Film Poster Codes and Conventions

When creating a film poster, it is essential to learn the codes and conventions of that particular genre to understand what product the target audience will want. In order to create a film poster for my short film I had to begin with learning the codes and conventions of a thriller poster, in order to further pursue my research. I would then have to make the decision as to whether I should conform or subvert to these codes and conventions.

After looking online I have discovered the typical codes and conventions of a thriller film poster:

• Protagonist- the lead actor of each film stands in the foreground and in the centre of the poster. Typically, their character takes up the most amount of space which draws the attention of the target audience indicating who the protagonist of the film will be.
• Tagline- many posters include a tagline which are used to increase excitement. Advertisers also aim to create a memorable tagline so that whenever the target audience think of the phrase, they think of the movie.
• Text- the lead actors names are typically printed in bold, particularly if they are well recognised in order to sell the movie. Also the text used for the title's font is typically copied to print the actors name in the same one. 
• Colour- lots of thriller films use black to create a dark mood, whilst others use it to emphasise the brighter parts of the poster. The title of the poster is generally created in a colour opposite to the colour of the background as it is essential to make a title stand out on a film poster.
• Image- the most important aspect of a film poster is the main image used to advertise the film. the image will be taking up most of, if not all, the space on the poster so it is important that it is interesting in order to capture the eye of the target audience. Some posters incorporated the theme of the film into their image.
• Lighting- the lighting is typically low key to create a mysterious and tense atmosphere. The lighting makes the characters puzzling and sometimes it creates shadows which hide their identity and make the audience want to know more about their personality or how they will act in the film.
• Directors/ Producer/ Actors- if the director and producer of the film is well known then they will likely be shown on a poster for the film as the following they have prior to the film will immediately engage the audience. The main actor/s are shown on the majority of all film posters to give the audience an idea of who will be starring in the film, and again to engage audience members already familiar with the actors. As well as them being on the poster, the actors names are also generally shown at the top/bottom of the poster.
• Reviews- thriller posters often have at least one review on them if there is a well known company recommending people to watch the film. 
• Date- the date on a poster is generally to inform the audience as to when the film will be released. Sometimes the poster has the exact date and month of the release, while others may have phrases such as 'Coming soon'.