Poster analysis

For my short film, I will be self-generating a poster for an exhibited advertisement (to be exhbitibed both virally and within public structures) to go alongside my presentation. The poster will display my key genres for Action & Sci-fi. Action means that I will have to design/capture an image that shows movement, or a sense of fast pace with fierce facial expressions and a providence of props. Sci-fi may mean that I'll have to include a dark sense of lighting with rays travelling across the image, and props that will conceal the bodies of my actors within the photo, that would seem futuristic/ unnatural.

Some of my poster research includes films relatively similar to my genre selections: Looper, Ghost in the Shell, District 9 and The Terminator. The presentation below demonstrates the key aspects to analyse for a film poster.

This poster anlysis doesn't explain which type of poster this is however. There are three types of poster catergorising that this poster could belong to. There is:

• Teaser - This will be the most basic. It won't reveal much of the plot, but may have picture of the stars and the title.
• Main Theatrical - This will include infromation on the production crew, the stars, and the distributors.
• DVD Release - This will contain the same content as the Main Theatrical poster, with both positive line reviews and relevant publications.
• Genre Identification - Props, costumes, etc... That will include images relevant to the genre. An Action film would include guns and/or explosions. Whereas a a Sci-Fi would display alien/futuristic effects within the image.
• Character - This will display the lead actor/actress.

These elements are vital in the creations of film posters. But there also other elements that can be deciphered within the poster, such as; key settings for the film and main characters, clues to the narrative, colours, and layout, with written textual displays and unique selling points which shows how it differs from other films.

I will have to include some of these elements to display my poster for the film critique.