the same trick Hitchcock used some 36 years earlier in Psycho, by putting his most famous star front-and-centre, only to kill her character off early in the film.
Blade runner-- From the pen of John Alvin – an illustrator who pops up more than once on this list – comes this classic, as beautiful as C-beams glittering in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. The smoke trail from Sean Young’s cigarette doffs a cap to the film’s noirish disposition, while the cityscape and Harrison Ford’s future-gun hints at the cyberpunk future on offer.
4) Look back at your statement of intent. What are you planning to produce in terms of your film posters? Can you take inspiration from your research above?
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Film poster research - genre
Film poster research - genre
Go back to the five film trailers you researched in your chosen genre (and additional films if you wish). For each film, find at least three different film posters for the film and analyse the following:
1) What conventions are the same on each poster for the same film (i.e. the film's consistent branding)?
They use the same fonts through out all posters to keep consistency within their film posters.
2) What differences can your find between the alternative posters for the same film?
Sometimes there is a difference in colour and setting to make it look different. Also, one of the posters usually has a simplistic/minimalist design where as the other one doesn't.
3) What target audience do you think each poster is targeting and why? How can you tell?
- Low key lighting
- Religion imagery
- Demonic dark imagery
- Synergy between all posters
- Minimal tag lines and writing on poster
4) What can you use from these posters in your own film poster planning and production?
Looking at these posters give me a better idea of where my titles, credits, slogans etc should be. This will help improve my poster.
Planning and sketching
1) Create a spider diagram or bullet point list of everything you plan to include in your film posters AND all the ways you could target the three target audience segments outlined in the brief: fans of the genre, males, females. Make sure you also create a local film festival in order to meet this aspect of the brief.
2) Produce an A4 sketch for your first film poster, adding significant detail in terms of text and planned images (you don't need to draw the image if you don't want to - but must offer a detailed text-based description if not). Clearly label which segment of the target audience you are aiming for with this poster and where the poster will be displayed (outside location, magazine or newspaper etc.) Remember that each poster can either be landscape or portrait and also needs to link to the local film festival that will be screening the film (see details in brief above). When you have sketched the poster, scan or photograph it and add it to your blogpost.
3) Produce an A4 sketch for your second film poster, clearly identifying the segment of the target audience this poster will be aiming at. Pay particular attention to details you will either keep consistent (to create a brand identity and cover the local film festival aspect) or change (to alter the target audience). When you have sketched the poster, scan or photograph it and add it to your blogpost.
4) Produce an A4 sketch for your third film poster, clearly identifying the segment of the target audience this poster will be aiming at. Pay particular attention to details you will either keep consistent (to create a brand identity and cover the local film festival aspect) or change (to alter the target audience). When you have sketched the poster, scan or photograph it and add it to your blogpost.
Photoshoot planning
1) Which of your characters will appear on each poster? If the characters will be the same on each poster, how will you differentiate the images?
--> For the first poster I will be creating is one of my main character in the front and the
2) What images do you need for each film poster? Write a detailed description.
3) Write a shot list for the photoshoot(s). Make sure you plan a variety of camera shots you will look to capture (medium shots, close-ups etc.) to give yourself flexibility when designing the posters in Photoshop later. Will the photoshoot be out on location or in school with the white backdrop and lighting?
4) What costume, props or make-up will you require for the photoshoot(s)?
This planning should take around a week - perhaps slightly longer if you are currently filming. However, it is absolutely critical that you complete this pre-production work if you are to create three professional-level film posters.
Film poster conventions
Do some generic research on film posters.
1) List the key conventions of a film poster.
- The title must be eye catching
- Clearly defines film genre
- Information of director and production country should be provided.
- Reviews or titles of other films that company has made.
- captivating to the audience
- Must have a focal picture.
2) What makes a film poster instantly recognisable?
- The image on the front of the poster.
- The Title
- Taglines
- Creativity and originality
3) What are regarded as some of the best film posters of all time? Why?
Little Miss Sunshine-- A great example of colour scheme that extends from a film to its marketing. Showing a key element of the film – the van doesn’t start easily, so the family have to run and jump into it – it presents an image in motion, but without losing the sense of family and humour.
Scream--Instead, the designer opts for an extreme close-up of Drew Barrymore’s face, her eyes accentuated in glistening blue. Wes Craven lumped for the same trick Hitchcock used some 36 years earlier in Psycho, by putting his most famous star front-and-centre, only to kill her character off early in the film.
Blade runner-- From the pen of John Alvin – an illustrator who pops up more than once on this list – comes this classic, as beautiful as C-beams glittering in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. The smoke trail from Sean Young’s cigarette doffs a cap to the film’s noirish disposition, while the cityscape and Harrison Ford’s future-gun hints at the cyberpunk future on offer.
4) Look back at your statement of intent. What are you planning to produce in terms of your film posters? Can you take inspiration from your research above?
-->
Film poster research - genre
Film poster research - genre
Go back to the five film trailers you researched in your chosen genre (and additional films if you wish). For each film, find at least three different film posters for the film and analyse the following:
1) What conventions are the same on each poster for the same film (i.e. the film's consistent branding)?
They use the same fonts through out all posters to keep consistency within their film posters.
2) What differences can your find between the alternative posters for the same film?
Sometimes there is a difference in colour and setting to make it look different. Also, one of the posters usually has a simplistic/minimalist design where as the other one doesn't.
3) What target audience do you think each poster is targeting and why? How can you tell?
- Low key lighting
- Religion imagery
- Demonic dark imagery
- Synergy between all posters
- Minimal tag lines and writing on poster
4) What can you use from these posters in your own film poster planning and production?
Looking at these posters give me a better idea of where my titles, credits, slogans etc should be. This will help improve my poster.
Planning and sketching
1) Create a spider diagram or bullet point list of everything you plan to include in your film posters AND all the ways you could target the three target audience segments outlined in the brief: fans of the genre, males, females. Make sure you also create a local film festival in order to meet this aspect of the brief.
2) Produce an A4 sketch for your first film poster, adding significant detail in terms of text and planned images (you don't need to draw the image if you don't want to - but must offer a detailed text-based description if not). Clearly label which segment of the target audience you are aiming for with this poster and where the poster will be displayed (outside location, magazine or newspaper etc.) Remember that each poster can either be landscape or portrait and also needs to link to the local film festival that will be screening the film (see details in brief above). When you have sketched the poster, scan or photograph it and add it to your blogpost.
3) Produce an A4 sketch for your second film poster, clearly identifying the segment of the target audience this poster will be aiming at. Pay particular attention to details you will either keep consistent (to create a brand identity and cover the local film festival aspect) or change (to alter the target audience). When you have sketched the poster, scan or photograph it and add it to your blogpost.
4) Produce an A4 sketch for your third film poster, clearly identifying the segment of the target audience this poster will be aiming at. Pay particular attention to details you will either keep consistent (to create a brand identity and cover the local film festival aspect) or change (to alter the target audience). When you have sketched the poster, scan or photograph it and add it to your blogpost.
Photoshoot planning
1) Which of your characters will appear on each poster? If the characters will be the same on each poster, how will you differentiate the images?
--> For the first poster I will be creating is one of my main character in the front and the
2) What images do you need for each film poster? Write a detailed description.
3) Write a shot list for the photoshoot(s). Make sure you plan a variety of camera shots you will look to capture (medium shots, close-ups etc.) to give yourself flexibility when designing the posters in Photoshop later. Will the photoshoot be out on location or in school with the white backdrop and lighting?
4) What costume, props or make-up will you require for the photoshoot(s)?
This planning should take around a week - perhaps slightly longer if you are currently filming. However, it is absolutely critical that you complete this pre-production work if you are to create three professional-level film posters.
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