Assignment 2: Film posters and trailers

Both our Assignment 2 analytical and production tasks require us to be experts on film posters and trailers. 

This means we need to study the key conventions and design features in real depth and analyse the key messages being communicated to the audience. We also need to look for specific institutional details such as stars, directors or other films created by the same film studio.

Film posters: key conventions

• Central image
• Secondary images
• Title
• Tagline (like a slogan)
• Release date
• Stars
• Critic reviews
• Social media hashtags / website details
• Production blurb
• Iconography of the film’s genre

Film trailers: key conventions

• Institutional details – film studio, actors, director etc.
• Clear opening laying out setting, characters and narrative
• Short clips of key moments in film 
• Fast paced editing to suggest drama and excitement
• On-screen text (replaces tradition of voiceover)
• Stars – usually early on and often with text-on-screen
• Title and release date – always at END of trailer
• Critic reviews / quotes
• Social media hashtags / website details
• Production blurb (usually final shot of trailer)
• Sound that communicates genre and ‘feel’ of film

Film trailer: structure

Always look for the typical structure of a trailer:

O = Opening

B = Build up

P = Problems

E = Events

Film language notes

Sound

Sound in film includes:

• Dialogue
• Sound effects
• Music
• Voiceover

Diegetic and non-diegetic sound

Diegetic: sound that is coming from within the sphere of the film. Remember: the characters can hear it. Example: dialogue.

Non-diegetic: sound that is NOT within the sphere of the film – only the audience can hear it. Example: soundtrack/music/score.

Mise-en-scene

Mise en scène literally translates from French as ‘putting on stage’. 

We use it in film studies to describe everything that appears in front of the camera.

When we analyse mise en scène, we need to look at the following:

• Actors (placement, movement, expression)
• Costume and make-up
• Setting and props
• Lighting and colour

Film posters and trailers: blog task

You are currently working on a case study for the film you have chosen from our list of 10. Now you need to complete the following tasks on your blog:

1. Create a new blogpost called ‘Film trailer and poster analysis of [your chosen film]’
2. Find the poster on Google Images and the trailer on YouTube for your chosen film
3. Embed them in your blogpost (you may need to save a small version of the poster to ensure it displays correctly)
4. List all the film poster key conventions you can find. How do these attract a potential audience?
5. List all the film trailer key conventions you can find. How do these attract a potential audience?
6. In your opinion, do the poster and trailer successfully promote the film you have chosen to investigate? Why?

Take it further...

Thinking back to your lesson on institution and the film industry, can you find any good examples of film marketing in the trailer or poster? 

Can you find any institutional details that link to your case study research (director, stars etc.)?

If not finished during the lesson, complete for homework - due next Thursday