Influence of real media texts on the production of my film poster

THE INFLUENCE OF REAL MEDIA TEXTS ON THE PRODUCTION OF MY FILM POSTER

At A2 level I analysed in depth conventions of film posters using the internet (ie Wimbledon, Bend it Like Beckham etc) and magazine covers (ie Empire, Total Film).    These (particularly a Total Film cover for Sherlock showing Dr Watson and Sherlock Holmes standing together) gave me the creative inspiration for the main image used on my products which was taken using a digital camera and improved by removing the background using the magic wand tool on Photoshop software.  Connotations can be read into the photograph of the antagonist and protagonist standing back to back on the court used on the poster and magazine cover.  The positioning of the main characters, their body language and facial expressions denote the existence of a bitter rivalry.  The angle of the racket held by one character along with a clown like supersize tennis ball suggests that she may not be as serious or as competent as her partner.  On reflection, I could have made the presentation of the main characters as binary opposites more apparent to the audience through greater contrast in the use of costume. However, at AS level I would not have had the knowledge, technical ICT or creative ability to produce an image which deliberately incorporated connotations and clues for the audience into the plot of the film.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challange forms and conventions of real media products?

How has my film poster challenged and met the typical media conventions?

Please click on the images to enlarge them.

Film Poster Analysis: Bend it like Beckham

There are many aspects of this poster which appeal to me:

Colour symbolism is apparent in that the use of green, orange and black used in the text relate back to the Indian flag, which represents the main culture in the film.

A quote from a critic is used in prime position at the top of the poster with the largest font size being used to emphasize the word “hilariously” and draw the audiences attention to the comedy element of the film.

Reference is also made to other well known British films ie Bridget Jones to provide a mass audience with a benchmark in terms of the quality of the production and particular the humour embedded within it.

The images on the poster are cleverly positioned.  In the foreground we have the image of 2 girls from different cultural backgrounds obviously enjoying each others company.  Whilst in the background we have a group of Asian women in colourful traditional dress (which contrasts with and is emphasized through the use of a white background) looking as though they are asking Jazminder to come back to them.  The composition has the connotation that the characters are from different cultural worlds.  Themes of gender and ethnicity are evident in the posters composition.

The emphasis in terms of the size of the font used in the title is on BEND IT rather than like Beckham.  Whilst the words bend it literally refer to process of curling the ball into the net it may also have other connotations related to the fact that both characters have to “bend” deeply entrenched views held by their family members about women’s roles in order to achieve their sporting dreams.

Interestingly, apart from the use of the name of the soccer star Beckham, there is no imagery or reference in the poster to football. The white background does not reveal the setting and the costumes worn by the girls is non descript sports wear rather than football kit.   This could be a devise designed to create intrigue amongst the audience and to avoid too much association with football which may alienate the female target market. Although in America women's soccer is the most popular female sport so it would be interesting to see whether the same approach to marketing was applied in that country.   The emphasis of the poster is the relationships between the two girls and the conflict with their families.  The poster doesn’t give away too much of the narrative but creates enough intrigue to interest a prospective audience.

Conventional features such as the credit block, production company details / logos  and release date are evident on the poster.

Film Poster Analysis: Wimbledon

The promotional poster for this film is simple and clearly presented encompassing conventional features of products of this type.  Key features include:

- The use of a white background which reflects the tennis theme, keeps the content of the poster sharp and clear.  It draws attention to the photograph of the main characters.  Simple aspects of mise en scene such as the props (racket) and costumes make the tennis theme very clear to the audience.
- The photograph is positioned to the left of the poster which is the first thing that the audience will naturally focus on.  The attractive, giggling girl and serious glare from the male typify gender stereotypes.  The romantic genre is apparent in the body language and relaxed clothing eg open shirt, mid riff showing.
- Reviews and quotations from film reviewers from recognised media institutions clearly identify the genre of the film as a romantic comedy and highlight the performances of known actors.
- The poster mentions other highly successful and instantly recognisable films by the same producer hoping to build on the loyalty of the audience and give this film credibility.
- The names of the stars are displayed in a conventional way by being prominently positioned on the poster in an attempt to attract a target audience of existing fans or followers.
- The Title of the film is positioned in the bottom third in order to draw the readers attention. The limited colour scheme does appeal to both male and female audiences, although I do think that the title is lost a little in the colour scheme.
- The Credit Block mentions the name of the producer etc again hoping to rely on previous films to bring in an audience..
- The release date and indication of the scale of the distribution ie in cinemas "everywhere" 
- Logos are also used to denote the production company and film distributors.