Textual Analysis of Film Posters
I have decided to create a film poster for my AS Media coursework. The questionnaire can be found here:
Romance:
With romance films, there is a very distinct pattern that seems to occur with the cover design in terms of muse-en-scene. The couple that the film is about are centralised. They are together, often in an intimate or romantic way and are displaying love and affection through physical touch, facial expression and romantic gestures. The colours are mostly soft and gentle, nothing is particularly bright and aggressive. Sometimes red is used, which has connotations of love and passion, which overall suits the genre of the film. With several of the backgrounds, the couples are outside, around nature and in typically romantic places such as the beach and in the rain. The lighting is often high key as it connotes happiness, positivity and sometimes love. The release dates of romances are also very important. Most are released in the summer, as it is this season that we also associate with love and youth as we get hot weather and time away from school and work. Others are released in February, which is when Valentine's Day is, which is typically the holiday of love.
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Horror
Horror films share the same colour schemes, they are more often than not dark tones with low key lighting. The villain is often included in the image, and black is heavily used as it has connotations of evil and fear.
The title of the film is usually centralised and is often a contrasting with the black, i.e white. Occasionally the colour red is used, which in these circumstances connote danger and also blood. This helps add to the overall feel of the cover, and helps it to meet the horror genre. There is also often a tagline that goes along with the movie, often placed above or below the title that entices the audience. It can be considered an enigma code as it can indirectly elicit questions from the audience, or it can directly ask a question that is rhetorical, yet leaves the audience wanting an answer, such as 'what will it sound like when you die?' from 'One Missed Call.'
The release dates of horrors are typically towards the end of the year, around autumn and winter. This is usually when Halloween is, which is associated with horror and terror, and is celebrated widely throughout America and England, which would explain why most are released around this time.
Crime Thriller
Generally, crime thrillers tend to include mis-en-scene features such as guns and other weapons. This connotes the idea of crime and often fighting, suggesting that the film contains a contrast between an antagonist and hero or protagonist. As for the thriller side, we often see reds and blacks used, which connote the idea of danger and action, which are key features of a crime thriller film. In terms of lighting, low key is commonly used to give a gritty and grainy feel. This helps meet the genre because it suggests the idea of action and good versus bad. This is often a significant feature of crime thrillers. Again, we have tag lines that act as enigma codes, enticing the audience and attempting to draw them in by creating questions. 'Parker' uses 'to get away clean, you have to play dirty.' Immediately this suggests to the audience that there is going to be action and violence included in the film as there is a sense of rule breaking, which is also another key feature of the genre.
Horror films share the same colour schemes, they are more often than not dark tones with low key lighting. The villain is often included in the image, and black is heavily used as it has connotations of evil and fear.The title of the film is usually centralised and is often a contrasting with the black, i.e white. Occasionally the colour red is used, which in these circumstances connote danger and also blood. This helps add to the overall feel of the cover, and helps it to meet the horror genre. There is also often a tagline that goes along with the movie, often placed above or below the title that entices the audience. It can be considered an enigma code as it can indirectly elicit questions from the audience, or it can directly ask a question that is rhetorical, yet leaves the audience wanting an answer, such as 'what will it sound like when you die?' from 'One Missed Call.'
The release dates of horrors are typically towards the end of the year, around autumn and winter. This is usually when Halloween is, which is associated with horror and terror, and is celebrated widely throughout America and England, which would explain why most are released around this time.
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Crime Thriller
Generally, crime thrillers tend to include mis-en-scene features such as guns and other weapons. This connotes the idea of crime and often fighting, suggesting that the film contains a contrast between an antagonist and hero or protagonist. As for the thriller side, we often see reds and blacks used, which connote the idea of danger and action, which are key features of a crime thriller film. In terms of lighting, low key is commonly used to give a gritty and grainy feel. This helps meet the genre because it suggests the idea of action and good versus bad. This is often a significant feature of crime thrillers. Again, we have tag lines that act as enigma codes, enticing the audience and attempting to draw them in by creating questions. 'Parker' uses 'to get away clean, you have to play dirty.' Immediately this suggests to the audience that there is going to be action and violence included in the film as there is a sense of rule breaking, which is also another key feature of the genre.
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Comedy
Mise-en-scene often includes characters that are in difficult, compromising or silly positions. This often indicates the film is a comedy as the cover doesn't take itself too seriously and also elicits humour from the audience by using unrealistic situations to create humour. The lighting is usually high key, which connotes light heartedness and positivity, which is essentially what comedy films are. The tag lines are also enigma codes, and often indicate a humours situation, for example, 'some guys just can't handle Vegas' from 'The Hangover' suggests that there is going to be comedy from the misfortune of the characters on the cover in a place they are unfamiliar with. More often than not, the cover of comedy films use Schadenfreude as their main comedic feature. This is funny to others as the audience gets pleasure and gratification (according to Bulmer and Katz's Uses And Gratifications Theory) out of other's misfortune. The release dates are also usually around the summer when people are out of school and work, and the weather is hot and sunny. This is again because we associate good times and humour with good weather, often the summer time.
Mise-en-scene often includes characters that are in difficult, compromising or silly positions. This often indicates the film is a comedy as the cover doesn't take itself too seriously and also elicits humour from the audience by using unrealistic situations to create humour. The lighting is usually high key, which connotes light heartedness and positivity, which is essentially what comedy films are. The tag lines are also enigma codes, and often indicate a humours situation, for example, 'some guys just can't handle Vegas' from 'The Hangover' suggests that there is going to be comedy from the misfortune of the characters on the cover in a place they are unfamiliar with. More often than not, the cover of comedy films use Schadenfreude as their main comedic feature. This is funny to others as the audience gets pleasure and gratification (according to Bulmer and Katz's Uses And Gratifications Theory) out of other's misfortune. The release dates are also usually around the summer when people are out of school and work, and the weather is hot and sunny. This is again because we associate good times and humour with good weather, often the summer time. 
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