The Seven Elements of a Film Poster

1. The Seven Elements of a Film Poster By Harry Donnelly Media Studies

2. The main elements of a film poster are: Attention Iconography Interest Appeal Style Lasting Appeal Recognisability

3. Attention The first step, and the one most important for designers, is attention – grabbing the attention of passers-by and encouraging them to look. This is may seem obvious but is easier said than done. Gaining the attention isn’t always done by flashy pictures or bright colours. The hint of a main character or story plot can be a main focal point and attraction in any poster.

4. Iconography The key point to iconography is to show without telling. The most effective movie posters are iconic, presenting the themes present in the film without resorting to describing what the film is about.

5. Interest You need to create an incentive to see the film. Many of the best modern film posters use pictures that put the viewer in the middle of a scene from the actual film. This creates tension and a major incentive.

6. Appeal Create a desire with fans and non fans alike. It’s always the true fans who end up last in the marketing campaign. Studios can usually rely on them to view their new releases regardless of it’s review or the promotional aspect.

7. Style It is extremely important to create a look which is consistent throughout the film. What ever film genre, style matters. The most memorable film posters to have been released have all used bold and unique artistic styles to their advantage. The key is for the style of film poster to be consistent throughout the rest of the marketing campaign and film. Don’t just be arty for the sake of it.

8. Lasting Appeal There is a problem with getting too ‘arty’ when designing a film poster. Eventually the film will be released and the image will be shrunk to fit the size of a DVD cover. The majority of the classics and big budget films use the same image for both the poster and DVD release.

9. Recognisability If it’s a sequel, make it obvious. From time to time, the entire box office seems to be made up of sequels . There’s a good reason for it too – some of the most financially dependable films are sequels to successful franchises. From films that dominated both the commercial world and the awards scene to purely commercial releases, few films can guarantee studios income like a good sequel.