Other ways in which distribution companies advertise and promote their upcoming films is through the use of ancillary products such as posters and magazine spreads; two examples of heritage marketing. Unlike film trailers and teaser trailers which have to be viewed digitally onscreen, ancillary products allow distributors to promote their films physically, allowing them to reach potential audiences during their own day to day lives. The primary purpose of an ancillary product is to encourage potential consumers to watch the film when it is released. For one of my ancillary products, I have chosen to create a film poster alongside my film trailer to promote an upcoming horror thriller film. Therefore I must ensure that my film poster is eye catching so that it captivates the audience and prompts them to watch the film when it is released.
These images are examples of film promotion through the use of ancillary posters in a variety of ways. The first two images show film posters used traditionally; the first image shows a promotional film poster for the 2013 horror thriller 'The Purge' on the wall of an Underground station, whereas the second image presents a (poster) billboard for 2012's 'The Dark Knight Rises', located at Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The design of this particular billboard is considered groundbreaking, giving the illusion that the iconic Batman logo silhouette is smashing through the billboard.
Depending on the genre of the film that a distributor is promoting, there are many codes and conventions which are followed in order to successfully advertise a new film. In some circumstances, a films genre will cause a promotional poster's layout, and therefore its overall look to appear significantly unconventional compared to other posters promoting a different genre of film. The poster should be designed to attract the largest audience possible.
Typical Film Poster Conventions include:
- Focal Image: there is usually a focal image placed in the centre of the poster which draws the audiences attention. The focal image of the poster generally shows the main character(s) of a film, a significant prop/location used frequently throughout the film, or something which summarises or represents the main theme of the narrative. For example, the poster for 2012 horror thriller 'The Cabin in the Woods' uses a focal image of a distorted version of the main location used throughout the film (a cabin in the woods) which also happens to be the main subject of the films narrative.
- Large Title Font: the films title should be in a large font that stands out; this will make it clear to the audience what the film is called which guarantees awareness. The films title should usually be one of the main graphic features of a film poster (other than the focal image) and the title should therefore appear bold and striking. The typography should be in keeping to the rest of the poster, and will be relevant to the film's genre. The image below shows a close up of the title used in the film poster above.
- Relation to Genre: the film poster should make it clear to the audience on what type of film it is promoting (for example, comedy or action). The poster will clearly define the genre of the film through the careful use of colour, image and typography, and will use common stereotypes of the films genre to convey this. An example of this is through the use of common horror thriller stereotypes in posters to advertise a film of the same genre; the poster will typically include dark colours such as red and black to connote death, danger and blood which are common themes within this type of film. The posters relation to the genre of the film it is promoting allows the audience to decide whether or not they would like to watch the film, as common themes or content in some genres are more feasible than others.
- Release Date: there will usually be an indication of the films release somewhere on the poster. This could include 'Coming Soon' or an indication of the period in which it will be released, for example 'In Cinemas this Summer'. However, the majority of film posters will present the films confirmed release date. In the film poster advertising 'The Cabin in the Woods' shown above, the release date is the third most prominent aspect and appears bold in comparison to the rest of the billing block. This stands out to the audience and immediately informs them of the date of which the film will be released.
- Production Information: production information, as well as the name of the director and any cast members are usually displayed on a billing block at the bottom of the film poster.
- Star Personas: this particular convention acts as a unique selling point on a film poster. Conglomerate production companies particularly based in Hollywood rely on well-known 'A list' cast members to help promote their films. Film posters could also include reviews and examples of other (successful) films that the production company has made.
- BBFC Certificate: an age certificate is usually clearly labelled on a film poster which will make it clear to the audience of the age restrictions of the film. This will provide the audience with an indication of the potential themes in the film including sex or drug use, which are more likely to be included in films rated the 15 or 18 BBFC classification.
- Tagline's: A small section of text which is used to promote the film.
