• The primary purpose for a movie poster is to promote and
advertise an upcoming film.
• There are different types of movie posters such as teaser
posters, Official Cinema release posters, and DVD release
posters and when analysing movie posters we must identify
what type of poster it is.
• As a consumer of media and texts we are able to tell from a
good picture and some quotes what type of genre the film is
based around and sometimes even what the plot of the story
is. It all depends on the colours used, the style of writing, the
main image however there are some main codes and
conventions that every movie poster follows which are:
Masthead, Credit Block, Release Date, Critic’s Review, Actors
Names, Taglines, Directors Name.
Main Actors/
Actresses names
featured along the
bar line.
Critics quote
written in black
to stand out
against the white
and orange strip
background.
Also helps to
entice the
audience into
watching the film
Title of the film
written in bubbly
hand writing and
in green helps to
stand out from
the background
Main image of the
two main
characters featured
in the film.
Billing block which
also includes the
website for the
film.
Release date for the
audience to know
when the film is
released.
Background is
like the females
top, orange and
white strips.
Portrait & Official Movie Release Poster
Tagline written in
white to stand out
from the animated
picture
background.
Entices the
audience to go see
the film, especially
young children.
Main image of the
three main
characters in the film.
Suggests fun and
adventure throughout
the film from the way
they standing. Also
might suggest it is a
remake version of
Rapunzel due to the
Hair.
Written in gold
almost like the girls
hair. Another
suggestion that it is
a remake of
Rapunzel from
Disney. Stands out
from most of the text
written in the poster
so most people will
know it’s the title of
the film
Another tagline
written in the same
gold writing to make
it stand out. Entices
the younger children
to want to see the
film as it will also be
in 3D. Almost life
like for them.
Portrait & Teaser Trailer
Poster
Actors/ actresses name
to help entice the
audience into watching
the film.
Title of the film runs down
the centre of the poster
unlike most movie
posters. Draw the
attention of the audience.
Unlike most posters it
has an image behind it
too. Hints that it could be
a remake of Disney’s
Beauty & the Beast.
Billing Block
Catch line from the
film draws the
attention of the
audience, as It is
written in white to
stand out from the
male’s black shirt.
Main image of the
two actors/actresses
who play the main
characters in the film.
The males face looks
good on one side
and then hidden in
the title of the film is
the ugly side which
hints at him being a
beast and she’s the
girl who saves him
from himself.
Release date so the
audience can tell
when the film is out.
Portrait & Official Release Movie Poster
Main actors and
actresses names run
along the bar line
enticing the audience
to come watch the
film their favourite A-
list celeb is in.
Title of the film is
written in a different
font compared to the
rest of the text, and
in yellow which
makes it stand out
from the rest so the
audience knows this
is the title of film.
Tagline “Based
on the critically
acclaimed Novel”
which lets the
audience know
there was a book
written about it
before the film
was made.
Portrait & DVD release poster
Billing Block
Main image of the
three main
characters which is
focused solely on
them to help sell the
film. Also suggests a
bit of romance
between the male in
the centre and the
female.
Quote from the film
teases the audience
but also entices them
to come see the film.
• Comedy -
Comedy usually features bright colours which helps to connote the
light heartedness of the plot. The main image usually holds
something funny and brings about the cheerful tone of the plot.
The tagline also reveals a small part about the plot highlighting the
comedy aspect of it.
• Animation –
Animation like comedy features bright colours which helps to
connote the plot of the film but also not to give away too much of
the story at one time. The main image can sometimes hold a tone
of comedy, adventure and even sometimes a hidden romance.
• Drama –
Many of the colours used in a drama movie poster
usually hold some colour to help bring out the plot of
the film and also to entice the audience into
watching the film. The main images usually are of the
characters in a serious position with serious facial
expressions trying to keep the story line of the film a
mystery from the audience but also teasing them
and keeping them on the edge of their seats.

Movie Poster Codes & Conventions.

  • 3.
    • The primarypurpose for a movie poster is to promote and advertise an upcoming film. • There are different types of movie posters such as teaser posters, Official Cinema release posters, and DVD release posters and when analysing movie posters we must identify what type of poster it is. • As a consumer of media and texts we are able to tell from a good picture and some quotes what type of genre the film is based around and sometimes even what the plot of the story is. It all depends on the colours used, the style of writing, the main image however there are some main codes and conventions that every movie poster follows which are: Masthead, Credit Block, Release Date, Critic’s Review, Actors Names, Taglines, Directors Name.
  • 4.
    Main Actors/ Actresses names featuredalong the bar line. Critics quote written in black to stand out against the white and orange strip background. Also helps to entice the audience into watching the film Title of the film written in bubbly hand writing and in green helps to stand out from the background Main image of the two main characters featured in the film. Billing block which also includes the website for the film. Release date for the audience to know when the film is released. Background is like the females top, orange and white strips. Portrait & Official Movie Release Poster
  • 5.
    Tagline written in whiteto stand out from the animated picture background. Entices the audience to go see the film, especially young children. Main image of the three main characters in the film. Suggests fun and adventure throughout the film from the way they standing. Also might suggest it is a remake version of Rapunzel due to the Hair. Written in gold almost like the girls hair. Another suggestion that it is a remake of Rapunzel from Disney. Stands out from most of the text written in the poster so most people will know it’s the title of the film Another tagline written in the same gold writing to make it stand out. Entices the younger children to want to see the film as it will also be in 3D. Almost life like for them. Portrait & Teaser Trailer Poster
  • 6.
    Actors/ actresses name tohelp entice the audience into watching the film. Title of the film runs down the centre of the poster unlike most movie posters. Draw the attention of the audience. Unlike most posters it has an image behind it too. Hints that it could be a remake of Disney’s Beauty & the Beast. Billing Block Catch line from the film draws the attention of the audience, as It is written in white to stand out from the male’s black shirt. Main image of the two actors/actresses who play the main characters in the film. The males face looks good on one side and then hidden in the title of the film is the ugly side which hints at him being a beast and she’s the girl who saves him from himself. Release date so the audience can tell when the film is out. Portrait & Official Release Movie Poster
  • 7.
    Main actors and actressesnames run along the bar line enticing the audience to come watch the film their favourite A- list celeb is in. Title of the film is written in a different font compared to the rest of the text, and in yellow which makes it stand out from the rest so the audience knows this is the title of film. Tagline “Based on the critically acclaimed Novel” which lets the audience know there was a book written about it before the film was made. Portrait & DVD release poster Billing Block Main image of the three main characters which is focused solely on them to help sell the film. Also suggests a bit of romance between the male in the centre and the female. Quote from the film teases the audience but also entices them to come see the film.
  • 8.
    • Comedy - Comedyusually features bright colours which helps to connote the light heartedness of the plot. The main image usually holds something funny and brings about the cheerful tone of the plot. The tagline also reveals a small part about the plot highlighting the comedy aspect of it. • Animation – Animation like comedy features bright colours which helps to connote the plot of the film but also not to give away too much of the story at one time. The main image can sometimes hold a tone of comedy, adventure and even sometimes a hidden romance.
  • 9.
    • Drama – Manyof the colours used in a drama movie poster usually hold some colour to help bring out the plot of the film and also to entice the audience into watching the film. The main images usually are of the characters in a serious position with serious facial expressions trying to keep the story line of the film a mystery from the audience but also teasing them and keeping them on the edge of their seats.